Monday Packing

Monday morning arrived up fast and the excitment of packing was in the air. Pedro got everyone up early informing them that we needed to pack. It was hard to believe that two weeks had gone by so fast. As we reflect in all that we did, saw, tasted, and experienced, we can say it was truly an adventure. Our good-byes were sad and know that it was a gift we will never forget.

The Last Days In Iquique

As Sunday come along we knew that real soon we were going to be saying our good-byes. As we arrived home from church and having our final Chines meal together. We decided we needed to do some last minute shopping for some goods and solvenirs. We finished the evening by playing a game of Rook and two rounds of Settlers of Catan. I have to be honest when I was first introduced to this game some time back, I did not like it but after this week and playing several times it did not seem so bad. We went to bed at 1:00 a.m. know that we had a big day facing us.

Saturday Filled With Activities

Saturday began with father and son attending a men's breafast at the church. There were 15 men that came to the breafast, and they were responsible for preparing the meal, then we had a devotional time. I had the opportunity of sharing my testimony as to how I was saved as a young boy.

After we got home Pedro and I took the kids to the beach. The grandkids had a wonderful time running around playing, kicking the soccer ball. When we got home they were tired and hungry. Which made it real easy to put the babies down for their afternoon nap. Eva, Isabel and Owen are relaxing playing very quiet.

Stephanie, Kathy and Nina have a ladies meeting this afternoon. Kathty is giving her testimony and then a small devotional. So Saturday was a day of meetings, yet there was time to enjoy our grandchildren. We have just one more full day with our kids and then we start our long journey back to the states. We will return home with fond memories of our visit to Chile, once again thanking the Lord for this wonderful trip.

Our Visit To The Thermal Springs and Geoglyphs

Monday we returned back to the little town of Mamina, spending the night there. It is located 8,856 feet above sea level in the Atacama desert mountains, so one runs out of breath real easy just taking a small walk. It is also very famous for the thermal hot springs and mud baths. People come from all over the world to experience these mineral baths, yet the townspeople want the town to maintain its smallness. Ater our departure from this area, we traveled to see geoglyphs on the side of the mountains put there by the Indians 400 years after Christ. If there is one thing we have seen endlessly in all of our travels here in Iquique, it is miles and miles and miles of desert! We got home, and everyone was very tired and mellow, so we decided to table the games for the evening.

The Lord's Day

As we were making plans to attend church, Kathy, Nina and I were looking forward to being in the Lord's house to worship with our brothers and sisters here in Iquique. As I mentioned in our service this morning, there may be differences in culture, words, and customs, but our adoration for the Lord is still the same. God's word crosses all cultures, and God's principles are still the same whether we are in the Texas or in Iquique.

It was a joy to hear our son aptly teach the Sunday School class. Pedro also enjoyed the opportunity to preach. The congragation was very friendly and loving toward us. We are thrilled to be here and see the work in which our children are involved. Now when our kids report to us on how the ministry is going, we will be able to see the church and people in our minds. We say with grateful grateful hearts, "Thank you, Lord, for giving us this opportunity to come to Chile.

P.S.

We have just experienced our first tremors. It was a small one, but strong enough to know what it was.

Our Trip to Mamiña; Hot Springs Town

Our Trip To Humberstone; A Ghost Mining Town