Ken has given you the particulars of what we have been doing. So I am going to give you the fun things that we have been doing.
We have been able to spend some time with the Washington family that came at the same time that we did. In one of the pictures that Ken sent is a picture of Jennifer and on what they call a teeter totter (however you spell it). It would be fun to build some of the play equipment that we find here in the states. :o) We were able try the ice cream here and it is really creamy.
We have walked a lot. If you ever want to try walking in Valparaiso just go to San Francisco and walk around their hills. Viña has hills but not as steep as those. When we found the cemetery that Omner Pratt was buried in we were just looking but then Ken asked a gentleman that was cleaning if we were in the right cemetery and he walked us to the plaque that you see in the picture. I believe that there is a plaque because they are building a new monument in the building that the plaque is hanging on. They told us that the church has a ceremony every year for him. While there we met a couple from the states that were walking around cemeteries. I do not remember where they were from but we spoke with them for a while.
The next day we decided to go find the Botanical Gardens that Ken spoke of and sent some pictures of. It is early and everything is not in bloom but the purple flowers that are in the picture that Dad sent were beautiful. After that walk to get there we did not have enough energy to walk to far around the gardens. It goes quite far and they even have a zip line. It will be fun to explore but between Valpo and getting there our feet were starting to complain.
The tourist stores are starting to open. Sister Hugie took us down town to show us where they were. I was able to find some things that eventually I want to get to bring home. :o) She showed us were the post office was so that we could get some packages mailed. We did mail three packages and sent 8 post cards that we found in Valpo, the next day. The day that we walked to Jardin Botanico National.
Saturday was a perfect day to walk to conference. That is the first day that I have not been cold. The Sun was shining and our apartment got up to 65 degrees. I did not have to wrap in a blanket once that day. I have enjoyed the conference talks a lot. We and many of the missionaries sat by ourselves in a room to listen to it in English. It is just like the Spanish go to the RS room to hear it in Spanish in the Stake. I am not sure why it seems that I gleaned more from the sessions as a missionary than I did at home but the Spirit seemed stronger. I stayed home that night as Dad walked to the Priesthood session that started at 9pm here. I am so grateful for my membership in this church. I pray that I can always have the feelings in my heart that I have felt during conference. I love the Lord and I know that he is there for us.
We have an interview with the Mission President today. He is a wonderful man. He is young and they have young children. He once said to Sister Hugie, “I do not know why they would call someone to be a mission president with young children. They were at a meeting and Sister Kähnlein was speaking. Sister Hugie had just watched him entertaining their youngest daughter while she spoke. She told him that she had watched the elders watch him and that this was the first example that some of the elders had of a father’s role. That is not quite how she said it but the meaning is the same. President Kähnlein she said did not say anything more. We do not know why we are in some of the places we are in but the Lord does.
We love you all and our prayers are with you every day.
With love Colleen
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