Mission Conference with Elder and Sister Zeballos

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

We have been in Temuco since Saturday, staying at our favorite home away from home, the Holiday Inn Express.  They know us well now and are always so nice to us!

We spent Saturday and Sunday participating in the Temuco Cautin Stake Conference.  There were three different 2 hour meetings.  Lothaire spoke in all three meetings.  He teaches so well and has a great way of connecting with the members.  I nervously "spoke" in two of the meetings.  Picture me reading in Spanish:).

Monday we spent the day interviewing 27 of our missionaries who currently serve in that area.  President Bluth is asked to interview each missionary every 12 weeks.  When you have 225 missionaries spread out over a relatively large area, it takes a couple of weeks.  But it is so rewarding!  They are amazing young people with a desire to share the Gospel of Christ!  They make so many sacrifices to be here and they work so hard.  They truly do inspire us!

Tuesday morning we went to the Temuco airport and picked up Elder Jorge Zeballos and his sweet wife.  Elder Zeballos is a General Authority of the church - a member of the First Quorum of Seventy.  His current assignment is as a counselor in the Area Presidency over the South America South Area.  This presidency supervises church affairs in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.  He and his wife, Carmen, are both native Chileans, and they served as Mission Presidents here and lived in the home we are living in, five years ago!

We spent the next three days with them as we toured the mission and held three Mission Conferences, so that every missionary could have the opportunity to be taught by them and to feel of their great faith and testimonies.  They are both the only members of the church in their respective families.  They have five children - the youngest son left to serve his mission the same day they flew to be with us.  It was a very long and emotional day for them!  However, we were the beneficiaries, and their love for the Lord, for our missionaries, and for us is something we will never forget.

Here we are with our noble assistants at the Temuco airport.

We are pleased to introduce you to Elder Jorge Zeballos and Hermana Carman Zeballos!

This was a group photo from Tuesday's Conference which included our zones of Temuco Cautin, Temuco Nielol, Victoria, and Nueva Tolten.  Look at all of those awesome missionaries!!

These are not the greatest photos - sorry - but they ARE the greatest missionaries!!  This photo was from our Wednesday Conference which included the zones of Los Angeles Norte, Los Angeles Sur, and Angol.

And last but not least, Thursday's group which included the zones of San Pedro, Coronel and Lebu.  And now you have seen all of our missionaries!  For now, anyway:).  In another week we have 27 more coming our way!

Following each conference, we have a giant almuerzo for everyone!  Here is Hermana Obreque with the hugest pot of turkey noodle soup you have ever seen!  She also made sandwiches and the most delicious little pies de limon - a favorite of the missionaries!  They can do the most amazing things in the tiniest kitchens!  Here is Elder O. pitching in!

Clean up after almuerzo - a HUGE job!  There are not inexpensive disposable items here in Chile, so yes, we have over 200 plastic plates and bowls, and metal utensils that have to be washed after each big meal.  They used styrofoam cups this time around, but even those get washed and reused:).  These ladies are saints!

As soon as our Thursday Conference was over, we had to hurry the Zeballos' off to the Concepcion airport to catch their flight for their next assignment.  I'll say it again - they were absolutely wonderful teachers and guests.  We loved our time with them!  When we got home from the airport, our shipment from home had just arrived.  38 boxes of Home Sweet Home!  It was like Christmas for us!!!