January 2, 2011

Dec. 25, 2010
It's Christmas day and I'm starting a new email; just finished one last night. A couple of things have changed. I just talked to my brother, Steve, for over 20 minutes from his hospital chair. He was eating a bowl of Cheerios just as he was when I left him to go on my mission to Florida in 1961—no feeding tube, no respirator, only one IV and a catheter to keep him tethered. He was up twice yesterday and they are threatening to have him walking today. He said it was a great feeling to sit on a toilet again. Small pleasures. A week ago we all thought he might never walk, talk or go home. Kevin went to pick up Lindsay from BYU Idaho and took a suit in case he had to stay for a funeral. NOT. Steve got to talk to his missionary son Ryan last night to set up a time for a longer call this afternoon. What Joy! It's the best Christmas gift I've ever received. I imagine Ryan, Kathy, Jessica and Steve all agree. Let the heavens rejoice and the mountains shout for joy. (a new Christmas carol in the making?)

Betty Jane is not having such a pleasant Christmas. She started feeling sick at her stomach Thursday nite after the big mission Christmas party. She was off and on (literally) yesterday, but made it to the President's Mexican Christmas dinner yesterday, her insides in turmoil the whole time. She was sick all last night and today, so we haven't attempted to do Christmas. She got up and opened a birthday gift, ate a piece of toast and rushed to the bathroom and back to bed. I left her there while I walked over to the office to call Steve, therefore: good bye until tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Dec. 26, 2010
The stockings were hung by the TV on a chair, in hopes that Saint Nick would find them there. He did. We had a very nice Christmas in spite of sickness. Later in the day BJ got up and dressed; we opened our gifts and went to the office about 8:30 pm to skype the family. We got to talk to everyone. Emily had four families at her house and Kevin's was in Orlando at Cindy's sister. We even got to talk to BJ's brother Thom in Arcata as a bonus. This sweet day was iced by a knock at our door right after we got home about 12:30 midnight. There stood our five missionaries with a sorry (beautiful) little (half-eaten), green homemade (delicious) cake with sprinkles and one huge white candle, singing Happy Birthday (Would you like a piece? No, Thanks. We . . .[laughter]). What a precious gift on top of all the other goodness. Our first mission Christmas. Memories in the bank. Gift wrapped.

The doorbell did ring,
And they did sing,
Happy Birthday to me.
A yummy cake,
Elder Maldanado had baked;
Five missionaries singing with glee.
What can I say?
They made my day.
They are THE BEST;
And I can attest--
The Lord's missionaries,
Have HEARTS of GOLD.
They serve and GIVE ALL;
They answered the call,
To serve in the Army of God.

WITH LOVE AND THANKS TO
Elder Acosta
Elder Stoddard
Elder Barlow
Elder Cummings
Elder Maldanado

From Hermana Pack

Strange sensation. A silent Christmas on the playground and in the streets. Where do they all go on Christmas? Not a creature was stirring. It was so eerie that I took a photo of a usually bustling street and not a soul in sight for blocks each direction. But. . . Day after Christmas, all those bikes we saw in the stores were in the streets, daddies teaching littles to ride, and the cutest electric kid car remotely controlled by Mom from a few steps behind. Now the playground is abustle again. Papa! Papa! Papa! (Kevin tells us that families stay up very late on Christmas eve, enjoying a big dinner, a walk with the kids about midnight while Santa comes, opening the gifts, playing and enjoying until maybe 4 am. Bianca says her family is wimps because they fold about 2 am. No wonder nobody was about on Christmas Day.)

BJ wasn't up to doing church today, very limp and washed out. I went, late, and there was Kevin's old missionary comp, Manny from 14 hours south. Surprize!! Can I visit your esposa? I called and warned her and while I was fielding all the get well wishes and collecting Christmas cards, notes, nuts, etc. from her friends, she was home putting on the best china and crystal and getting a roast and rice and gravy ready. We even had canned green beans. Again, our Latin friend did not know what gravy was, but seemed to enjoy every drop. To us it was strange to see him sop his bread in his ice cream. Different cultures. Different tastes. Same world. Same family. We had a wonderful afternoon with our friend and not a peep of complaint from BJ afterward. She's puny but better. What a woman.

Thanks to all who helped make this a very Merry Christmas for us. Yes, we missed being with all of you, but the Lord compensates and eases the hurt. Will we ask to go home two months early for BJ's 70th b-day next year? Can't say at this point. Stay tuned……….Probably not.

Thursday, Dec. 30th, pm
We have now skyped or phoned with many of you and have enjoyed the mini-movie our kids put together. When we get it downloaded we will show it to everybody. We loved it! I think it will be posted online for anyone who has 22 minutes to spare. Thanks again. Academy Awards are coming soon. What is the name of that golden man-statue? Out of sight, out of mind. So soon forgotten.

BJ got better and we celebrated our anniversary by going all the way across Santiago to the La Florida Center, a humungeous mall, for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. Nice, but not quite up to snuff. I enjoyed my steak, but there is nothing like American beef. Ribeye just doesn't translate. It's like trying to explain a joke that is hilarious in your language and draws a blank stare when explained in another. Actually, that happens anytime you have to explain a joke, eh? We had a nice evening remembering 47 years. It's easy to look back from here. The memories flood. Sweetness.

Tuesday after our abbreviated pouch run we took another micro vacation to a little town at the end of the road, literally, called Pomaire, where the folks have been making pottery since the Jaredites landed. They now attract tourists in buses, taxis and cars and use their money to beautify the town and build nice infrastructure. We spent a leisurely afternoon strolling the streets, stepping over dogs and their leavings, buying a few things including a nice Ecuadorian Panama hat to shade my solar panel, eating an authentic Chilean meal on the balcony of the San Francisco restaurant overlooking the tin roofs with holes cut for the smoke from the kilns to escape.

We got kind of lost getting there. We went to the end of the road, then a couple of miles further, then another smaller dirtier track which turned into a path. After backtracking and taking the other fork we found our town. Turns out there is a nice paved highway the other tourists took, but they missed the beautiful little valley with farms, orchards, canals, corn as high as an elephant's eye, Lantana hedges ten feet tall, animals and people staring and sniggering at the lost gringos. Just as we were negotiating a turn-around on a rickety canal bridge here comes a taxi roaring up the trail in a cloud of dust delivering a local couple back from somewhere more exciting, but I dare say not as beautiful and peaceful. They don't know what they've got in this little paradise at the end of the road. When you come to visit we will take you there and to the pottery town.

Last night we hosted our third of four holiday dinner parties in our miniature mansion. Another of Kevin's missionary companions, Andres Toledo and his family, five in all, spent three very pleasant hours with us. They are dear friends, the parents of Bianca our adopted granddaughter, now two years into her BYU education. They have a two year old who is just a smidge shy of being spoiled. She took over and made herself at home with the Lays and ice cream. The others were introduced to roast and rice and gravy. Again, none had any notion of making or eating gravy, but they licked the pot clean and probably would have called for more, had BJ not offered them a choice of peach cobbler or strawberry topped cheesecake, two more exciting new culinary treats. They left a few crumbs of cheesecake and a little cobbler for my midnight snack.

Tomorrow night we have the missionaries for New Year's Eve sloppy Joes, potato chips and watermelon—just like the 4th of July! Wish we could find some dill pickle slices. BJ is reminding me that we have to go to the big government place early tomorrow to wait in line all day to pick up our visas and ID cards and numbers and become legal aliens, so I'm signing off for now. I'll let you know how it goes and tell you about dealing with the customs office trying to retrieve the other Christmas package our family sent. . . . . . . .

Friday, Dec. 31st
Well, it's tomorrow night, and WE ARE LEGAL ALIENS!! We are now classed as temporary residents, with an ID number and a temporary card. Now they say we can do business, and it only took half a day waiting in pretty short lines at four government buildings, the longest being only 23 with less than an hour's wait. We walked a lot, then had to take a cab because of BJ's sore foot, but we got 'er done. We were photographed twice, fingerprinted twice (we are already in the FBI's AFIS file if they want to look), and faced a number of government functionaries, most of whom were remarkably friendly, considering our alien status. We had Spanish speaking Elders at our side all through the process, but many of the clerks addressed us directly and when we understood them we answered for ourselves. I went right out and bought a mobile internet router. We have internet at home, or anywhere else we want it. We have our rights. Now we can own a car and get it insured and buy a toll pass and quit saying “we don't have a RUT number yet”.

The experience at the airport customs office was not so nice. Our family sent two Christmas packages, one of which was delivered, no problema. The other we got a notice that it was being held for unexplained (still) reasons. We have spent three half-days, countless miles, and the time of a dear Elder, who proclaimed, “I will get your package.” At one point we paid $16 dollars for a stamped and initialed receipt authorizing us to go to the airport and get our package. We did and got the royal runaround by a guy (the 5th or 6th we were sent to that day-typical) who probably hates his job and didn't want to bother looking for the goods. He would not/could not tell us why the package was held and said he could not release it because it was addressed to “Elder and Hermana Pack” and my passport says Blair Philip Pack. No amount of reasoning that Elder is a title and not a name would sway him. He wanted some proof beyond my badge and missionary ID that I am indeed Elder Pack. This was a very thinly veiled cover for his unwillingness to GO GET THE PACKAGE! Finally he agreed to resend it to the post office to which it was addressed and let them collect the $61 dollar fine—FOR WHAT? That was two days ago. I frankly don't expect we will ever see the package. We picked up 18 today, a new daily record. We have handled hundreds of packages and letters addressed to Elder or Hermana someone or other and none of them have encountered this problem. By the way, USPS Priority Mail, is still the best way to send stuff. UPS and DHL and FEDEX have to be picked up at the airport and have all been even more problematic then Uncle Sam and they all have to pass Chilean customs inspections.

Sunday, Jan. 2nd

You might not know it,
But we have two poets.
Two folks;
Different strokes.
Sing praises for the Sunday Afternoon Nap!
Praise Him who created it.
Thank Him for his mercy.
Be grateful when the kids are big enough or small enough to allow it.
Enjoy it at every opportunity.
Neglect it at your own peril.
[now note the reversal and repeating]
Great are the benefits thereof.
Do it every week if you can.
It will bring peace and calmness to your family.
It is a wonderful gift.
The God of Heaven is it's giver.
Ahhhhhhhh, the Sunday Snooze. Hallelujah!

It is called an Haiku, an ancient X shaped, repeating, poetic form common in the Bible, and Surprize! in the Book of Mormon, too. The X shape is not usually shown, but would be helpful. The whole book of Mosiah is an haiku along with many other poetic passages. How did young Joseph know about haiku? It wasn't even discovered until about the time he published THE BOOK and he probably never heard of it. What a genius OR what an inspired prophet who translated an ancient Hebrew-based record just as he claimed. Which takes more faith to believe?- that he made it all up or that he did what he said he did?

Sunday at the Rama Las Lomas, lots of hugs, greetings for the New Year voiced in various ways we are beginning to understand, an opening hymn we have never heard before about Another Year is Passed, sung hesitantly at first, gaining confidence and volume until by the third we are all into it with gusto. Me gusta! I am now officially second counselor in the young men presidency, although it can't be an official calling because we aren't members of the branch, but I got to teach the lesson I prepared four weeks ago, got a new manual, and am already friends with Pablo the president's counselor and the AP boys. I offered them my “old” ties, replaced by the beauties I got for Christmas. They weren't so sure, but each took one after some urging. We'll see if they actually wear them. I love my new ones. Thanks. Good choices. I got lots of compliments this week. I like the attention. And the leftover Appleby's ribs from yesterday's Cena Ano Nuevo or New Year's Supper.

The skyping last nite was a little disappointing in picture quality, but we loved doing it from home. I looked like the “Scream” man in the ?Edvard Munch? painting. Poor Ella ran from the room. We'll check into an upgrade and try different locations. Our telephone does not work in our bedroom. Maybe skype will work better in another room. We may have to skype from the playground. Our phone works better out there. Internet seems to work just fine.

Just talked with Kevin who says Steve is going HOME tomorrow and back to work in 2 to 6 weeks!! Un ano nuevo milagro! Thanks again for all your prayers.
Is this long email thing becoming just another Facebook or reality show? Feedback from both my followers is welcomed.
We love you more and more. Is it even possible? We pray for all of you every night and morning and in between and we feel your prayers. That keeps us going. We love our mission more and more.

ALL OUR LOVE, HUGS, KISSES, SNUGGLES, BACK SCRATCHES AND SMILES TO Y'ALL.

GRAMMY AND GRAMPS