San Fernando

San Fernando is a busy little town located in a fruit producing valley about 30 minutes south of Rancagua. My Guide to Chile says that San Fernando is “a good place to get your tractor fixed”. We have several church branches and chapels in San Fernando, and a growing church membership supported by six missionaries. The above photo of Elder Mason in his panama hat was taken adjacent to one of the chapels. Chapels here in Chile are very modern and neatly kept. Almost all properties, chapels included, have tall security fences, controlled entry to the property, and bars on the windows. Vandalism and theft is a constant problem in this culture.

On one of our trips to San Fernando, Barb and I took a bus ride into the campo (countryside) to a place called Romo. The ride included dirt roads, countless fields, irrigation ditches, dilapidated farm houses, and interesting people. At the bus station, two ancianos (old ones) were having a serious conversation (see photo below). On our bus was 14-year old Alvaro (see photo) with his younger brother and their very haggard mother. Alvaro was the 12th child in his family and was quite fascinated with our inability to speak his native language. At a brief stop at the bus turnaround, we met two cheerful Chilean farm workers pushing their bicycles to a nearby field. These hard working people live very close to the soil.