Mission conferences and family visits

            This past week we were so happy to have our oldest daughter and granddaughter visit us.

            However, on Monday the day before they arrived, we had an all mission conference with Elder and Sister Christensen from the Seventy.  It was a unique experience because we did not expect to be able to meet together as a mission, partly because of the expense and partly because the logistics are daunting.

            We rented five buses in order to transport missionaries from each of our major towns: Talca, Curicó, San Fernando, Santa Cruz, and Buin.  Many missionaries, coming from the little towns outside these areas spent Sunday night in various missionary apartments in those towns.  Hermana A_____ had prepared banana muffins and we served fruit, juice and the muffins for the missionary breakfast.  Some of them got up at 4:30 to arrive at the church by 8.

            President Warne and I drove to Santiago early Monday morning to pick up Elder and Sister Christensen from their hotel and bring them back to Rancagua.  It was a great opportunity to visit with them during that time.  Before we began, we stood in front of the pulpit and shook hands with all 247 missionaries!  It was amazing to do that and then to see them sitting together as a congregation.  During the conference, the Christensen's gave wonderful, instructive talks and advice to the missionaries and to us.

            After the conference, we drove Christensen's back to Santiago for their next appointment.  Meanwhile the missionaries picked up a bag containing their lunch of a ham and cheese sandwich, chips, soda and brownie: some got to eat on the bus, and those living in Rancagua at their apartment.  Everything went smoothly thanks to the hard work of the senior missionary couples and the assistants.

            We had thought this would be a one-time experience, but President Warne received an e-mail notifying us that we will have another conference this Friday.  Our visitors will be Elder Evans of the Missionary Department and his wife, Elder Gonzalez, the area president and his counselor Elder Zeballos.  It will be another memorable event and we had the first time to practice!

            Our family came on Tuesday and we have loved having them here and showing them around our part of Chile, plus Santiago and Viña del Mar.  They even met a few missionaries.   We are always grateful for visitors—both church leaders and family--thanks for reading.

Christensens, mission presidency counselors, Warnes

Mother, daughter, typical view of beautiful Chile