We have started a new week in the great country of Chile and there is a reason that I like it so much.  Every time I look out the window I see a reminder of home. Without close examination it sure looks like the Texas Lone Star.  Can you see the difference.

La Faria (the Market)

On Saturdays we try to go to the outdoor market to buy produce which is an adventure.  We save up our coins and currency to go shopping because the prices are so much cheaper then in the grocery stores.  When we got off the bus and walked over to the market we could smell the sweetest fresh strawberries for $1.500 pesos per kilo. That is about $2.50 for 2 lbs., however, in another stand farther down the street we found them for $800 (pesos) about 1.50 per 2 lbs.   I was amazed at how many berries there are in one kilo., almost 2 lbs.  When we were eating them last night, I realized that the more expensive ones were a better quality, so next time I will pay the extra amount.


We have had a lot of fun with the other senior missionaries on the weekends.  We have set our temple night for Wednesday night I guess because it is sort of a habit.  We will be busy most Sundays and Saturdays when we get the office up and functioning.  To night we have another workshop with some Stake specialists and brother Cornejo.  It is a good way for us to meet them and to get to know them.  We will be working with them and we are happy to meet them.

We have already received a new service missionary from one of the stakes here in Santiago East mission.  We also have an appointment on the seventh of December to visit the stake and help to introduce the new self-reliance initiative in the Stake.  We are excited for the opportunity. 

Today (Monday Oct 27) we went on a tour with the Temple missionaries to visit the Church owned Olive orchard.  It was amazing what the church is doing.  They purchased a 10,000 acre ranch and have plowed it all up and are planting over 6,000,000 olive trees.  They are also building an olive oil processing facility on the farm to cold press the oil from the olives for sale to a bottler who will market the oil in the US and Canada.  At first I was told it would be sold in Spain but it will be sold in the US because Europe has more then they need.  The Chilean oil will be better quality then European oil.  In Europe they ship the poorer quality oil to the US because we are not as knowledgeable about olive oil.  Then they put what ever label they want on it to get the highest price.  It might say organic or virgin but may not be because there is not any body checking or regulating that the label represents what is in the bottle.  However, because the US will pay a higher price for quality oil the Chilean oil is regulated by Chile that the label is exactly what is represented.  So if you want to make sure you are getting what is on the label look for Product of Chile on the bottle.  Europe exports only what they can't sell in Europe to the US not the quality oil.  I was enlightened.  

Chris and I holding a new seedling that will be planted today Oct 27, 2014



Chris standing next to a mature, producing olive tree



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An olive tree that has little olives on it to be harvested in may of 2015.

I told Chris that we should return in May to visit the processing plant and watch the harvest.  When in full production it will be the largest oil producing farm in all of Chile shipping more oil than any other farm.  It will reach full production by 2017.  I was impressed.  We were taught an interesting principle as it related to the allegory of the wild and tame olive tree by the  director of the farm.  He mentioned that anytime you graft a branch of one tree into another the branch keeps its identity.  In the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees even though a wild branch was grafted into a tame root or tree that branch cannot become a tame branch producing good fruit.  The miracle of that story is that the wild branch became tame producing good fruit only through the gift of the atonement and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It gave me a little insight into what the Savior was really saying when he taught the Parable. 

I can see how the church invests money in for profit enterprise to help the church to become self reliant in the different countries in the world where the population of the church may not be able to sustain operations on its own.  The net proceeds of the operation can then be donated to the church or any other nonprofit organization to help uplift and assist those who live here.

As we were driving home in the bus I took this picture of one of the modern apartment buildings behind an old housing unit.  You see this all over Santiago outside of the downtown area.  In the area we are in you do not see as much of this contrast.

I thought this was a good caption of the old verses the new in Santiago.  This building in front are some old housing of some of the poorer of the City. 

Well that is it for today.  Stay tuned for more.  It is a great day when you can wake up and see life all around you.