Every 3 months we have zone conferences through out the mission. Our mission is large and President and I travel by plane and car to reach our missionaries. As part of the May conferences we had a special presentation from one of our missionaries about the history of the church in Southern Bolivia. It has almost been 50 years since the first missionaries arrived in the small pueblo of Quiriza where they helped the people with sanitation, taught new farming methods, improved cattle herds, raised rabbits, taught them to read and write, carved a trench through the mountains to conserve water and shared the Gospel.
This is the first chapel in Bolivia. Everyone helped build it. The children helped make the adobe bricks. The mission president Richard G. Scott sold his paintings of the area to help the pueblo pay for the chapel.
Many things still look the same in this town!
We drove for about an hour on dirt roads, amid beautiful red mountains to arrive at Quiriza shortly after noon. Our missionaries were WARMLY greeted. Every Elder that walked off the bus was greeted with the shout "ELDER" and hands were thrust at them for handshakes. When the sisters came off the bus the children were unsure what to do. I do not think that they had seen many Sister missionaries!
We enjoyed one of the childrens favorite games . . . They would run and hug one of us and then ask "quien es?" We would point to another missionary and off they would run to hug someone else.
We held a meeting in the chapel with some of the members of the branch. One of our missionaries presented a slide show history of the church in Quiriza.
Diogenes, the first member baptized in Quiriza, relived memories in the slideshow. He shared his testimony afterward and with tears running down his checks and referring to the many who had left the pueblo as well as the many who are not active in the church right now he asked "Donde esta? . . . . Donde esta?" My heart thought of the phrase, "Oh, ye fair ones ... ye fair ones ..." Mormon 6:17
Potosi zone, Tupiza zone and the children of Quiriza.
Time to go . . . the bus was waiting . . .
These two elders both spent months in Quiriza. They return home in a week. A part of their heart will always hold memories of the beautiful people they taught and loved here.
As we returned home our car was quiet, and our hearts were full.
And our assistants, were exhausted.
I so love looking over your posts Sister Hansen, especially learning about the Zone Conference trip to Quiriza. My son is serving there now; I imagine him meeting those pictured members and children, of walking through the doors to that church and working in those fields and nearby pueblos. I feel blessed to have these visible connections and to learn more about his unique experience in that remote village area.
ReplyDeleteSister Kirsten B
Sister Hansen I just discovered this blog entry and was thrilled to see the pictures. I served as a missionary in Bolivia and in 1979 I spent 3 months in Tupiza. We visited Quiriza every few weeks and during the course of my service I baptized 13 children and youth in Quiriza. I couldn't help wondering as I saw your pictures whether any of them are still in Quiriza. I love the people of Quiriza and am so thrilled to see the Church doing so well there. Thank you for your wonderful service!
ReplyDeleteI served 6 months in Quiriza in 1969. We finished the chapel and got it paid for in time for President Scott to dedicate it. He had extended is tie of service in the hopes of establishing a stake in Cordoba, Argentina and of finishing the chapel. He paid for most of the expenses by selling his art in Cordoba. He gave me a briefcase full of money and warned me that if I were caught at the border with this much money I would likely be arrested and the money confiscated. He told me to do whatever was necessary to get the money across the border. The Argentine and Bolivian border guards always search us thoroughly because we were North Americans. I decided to approach the border gate with the brief case in full sight with a hope and a prayer. Both sets of guards waved me through without searching me. I had the distinct impression that they didn't see the briefcase. This was in July, 1969. Brother Diogenes was a man of great faith. He faced great opposition and possible expulsion from Quiriza when he joined the Church. L'll never forget him.
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