“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Missionaries and members all throughout Chile worked together this morning serving their communities. We joined with 80 of our missionaries in cleaning up the cemetery here in Concepcion.  The cemetery is HUGE (about 28 hectares, which is about 70 acres). We worked hard for about three hours and we barely scratched the surface.

Admittedly I don't get out much, but the cemetery was very different than anything I have ever seen in the United States. It was started in 1846, making it 168 years old. There are mausoleums, vaults, temporary niches (where they can be buried for six months to 20 years.  I'm not sure where they go after that :)  There is also a Jewish section where the people are buried underground. In total there are about 34,590 people buried there!!  Most of the graves are family graves with several people buried together.

 It was fascinating and I hope these pictures will help me to always remember it.

 

I think this may be the section where the Jews are buried.

The missionaries thought it was cool that some of the graves had the same
photos that are in the pamphlets they give out.

I think this is the section where the poor are buried.

All of them are buried in the same vault.

One of the oldest graves in the cemetery.

There were several graves that were broke. I think some of the damage
is from the big earthquake in 2010.

You can come here and light a candle and ask a Saint for a miracle.

There is a long wall of these little tiles thanking the Saint
for the miracle.