Outside With My Sister

Where in Chile were you born? What was it like growing up in Chile?

I was born and raised in Temuco, Chile. I lived there for 26 years before coming to the US to study. My father pioneered to Chile in the early 70s. Shortly after his arrival, he met my mom, and in a very brief period of time they were married. My mother was from the north of Chile, but both my parents decided that the need for pioneers in the country was greater in the south, where most of the Bahá'í teaching was taking place in the Mapuche indigenous communities of that area.

I was born in the city of Temuco. In the late 70s, it was the time of mass teaching and thousands of people were coming into the Faith in that area. For many years my parents were full time serving the Faith, our house would be full of travel teachers coming and going forth to one campaign or another.

I truly cherish my childhood and teenage years in Chile. Being born in a pioneer family with parents of different cultures has been a great blessing in my life. As many Bahá'í kids did, I experienced the richness of being raised with more than one language, of not truly identifying myself with any particular country or race, and of only being able to call the Bahá'í family my true home and culture. In such a small community you get to know most of the Bahá'ís in the country, even though they might live thousands of miles away and you could only see them once a year in a summer school or conference.  Many of my best Bahá'í friends I would only see once or twice a year, but even until now they are my closest friends. Chile is a small but very long country, so it takes quite a bit of time to travel. Most traveling is done by bus or train since airplane tickets were quite expensive.

How do you feel life in Chile is different than it is in the U.S.?

Wheelbarrow Racing With Friends

How is it similar?

Chile is a western country and has many cultural similarities with the U.S.  We listen to a lot of American music, wear similar clothing and watch a lot of movies and programs that come from the US. 

What are some of your favorite Chilean foods?

My favorite Chilean food by faaaaar is "pastel de choclo" or "corn pie".  You should see the last edition of Liang's adventure to find the recipe. It is really, really good. I call it the corn lasagna...  just delicious.   We also have empanadas, which are quite popular on Independence Day of Chile.

How was it growing up in Chile as a Bahá'í?  What were your favorite things to do?

As a Teenager at a Youth Conference

Growing up in Chile was wonderful. The Bahá'í community is really united. When we gather for national conferences it's like seeing your family. Bahá'ís are very artistic and we always sing a lot. The youth always bring their guitars and we gather around the fire at night to sing Bahá'í songs. My best memories of growing up are singing around a camp fire with my Bahá'í friends...the stars twinkling above, and the voices of my dear friends singing the praises of Bahá.

Did you ever see the place the Bahá'ís had purchased to build the Temple when you were growing up?

For a long time the Bahá'ís had a piece of land that was meant for the construction of the Temple. We would visit it and pray and always tell tales of how one day the House of Worship would be built there.  I did not have a chance to visit the original piece of land, but when that was sold and a new piece of land was bought, I did visit that one. After one of our national unity conferences, Bahá'ís rented several buses and we all went to the land to pray.

What did it make you feel?

It made me feel like something magical was going to happen in that place.  I would look at every tree and wonder how beautiful the gardens would be. How this House of Worship would change everything. The silent teacher (the Temple) would proclaim the Faith far and wide, as it already has without being built.

After visiting the House of Worship in the United States, how do you feel a new Temple will affect the people of Chile?

I know the effect will be great.  The House of Worship in Wilmette has influenced countless numbers of people in that area and beyond. Whenever I meet people from Chicago the Temple always comes up in conversation. It is the great silent teacher.   In Chile I believe the effect will be even greater.  Since it will be very close to the capital of the country (which holds nearly half of the Chilean population), many people will get to know it.  The Temple has already been on TV news, radio, newspapers and Chilean magazines so imagine what will happen when it is built! 

How does it make you feel to know that the Universal House of Justice has asked Bahá'ís all over the world to help build the Chilean Temple?

It makes me feel like this is not only an edifice for Chile. It is for all of us.  It is our Temple of Light. It is our last continental Temple and we all need to be a part of it.  Only together can we make such wonderful things. Just remember the Temple in India and how great its impact has been worldwide...the terraces in Haifa...all of these great Bahá'í endeavors have been worldwide efforts and this should be one as well. 

What's it like now to serve as a Chile Temple Core Advisor helping raise awareness of the need to support the Chilean Temple Fund?

It has been a great blessing to be able to serve. Being far from Chile and knowing the many needs that face the community has been hard. I truly cherished the chance to be able to contribute to the project from afar, and try and bring both our communities closer together.

Do you have anything to say to Bahá'í children and jr. youth in America?

The US will fulfill a prominent role in the construction of this last Mother Temple, and I hope that we can all take this opportunity to be a part of something historic. This House of Worship is very close to us...it is under the wings of the Mother Temple of the West. It is part of the greater America...it is our last Mother Temple. Be creative, get your friends involved and create awareness in your community about the importance of our houses of worship and the need to be a part of this great project!