Our Mission to Chile

Take a peek at the Feria

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This is what we see as we enter the street of the Feria

These two trucks come from the coast with fresh fish ready to be cut to order or you can choose those already cut. It smells so bad we just hurry by. Notice Warren and Duane Macdonald don't even want to come near for a picture.

Each truck has two butchers. It looks like such hard, messy stinky work that I feel sorry for them.

Here is the close up... Many different kinds, many I haven't shown. The Chileans like it and line up to buy it.

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We just haven't got past the smell. So we have never bought the fish.

Wheew! The oranges look so good but None of them are sweet. They send the sweet ones state side I guess.

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This is one of the favorite spots... we buy nuts, raisens, popcorn,prunes, and honey here.

The shelves are always stacked so pretty it is like art work. I don't know how early they have to arrive to set up by 9:30 or so.

The shops go on for a block and a half.

This is the garden supply section.

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Here is the prepackaged food... for making salads or soups. They have spices bagged in small bags. up like this also

This is the squash that they use in so many of their meals. You just buy the size of piece you need.
We have enjoyed it in a lentil soup ,scones, cookies and many other dishes.I used it as pumpkin to make a pie with. Has such a mild flavor that it tastes like the spices you put in.

One young elder told us this is the land of Beautiful Sky!!!

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These are all taken right out side our windows in old apartment. I wish the pictures were as good as the real view.

Here we are hard at work!!!

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This is when we work on the mailing. That stack of white papers is only some of what I fold and put into envelopes. Notice that Elder Johnson has in his earplugs.

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This is the work for a Sister missionary.I have Lots of time for thinking as I shred. It took uncounted hours. Sometimes I stood and most of the time I sat.

Our missionary

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This is Jose, the manager of the call center, Cristian,leaving for his mission, and Ricardo the director of PEF

This is Cristian who we were able to help get on his mission. They call him Bombero Chico Bueno. Because he was a firefighter, and here in Chile they are all called that as they are volunteers. It means a young good fireman.

There were lots of cracks int he walls at the office. They finally got to them and drilled out the cracks so they looked like this Then they filled them with plaster. All was find until they painted and varnished some doors. It was winter and windows were shut and the fumes came up to the forth floor. It gave us headaches and we went home early a couple of days.

¡FUERZA CHILE!

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After the 8.8 earthquake ravaged South-Central Chile, the Chilean people rose from the shock and destruction to unite in helping each other. This picture has become the national symbol of Chile and the people are rallying around each other to make Chile rise from the devastation to recover from this terrible tragedy. They now chant ¡Fuerza Chile! and ¡Viva Chile! The latest slogan is Chile Ayuda Chile. This nation and it´s people have united in a miraculous and marvelous way, and they will overcome this adversity.

Earthquake in the Night

2010-03-07T17:50:00.002-03:00

After being "shaken" awake Warren found the emergency light that we bought when we got to Chile. We finally found something we bought that we actually needed.

A quick inspection of the apartment found only minor damage, but nothing serious.

Broken vases and fallen pictures. The water in the toilets sloshed out onto the floor, but we didn't notice at the moment as we were headed down the stairs and outside.

Just like in 3 Nephi, everyone gathered at the temple after the "destruction". We found that the only light was shining on the Angel Moroni, but the rest was pretty dark. There was a full moon, however, so we could find our way around even without the emergency light.

The next morning we discovered that the Angel Moroni had "dropped" his trumpet. It was in three pieces on the ground. Amazingly, the temple just happens to have a spare one for just such occasions.

Our Office

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On Friday night we left our office looking like this. When we came back Monday...

The PEF Call Center had become the Emergency Support Center for all of Chile. When we went to our office...

...we found this - almost 300 files all over the place.

We had joked about an earthquake burying Mickie under piles of folders. Fortunately for her it was in the early morning hours on a Saturday.

After a couple of days of cleaning up she began shreding all of the files contents as she spent the first few months scanning them for just such an event.

Merry Christmas---Feliz Navidad!

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Here is our tiny Table top tree. We are enjoying a warm but Merry Christmas. Hope you do too. It is the time to stay inside and enjoy each other. Love to all from Chile.

Nativities

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This tiny silver nativity is in a container about the size of a ring box.

This is a woven set... looks like some type of basket weaving. It is made out of horse hairs!

We saw so many different kinds of Nativities but I only picked a few unsual ones from Chile.

This is the cute little Nativity that we got. It looks like the the little clay figures spoken of under the Chilean Christmas tree.

Christmas trees in our building

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Every floor had a beuatiful tree. Some floors had two trees in the different areas.

Even the basement had a tree. But no tree on the Forth floor. We waited and waited but no tree arrived.

December 15 after waiting a couple of weeks. I took care of it by myself!!!

Look what I found at the Store

2009-12-23T21:50:00.002-03:00

This is a whole display of many different brands and kinds of Christmas Fruitcake!!
We have tasted three kinds now... hummm No good! From the looks of things it is big here.

Decorations and Lights are going up in Santiago

2009-12-23T21:34:00.002-03:00

Our community center all decorated and a concert being held. Below is another building in the complex.

This is the only home I saw with Santa peeking over the large fence.

Notice the little Christmas red ornament on our office plant. That is the extent of our decorations by the middle of December. This is a little bit depressing to look at.

Thanksgiving at a mansion

2009-12-18T20:04:00.002-03:00

This is the North Mission Home with 11 bedrooms and 8 Bathrooms.

This is the dessert table... and only half full it was overflowing. Another table was full of the Turkey, potatoes gravy, yams, Salads, rolls, etc.

We enjoyed the great food, great visits, and beautiful weather. Thanksgiving outside was a first.

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Beautiful gardens and a pool

Spring came with a burst of color

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Look close at this it is a poinsettia. It has been blooming for weeks..

Tree lined streets and flowers, just what I like

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This was one of the first Spring flowers we saw. It was so bright and interesting.

Thanks for coming Birds- We had a wild ride!

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Vivi, Dad and naomi

Dayna and Lucy

Only 13 months old but she was so good and happy.

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Wild and wiggly big bus rides were exciting but the camera wiggles too.

It was a wild ride !

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The Metro was about as fun as anything. Simple things are the best.

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I loved the down time at home.

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Weekend at the coast

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This is the beautiful beach house where we stayed. The swimming pool is in front and the ocean across the street.

This is the "beach", but I don't think you would want to swim here.

The waves would come in constantly "lulling" you to sleep - not!

Our car is the silver one closest to the fence. A bit hard to get out of such a parking lot.

Visiting the worlds largest underground Copper mine

2009-12-14T21:36:00.005-03:00

We learned alot as one day miners.

It was so huge inside the mine that large trucks, buses and other machines could drive in it. We saw ahuge rock crusher that could smash big boulders so they could extract the copper.

It is mighty dark in a mine, we had reflectors, flashlights and head lamps.

Independence Day called Dieciocho, Sept .18

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Wandering around the park -taking in all the sights.

There were lots of displays featuring antique farming equipment,household items and clothing.

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Lots of people, lots of fun--- they really go all out for Their Independence Day.

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The Cueca is the national dance. All Chileanos learn it each year in school. Those who are really good have dance lessons and practice year round. They had different age groups in dance competitions through out the day.

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They had five stages set up with Dancing, singing, clown acts,a magician act, and dog show and who knows what else. It was wild, loud and very fun. That is all we saw in a couple of hours. It goes on all day, from 10:00 in morning until Midnight.

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There are many rides and activities for the Children, including this ride that turns them upside down. There were bounce houses, slides, climbing walls and more.

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Independence Day is the biggest holiday of the year. The parks are turned into huge parties. With many Booths lining the both sides of the park.

September - the Month of National Holidays

2009-09-07T21:33:00.004-04:00

To start the celebrating we went to the City Council Building in Providencia (just a couple of blocks from our apartment) for some entertainment. It had rained the day before and looked a little threatening this day, but the weather cooperated. They filled the plaza with chairs and covered each one with a white cover. I guess it creates jobs for the laundry folks.

This is the front of the building from where we were sitting. They have a military band start things off that marches in from the street and end up standing for the whole hour plus performance.

In the distance you can see the band with their "strange" hats. Another group of "cadets" were to the right of them wearing white hats. We couldn't figure out what they were doing until the end when they sang some military song. I don't think they were actually a choir as everybody in Chile "thinks" they can sing.

But these guys really can sing. They are called Los Cuatro Cuartos, which means the four quarters. I don't know why there are five of them. But they sang songs depicting the War of the Pacific between Chile and two countries, Peru and Bolivia. They have been singing this program for 40 years and are a national treasure of their own. They awarded each one a plaque at the end so they must have a building full of them. But it was really enjoyable and we'll be here next year to hear them again.

Surprise Birthday Party at the Call Center

2009-09-07T21:24:00.002-04:00

We were always told that they don't know how to make deserts in Chile. This birthday cake was actually good as someone put plenty of sugar in it.

This was actually the day after Mickie's birthday, so it really was a surprise. There was plenty of cake that they wanted us to take home, but we left it there and have no idea what happened to it.

The birthday hosts. The one on the left is a local full time missionary, Elder Farfan and the one on the right is a temporary employee, Cristobal. The two on either side of Elder Johnson are Jose Reyes, the Call Center Supervisor and Ricardo Gonzalez, the Perpetual Education Fund Supervisor. They are all pretty nice guys and are helpful and patient with us.

More Food!

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Home made preserves made by Ian's Grandma Susana. The pot was a gift from her also.

On the left is what Ian calls "human bread". On the right is Chilean bread that you buy fresh baked every day. Whichever one you eat will make you fat.

Food Packaging

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Before we came and also after we arrived we were warned about the milk in Chile. The milk is packaged in boxes of 1 liter and are kept on the shelf and not refrigerated. Everyone said it was pretty "yucky", but we found it to be just fine. Once opened we keep it in the refrigerator because we don't especially like to drink it warm. The ice cream comes in 1 liter tubs, and somehow it doesn't actually freeze hard. It is kind of "airy", but it tastes good. The local bread is more like rolls and when it is warm it is very good. When Ian was here we had some loafs of bread like you buy in the states and he always called it "human bread", so that is what we call it now. But we still use it for things such as French Toast and grilled cheese sandwiches. The food here is generally like in the states, but a little more expensive at the grocery store. Fresh fruits and vegetables are cheaper at the "Ferria", which is what they call the outdoor market.

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This picture shows a large size bucket of Ice Cream, a slice of what Ian calls "human bread", a "box" of milk and a dollar bill to give you some perspective.

Visitors in July

2009-08-08T20:20:00.002-04:00

Tawnee and Ian came for a month long visit in July. They were out and about most of the time, but we enjoyed hearing of their adventures when they came home to sleep. The time went by pretty fast, but we all had a great time. Thanks for the fun, but we are already missing them.

Welcome to Your Home Away from Home

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Tawnee and Ian arrived in July for a month long visit. This is the corner by our apartment. Even the cab drivers didn't know where Biarritz was.

There are a lot of different kinds of trees, even in the city. You can see palms to pines and everything in between in this park.

This is about a block from our apartment and is Mickie's favorite "looking" apartment building. It looks a little old, so it probably isn't the best accommodation inside. But character counts for some things.

Hiking the Mountain

2009-08-08T20:09:00.002-04:00

These three went on a hike up a mountain in the city. Ian was pretty disappointed as the "hike" was actually climbing stairs. (Notice the coats and hats--it is winter down here.)

This isn't the best way to check out a cannon, but nobody got hurt. They had a fun day in spite of it not being a HIKE!

The Birds on Display

2009-08-08T20:01:00.002-04:00

This old government provincial building is just three blocks from our apartment and is still used for council meetings.

In the plaza in front of the building a tent was set up with a bird exhibit inside. They are pretty exotic birds with lots of color. Ian had a great time there.

This pair is pretty bright and BIG. They can easily snap a pencil in half with their beaks. It isn't a good idea to invite them to sit on your finger.

This is the first PINK parrot we have ever seen. We enjoyed viewing the small sampling of birds in all their color.

Adios for a while!

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A big hug from Ian before heading to the airport to leave for home. It's always hard to say good-bye no matter which way you're going.

See you in 16 more months!

Feeling Settled In

2009-07-19T17:45:00.001-04:00

These are just of few of the typical things we do each week as we settle in to life in Santiago. We actually do most of our grocery shopping at a regular supermarket, but it is a lot of fun to go to the Feria to buy fresh produce and just see how the people typically live. Having Tawnee and Ian here is great, but our routine will surely settle down a bit after their visit. We look forward to others coming in the future.

Sunday at Church

2009-07-19T17:41:00.003-04:00

We are standing in front of the Chapel where we attend Church. It is actually pretty old, and it is the only one I have seen that doesn't have a steeple. Since it is right next door to the Temple I guess they didn't want any competing steeplery for the Angel Moroni.

In an effort to improve her Spanish, Mickie decided a while back to attend Primary instead of Sunday School and Relief Society. Listening to the children and the primary stories is easier to understand. Here are two of the three children that attend the class she goes to.

Saturday Shopping at the Feria

2009-07-19T17:33:00.003-04:00

This is where we like to do grocery shopping. It is called the Feria and is a bunch of open stalls along the street with about anything you would want to buy. Note the dog cleaning up under the eggs.

We fill up our "shopping cart" as we go. As you can see we are just beginning. We quit when it is full.

Here is the FULL cart--it doesn't actually take two of us to pull it, but as you can see it is quite a load.

On the way home Mickie just wanted to take a picture of the "garbage can". They put these baskets up high to place garbage bags in, I suppose so the dogs won't get into them. A pretty good idea, but actually uglier than rural mailboxes.

Energy to Burn!

2009-07-19T17:26:00.004-04:00

Ian and Tawnee arrived and are having a great time. He couldn't wait to try his hula hoop and we now know our apartment is a bit small for his active body. But we are enjoying having them here.

Ian picked this leaf up on a walk and it is big enough to be a hat. We took this picture on an 11 1/2 inch plate with a $10 bill on top of the leaf to compare them for size. When the leaves are this size it is easier to sweep them up, I guess.

Flag Raising at the United States Embassy in Santiago, Chile, July 4th 2009

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God Bless America!

2009-07-03T21:44:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July from the Johnson's in Chile. We hope you all have a great day celebrating our country's independence.

4th of July (winter) Picnic (indoors)

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Our neighbors (vecinos) from Canada joined us to celebrate our Independence Day. We even sang "Oh Canada" with them.

Elder Benson was the MC and music director in his "Cat in the Hat" type patriotic fedora.

We sang, ate dinner, and listened to many stories about America and how people feel about our country while living abroad. We even heard the speech of Patrick Henry given by President Lyon, the president of the Santiago Temple. Elder Benson lent him his hat for the occasion. President Lyon's teacher made him memorize this speech when he was 13 years old--it is amazing how much we can remember when we get old. At least he can.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

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A Day At The Coast

2009-06-23T20:54:00.002-04:00

Our neighbors, Elder and Sister McCown, have an assignment to take the mail and other needed things to the missionaries between Santiago and the Coast for the West Mission. They invited us to go with them last Wednesday and we couldn't pass up the offer. The McCown's are assigned to a branch in Santiago that took them over an hour and a half to get to on the subway and two bus rides. After about three months they couldn't stand it any more so they bought a car. It has been great for us as they take us around town with them. They have become great friends. The day we went with them to the coast was cloudy and hazy, so some of the pictures don't look very sharp, but it surely was beautiful.

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This is a picture of Elder Johnston (the tall one) and Elder Coleman (the really short one). Elder Coleman is from Panama, and when he came to the MTC they asked him if he had a coat. His reply was "What's a coat?" He had nothing to keep him warm, but the MTC and the West Mission came up with everything he needs. (These are actually P-Day clothes). Elder Coleman is a super dynamic missionary with a wonderful testimony.

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In the city most people use regular brooms to sweep the sidewalks. But in the countryside they use palm leaves. It seems to be pretty effective and I'm sure the environmentalist encourage it.
This is an avocado tree on the grounds of one of our chapels. It was heavy laden with avocados just a few weeks ago.
This is a fruit and vegetable store on the side of the freeway. The fresh produce is great, but it isn't exactly cheap. It is a better buy when you buy it on the freeway than in the grocery store.

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This is a swimming pool at a resort in Algarobos. The ocean beaches have such a strong rip tide that they built this pool as swimming isn't allowed on the beach. It is the largest swimming pool in the world covering 19 acres. It is about a mile long.
There are about 8 buildings in the resort, but the each room is owned by an individual and they rent them. The only problem is that you have to bring your own sheets and towels. It doesn't seem like a good deal for $300 a night.

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This must be the "seal" of Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. He had some kind of thing for fish.
Elder and Sister Johnson standing by one of the many fish sculptures on the grounds of one of Pablo Neruda's estates. It has a glass eye that lets light through, but today was pretty overcast so it is hard to see.
He collected a lot of strange things and had them all around the grounds. Here is the front of a steam engine of some kind. You will notice that the house appears to be supported by a couple of wagon wheels (it really isn't). It was a strange house that seemed to ramble from one room or area to another.
Mosaics of more fish above the window filled with interesting bottles.
This is a view of the ocean from his home. They say that he was afraid of the ocean and never went to the beaches by his home. Maybe that isn't strange for a poet.

Getting Into A Routine

2009-06-14T17:42:00.002-04:00

After three weeks in Chile we are getting into a routine. After breakfast we go to the office and do whatever there is on the docket for the day. We go home for lunch and sometimes a nap, then return to the office until 5 0r 6 at night. We go shopping and to the bank or go to FHE with other couples or study in the evening at home. We have had plenty of work projects around the apartment, but hopefully that is coming to an end.

2009-06-14T17:35:00.003-04:00

We walk up to the sixth floor to our apartment two or three times a day. When you look down you can see a grocery cart on the bottom floor. It is used to bring bags of groceries or other things up the elevator to your floor. Sister Johnson finally makes it to the top of the stairs and opens the door to find Elder Johnson with a new workbench on her living room floor.

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These are a couple of the guard birds at our apartment building. The "red head" seems to be the boss of the group. There are about four or five of them that walk around pecking for whatever they can find to eat. We obviously need the protection as you can see from electrical lines. They never sit on the wires--maybe there isn't any room.

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These are our "bosses", Jose Reyes on the left and Ricardo Gonzalez on the right. It is pretty hard to get a serious picture of Jose as he is always a joker, like in the second picture. He calls himself "Spiderman" and Ricardo is "Superman". But they are pretty impressed with all the files that we have reviewed and scanned. There are getting to be so many that it will take Spiderman and Superman to move them.

Out and About in Santiago, Chile

2009-06-06T20:57:00.003-04:00

On May 30th, the second Saturday we were here, we went with two other couples to the downtown area of Santiago. We took the bus to the subway terminal and then boarded the "Metro" for our first underground trip. We saw some government buildings, the National Cathedral, and a lot of people. We took the subway back and then did a little shopping closer to home before returning to our apartment. Our first day out and about was pretty interesting.

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This building is kind of the Chilean "White House". No one actually lives here. Actually there isn't much in there at all. It is just sort of an empty building for people to look at where they change the guard every 48 hours. Mostly for ceremonies, I guess.

This area is under the "White House" and is a museum of sorts. The ribbons are colorful, but who knows what they represent?

These roosters are actually covered bowls. They are from the Mapuche indians and stand about two feet high. They might be good for popcorn!

There is a lot of interesting architecture around Santiago. This building is across the street from the "White House". We don't know what is in it, but Mickie especially liked it.

This mime was standing in front of the Cathedral and just before we took this picture he was actually moving around. He must have been on a break from standing still for such a long time.

Subway Art

2009-06-06T20:26:00.002-04:00

We don't know what you call this, but it is pretty bright. The Subway is like another city under Santiago

On the way home, Sister Gonzalez and Sister Johnson are admiring the "Art" in the Subway.

Welcome to our work away from home.

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On the corner of the complex block is this little distribution center. They call it the AMM (MIA), but we don't know why.

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This is a view of the front of the temple. They guy hiding in the bushes is actually making some repairs to the plaster. We can see the Angel Moroni from the fourth floor where we work if we walk around to the side of the elevator. By the way, we never take the elevator--we just walk the stairs.

2009-06-01T21:18:00.005-04:00

There are over 3,000 files to scan. The one's on top of the cabinets are done, but there are lots of cabinets full of drawers like this one. Sister Johnson is typing at her desk where she sorts through each file, while Elder Johnson takes a water break from scanning the files.

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Our office is in the "top notch" in front of where the satellite dishes are mounted. This is from the back of the building, behind the temple. The building to the left of the gazebo is where they take care of the children while parents are at the temple.

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This is the Church Office Building from across Avenida Pedro de Valdivia. Our office is actually on the 4th floor. You can see some of the windows through the trees.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T19:02:00.002-04:00

Mi casa es su casa! For any who come to visit over the next 18 months, this is where you will be staying. It isn't the Marriott, but you are always welcome to stay. We hope we can find a spare bed for the empty bedroom!! The pictures just don't do it justice. It is a great place!

Welcome to our home away from home.

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This is the second bathroom, which has a shower and pedestal sink. The walls that you can't see in the picture are bright orange. The other bathroom has a bathtub and a vanity and is about twice as big as this one.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:55:00.002-04:00

There are two bedrooms. The one on top has no bed, so it has been used as an office or study area. The second one is where we sleep and has a walk-in closet and a bathroom.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:48:00.004-04:00

...HUMONGOUS dryer! Actually it holds quite a bit more than you would think. The washing machine belongs to us but the dryer belongs to Elder and Sister McCown, our neighbors on the first floor of our building. So we just share.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:46:00.003-04:00

This is looking from the fridge through the kitchen and into the "open air" utility room where you will find...

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:44:00.002-04:00

This is the entrance to our huge kitchen. The fridge is on the left and the microwave is sort of hiding behind it.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:41:00.003-04:00

This is what you see as you walk in the front door. The balcony will be nice in the spring and fall, but the windows will remain closed for the next few months. The temple pictures were left by the previous couple.

Welcome to our home away from home.

2009-05-24T18:38:00.001-04:00

This is the front entrance to our apartment. The kids and grandkids pictures are on the wall behind the table. Notice the "heater" that we just bought. Unfortunately we will need it, they say.

2009-05-23T20:42:00.003-04:00

This is looking straight out across the street. The small tree on the balcony has oranges on it. The huge tree behind the house sadly blocks our view of the temple.

2009-05-23T20:38:00.001-04:00

Our apartment is on the top floor (Penthouse) Ha, Ha! It is the first two windows and the balcony. There are two elevators, but only one goes to the 6th floor. However, we choose to walk the stairs. Great exercise!

2009-05-23T20:34:00.002-04:00

This is the front entrance to our apartment building. When we arrived it was pitch dark and didn't look this inviting.

Leaving for Chile on LAN

2009-05-23T20:27:00.002-04:00

This is the plane we spent 11 hours on flying from Los Angeles to Santiago, Chile. We left home at 4:30 am on Monday, May 18th and arrived in Chile at 5:30 am (Chile time) on Tuesday, May 19th.
We were tired, but all is well.

Our mission begins

2009-05-03T14:10:00.005-04:00

April 20th and we are here at the MTC ! This has been a great learning experience. We have made good friends as we've shared many hours together learning just how to serve The Lord Jesus Christ.