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Showing posts with label Chile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chile. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Visitor
I'm really not a fan of horror, gore, or anything really creepy. Halloween and scary stories are just really not my thing. I get creeped out if I watch a Nightline murder investigation for more than 5 minutes.
Recently, a friend, former neighbor, and now writer shared a spooky story about a true experience while staying in a hostel in Europe. It reminded me of my spooky hostel experience from when I interned in northern Chile, and so I had to share this true spooky tale in the spirit of Halloween.
The bus pulled in at around 4:00 am, surprisingly ahead of schedule. We weren't supposed to have arrived for another two hours. I guess the red-eye trips were taken quite literally in the bus industry; I left red-eyed and I certainly arrived red-eyed.
I squinted my eyes forcefully, trying to squeeze the stinging out, as the lights of Antofagasta pierced through the curtains. I parted one curtain slightly and peered out to the slumbering city. A morning fog had crept in with the ocean breeze, giving the dirty street lamps an eerie aura as they shone through the fog and danced on the bus window. I slid the curtain closed and shut my eyes, wondering what I would do in the dormant city as I waited for public transportation to start running. Would I be safe wandering around? I had packed light for the weekend; could I possibly walk to the hostel from the bus stop? Would anyone attend me at the hostel?
In my groggy, half-conscious state, I panicked as I imagined myself wandering the streets of Antofa with my backpack full of my belongings. I saw myself running up its steep main avenue, Sucre, as I once did on my mission, only this time I was pursued by a pack of stray dogs. One of the dogs lashed at my feet, I turned, hoping the confrontation would throw it off, but it was to no avail. It lunged and snarled at me. I could almost see the dust rise from its mangy lion-like mane with each charge it made at me. Dirt rose from its feet. Dirt. Everywhere there was dirt.
The image of rising dirt transitioned me from the dog to my first arrival in Antofagasta. The plane descended and I leaned over from my aisle seat to peer out the window at the ocean on one side of the plane, and mountainous dirt on the other side. It was surreal, like landing on the moon. I was expecting dry, but I never imagined mountains of dirt with no vegetation at all. It was beautiful.
My dream state faded as I felt the bus roll to a stop. Reality set back in, which thankfully was more peaceful than my imagination. I quickly grabbed my things and filed into the line exiting the bus. An cool breeze welcomed me as I exited; it was overcast. I knew no rain would fall, it never did. A heavy misting was all we ever really got in Antofa. The low sea clouds sat on the coastal dirt mountain range and I pondered their looming shadows as I plopped down on a bench to wait for my friends who had traveled with me. Fortunately, I was not traveling alone.
We gathered at the bench and discussed our options. We were staying at a hostel that was once a Catholic monastery, and it was at the edge of the north side of town. It would be too far to walk, and probably too dangerous to walk. Why had we decided to stay there? Recommendation from one of my friends' father. It couldn't be too bad, right? After deliberating we decided to stay at the bus terminal for a little while until public transportation started. For the next hour and a half, I sat shivering listening to the hypnotic rhythm of the ocean in the distance. My eyes plead desperately to close, but they were forced open to watch the soft light fall upon the city as morning settled. The tall colonial shapes of wooden houses and buildings downtown with their eccentric color schemes were magnificent; I could not help but look as they received the first light of morning through dissipating fog.
The microbus ride to our hostel was uneventful, as was our arrival. Apparently the hostel was still run by the Catholic church, because a nun greeted us and showed us to our rooms. It turned out that we had an entire building to ourselves, which was not much more than a long hall lined with about thirty rooms with a bathroom at each end. I took one end of the hall at one end and the girls took the other. Twenty-nine rooms separated me from everyone else.
I walked down the long hall, which reeked of turpentine and old wood muted with dust, until I reached my room next to the old musty bathroom. With a shiver, I thought to myself that I was glad I would only be here for the weekend. Entering my room, I sat my backpack down on one of the two twin beds occupying the habitation and slipped under the wool blanket and sheets of the other.
I slipped into a deep sleep for a couple of hours and hardly noticed the soft light of the morning intensify with the early-afternoon sun. The room temperature seemed to be oblivious to the afternoon sun as well. Besides myself and the two beds, a biting chill also occupied my room. Perhaps it was the bathroom next door, but I couldn't help but think of how unnatural the cold felt even as I lie there under heavy covers; like icy fingers.
I didn't sleep as long as my friends and so I took some self portraits on the grounds while I waited.
Gotta love cameras with timers.
Rustling leaves and crunching dirt were all we heard as we made our way to our building on the far side of the compound. We stopped at the entrance as one friend fumbled with the keys and I saw the moonlight dancing across shards of broken glass which were cemented to the top of the cinder block wall surrounding the reformed monastery. I didn't think much of it, we weren't in the best part of town and even in better parts of town a wall adorned with broken glass bottles was commonplace. It was silly, really. The glass wasn't much of a deterrent for determined looters and loiterers, it could be chipped off and then the smoothed surface was easily scaled with the aid of a thick blanket or jacket.
Finally the key fit and the door opened. Icy fingers welcomed us as we walked into the small foyer adjacent to the long hallway. How had the temperature dropped 20 degrees? Despite being overcast, the day was pleasant and warm, yet the building maintained its frigid temperature despite the absence of an air conditioning unit. I attributed the cold to the fact that the bathrooms were cold and moist and the floors were concrete. With a shiver, we mumbled our good nights and hastily made our way to our rooms. I turned left down my end of the hall and my friends turned right to their end.
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or the shadows from the trees dancing in the breeze outside through the window, but as I turned and looked to my room at the end of a dark hallway, I thought I saw a shadow slowly pass from one end of the bathroom to the other. Any hint of fatigue vanished in a wave of adrenaline. I turned the other way and quickly walked down towards my friends rooms, turning my head frequently towards where I had come to verify that I was not being followed.
A quick investigation by all of us verified that only we were staying in the building. No one else and nothing else was there. It must have been my drooping eyes and shadows from the moonlight playing tricks on me.
Now in my pajamas, I brushed my teeth in that musty bathroom, shivering and fighting off goosebumps as I recalled what I had thought I saw in this very space from across the hall. At that moment, I pledged to myself that I would not be making any late-night bathroom trips that night. I turned off the light and shut that door tight as I left, hoping to trap any lingering apparitions in there where they belonged.
I could hear my friends at talking at the other end of the hall, they were playing a card game. They had chosen rooms across from each other, two sleeping in each room. Their doors were open and the light from one room crossed the hall to the other room. I decided to make a quick visit to confirm plans for tomorrow and to apologize for the fright I had caused.
Walking down the hall, I heard them laughing as they played. They heard my footsteps and invited me to play, offering me a chair. I agreed to one round and we took the game to the hall because the room was too small to accommodate all of us with our chairs. We sat in a circle, joking as we played until two of my friends suddenly fell silent.
In the circle we had formed to play cards, my back was turned to my end of the hallway. I was the only one unable to see why the two had fallen silent. But I didn't have to guess.
One friend saw the shadow cross from one side of the hall to the other and the other looked up to see the shadow cross again the other way. It was if it were pacing across the hall from one room to the other. Once the first two stopped talking, the other two looked and saw the same thing. The apparition was going from my room to the room across the hall.
A chill ran down my spine. We gathered the chairs and hunkered down in one room with the light of the other room still on. Of one thing we were sure, it was not a person; at least it wasn't a living person. But there were no lights or windows in the hallway that could have cast a moving shadow, it was real, it was something; something that had the form of a person.
After devising stories about a poor monk enduring eternal solitude in my room down the hall, we decided we could deal with spending the night there. However, just because I could share the building with it doing its creeper thing down the hall, I wasn't about to share a room with it. I stayed in one of the other rooms, closer to my friends and was grateful I had not traveled alone.
Recently, a friend, former neighbor, and now writer shared a spooky story about a true experience while staying in a hostel in Europe. It reminded me of my spooky hostel experience from when I interned in northern Chile, and so I had to share this true spooky tale in the spirit of Halloween.
The Visitor
The bus pulled in at around 4:00 am, surprisingly ahead of schedule. We weren't supposed to have arrived for another two hours. I guess the red-eye trips were taken quite literally in the bus industry; I left red-eyed and I certainly arrived red-eyed.
I squinted my eyes forcefully, trying to squeeze the stinging out, as the lights of Antofagasta pierced through the curtains. I parted one curtain slightly and peered out to the slumbering city. A morning fog had crept in with the ocean breeze, giving the dirty street lamps an eerie aura as they shone through the fog and danced on the bus window. I slid the curtain closed and shut my eyes, wondering what I would do in the dormant city as I waited for public transportation to start running. Would I be safe wandering around? I had packed light for the weekend; could I possibly walk to the hostel from the bus stop? Would anyone attend me at the hostel?
In my groggy, half-conscious state, I panicked as I imagined myself wandering the streets of Antofa with my backpack full of my belongings. I saw myself running up its steep main avenue, Sucre, as I once did on my mission, only this time I was pursued by a pack of stray dogs. One of the dogs lashed at my feet, I turned, hoping the confrontation would throw it off, but it was to no avail. It lunged and snarled at me. I could almost see the dust rise from its mangy lion-like mane with each charge it made at me. Dirt rose from its feet. Dirt. Everywhere there was dirt.
The image of rising dirt transitioned me from the dog to my first arrival in Antofagasta. The plane descended and I leaned over from my aisle seat to peer out the window at the ocean on one side of the plane, and mountainous dirt on the other side. It was surreal, like landing on the moon. I was expecting dry, but I never imagined mountains of dirt with no vegetation at all. It was beautiful.
My dream state faded as I felt the bus roll to a stop. Reality set back in, which thankfully was more peaceful than my imagination. I quickly grabbed my things and filed into the line exiting the bus. An cool breeze welcomed me as I exited; it was overcast. I knew no rain would fall, it never did. A heavy misting was all we ever really got in Antofa. The low sea clouds sat on the coastal dirt mountain range and I pondered their looming shadows as I plopped down on a bench to wait for my friends who had traveled with me. Fortunately, I was not traveling alone.
We gathered at the bench and discussed our options. We were staying at a hostel that was once a Catholic monastery, and it was at the edge of the north side of town. It would be too far to walk, and probably too dangerous to walk. Why had we decided to stay there? Recommendation from one of my friends' father. It couldn't be too bad, right? After deliberating we decided to stay at the bus terminal for a little while until public transportation started. For the next hour and a half, I sat shivering listening to the hypnotic rhythm of the ocean in the distance. My eyes plead desperately to close, but they were forced open to watch the soft light fall upon the city as morning settled. The tall colonial shapes of wooden houses and buildings downtown with their eccentric color schemes were magnificent; I could not help but look as they received the first light of morning through dissipating fog.
The microbus ride to our hostel was uneventful, as was our arrival. Apparently the hostel was still run by the Catholic church, because a nun greeted us and showed us to our rooms. It turned out that we had an entire building to ourselves, which was not much more than a long hall lined with about thirty rooms with a bathroom at each end. I took one end of the hall at one end and the girls took the other. Twenty-nine rooms separated me from everyone else.
I walked down the long hall, which reeked of turpentine and old wood muted with dust, until I reached my room next to the old musty bathroom. With a shiver, I thought to myself that I was glad I would only be here for the weekend. Entering my room, I sat my backpack down on one of the two twin beds occupying the habitation and slipped under the wool blanket and sheets of the other.
I slipped into a deep sleep for a couple of hours and hardly noticed the soft light of the morning intensify with the early-afternoon sun. The room temperature seemed to be oblivious to the afternoon sun as well. Besides myself and the two beds, a biting chill also occupied my room. Perhaps it was the bathroom next door, but I couldn't help but think of how unnatural the cold felt even as I lie there under heavy covers; like icy fingers.
I didn't sleep as long as my friends and so I took some self portraits on the grounds while I waited.
Gotta love cameras with timers.
We spent the rest of the day visiting old friends. Though I had arrived with friends, we split up to visit our respective groups. I didn't think at all of my room until later that night when we met up at the rusty iron gate outside of the hostel. The sparse trees on the grounds gave the sterile, rectangular shapes of each of the buildings a supernatural air. The blue light of the moon produced silhouettes of the small waxy leaves as they rustled with the breeze.
Rustling leaves and crunching dirt were all we heard as we made our way to our building on the far side of the compound. We stopped at the entrance as one friend fumbled with the keys and I saw the moonlight dancing across shards of broken glass which were cemented to the top of the cinder block wall surrounding the reformed monastery. I didn't think much of it, we weren't in the best part of town and even in better parts of town a wall adorned with broken glass bottles was commonplace. It was silly, really. The glass wasn't much of a deterrent for determined looters and loiterers, it could be chipped off and then the smoothed surface was easily scaled with the aid of a thick blanket or jacket.
Finally the key fit and the door opened. Icy fingers welcomed us as we walked into the small foyer adjacent to the long hallway. How had the temperature dropped 20 degrees? Despite being overcast, the day was pleasant and warm, yet the building maintained its frigid temperature despite the absence of an air conditioning unit. I attributed the cold to the fact that the bathrooms were cold and moist and the floors were concrete. With a shiver, we mumbled our good nights and hastily made our way to our rooms. I turned left down my end of the hall and my friends turned right to their end.
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or the shadows from the trees dancing in the breeze outside through the window, but as I turned and looked to my room at the end of a dark hallway, I thought I saw a shadow slowly pass from one end of the bathroom to the other. Any hint of fatigue vanished in a wave of adrenaline. I turned the other way and quickly walked down towards my friends rooms, turning my head frequently towards where I had come to verify that I was not being followed.
A quick investigation by all of us verified that only we were staying in the building. No one else and nothing else was there. It must have been my drooping eyes and shadows from the moonlight playing tricks on me.
Now in my pajamas, I brushed my teeth in that musty bathroom, shivering and fighting off goosebumps as I recalled what I had thought I saw in this very space from across the hall. At that moment, I pledged to myself that I would not be making any late-night bathroom trips that night. I turned off the light and shut that door tight as I left, hoping to trap any lingering apparitions in there where they belonged.
I could hear my friends at talking at the other end of the hall, they were playing a card game. They had chosen rooms across from each other, two sleeping in each room. Their doors were open and the light from one room crossed the hall to the other room. I decided to make a quick visit to confirm plans for tomorrow and to apologize for the fright I had caused.
Walking down the hall, I heard them laughing as they played. They heard my footsteps and invited me to play, offering me a chair. I agreed to one round and we took the game to the hall because the room was too small to accommodate all of us with our chairs. We sat in a circle, joking as we played until two of my friends suddenly fell silent.
In the circle we had formed to play cards, my back was turned to my end of the hallway. I was the only one unable to see why the two had fallen silent. But I didn't have to guess.
A chill ran down my spine. We gathered the chairs and hunkered down in one room with the light of the other room still on. Of one thing we were sure, it was not a person; at least it wasn't a living person. But there were no lights or windows in the hallway that could have cast a moving shadow, it was real, it was something; something that had the form of a person.
And to think I had brushed my teeth right next to where that thing was walking back and forth, potentially messing with my stuff! (I've gotta lighten the mood somehow, I'm creeped out.)
After devising stories about a poor monk enduring eternal solitude in my room down the hall, we decided we could deal with spending the night there. However, just because I could share the building with it doing its creeper thing down the hall, I wasn't about to share a room with it. I stayed in one of the other rooms, closer to my friends and was grateful I had not traveled alone.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Remembering September 11
Ten years ago, I was a new missionary in northern Chile coming home with my companion and a group of missionaries picking up Books of Mormon after a Zone Meeting. When we arrived, our mamita (landlady/caretaker) ran out and said, "You won't believe what happened in your country! A plane crashed into one of the Twin Towers!" Because I was pretty new and still working on my Spanish, I wasn't sure if I had heard or understood her correctly.
Honestly, after that moment the rest of the day is foggy in my mind. My mission president instructed missionaries to not go out for the day, and allowed us to watch the news. (The terrorist attacks were not as much of a concern for us as the fact that September 11 marks an infamous day in Chilean history and is tainted with the memories of a terrible military coup that resulted in a 17-year dictatorship and the disappearance of thousands of Chilean citizens.) My companion and I watched CNN the rest of the day, observing as tragedy unfolded. Everything was so surreal and I felt so removed from the events. The next day, life went on in Chile with the exception of those expressing their condolences for the terrible events of that day.
Now, nearly 10 years later, I still feel removed from the tragedy. I did not truly experience what the rest of the nation felt during the hours, days, weeks, months, or years following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Thankfully, I do not know what it feels like to be under attack. I can really can only sympathize and mourn the loss of 1,000s of lives, a sense of security, and way of life we once enjoyed before the War on Terror began.
The details and images of that day are sickening. The stories are both tragic and inspiring. That day, my nation experienced the best and worst of humanity. Senseless violence coupled with compassionate, selfless service. I, along with the rest of the world, could only stop and observe.
Honestly, after that moment the rest of the day is foggy in my mind. My mission president instructed missionaries to not go out for the day, and allowed us to watch the news. (The terrorist attacks were not as much of a concern for us as the fact that September 11 marks an infamous day in Chilean history and is tainted with the memories of a terrible military coup that resulted in a 17-year dictatorship and the disappearance of thousands of Chilean citizens.) My companion and I watched CNN the rest of the day, observing as tragedy unfolded. Everything was so surreal and I felt so removed from the events. The next day, life went on in Chile with the exception of those expressing their condolences for the terrible events of that day.
Now, nearly 10 years later, I still feel removed from the tragedy. I did not truly experience what the rest of the nation felt during the hours, days, weeks, months, or years following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Thankfully, I do not know what it feels like to be under attack. I can really can only sympathize and mourn the loss of 1,000s of lives, a sense of security, and way of life we once enjoyed before the War on Terror began.
The details and images of that day are sickening. The stories are both tragic and inspiring. That day, my nation experienced the best and worst of humanity. Senseless violence coupled with compassionate, selfless service. I, along with the rest of the world, could only stop and observe.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Letters from Chile: Arriving and Santiago
When I arrived in Chile, I first spent a long layover (pretty much a day) in Santiago with a friend from the mission before I flew to Iquique to start my internship. More pictures and a short email to document the event. Did I mention I miss my old camera that I took on this trip? It took awesome pictures. I lost it in a cab during my trip, which was a sad and expensive day.
Aqui les mando fotos de mi paseo en santiago con mi gran amigo.
Aqui les mando fotos de mi paseo en santiago con mi gran amigo.
I was just adding you to my e-mail group and making sure all of the addresses are working, have a good one!
Ryan
Letters from Chile: Arriving and Beginning the Internship
Here's another email I sent when I first started my internship.
Ryan Davies
Hey,
Just wanted to say hi to everyone and send some pictures of the neighborhood here in Iquique, Chile. My internship is going great and I'm really loving the work with the kids. Mainly what I am doing is working with the kids in physical development, like physical therapy. It's a great opportunity for me to learn hands on about the different diseases that they have and what treatments they are receiving. The people have been really great and have welcomed me with open arms.
Well, hope all is going well for you! Talk to you soon!
Well, hope all is going well for you! Talk to you soon!
Ryan Davies
Letters from Chile: Iquique
Another email to family and friends when I first arrived to intern at COANIL in northern Chile. Also, as part of my internship, I researched different aspects of Chilean culture, government, and society. I was there for the campaign and election of Michelle Bachelet, which was AWESOME. Here are a few pictures of some religious cultural events I attended (a festival for the Virgin de la Tirana).
I even attended mass.
Hi!
Sorry I haven't written as I should, the internet has been temperamental to say the least. But now it's working now, so we'll be hearing from each other more often.
Today at church was really great! I was able to see a lot of the members of the ward, but the sad thing is that many of them have left and moved to other wards. I wanted to surprise a convert that I found out that is still here in Iquique and is doing GREAT, and so I didn't tell anyone from the ward that I was going to be there today. Anyway, I got there late because I thought that the ward started later than it did and I didn't see Erik in the rush to sit down and not interrupt things. But after sacrament meeting he came up from behind and said "Davies!" and gave me a big hug. It was so wonderful to see him so happy in the church and so strong in the church and in his testimony. He invited me over tonight, and told me of all the wonderful changes he had experienced because of the gospel and how special Elder Meikle and I were to him and that when he went through hard times he would look at our pictures or read our letters to him and it would give him strength. That was such a special experience to me to be able to share with him experiences, and to hear his testimony and experiences in the gospel!
Later we shared a family home evening with a family that he had brought into the church that lived with him and another sister from the ward who was visiting. It was such a special experience, it was like the joy that Alma must have felt when he found himself with the sons of Mosiah after their missions, to find that all were strong in the gospel and in their testimonies of the gospel. How great is the joy to bring souls to Christ, and what even greater joy it is when they are strong in the gospel and feel the same joy in it that you do!
The language is frustrating me a little, because the words don't come out as smoothly as they once did and how I would like them to come out. But that will get better as time passes and as I get used to everything. I felt like I did when I had first arrived in the mission sometimes, just because I want so much to speak so fluidly, only I want to speak how I once did and better. But I'll just have to be patient I guess. Other than that I'm doing well, the family here is very special and goes out of their way to make me feel as comfortable as possible. They really have been great! I went to the mamita Dominga's house and I am so glad that I am not living there, the neighborhood isn't as wonderful as I imagined it to be and I started to remember how it really was there. I guess I was just oblivious to it all as a missionary, or I just didn't let them bother me. But the area I'm living in is GREAT, and VERY SAFE, so don't worry about that, the Lord knew what he was doing in not having anything available in that other neighborhood where Dominga lives because it would have been scary.
Well, love you tons!! You're in my prayers always!
RyanLetters from Chile: The Kids and Antofagasta
I apologize if you're bored to death with me posting about my internship experience in Chile, but since we use this as a journal of sorts, I thought it would be important to include more about this period of my life. So, I bring you more letters (emails) from Chile with pictures, of course.
Hello everyone!
I'm still doing great here in Iquique, Chile. Today was great with the kids, I am learning a lot about patience, as results and progress sometimes is slow with the kids, and the sad part is that mostly this is because the parents don't do exercises with their kids to improve their development.
I have learned even more now that what is worth most is what takes the most effort, and constant work and effort to maintain. If it doesn't take constant effort it may be lost, in the case of the kids if they don't do their exercises constantly they will loose capacity and will not be able to achieve their potential. It is the same eternally, our eternal progression requires discipline and constant effort to obey the commandments of our loving heavenly Father, if we stop we lose capacity and will not be able to reach our eternal potential as His children. It has been a reinforcement in what I already strive for and know, and I am learning in other aspects of the practice also.
Learning about the diseases of the children has been fascinating especially since I have a hands on learning experience with them daily, and it has become personal as I have grown to love these kids.
I passed the 18th of September in Antofagasta and it was so great to see so many of those I had known in the mission! What a great experience to be reunited with my Chilean brothers and sisters there in Antofa!
I include pictures of me in Antofagasta, and of me participating in a typical 18th of Sept. activity which is to try and get this thing with a hole in the bottom to fling up onto a little dowel thing. Hopefully you'll get a better idea of it when you see the picture.
Well, gotta go! Cuidense harto!
Ryan
Hello everyone!
I'm still doing great here in Iquique, Chile. Today was great with the kids, I am learning a lot about patience, as results and progress sometimes is slow with the kids, and the sad part is that mostly this is because the parents don't do exercises with their kids to improve their development.
I have learned even more now that what is worth most is what takes the most effort, and constant work and effort to maintain. If it doesn't take constant effort it may be lost, in the case of the kids if they don't do their exercises constantly they will loose capacity and will not be able to achieve their potential. It is the same eternally, our eternal progression requires discipline and constant effort to obey the commandments of our loving heavenly Father, if we stop we lose capacity and will not be able to reach our eternal potential as His children. It has been a reinforcement in what I already strive for and know, and I am learning in other aspects of the practice also.
Learning about the diseases of the children has been fascinating especially since I have a hands on learning experience with them daily, and it has become personal as I have grown to love these kids.
I passed the 18th of September in Antofagasta and it was so great to see so many of those I had known in the mission! What a great experience to be reunited with my Chilean brothers and sisters there in Antofa!
I include pictures of me in Antofagasta, and of me participating in a typical 18th of Sept. activity which is to try and get this thing with a hole in the bottom to fling up onto a little dowel thing. Hopefully you'll get a better idea of it when you see the picture.
Well, gotta go! Cuidense harto!
Ryan
Letters from Chile: The Kids and COANIL
After finding a past email from when I was an intern in northern Chile, I have been thinking about my time at COANIL. So, I'm posting another email I sent, along with some pictures of the kids.
Hello Everyone!!
Sorry that I write these huge bulk mails, but it's easier to write what I've been up to lately in one e-mail, instead of separate to each individual, but know that I think of you separately! I'm sure you all know how that is. Can you believe that I'm pretty much halfway through with my time here in Chile?? It's been crazy for me, the time has gone by fast, and I'll be seeing you before we know it! Working with the kids is getting better and better I think! They are such characters!
Today it was great to see the progress in a little boy named David. He is about 3 and would come in everyday crying and yelling, he did not like to be in a sitting position and would fight and fight to lay down on his back and look at his fingers. And to be laid down on his stomach was the same fight. But he has been gradually getting used to it and hasn't cried like he used to. But today it was so great! He actually didn't cry at all! I put him on an exercise ball and we have them put their hands in front of them to hold themselves up, and usually he won't do that, but today he supported himself with one arm and one hand at least! It was so great to see that progress! It made all the effort of the past weeks worth it! So that was a great thing to have happen today!
Yesterday there was a little girl that is about 3 or 4 too, and she has spina bifida. She talked a million miles an hour and was so funny, and naughty too, she said some swear words. That made me laugh a little, even though I shouldn't laugh at little girls saying naughty words in Spanish, but she had no idea what she was saying, she just knew that it was an expression used, probably in her house a lot, when something wrong happened. She was so cute and so funny though, she was very wiggly and would go all over the place and then say she was so tired and lay down for a second, and then she was going again. Well, hope everything is going great for you all!
Ryan
Sorry that I write these huge bulk mails, but it's easier to write what I've been up to lately in one e-mail, instead of separate to each individual, but know that I think of you separately! I'm sure you all know how that is. Can you believe that I'm pretty much halfway through with my time here in Chile?? It's been crazy for me, the time has gone by fast, and I'll be seeing you before we know it! Working with the kids is getting better and better I think! They are such characters!
Today it was great to see the progress in a little boy named David. He is about 3 and would come in everyday crying and yelling, he did not like to be in a sitting position and would fight and fight to lay down on his back and look at his fingers. And to be laid down on his stomach was the same fight. But he has been gradually getting used to it and hasn't cried like he used to. But today it was so great! He actually didn't cry at all! I put him on an exercise ball and we have them put their hands in front of them to hold themselves up, and usually he won't do that, but today he supported himself with one arm and one hand at least! It was so great to see that progress! It made all the effort of the past weeks worth it! So that was a great thing to have happen today!
Yesterday there was a little girl that is about 3 or 4 too, and she has spina bifida. She talked a million miles an hour and was so funny, and naughty too, she said some swear words. That made me laugh a little, even though I shouldn't laugh at little girls saying naughty words in Spanish, but she had no idea what she was saying, she just knew that it was an expression used, probably in her house a lot, when something wrong happened. She was so cute and so funny though, she was very wiggly and would go all over the place and then say she was so tired and lay down for a second, and then she was going again. Well, hope everything is going great for you all!
Ryan
Thoughts on Machu Picchu (circa 2005)
I recently ran across an email I sent out during my internship in Chile a while back. I had to go out of the country to renew my visa and ended up at Machu Picchu. Please forgive my run-on sentences, I was used to speaking and writing exclusively in Spanish. I also added pictures as points of interest.
¡Un afectuoso saludo a todos!
Well, here's another one of those e-mails that everyone gets to read, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm safe back in Chile again, Peru was a great experience, but it feels so much better to be back in Chile and back to life here working with the kids in Iquique. I am sending some pictures of some kids I work with, they are the greatest and continue to teach me so many things every day, about how we should live enjoying the littlest things that we experience here. Also I want to clarify that the picture of me is not by an ancient drawing, but rather in a little zoo they have here in the beach Cavancha of Iquique, good try though huh?
I've been asked a lot about a recent trip to Peru, and how it went with me going to Machu Picchu. Well, we'll start with how it all began, I was planning on going to Tacna, a Peruvian city that borders northern Chile. Well, after a day there and a tour of the city and the desert surrounding it, it was decided to go someplace greener, but it wasn't expected to take so long!! The bus ride was and adventure in itself, supposed to have been a 15 hr. ride that turned into a 22 hr. ride with stops in Puno , and every little town between Tacna and Cusco I think. I was so happy to be in Cusco, and I was amazed at the beauty of the city.
The next day was an interesting day with a train ride to a pueblo called Aguas Calientes and a bus ride to Machu Picchu. There is another way to see Machu Picchu that I would like to do the next time, which is to hike the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu, I understand that it takes a couple of days and you can stay in a tent, or even with people that live along the trail that don't charge much, they are more interested in sharing with other people from different countries and cultures.
There was a little hike past the entrance to the city and once you go up the trail and are able to see the city it takes your breath away how beautiful it is and how magnificent the surroundings are. The surrounding mountains are incredible and almost surreal! It is amazing to think that the Incan people were able to construct such a magnificent city in such a location, with terracing that is absolutely breathtaking, especially if you get vertigo. Literally these terraces overlook a cliff that falls I have no idea how far, but it's enough to make even the bravest take a few steps back. I was most impressed with the structures and the feel of the place, it was absolutely magnificent, it was a place of spiritual learning, with temples.
It is amazing to think of how we all search for higher ground to communicate with God. It made me think of the blessing that the temple is, to be able to leave the monotony of worldly life to higher spiritual ground where we are able to learn of our purposes as God's children and make covenants with Him to return to His presence. There was that feeling there, a sincere desire to learn and a longing to return to a higher presence, yet it lacked the essence of spirituality, it lacked the essential and simple truths that the gospel of Jesus Christ offers.
I was amazed at the beauty, at the intelligence, but saddened by the lack of essential knowledge that brings real happiness in this life, which is that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us individually and loves us unconditionally, that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, who atoned for ours sins, saving us from them, not in them. He provides the way out of the world in which are present many distractions that will drag us down into confusion and error, and ultimately into unhappiness that is contrary to the purpose of our existence. What a wonderful and simple way it is! He atoned for our sins, he has shown us step by step, teaching us by example, reminding us through prophets both ancient and actual, the way to follow, the manner of happiness which is the purpose of our entire existence, and the design and desire of our Heavenly Father. If we follow Him we will find happiness which is sure. If we don't, we, as the ancient Incan people, will be left to a our intelligence that is capable of creating earthly wonders, for we are children of an God of perfect knowledge and intelligence.
As His children we also long for a higher intelligence, for sure knowledge of truths, of purpose of our existence. This was very evident in the amazing temples built by this ancient people, they longed to acquire sure knowledge. They were amazingly accurate in studies of constellations, of knowledge of the universe and the rotations of the solar system, yet they lacked the very heavenly knowledge that they so earnestly sought for, and ironically in a sense it is far less complicated than the mappings and gyrations of the solar system. This sure and pure knowledge is present in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, in the temples of today, it is a sure knowledge that is revealed, taught, and testified to us by the Holy Ghost, a very member of the God Head that can be our companion. A fountain of pure knowledge that we may drink from while others as the Incans suffered dehydration of spirit, what an incredible blessing!
What an incredible blessing to be able to climb altitudes above those of the Andes Mountains in the temple to receive our communication with the heavens, and this communication comes without worry of cloud cover, unlike Machu Picchu where the clouds are neighbors. This is if we are worthy of the Holy Ghost which will show us the things that we must do. How amazing is this power! It could only have been dreamt of by the ancient Incan people of Machu Picchu! For this reason I felt sorrow for them, so great a potential that lacked the essential to complete it. But don't let that ruin the trip for you, because it really was amazing to see the capacity of humankind here on this earth! If we desire we may be the means of doing much good!
The Incans were able to achieve amazing feats in the shadow of the mount Machu Picchu, but we are able to achieve all things in the light of our Lord! What blessings we have! Pure, simple knowledge in the gospel of Christ, in the scriptures, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost which we receive as worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church of Him who we follow in light.
So, reflecting on Machu Picchu, I was breath-taken with what they achieved in the views of the Peruvian mountains, but could take a deep breath of tranquility to take in the wonders of what we as children of God can eternally achieve wherever we may be.
Con mucho cariño a todos,
Ryan
¡Un afectuoso saludo a todos!
Well, here's another one of those e-mails that everyone gets to read, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm safe back in Chile again, Peru was a great experience, but it feels so much better to be back in Chile and back to life here working with the kids in Iquique. I am sending some pictures of some kids I work with, they are the greatest and continue to teach me so many things every day, about how we should live enjoying the littlest things that we experience here. Also I want to clarify that the picture of me is not by an ancient drawing, but rather in a little zoo they have here in the beach Cavancha of Iquique, good try though huh?
I've been asked a lot about a recent trip to Peru, and how it went with me going to Machu Picchu. Well, we'll start with how it all began, I was planning on going to Tacna, a Peruvian city that borders northern Chile. Well, after a day there and a tour of the city and the desert surrounding it, it was decided to go someplace greener, but it wasn't expected to take so long!! The bus ride was and adventure in itself, supposed to have been a 15 hr. ride that turned into a 22 hr. ride with stops in Puno , and every little town between Tacna and Cusco I think. I was so happy to be in Cusco, and I was amazed at the beauty of the city.
The next day was an interesting day with a train ride to a pueblo called Aguas Calientes and a bus ride to Machu Picchu. There is another way to see Machu Picchu that I would like to do the next time, which is to hike the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu, I understand that it takes a couple of days and you can stay in a tent, or even with people that live along the trail that don't charge much, they are more interested in sharing with other people from different countries and cultures.
There was a little hike past the entrance to the city and once you go up the trail and are able to see the city it takes your breath away how beautiful it is and how magnificent the surroundings are. The surrounding mountains are incredible and almost surreal! It is amazing to think that the Incan people were able to construct such a magnificent city in such a location, with terracing that is absolutely breathtaking, especially if you get vertigo. Literally these terraces overlook a cliff that falls I have no idea how far, but it's enough to make even the bravest take a few steps back. I was most impressed with the structures and the feel of the place, it was absolutely magnificent, it was a place of spiritual learning, with temples.
It is amazing to think of how we all search for higher ground to communicate with God. It made me think of the blessing that the temple is, to be able to leave the monotony of worldly life to higher spiritual ground where we are able to learn of our purposes as God's children and make covenants with Him to return to His presence. There was that feeling there, a sincere desire to learn and a longing to return to a higher presence, yet it lacked the essence of spirituality, it lacked the essential and simple truths that the gospel of Jesus Christ offers.
I was amazed at the beauty, at the intelligence, but saddened by the lack of essential knowledge that brings real happiness in this life, which is that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us individually and loves us unconditionally, that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, who atoned for ours sins, saving us from them, not in them. He provides the way out of the world in which are present many distractions that will drag us down into confusion and error, and ultimately into unhappiness that is contrary to the purpose of our existence. What a wonderful and simple way it is! He atoned for our sins, he has shown us step by step, teaching us by example, reminding us through prophets both ancient and actual, the way to follow, the manner of happiness which is the purpose of our entire existence, and the design and desire of our Heavenly Father. If we follow Him we will find happiness which is sure. If we don't, we, as the ancient Incan people, will be left to a our intelligence that is capable of creating earthly wonders, for we are children of an God of perfect knowledge and intelligence.
As His children we also long for a higher intelligence, for sure knowledge of truths, of purpose of our existence. This was very evident in the amazing temples built by this ancient people, they longed to acquire sure knowledge. They were amazingly accurate in studies of constellations, of knowledge of the universe and the rotations of the solar system, yet they lacked the very heavenly knowledge that they so earnestly sought for, and ironically in a sense it is far less complicated than the mappings and gyrations of the solar system. This sure and pure knowledge is present in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, in the temples of today, it is a sure knowledge that is revealed, taught, and testified to us by the Holy Ghost, a very member of the God Head that can be our companion. A fountain of pure knowledge that we may drink from while others as the Incans suffered dehydration of spirit, what an incredible blessing!
What an incredible blessing to be able to climb altitudes above those of the Andes Mountains in the temple to receive our communication with the heavens, and this communication comes without worry of cloud cover, unlike Machu Picchu where the clouds are neighbors. This is if we are worthy of the Holy Ghost which will show us the things that we must do. How amazing is this power! It could only have been dreamt of by the ancient Incan people of Machu Picchu! For this reason I felt sorrow for them, so great a potential that lacked the essential to complete it. But don't let that ruin the trip for you, because it really was amazing to see the capacity of humankind here on this earth! If we desire we may be the means of doing much good!
The Incans were able to achieve amazing feats in the shadow of the mount Machu Picchu, but we are able to achieve all things in the light of our Lord! What blessings we have! Pure, simple knowledge in the gospel of Christ, in the scriptures, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost which we receive as worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church of Him who we follow in light.
So, reflecting on Machu Picchu, I was breath-taken with what they achieved in the views of the Peruvian mountains, but could take a deep breath of tranquility to take in the wonders of what we as children of God can eternally achieve wherever we may be.
Con mucho cariño a todos,
Ryan
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Chilito Lindo
I came across this picture on Facebook.
Looking at it, I can almost feel the warmth of the rising sun.
I can almost smell the morning, the sparse vegetation, the ocean, the dirt, turpentine, and plastic bags full of freshly baked bread.
Chilito lindo, te echo de menos.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Mission
I loved my two years as a missionary. I was fortunate to have served in the best mission in the world, the Chile Antofagasta Mission.
Why was it the best? Ponder these few points:
1. The best people in the world.
2. The best country (aside from my own).
3. The best part of the Chile. You cannot beat mean temperatures of 80 degrees with no inclement weather, ever.
4. Great mission presidents
5. Best time ever. (Elder Holland would probably agree with me on this one. Just sayin'.)
6. Best companions, and fellow missionaries.
So, why the revisit? I recently received an e-mail from my mission website. I usually ignore these e-mails because I am too old to know anyone who puts their profile up. But, tonight was different because I remembered that it has been a few years since I last updated my profile. So, as I updated my profile, memories of the mission and those whom I served flooded my mind. It was great to reflect upon my experiences as a full-time missionary, and to be able to testify that every good thing that has happened to me thus far in my life is attributed to the mission.
I love my beautiful wife, who has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be sealed to her for all time and eternity through the sealing blessings of the temple. I am fortunate to keep in contact with many of my dear Chilean friends. I have been able to return to Chile and visit them on two separate occasions. I hope to soon visit again to introduce them all to Kenz. She speaks amazing Spanish, and I can't wait to show her off to everyone in person!
I am grateful for the blessings of an education that will allow me to pursue interests that I developed on my mission. I am grateful for a language which has opened my mind, and has opened doors of opportunity.
I love the Chilean people. I love their culture, their country, and their language. What a blessing and privilege it has been for me to know and to serve them. Bear with me as I share a few of my favorite mission pictures.
My first area, Gabriel and Sebastian. As you may be able to tell, Seba was a little roudy.
A view from the top of a hill in my first area in Arica. Half of our area was on top of the hill, and half on the bottom. It was amazing at night to see the lights of Arica as we walked home from a hard day of missionary work.
Why was it the best? Ponder these few points:
1. The best people in the world.
2. The best country (aside from my own).
3. The best part of the Chile. You cannot beat mean temperatures of 80 degrees with no inclement weather, ever.
4. Great mission presidents
5. Best time ever. (Elder Holland would probably agree with me on this one. Just sayin'.)
6. Best companions, and fellow missionaries.
So, why the revisit? I recently received an e-mail from my mission website. I usually ignore these e-mails because I am too old to know anyone who puts their profile up. But, tonight was different because I remembered that it has been a few years since I last updated my profile. So, as I updated my profile, memories of the mission and those whom I served flooded my mind. It was great to reflect upon my experiences as a full-time missionary, and to be able to testify that every good thing that has happened to me thus far in my life is attributed to the mission.
I love my beautiful wife, who has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be sealed to her for all time and eternity through the sealing blessings of the temple. I am fortunate to keep in contact with many of my dear Chilean friends. I have been able to return to Chile and visit them on two separate occasions. I hope to soon visit again to introduce them all to Kenz. She speaks amazing Spanish, and I can't wait to show her off to everyone in person!
I am grateful for the blessings of an education that will allow me to pursue interests that I developed on my mission. I am grateful for a language which has opened my mind, and has opened doors of opportunity.
I love the Chilean people. I love their culture, their country, and their language. What a blessing and privilege it has been for me to know and to serve them. Bear with me as I share a few of my favorite mission pictures.
My first area, Gabriel and Sebastian. As you may be able to tell, Seba was a little roudy.
A view from the top of a hill in my first area in Arica. Half of our area was on top of the hill, and half on the bottom. It was amazing at night to see the lights of Arica as we walked home from a hard day of missionary work.
One of my good friends, Erick, who was baptized in my second area, Iquique.
A p-day picture that gives you a little idea of how amazing the Atacama Desert is in northern Chile. This was in my third area, Calama.
Some great friends in my fourth area, Caldera. The priesthood was great to help us do as much work possible!
A p-day picture that gives you a little idea of how amazing the Atacama Desert is in northern Chile. This was in my third area, Calama.
Some great friends in my fourth area, Caldera. The priesthood was great to help us do as much work possible!
One of my best friends in this mortal existence. Elder Sandagorda is my Bolivian brother that I trained in my fifth area, Copiapo. Sacamos la mugre! Since we both were called "Elder", many people asked us if we were brothers, or related. We simply replied that yes, we were brothers, but our mother had fed me giraffe milk, and Elder Sandagorda was fed chocolate pony milk.
In my last area, Antofagasta, we had the opportunity to work in one of the greatest wards in Chile. Eilin is an example of faith through trial, and we were so blessed to teach and baptize her! In this picture are also some of the most stalwart members of the church. I am privileged to call them my friends.
My last picture in the mission with President and Sister Call. They taught us, led us, and loved us as their own.
In my last area, Antofagasta, we had the opportunity to work in one of the greatest wards in Chile. Eilin is an example of faith through trial, and we were so blessed to teach and baptize her! In this picture are also some of the most stalwart members of the church. I am privileged to call them my friends.
My last picture in the mission with President and Sister Call. They taught us, led us, and loved us as their own.Our Family
