"Papas Funerales"

December 24, 2015

Chilean custom for Christmas is to have a dinner late on the 24th and open presents at midnight.  The next day is pretty much sleeping and visiting, and of course more food.  We are going to Christmas Eve dinner at our Branch President's home and we are supposed to arrive at 9:30 pm!  Emely, our friend, said we would probably return home about 1 or 2 am.  Hope I can stay awake!

Today Emely and a few others came over to make and frost Christmas cookies.  It was quite an experience, since none had done it before.  The little 3 year old, Joel, went at it with great enthusiasm.  We had to mop the floor after they left!

They each took a plate of cookies home.  These are some of them.  The two in the bottom left corner are Elder Jones and me.  That was fun!

We have done a few projects for Christmas and appreciate those of you who contribute to our mission fund and make these projects possible.  We know that a few people here will be very happy tomorrow.

No one here has a real Christmas tree.  They are all fake.  But about 3 weeks ago we found a grove of trees that was far out of the way and cut a branch off one of them in a spot that would not be noticed.  Then when we got home we cut the small branches off and made a "bouquet" of branches, which became our Christmas tree.  I made a Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus out of clothes pins and pieces of cloth, and we have a beautiful but small tree.  

If you look closely you can see the wood snowman Daniel, our grandson, made me a few years ago.  I love it, and brought it with us to Chile as something to help me feel at home.  

In the main plaza of Ovalle is a really tall pine that is very old.  They decorate it every year for Christmas.  We have been told by several people that it is the tallest living Christmas tree in Chile, and the fourth tallest in South America.  

While out working on projects, we stopped to rest on a bench.  Elder Jones is wearing his tie that receives the most compliments--and was made by our Granddaughter, Florence, for him for Christmas last year. 

The Elders here love Elder Jones.  They call him "la maquina," which means "the machine."  He is a great role model for them.

We keep having earthquakes.  There was quite a big one a few weeks ago (5.8 centered in Ovalle).  I just looked on earthquaketrack.com which records all the earthquakes as they happen in the world.  In the last 20 days Ovalle has had 14 earthquakes of 4.2 or higher.    As of now, the one we had in September holds the record for the biggest in the world in 2015.  It was 8.3 in Illapel, but about 6.8 here.  

We had a great Zone Christmas activity on Tuesday.  The Zone Leaders and Elder Jones and I prepared the main course--which was turkey breast and funeral potatoes!  Others brought salads and desserts.  The smell of the turkey cooking brought up great memories for those missionaries who come from the states.  Elder Call had to explain what "papas funerales" were.  They definitely were a new taste to the missionaries from South America.  We cooked 28 potatoes and peeled and shredded them.  It was quite a project.  In most of the church kitchens either the oven doesn't work or there is no rack in it.  We took our oven rack and thankfully the oven worked so we could bake the potatoes.  It turned out great.  

This is a very different Christmas for us.  We will skype with our family on Saturday.  As a Zone of missionaries who are all far away from home, it means a lot to share gifts and feelings of love for each other.  We are each other's family here.    

I will close with a scripture I love from Mosiah 3:8:  

Y se llamara Jesucristo, el Hijo de Dios, el Padre del cielo y de la tierra, 

el Creador de todas las cosas desde el principio; y su madre se llamara Maria.  

In Ingles:

And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning, and his mother shall be called Mary.

We love you all and hope Christ's light fills you with love today and always.

Elder y Hermana Jones 

  Our Zone is on fire!  And so is our meat!                                                                                                                                                          November 22, 2015

About a month ago our District Center (Stake Center) finally got completely repaired after the big earthquake in September.  Then, on November 7, at 4:30 in the morning another big one hit--a 6.8 centered in -- you guessed it -- Ovalle.  I don't think anyone slept after that.  It was a really bad way to wake up.  All the dogs started barking and most of the car alarms in the neighborhood went off.  It was pretty crazy for a while.

I went up to the District Center later that morning and noticed a bunch of new cracks on the outside and ceiling tiles dislodged again in the Chapel and Cultural hall.  This time, there was damage to window casings in the hall, and the lights are out again in our Family History Center.  Oh well.

Just when we think it might be over, a few more come.  Last week there were two, about 1 minute apart, that felt like the building was on a water bed and someone was jumping on the bed!  There have been so many that we now can guess pretty well what number to give each of them.

We have been accused of bringing "luck?" to Ovalle.  Not sure what kind of luck they mean, but nothing has happened in this area of Chile for years.  Since we got here there have been floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes.  I have my theory about why all this is happening.  If I'm right, its working!

Our Zone reaches its goal!
Each Zone in the mission sets a baptism goal for the month.  Our Zone goal is always the highest in the mission.  In October, we actually exceeded it, and probably will in November too.  To celebrate, we got permission for an activity on P day.  We went to a beautiful area outside of town for a barbecue and games.  These missionaries are so amazing!  Trying to keep up with them is a full time job.  (And this is just one Zone of one mission in the church.  I love imagining this sort of energy and excitement happening all over the world.)

We had two baptisms on Saturday the 14th.  One was in a river because they do not have a font.  We waded through one part of the river (like wading across the Weber River in mid summer, slippery rocks and all) to get to the area for the baptism.  Actually, I loved doing it barefoot!

The missionary ready to do the baptizing is Elder Murdock from Ammon, Idaho.

The other was of a young boy who lives with his grandparents because his parents abandoned him when he was a baby.  We helped teach him and had a wonderful and fun experience.  You can see in this picture how happy his grandfather is.  The Elder is our Zone Leader, Elder Call from Oregon.  He is wonderful!

The grandparents are farmers.  This is a photo of their farm in the evening.  You can tell by looking at it how hard they work.

Single Adult Group
We have begun working with the older single adults.   Two weeks ago they had a barbecue that was supposed to start at 9:00 pm but actually got underway about 10:30, which is when they started the fire and began fixing dinner.  Just before midnight we started eating (two more people came after that) and they were still eating and going strong when we left at 12:30.  Barbecuing is a big thing here. They eat LOTS of meat.  We started off eating a whole grill full of pork, then chicken, then beef, then more pork.  They do it often and well.  It was delicious!

This is how some people here start a fire for a barbecue.  Put rolls of newspaper around a glass bottle, then take the bottle out and start the newspapers on fire, which lights the briquettes.

We have been asked to teach a class for them in eternal marriage.  Our first class was two days ago.  We are using the Preparing for Eternal Marriage manual, which is for an institute course.  I think we are all going to learn a lot.

District Conference Choir
We got approval for a combined Missionary and Young Single Adult choir to sing a special number for District Conference.  We have observed how much both groups love to sing and could not imagine anything better than the two groups together.  It turned out much more complicated than we expected.  I had three hymns arranged and planned for them to sing, and found out at the first rehearsal that most did not know how to read music or sing parts, and didn't know one of the hymns (actually a primary song).  We did some quick adjusting, narrowed it to the two hymns, sang however it worked, practiced parts for who wanted them, and did what was most important--sing.

After four practices and countless changes, two extremely talented missionaries accompanied and directed, and one also extremely talented YSA played the violin.   About 25 young people (and a few attending angels) inspired the whole congregation with a beautiful and unforgettable number.

When I started thinking about this idea, one very special YSA kept coming to my mind.  One who loves to sing and has a very tender spirit.  We will do it so he can "sing his heart out," I said to myself.  On the day of conference he didn't show up to the just-before-conference rehearsal.  I was really disappointed.  Just after conference began, and we were all seated in the choir seats, I saw him come in and sit way in the back.  When it was time for us to sing I went to the microphone and called him to come up.  After the meeting it was apparent how grateful he was.  We really love these kids!

Some pretty flowers we have seen as we travel.  These purple and pink ones are so bright you can hardly look at them in the sunlight.

  Thanks for all the support we feel.  Have a wonderful thanksgiving.  Our hearts will be full of gratitude that day for you all and for our many blessings.

Elder y Hna. Jones    

 

I feel the earth....move.....under my feet!  (The song Elder Cluff starts singing whenever we feel an earthquake!)

I am NOT exaggerating--we have had several earthquakes a day since the BIG ONE on Sept 16th.  We thought at first that they were aftershocks and would, according to my vast knowledge of earthquake behavior :), stop within a week or two.  So maybe at first they were, but now we have come to expect a rumble/shake/rattle several times a day.

This morning I was lying in bed rehearsing Spanish to myself when the first one hit--not too bad, I thought, but then about 10 seconds later a much bigger one occurred, lasting about 20 seconds, and more than a bit scary.    Later we looked on earthquaketrack.com and found that it was a 5.4 centered close to Ovalle, where we live. (That is an interesting website if you want to follow what's happening here.)

We have felt them outside a few times and that is a very different experience.  We were at a nature park yesterday and standing on rocks when we heard a rumble and the rocks started to vibrate. Actually feeling the earth we are standing on rumble and shake is really strange.  It almost seems like the earth is angry.

 In our apartment building the rumble sounds at first like distant thunder, then comes in force, making the building feel like it is actually bouncing.  We have tied down the computer so it won't fly off the desk.   Other breakables have been moved to lower and safer locations.

Valle del Encanto
(Valley of Enchantment).  This is like a national park about 20 miles south of Ovalle.  We have been there three times now.  It is beautiful.  Yesterday we went with one of the missionary districts in our Zone.  They wanted to spend the day together because transfers come tomorrow and they are anticipating some of them will be transferred.  We love watching the friendships develop between these missionaries, especially between the companionships.    Some members came also.  A few pictures of missionaries, flowers, and Inca petroglyphs and pictographs:

When I was taking a picture of this flower my wrist brushed against the stem and leaf, and caused an instant burning feeling similar to stinging nettle.  Like most desert flora, it's survival strategy is "don't even think about touching me!"

                                 We have no idea what this is, except that it is a beautiful tree.

It is hard for me to describe the feeling of awe I have when I see a new flower for the first time.  There have been many of those moments here.  God's creativity is manifest in the uniqueness of every living thing, and especially for me, flowers.

Emely's baptism
Emely, 16, the sweet girl in our apartment building, got baptized two weeks ago.  She asked me to play a special musical number and dedicate it to her.  I put three hymns together and it turned out pretty well.  She has a beautiful spirit and will be a great missionary to her family and friends.

 She was at school about a month ago (Catholic school) when she was expected to take her turn to pray before class.  She said she couldn't do it.  When asked why she said she was getting baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they didn't pray like that.  The teacher said to pray however she wanted!  Which she did.  Apparently it made quite an impression.

                   Elder Cluff baptized her.  Here she is with her mother, the elders, and Cluffs.

We have had several YSA baptisms lately.  They are wonderful young people, full of hope and anticipation.  Three of them came to institute last Saturday, and we loved watching the beginnings of testimony and new friendships.  It was definitely a high point for us.

Danae, the girl on the left, was just baptized.  The boy on the far left is an investigator, and two of the other boys are preparing for missions.  Elder Santa Ana, our District Leader, is in front.


We have received approval for a combined YSA and missionary choir to sing a special number in District Conference in a month.  There is much excitement for it.  After listening to both groups sing, I cannot say which one loves to sing more (or which has more talent).  I can't wait!

Our friend, Harol, has a special attachment to Elder Jones.   He is a Young Single, and is a very unique individual.  I think he would move in with us if he were invited.  Church starts at 10:00 am, but he came to our house Sunday morning at 9:00 ready to go with us.  We were, of course, not ready yet, but before we left, I took this picture of them together.

He is the only member in his family.  He told us that his dad and brother were going to the beach on Sunday, but he wanted to come to church.  And he is now wearing a suit, which is a lot better than the sports outfits he has been wearing.  We love watching the transformation these young people go through when they start feeling a part of things.

Brownies:    I often bring a treat to institute or District Meeting (or other special occasions, which means I bake a lot) and on the internet I found a cheap and easy recipe for brownies.  No one here makes brownies, so it has caused quite a sensation.  Several have asked me for the recipe.

 Maykol, (wearing the striped tie in the group picture above), our friend who is a YSA and was baptized a while after we arrived here, asked me if I would teach him how to make them.  He came over last week.  They turned out great.  He made them at home the next day and brought them over asking, "what happened?"

They had a nice smooth dry top, but everything below was still batter.  We laughed, and then he said he had an electric oven, which makes a huge difference.  On my gas oven, there is no temperature gauge, so I just put the dial in the middle.  Also, no heat comes from the top.  So baking in it is a little tricky.

He wanted to make some for Institute, so he tried again and brought them.  They were still a little gooey, but delicious!  Everyone was so impressed that he could make brownies.  He loved the attention, and I loved not having to make them!

Elder Santa Ana asked me to teach him how to make gravy!  (He ate it for the first time at our house a few weeks ago.)  That should be lots of fun!

Spanish is getting easier, we are more confident talking to people, and more relaxed about making mistakes when we talk.  What's wonderful about this is that Elder Jones is finally able to be himself and let his light and love shine through.  People feel it, and love being with him, especially Elder Gutierrez, one of our zone leaders, who is constantly challenging him to thumb wars, regardless of who wins.

We love you all.  We see the Lord's guidance as we serve, and are grateful for it.  We are also very grateful for all the support we feel from you!  God bless you!

Elder y Hna. Jones

October 3, 2015
                                       
                                                                 

                                                                                                                      

The Baptism

Missionaries in a Zone cannot go to each other's baptisms unless they bring an investigator.  So when the couple we wrote about in our last blog got married and then baptized, the word spread quickly.   We have seven missionary companionships in our Zone, and six of the seven were at the baptism with investigators!  Several family members who were not members also attended.  

                       Jenny and Esteban and their family.  The two oldest sons baptized them.  

After the baptism, I was playing hymns while we waited for the couple to change clothes, when all the missionaries came up to the front of the chapel to sing.  We have had some wonderful spiritual experiences here listening to missionaries sing together, but when 13 missionaries (including Elder Cluff) filled the room with love, music, and testimony, it is not easily forgotten.  

When the couple and their sons returned, the spirit witnessed truth through their testimonies and also through a violin solo played by a sweet family friend.

When we think about that the whole family has been going to church for eight years and the children have all been baptized (Naccia, the 14 year old, is the only Young Woman in the Branch and is one of two who attend seminary), you have to realize what this means for them.  We attended a lesson after the baptism where they set goals, and the desire to be sealed together in the temple in a year is on the top of the list.  

The baptism was a powerful spiritual experience for everyone who attended.

I wish I had brought more cookies.

Joel

A few weeks ago we were leaving our apartment complex through the gate, which has a lock, when a 3 year old little boy escaped out of his first floor apartment window and ran after us.  He slid under the locked gate and hugged Elder Jones around the legs, either wanting him to not go or to go with him.  The expression on his face reminded me of  Veldon when he was younger.  (Veldon is Ben and Carline's youngest.)   His name is Joel, and he is the nephew of our sweet friend Emely, who is getting baptized in a week!  He loves to be with us.

He has helped me wash the car twice, which makes it take twice as long and requires a complete change of clothes for both of us afterwards.  He calls me Abuela Jones (Grandma Jones).  I bought a ball so I could play with him in the parking lot.  At least then he wont get sopping wet and make his other grandma have to do more laundry.

He gave us this photo of him in his native Chileno outfit.   It's nice to be called "Grandma."

Piano

I have been preparing for about a month to start teaching piano.  I had not begun yet because I needed to wait for the keyboards I ordered to come.  But after playing in Sacrament Meeting last week two sweet girls came up and asked me if I would teach them how to play, so I figured it was time to start, even if I didn't feel quite ready.  They did have a keyboard, so that helped.  We had our first lesson this Wednesday and actually three girls showed up.  We had fun!  Its obvious I am going to have to learn a lot more vocabulary, and soon!  

Young Single Adult Activity

The YSA activity we have been working on for so long was last Saturday.  It was fantastic!  Twenty YSA came  and we feel we accomplished our purposes of friendship and unity through games, meals, visiting, and having fun.  

These two photos are of the group working together to get everyone over the rope from the inside to the outside.  

Volleyball--we had no net or ball, so we used the rope and a soccer ball!

Elder Jones leading our "sticks" game, which teaches leadership, unity, and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 

The original location for this activity was the beach, about 30 minutes away from Ovalle.  After the earthquake and tsunami, all the sand got washed out into the ocean and left only rocks on the beach, so we moved it to a really nice park about 40 minutes away.  There was a river running along the park.  It reminded us how much we love the sound of a river.

Thoughts From Ross re. terramotos (earthquakes) and learning Spanish

Note the missing steeple, tilted bell tower, and caved in roof on this adobe church.

This is how Chilenos have learned to build for earthquakes.  Note the massive amounts of rebar and the ten inch thick concrete walls.

You know, there is something deeply unsettling about feeling the earth, which we have trusted our entire lives to be 
"rock solid" and give  stability and support (when possibly man-made structures may not), suddenly begin to roll and jerk and crack.  And then there is the deep rumbling and creaking that builds up from a distance, and starts it all off, and afterwards the people screaming and crying.  A very interesting experience, to say the least.  I think my feelings about "Terra Firma" will never be quite the same.  

Anyway, the experience was new, and therefore worthwhile, though we don't need any more like it, thank you very 
much.

Another very worthwhile, though not particularly fun experience, has been my effort to learn Spanish at age 71.  
German came to me so much easier way back when I was 19 and still had a brain.  Now when I'm trying to think of 
the Spanish word to fit a situation, the German word I haven't thought of for 45 years wants to come out. I think of 
our small grandchildren as they went through the process of learning English, and find myself going through exactly 
the same process, except for the German that keeps popping up.  And except that we are also studying grammar.   I'm 
learning so much about how the mind works.  

And we are getting Spanish, though very slowly.  Connie (Sister Jones) is getting the grammar much faster than I am, probably because she works much harder at it than I do.  I do tend to understand native speakers a little better than she does, however.  And my pronunciation is better, I think.  Working together, we can usually communicate with others.

Number of aftershocks since starting to write this blog:   8

Love to you all.

Elder y Hna. Jones

                                                                                  Fiestas Patrias, 18 de Septiembre, 2015

Earthquake, again!  

Our last blog mentioned an earthquake in August.  It was nothing!  The one we experienced Wednesday sent people into the streets terrified and in tears. 

 At about 8 pm Wednesday night we were in our living room when everything started to shake--and rumble.  It seemed like it was going to be a big one, so we dove under the table and hung on to each other.  In two very scary minutes we heard things falling, breaking, and moving from one spot to another. By the time it was over we had lost power, water, and gas.  Lots of things were either on the floor or in a different place.  We collected flashlights and went to join the others from the apartment building who were gathering in the parking lot.   Water from broken pipes made streams and waterfalls down the stairways.

Our friend at the hardware store who is in his 40s told us yesterday that he has only experienced one other earthquake of that magnitude in his whole life.  I guess that explains why people were so frightened.  I was very brave.  I didn't cry.  

The earthquake was measured at 8.3.  It's epicenter was in the ocean a ways south of here, so the two closest towns got hit hard with a tsunami.  Aftershocks have been going on since then--many throughout the night and all day yesterday and today--creepy and unsettling.  We got the apartment all cleaned up and back to normal. Fortunately, no major damage.  We only had a dish break, a bookcase collapse, and some grout come out of the bathroom tiles.  

These new buildings in Chile are built to handle earthquakes.   But in town, several old adobe buildings suffered some damage or collapsed completely.   All members and missionaries have reported in and are fine.  

Today is Fiestas Patrias, de 18 de Septiembre.  It is their freedom day, like the 4th of July.  The celebrations are huge and last for about two weeks.  Many things have been cancelled because of the earthquake, and a place that is usually very noisy with music and entertainment has been very quiet since Wednesday night.  I think things will perk up a bit today and tomorrow.   If you happen to notice the Google logo for today, it is in honor of Fiestas Patrias.    

Our friends in Punitaqui

A few months ago we visited a family in Punitaqui, a small town about 30 miles away.  We went to see the Branch President, who is the oldest son in the family, age 23, and who returned from a mission to Bolivia about 4 months ago, and is also a Young Single Adult.  During that visit the parents (Jenny and Esteban) said that they had been going to church for about 8 years but have never been baptized and had finally made the decision to do so.  When the spirit that a returning missionary brings home with him fills the house with holiness, it has a big impact on those ready to respond to it.

They began receiving the missionary lessons soon after that, and we have attended and helped the young missionaries teach them.  It has been a very spiritual experience.  They had their baptism interview on Tuesday and will be baptized tomorrow.  

 As you probably know, it is quite common in many countries in the world that a couple have children and are a "family" but have never married. That is the case with this family.  So as they prepared for baptism they also prepared for marriage.  Much went into getting ready for this wedding.  It was Wednesday afternoon (before the earthquake) and was wonderful.  They are supremely happy!

When we watch people make changes in their lives to align with the gospel, we see how hard it is after a lifetime of not knowing.  When the spirit finally touches them and they recognize truth and want to embrace it, they begin their new journey of happiness.  We love being part of that journey, even when things get tough.

We spent several days helping them get the house and area ready for the wedding and the celebration.  Here Elder Jones and I and the Zone Leaders are painting the fence.  Notice that the house in the background is brown.

A week later it is blue!  We helped paint all the blue and white on the house.  We worked on it inside also, and did much clean up outside.  We also helped set up the canopies for the celebration.  It was quite a project.

                  Jenny being escorted by her two older sons.  The one on her right is the Branch President.

Some of the children dressed up for the wedding.

The couple and their two youngest children, Fabian and Naccia.  Jenny's mom made her dress and Jenny made her bouquet and the flower decorations on each side behind them.

We love this family.  Many wonderful blessings await them as they continue to strengthen themselves spiritually.  Being their friends has been a real gift to us.  

We love you all.  We deeply appreciate the support and love we feel from all of you.  God bless you.

Elder y Hna. Jones

Hermanalita

The older sisters in our Branch (I guess that would mean anyone older than I am) call me "Hermanalita," which is a really sweet version of "Sister."  I am so enjoying getting to know them better.  I guess the advantage of Sister Cluff being gone is that I have had to speak for myself and therefore develop my own relationships with the people in our Branch.  Cluffs did finally come back to Ovalle--yesterday--but she will be in a wheelchair or in bed for a few more months.  Her bones are healing, but right now caution and rest are her best allies, so she will be working from her apartment. It is wonderful to have them back.  They go home in three months.

Earthquake!
Elder Jones and I were sitting in our apartment last week when our chairs started to shake.  They shook harder and harder for about a minute then it slowly died away. It was a bit unnerving, but quakes are so frequent here that people don`t stop to panic unless the power or water goes out.   We have felt several of these earthquakes (they happen frequently) but that was the strongest.  Apparently the center was about 50 miles north, so it was stronger there == 5.5 or so.  It feels kind of creepy, and the rumbling noise is really creepy!  We`re just fine not having anything stronger.

It is still harvest season.  Grapes are all gone and actually starting to leaf out again.  Trucks are bringing in loads of oranges, avocados. artichokes, and tangerines.  They are all wonderful.  We never knew an avocado could have so much flavor.  We have driven around a bit to look at some of the farms, but when we see a guard dog behind the fence that silently glares at us and looks like he works out every morning, we keep going.

Trip to Barazza
Last week we were asked by the mission office to go find the owner of an apartment the mission wanted to close down in another town.   We needed to give him a letter indicating that, but find where he lived first because they had no contact information.  They knew he was in a town called Barazza which is about 30 miles from here and is in a beautiful valley of farms.

  It was quite an adventure to find his house.   He wasn`t home but we found his sister who said he was in Argentina.  On the way back to Ovalle I took this picture of the Andes with snow on them.

A wonderful program the missionaries benefit from is the language program.  When a missionary needs to learn a language, time is built into the daily schedule for that.  If a missionary is serving in a mission where they speak the language already, then they use that time to learn English.  So young people from all over the world are enhancing their after-mission opportunities by learning English while they serve.  Some of the ones here from the States who have learned Spanish well enough and want to study something else, are allowed to start learning another language!  At our recent Zone Conference a few native speakers bore their testimonies in English and a few from the States bore theirs in either Italian or Portuguese!   We love seeing these amazing young people so excited about learning!

Last month our Branch went to the temple in Santiago.  We left Ovalle about 1 a.m. in the morning by bus and arrived at the temple about 7 a.m..  We ate whatever breakfast we brought and then spent time in the temple until 3 pm, when we returned to Ovalle.  The week before I was able to help our good friend Maykol get two grandparents` names ready for temple work.  He, Elder Jones, and I did the baptisms, confirmations, initiatory, and endowment for both of them.  It was a great experience--and Maykol`s first time in the temple.  He has been a member about 5 months.  Elder Jones baptized.

This is Emely, a very sweet girl we are helping teach.  With her is Elder Anderson, our Star Valley Wyoming cowboy!  We just finished teaching her one of the lessons.

No Pathway Program=When we were asked last month to work in the Pathway Program, we were excited to be involved.   As it turns out, no one from Ovalle or any of the surrounding areas enrolled, so there will be no program at least for this semester.  We think the biggest deterrent was that anyone who enrolled needed to be able to speak English at least in short sentences.  Elder Jones observed that it shows how few people here speak English-- less than anywhere we have traveled in the world.  A few are surely trying hard, because they realize how much it increases their opportunities, but it is not easy.  (When I start to complain about having to learn Spanish, I realize how much harder it might be to learn English, and I stop complaining!)

Love to you all

Elder y Hermana Jones