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