Coyhaique Zone Conference . . .

This past Saturday we had our final zone conference in Coyhaique. For us this was a special occasion because it was our final trip to Coyhaique. We love this place and these people so much. Seated above (l-r) are: Hna Grimes from California and Hna McShane from Washington. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Tyus from Colorado, Elder Bevan from Wyoming, Elder Coria from Argentina, Elder Nelson from Utah, Elder Beletanga from Ecuador, Elder Seegrist from Utah, Elder Davis from Idaho, Elder Fonda from Utah, Elder Retamal from Chile, Elder Himes from Utah, Elder Richan from Utah and Elder Turner from Georgia. The two zone leaders are Elders Retamal and Bevan.


With this conference we completed our vaccinations for the mission. A local inactive sister, who is a paramedic, volunteered to come over and give the shots. Above are Elders Beletanga, Seegrist, Bevan and Himes showing proof of their courage.


Above are Elders Tyus, Nelson and Fonda proudly displaying their colorful bandages.
And never to be outdone are our mighty sisters, Hnas McShane and Grimes.

Puerto Montt Zone Conference . . .

On Thursday of last week we had our zone conference in Puerto Montt. Three different zones attend this conference. Above is the Puerto Varas Zone. Seated (l-r) are the two zone leaders Elder Nikolaus from Arizona and Elder Sheahan from Montana. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Silva from Chile, Elder Contreras from Chile, Elder Hopkins from Utah, Elder Galarza from Argentina, Elder Urrutia from Chile, Elder Christensen from Arizona, Elder Hauver from Utah, Elder Lux from Utah, Elder Hezeltine from Utah, Elder Frost from Utah, Elder Davis from Colorado, Elder Mussi from Argentina, Elder Gonzalez from Uruguay and Elder Vidal from Chile.

Above is the Puerto Montt Zone. Seated (l-r) are: Hna Byam from Canada and Hna Larkin from Utah. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Williamson from South Africa, Elder Meza from Peru, Elder Bluth from Arizona, Elder Riquelme from Chile, Elder Drake from Utah, Elder Gatica from Chile, Elder Reeder from Utah, Elder Colque from Bolivia, Elder Purser from Alabama, Elder Walker from Idaho, Elder Aston from Utah, Elder Hamblin from Utah, Elder Gomez from Colombia, Elder Figgins from Utah, Elder Urias from Honduras, Elder Walker from Texas, Elder Fairbourne from Idaho and Elder Murphy from Utah. The two zone leaders are Elders Walker and Hamblin.

Above is the Chiloé Zone. Seated (l-r) are: Hna Skinner from Utah and Hna Smith from California. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Carrizo from Chile, Elder McGowan from Mississippi, Elder Trammell from Utah, Elder Osborn from Colorado, Elder Oakden from Utah, Elder Crane from Utah, Elder Hafen from Idaho and Elder Ramirez from El Salvador. The two zone leaders are Elders Carrizo and McGowan.

Osorno Zone Conference . . .

We have three different zones that attend in Osorno. Above is the La Union Zone. Seated (l-r) are: Hna Fuenteabla from Chile and Hna Thompson from Virginia. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Juarez from Chile, Elder Epperson from Virginia, Elder Burge from Utah, Elder Jones from Texas, Elder Lund from Utah, Elder Welling from Oregon, Elder Richardson from Utah, Elder Gomez from Argentina, Elder Muñoz from Chile, Elder Lugo from Texas and Elder Valentine from Utah. The zone leaders are Elders Welling and Lund.

Above is the Osorno Zone. Seated (l-r) are: Hna Fernandez from Peru, Hna Nakayama from Hawaii, Hna Turcios from Honduras, Hna Campos from Chile, Hna Hunt from Utah and Hna Biddulph from Colorado. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Bastian from California, Elder Amato from Argentina, Elder Patton from Idaho, Elder Ashby from Utah, Elder Evans from Utah, Elder Day from Utah, Elder Mangelson from Ohio, Elder Wirthlin from Utah, Elder Rodriguez from Uruguay, Elder Canepa from Chile, Elder Hansen from Connecticut, Elder Andia from Argentina and Elder Biddulph from Colorado. The zone leaders are Elders Evans and Ashby.

Above is the Osorno Rahue Zone. Seated (l-r) are: Hna Neubert from North Carolina and Hna Herbert from Idaho. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Archiprette from Argentina, Elder LeBaron from Arizona, Elder Grover from Washington, Elder Cook from Idaho, Elder Miner from Utah, Elder Williams from North Carolina, Elder Correa from Chile, Elder Carsey (the tall one) from California, Elder Villantoy from Peru, Elder Smith from Idaho, Elder Johnston from Utah, Elder Jones from Utah, Elder Sebrands from Utah, Elder Turner from North Carolina, Elder Ciquero from Peru and Elder Galovich from Wyoming. The zone leaders are Elders Cook and LeBaron.

We celebrated Mirta´s birthday today with the rest of the missionaries. Mirta is the housekeeper at the Mission Home and has been one of the most wonderful blessings of our mission. She is a great help and we will miss her very, very much.

Valdivia Zone Conference . . .

There are four zones that meet in Valdivia. Above is the Villarrica Zone. Seated (l-r) are Hna Bertagnole from Kansas and Hna Gebara from California. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Coles from Utah, Elder Booth from Utah, Elder Guillén from Peru (he´s very short, so he is actually standing on a chair), Elder Ashton from Utah, Elder Arce from South Carolina and Elder Sanford from Idaho. The zone leaders are Elders Ashton and Guillén.

Next up the Los Lagos Zone. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Winsor from Idaho, Elder Romero from Ecuador, Elder Cayoja from Bolivia, Elder Gonzalez from Chile, Elder Thorup from Utah, Elder Broadhead from Idaho, Elder Hunsaker from Wyoming and Elder Blotter from Illinois. The zone leaders are Elders Hunsaker and Gonzalez.

There are two zones in Valdivia. Above is the Valdivia Zone. Sitting (l-r) are: Hna Donoso from Chile and Hna Kitto from Utah. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Cardona from Colombia, Elder Cruz from Curacao, Elder Olavarria from Chile, Elder Martinez from Honduras, Elder Dunford from Texas, Elder Amaya from Mexico, Elder Elmer from Arizona, Elder Barbosa from Colombia, Elder Ruz from Canada, Elder McCormick from Arizona and Elder Amezcua from Minnesota. The zone leaders are Elder Amezcua and Cardona.

Above is the Valdivia Calle Calle Zone. Sitting (l-r) are: Hna Chamorro from Chile and Hna Baum from Arizona. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Jefferson from Utah, Elder Bravo from Chile, Elder Aros from Chile, Elder Carmen from Utah, Elder Diaz from Chile, Elder Quispe from Chile, Elder Magaña from California, Elder Helgesen (the tall one) from Utah, Elder Grotenhuis from New Hampshire, Elder Nickel from Idaho, Elder Bowers from Nevada and Elder Wood from Idaho. The zone leaders are Elders Helgesen and Bravo.

Punta Arenas Zone Conference . . .

We have begun our final zone conferences with the missionaries and started last week with the Punta Arenas Zone. Seated above (l-r) are: Hna Nava from Mexico, Hna Contreras from Chile, Hna Tauteoli from Utah and Hna Moss from Washington. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Haug from Washington, Elder Pearson from Utah, Elder Barben from Utah, Elder Pugh from Utah, Elder Dean from Utah, Elder Key from Texas, Elder Cross from Texas, Elder Vaquerano from El Salvador, Elder Cornejo from Chile, Elder Vilorio from Honduras, Elder Camarena from Panama, Elder Metcalf from Texas, Elder Fabrizio from Utah, Elder Rainey from Arizon, Elder Palmer from New York and Elder Cooper from Utah. Elder Cornejo and Elder Fabrizio are the zone leaders here. What a great group.

This month we are also providing flu vaccinations for the missionaries. Above is Hna Tauteoli administering the injection to Elder Vaquerano. He was so funny and really didn´t want the shot. But he was brave and set a great example for the rest. Elder Vilorio is giving him much needed comfort.

We woke up Sunday to a beautiful wintry day. It snowed all morning, but we were fortunate to make it out on our afternoon flight. It gets cold, windy and snowy in Punta Arenas during the winter (actually is cold and windy year round), but at least they have natural gas heating. It makes all the difference in the world.

May Cambios . . .

We received 8 wonderful new missionaries this week and we were excited to welcome them to the greatest mission in the world. (I know all mission presidents say that, but at least one of us can be correct.) Seated with us on the couch is Hna Kitto from Orem, Utah. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Andia from Argentina our new assistant, Elder Hansen from New Hampshire our other assistant, Elder Magaña from National City, California, Elder Amato from Mendoza, Argentina, Elder Villantoy from Lima, Peru, Elder Burge from Stansbury Park, Utah, Elder Colque from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Elder Hauver from Lehi, Utah, Elder Wood from Rigby, Idaho and Elder Coles from Utah our outgoing assistant.


In all the confusion, we forgot to take a picture of the departing missionaries in the mission home. I am so disappointed that we missed that. At least we have a picture of them at the bus terminal. Pictured above (l-r) are: Elder Benitez from Uruguay, Elder Paris from Chile, Elder Cortéz from Nicaragua, Hna Kelley from Montgomery, Alabama, Elder Olmedo from Paraguay and Elder Jaita from Bolivia. It just breaks our hearts to say goodbye to these wonderful missionaries. We will forever be grateful for their faithful service.


Also leaving this week are Elder and Hna Hamilton from Colorado. They have served two years as our senior couple and have been a great blessing to the mission. Elder Hamilton has served as one of my counselors and has been a great help in the districts and independent branches. And Hna Hamilton has directed a program of piano instruction and musical presentations that has left and indelible mark on the mission and many of its members. We have been so grateful for the help these past two years and will miss them very much. Actually we will get to see them in July, so that´s real nice.

With this cambio we say goodbye to Elder Coles who has been released as our assistant and is transfered to Villarrica where he will finish his mission in August. Our new assistant is Elder Andia pictured above with Elder Hansen. Elder Andia is from Argentina and is a wonderful young missionary. These young men have a powerful impact on the success of our mission. What a privilege it is to serve with them.

May Zone Leader Council . . .

Today was our monthly zone leader council and we enjoy so much being with these great missionaries. They are doing a great job and we are seeing a great change in our missionaries due to their influence. They are the best.

In front, (l-r) are: Elder Gonzalez from Chile, Elder Carrizo from Chile, Elder Walker from Idaho, Elder Evans from Utah, Elder Coles from Utah, Elder Hunsaker from Wyoming, Elder Miner from Utah and Elder Retamal from Chile. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Jefferson from Utah, Elder LeBaron from Arizona, Elder Cook from Idaho, Elder Andia from Argentina, Elder Sheahan from Montana, Elder Lund from Utah, Elder Helgesen from Utah, Elder Christensen from Arizona, Elder Amezcua from Minnesotta, Elder McGowan from Mississippi, Elder Nikolaus from Arizona, Elder Hansen from Connecticut, Elder Cortez from Nicaragua and Elder Ashton from Utah.


Those that know us can easily guess who it was that inspired the "let´s pick up the president" picture. And obviously, she has the camera.

We have three independent branches in the mission; that is, they do not belong to any district or stake. These are in Fresia, Los Muermos and Calbuco. This past Sunday we visited the Los Muermos Branch for the last time. These are such wonderful members and we were blessed with such a beautiful day to be with them. The branch president, President Osorio and his family are some of the very, very best. The two missionaries serving currently in the branch are Elder Riquelme from Chile and Elder Purser from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We were very happy to learn that Elder Purser´s family is safe after the storms that effected Tuscaloosa.