Ed & Debbie Lamb

Heading into the office on Monday morning following a week of travel is always overwhelming. The follow-up from the visits and ceremonies and all the waiting emails that come while we are gone loom large. It takes us a week to prepare to travel and at least a week after we get home to catch…

MEMORABLE MONDAY We were supposed to have visitors from Argentina and the US on Monday and Tuesday but because of COVID travel complications, they were unable to come at the last minute. We decided to make the planned visits anyway since so many people had rearranged their schedules for the occasion. On Monday we drove…

MORNING MADNESS Meet our noisy neighbors. These slender-billed parakeets are South American parrots called Loros. They remind us of the lorikeets we saw in Australia. They spend a lot of time chattering to each other in the trees by our apartment. We are told they can imitate human speech like larger parrots. MANY MEETINGS This…

ABRAZOS, MUCHAS SALUDOS, SUPER BIEN One thing we love about the Chilean culture is the warmth and love expressed by the people. A typical greeting (even with COVID masks) is an air kiss on each cheek and a simultaneous hug. After we meet people in person their emails and text messages often begin with Muchos…

FINAL REPORTS & FINANCES We spent the week in the office doing paperwork to close out projects. This process involves downloading documents into the humanitarian database system, writing final reports, and reconciling finances. FALL FOLIAGE After a full day of rare rain in Santiago, the fall colors were vibrant. FABRIC A fellow missionary, Hermana Lindquist,…

COMPUTER DELIVERIES Our week began with two quiet days in the office and then on Wednesday morning, we loaded the big van with 20 computers that have been refurbished and headed south to Chillán. It is always a memorable moment when we get far enough out of Santiago’s smog to see blue skies! After driving…

CENAS ESPECIAL -NOCHE DE HOGAR FAMILIAR On Monday we were invited to have dinner (cena) and Family Home Evening with Silvana Mauna, her husband Edgardo, and their son Benjamin. In our church, we set aside Monday evenings to spend time with family, learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and enjoy activities together. Their warm…

TEACHING & TRAINING Our week began with a follow-up/evaluation visit to one of our projects to witness their workshops in action. Acción Social Parroquia la Asuncion is a non-profit organization operated by volunteers. Its aim is to provide training for community members to learn a trade such as hairdressing, baking, sewing, embroidery, printing, etc. They…

2 CEREMONIES On Wednesday we attended two entrega ceremonies at schools. We spent the morning at Colegio Los Héroes in the Santiago suburb of La Florida. This school is in a neighborhood where students confront many social challenges.  More than 96% of the 200 students are classified by the government as vulnerable and at-risk.  All…

LUNES On Monday we drove 4 ½ hours south to Chillán Viejo and back to Santiago that evening.   We attended a ceremony where 300 school kits were donated to three different rural schools. MARTES On Tuesday we drove 4 ½ hours north to Ovalle and back to Santiago that evening. Students living in rural…