San Juan Bruce's: Mission Tour Part One

Last week we started the first leg of our mission tour. The plan was to visit with each Zone and have a Meet and Greet with the missionaries and then Leland would interview each of them individually. First stop was Arica. After a flight which got us into the city at midnight, we met our first group of missionaries at the Stake Center in Arica the next morning. The great thing about this country is that every branch and ward has its own building. Some are large and others are very small but each is wonderful (except that they have no heat and are freezing). While the missionaries wait for their interview with the President, I have time to chat and mingle with each of the them. Some speak no English and so we use lots of hand gestures and facial expressions to communicate. It´s exhausting at the end of each day but so worth meeting all these wonderful missionaries.

Day Two found us again in Arica for more interviews and then we left for Iquique, a four hour drive through winding mountaneous roads. The drop-offs were scary on the road and I felt like we were driving through a desert grand canyon with no guardrails. I think we will fly next time...
The sister´s in the picture below are from Arica. I feel tall next to all of them. Finally I´ve arrived in a land where I´m not the shortest. From left to right are: Hermana Luga (a social worker who decided to serve a mission to help people in need. She is awesome and unfortunately goes home in three weeks); Hermana Torres (a nuevita who arrived just weeks ago. You might remember her from a previous post´s pictures. She is doing awesome and has the best personality); Hermana Chavez (has the greatest natural curly hair and amazing eyelashes and she tries to speak Enclish with me); Hermana Ñique is a tiny spitfire of energy and it seems like everyone loves her; Hermana Gimenez (she has the cutest freckles on her nose, is from Buenas Aires and is going home soon to return to college); and Hermana Traves (from a small town in Equador who were told by President Hinckley that they were true Lamanites. She speaks a Lamanite dialect and she wears the native clothes from her town. What a sweetheart.)

After our long day in Arica, the Elders suggested the favorite local lunch spot called Rolly´s Sandwiches. All of the missionaries who have served in Arica have loved this place. I ordered a sandwich and received a meal for an entire family. It consisted of chicken breast, an entire tomato, a sliced avocado and delicious bread. I had to eat it with a knife and fork. And don´t worry, I didn´t eat the whole thing.

Leland had a Hot Dog Completo and spilled avocado on his shirt during this photo op.

In Iquique we found a delicious restaurant called The Wagon. We took some of the missionaries to lunch with us and all of them piled into the car for the drive. Five in the back seat and one up front with me...

Picture with the Sisters in Iquique: Hermana Coppins and Hermana Quiroz.

The delicious restarant Wagon. I look so tired.

I ordered soup not knowing what was in it. It was so cold outside that soup sounded good. What came to my table was what I would describe as French Onion Soup, Chilean style. It came boiling to my table (literally boiling) and of course I burned my mouth terribly. But this soup was so good we went back the next day and Leland order it. My new favorite restaurant. Everything that was ordered was delicious.

Last weekend we attended the District Conference in Alto Hospicio (a city close to Iquique). There was to be a division of two branches and President and Sister Zeballos from the Area Presidency were in attendance. What a lovely couple. Both are from Chile, lived in Antofagasta for 15 years and speak perfect English. I think Hermana Zeballos and I will be great friends. Anyway, Leland attended a 5:00 meeting, we both spoke at the adult session and then Leland spoke at the Priesthood Session. We both spoke at the Sunday session. And after each meeting we stood and greeted members. They seem excited to meet the American President. After the conference we got to drive home. It took 5 hours and was long.... I think we will definitely fly to Iquique next time. This driving stuff is rough.