Inspections - Round One

This week we traveled up north to the Iquique and Alto Hospicio Zones for Interviews and Inspections. Alto Hospicio is located 15 minutes up the mountain from Iquique. I haven't figured out why it is located there because there is nothing around it and also, why it has it's name: "High Hospice" or "High Mental Hospital." Maybe back in the day the crazies from Iquique were taken up the mountain to Alto Hospicio. Whatever the reason for this city, it has a great group of Elders. We met with them on Tuesday and while Leland interviewed the zone, Elder Skene and I drove around the city and inspected all the apartments/homes of the missionaries. What an adventure!!!! Here is picture of our Alto Hospicio Zone.

The outsides of the homes in our mission are really nothing to write home about: except that I'm writing home about them. This house was our first stop. No one knows who the car belongs to. It just came with the house, I guess. Love the vines growing up the trellis. That's green for you in our mission.

Another view of the first house. Cinder blocks are the design speciality here. Everyone in Chile flies the national flag. They are on almost every house. Don't worry...I have mine flying too.

Backyard storage area. No one sleeps on these old beds, but they are useful as luggage storage. See the dirt floor...this is why all our homes are dusty.

Bedrooms. All of the missionaries made their beds in anticipation of Hermana Bruce's visit. The bedrooms were all well kept and the missionaries make good use of all storage areas.

I noticed on my inspections that all landlords love painting in vivid colors. White is not an option. This bedroom seemed to have a pretty fresh coat of gold paint.

These Elders live with a member so their study area is with their bedroom. Although the walls are not freshly painted, the missionaries have done their own decorating with pictures, charts and other important papers. Good job Elders!!!

This is the kitchen area adjacent to the above bedroom. The missionaries here share meals with the family. This is a pretty typical Chilean home. The front room was covered in toys for the 2 year old living there. The people of Chile love to spoil their children.

Bathrooms. These are the scariest rooms of all. Even though it is dry here, mold lives!!! I will be teaching how to clean a toilet, shower and sink at our next Zone Conference. My gift to the missionaries may be gloves, Clorox and scrub brushes!!!

Typical bathroom in a Chilean home.

This was the worst bathroom I saw during round one. I'm not quite sure how to fix this one.

Kitchens. First: I love my kitchen in my home in Antofagasta after seeing all these kitchens. They are smaller than my powder room in California. This one is very typical.

This was a very organized kitchen...probably one of the Hermana's kitchens.

I saw this home while looking for a missionary apartment. I think the owner has a shoe repair business in her home. The repaired shoes were hanging on the gate outside her home. EVERYONE has bars in front of their houses.

Shoes ready to be picked up.

I've graded each apartment as Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial. Each companionship is receiving a certificate, written card and "prize". Celestial = jar of peanut bar; Terrestrial = giant candy bar; Telestial = small candy bar. Next week we visit three more Zones. By the end of the month I'll have seen about 60 apartments. I love this work!!!!