Missionaries Invited

From 1972 to 1974 I served as a missionary in Chile.

A Chess Game

It was quite a trip for the missionaries to gather in Conception in our district. We always had stories to tell from the gathering. The weather could be so windy and changing that the umbrellas would throw you completely off balance.

Typically the political climate was tenuous in those times and young soldiers walked around with rifles pointed forward, guarding the streets. It made one a bit uneasy to pass them.

I can remember some great times in that travel time. Like the time my companion and I entered a Post Office passing toward the meeting. The room was filled with tables and chairs -- everyone was playing chess intensely. A British sounding chap asked my companion to play chess and he turned him down. I told him I'd play.

Apparently, the chap had won the tournament and I was the American challenger. This was around the time of Bobby Fischer beating the Russians at chess. I had been good at chess since a young child and could beat everyone in my family. But I did not have the experience at tournaments. The crowd gathered around and silently watched our every move.

The intense pressure made both of us shake while we moved pieces on the board. He would get ahead, and then I would. The power struggle went on for the whole of the match. I finally won the match and had a wonderful time talking about the game with my new found British speaking Chilean friend.

True Christians

As we traveled about as a group, we were picked up by some American missionaries from another church. They invited our whole group to come join them in a meal. They knew we were LDS and up to that point I had not experienced the joy of sharing the gospel with friendly non-Mormon missionaries.

They made home made peanut butter, home made mayonnaise and spread out a true American feast. We did discuss scriptures but it was unique because there were no arguments. They genuinely listened to our story. And I must say we found true Christians in our midst.

Sometimes it was refreshing to be simple missionaries invited, able to laugh and enjoy the friendship of someone friendly around us.