We have been in Chile over a month now!  

Some things we have gotten used to in that time are:

---shelf milk (but we don't drink too much because it is about $4.00 a gallon) (Ross is experimenting with powdered milk)
---dressing up every day
---walking long distances (the buildings we walk to are all about the same distances as the chapels in Bluffdale.
---getting sweaty and dirty walking instead of working out in the yard

We had a zone conference last week (see the mission blog for a photo of our zone:  misionvinadelmar.blogspot.com).  Five minutes into it, the Mission President started naming people to come to the front and bear their testimonies.  My name was the second one he called.  The missionaries who know me looked at me as if to say, "really?"  The Mission President said I could do it in English if I wanted, but in the three minutes I had to think about it I found a page in my notebook where I had written my testimony in Spanish while I was doing language immersion at BYU in November.  With that, and the spirit, I managed to say something that put a smile on the Presdent's face!

The other memorable thing about Zone Conference was that the President brought a copy of "Meet the Mormons" and let us all watch it--complete with soft drinks and caramel corn.  The missionaries loved it!  We had not seen it yet either, so it was fun for us, even in Spanish.

Here is a picture of the aloa vera plant that I said was almost as big as a VW beetle.  I loved seeing blossoms on it.

The fruit and vegetables here are wonderful.  Nectarines and tomatoes have become our favorites.  The tomatoes are almost as good as what we grow at home.

Andy, you will like this little bit of information:  There is a store here called Lider.  It is a Walmart store, Chilean style.  The quality is represented by the saying on their bags:  "Siempre mas barato!"

Pictures from a baptism last night:  This young man is now in our branch and is very ready to be a member.  He will do much good for those in his age group.  

We have District Conference this Sunday.  I went to choir practice last week and ended up being the accompanist (instead of the second of two altos).  The choir director speaks no English and the speed at which she speaks Spanish matches that of the disclaimer messages you hear on the end of radio ads back in Utah.  Choir practice is a whole new experience when the accompanist has no idea what the director is saying.  Sunday should be really fun!

Last Sunday the District President asked Ross (he attends the District Presidency meeting as the Exec. Sec.) if he wanted to speak in District Conference!  He said no, that he didn't think he was ready.  Later that afternoon he got thinking about what a good opportunity it would be to talk about our Young Single Adults and how wonderful they are (and hopefully an opportunity to generate more interest from those who have not been involved).  So he called the District President and said he would speak for 2-3 minutes.  Now he is busy writing a talk in English, then we will work on how to say it in Spanish.  I can't wait!

IT RAINED!  Yesterday and today!  This place is slowly dying of thirst in a 12 year drought.  When rain started yesterday, all the children at the Catholic school nearby started to squeal (with excitement?), and people (including us) watched out the windows enjoying every drop!  It feels so good!

Love and gratitude to you all!

Elder and Hna. Jones