CELEBRATIONS

A CELEBRATION OF NATURE

The rain last week has done magical things to the Santiago green spaces.

A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER TO HELP IMMIGRANTS

This week we received an emergency solicitude from the government to help immigrants in the Santiago suburb of Conchalí. A coalition of churches has joined together to help house immigrant families for approximately two months while they receive assistance with legal paperwork and finding jobs and permanent housing. The Baptist church has space for a family of five and we are collaborating to supply the beds, stove, heater, and washer. After our site visit, we went to Costanera mall to order the necessary items and found a new restaurant to enjoy.

A CELEBRATION OF PIONEERS AND BIRTHDAY CHEER

Pioneer Day is an official Utah holiday celebrated on July 24. It commemorates the entry of the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake valley on July 24, 1847, where Latter Day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States. Parades and fireworks are the names of the game in Utah while members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all over the world celebrate in their own unique ways. In Henderson, Nevada, where Elder Lamb grew up, his church congregation always had a Pioneer breakfast and a children’s parade where the children dressed like pioneers and pulled decorated wagons around the park. The 24th of July also happens to be Elder Lamb’s birthday. He jokes saying that he has such good self-esteem because he always thought those pioneer celebrations were for him and that the whole community showed up to wish him a happy birthday.

On Saturday morning, we drove to Cumorah Casablanca to celebrate Pioneer Day and Ed’s birthday. The Lindquists are still recovering from COVID, so our party consisted of Elder y Hermana Mora (our hosts), Elder y Hermana Salgado, us, and Sister Mendez. We had another memorable day at Casablanca sharing food, friendship, and stories of pioneers in each of our families. These Chilean friends are first-generation members of our church in their families and had inspiring stories to tell.

One definition of a pioneer is “one who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow.” We all have pioneers in our family history who led out in meaningful ways. We enjoy sharing these stories with our grandchildren as we gather as a family once a month on Zoom. Who in your family was the first to go to college? Who immigrated to another county for a better life? Did some sacrifice to keep their commitments to God? We all have our own family stories of inspiration and sacrifice. In reality, we are all pioneers in some way. The plains we cross may not be the prairies of the American Midwest, but they are just as real and important to the legacies we leave for our descendants. May you inspire courage and fortitude in your families as you share your stories.

Abrazos, Élder y Hermana Lamb, (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)