From John Francis Dolphin

2445193707_f1287d19dc, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. January 2nd, 2009 Dear Everyone in the circus, carnival and car racing industry, Here I am at the Maryknoll Center house here in Santiago, Chile. I arrived here yesterday afternoon at around 5 p.m. from Bolivia. I left la Paz , Bolivia at 10 a.m. and arrived in Santiago at 3 p.m. There was a two hour stop over at the town of Iqueque in Northern Chile to go through customs and have baggage check. The airport is on a military base. I have found that Santiago is a very big city with more than 7 million inhabitants. A lot more changes and a very good highway sistem and also public transportation. When I arrived at the Center House which is now one building, before there was four buildings but the other buildings have been sold to families. When I was here in the early 70`s there were 45 priests and Brothers here and now there are 3 priests and one Brother. So everything has changes even for the Sisters and the lay missioners which are also very few. Well I got here yesterday for a nice steak dinner, the cook Anita, I remember her and a couple of other people that I know here. I will be traveling south this coming Wednesday to visit my old stamping grounds of Talcahuano where I was for 15 years. The weather is very warm since it is Summer here. I want to wish each one of you many blessings for peace and good health in this New Year 2010.. I am hoping to see some circuses here in Chile, since they did have some good ones here. It is now 20 years since I have been here. The time has gone by fast. Let me know what happens at the Circus Ministry meeting and if you see Ringling in Tampa please tell me how it is. Frank