Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas in Argentina is quite different than what we are accustomed to. We had to look hard to find evidence of Feliz Navidad in the small villages around us. We found an ice cream store that had this decoration.

 

And a home in Federal that remembered Santa Claus ...well, sort of.

This was found at the edge of town in Feliciano.

We were happy to find Christmas decorations that prior missionaries had left here. Visitors commented on the holiday touch. It appears that putting up Christmas decorations in your home is an anomaly.

 

 

Our branch in Feliciano held a Christmas party this week, but we were unable to attend. The sisters here are customarily behind all the celebrations. Their philosophy is, “if you feed them, they will come”. Many hours were spent preparing this gift for each member of the branch…

 

…and preparing a giant Birthday cake for the Savior. The staunch members of the church appear to have genuine love and appreciation for their Elder Brother who brings such joy to their lives.

We have been practicing a Christmas duet on the piano.

 

Music has been a great way to bring the Spirit into our home.

Merry Christmas! Weather is hot and humid, but all is well in El Quebracho, Argentina.

Sewing class update:

Vanesa, the gal from Los Perales (Remember the one with many sisters who want a purse from her for Christmas?), has apparently found a store that will sell her bags. Cool! I gave her a copy of her own pattern and she is running with it. I'm also helping her finish a knit shirt that she's trying to sew. The edging is always the hardest part so I went on line and plan to show her step by step.

Veronica, the gal who cut out her dress incorrectly, is making a blouse for her daughter out of the dress pieces. So clever! She is using one of the sleeves for the back, the front pieces as they are and instead of a raglan sleeve, she is making straps over the shoulders. I'll show you a picture when she's finished. I am amazed at how clever they are. Waste not--want not.

Carina is making aprons, but wasn't able to attend class this week.

Natalia, Yuca's wife who only lives out here at the ranch during the summer, is making a quilt out of jeans. She found what she wants on Pinterest so I'm helping her with the pattern. She has sewn before and is apparently an amazing seamstress.

Victoria is Natalia's 12 year old daughter. She has never sewn before so I'm teaching her the Marla Bryant way. Some of my family members and I took a sewing class from her a few years ago. Marla was very helpful with knowing how to teach beginners and/or people with different levels of skill. Victoria is going to make a pillow case.

The other seamstresses have yet to make it to class. We'll see how that goes since more rain is predicted this week.

Una Adventura:

Blessings are on our right hand and our on our left and we’re probably not recognizing even half of them. Today is Tuesday, December 13^th. It’s a little early to write in the blog so I’m writing early and will post this message on Sunday as usual, but I wanted to write some of the amazing things that have happened while it’s fresh on my mind.

It started yesterday when we were painting a fence and the day was warm. We decided that we would start earlier from now on to avoid some of the warm, humid weather. So, this morning we arose earlier than normal, read, and prepared for the day. We started painting at 6:30 AM, one hour earlier than usual. The morning was beautiful with birds singing, not too hot, and with a slight breeze. Gregg and I both commented on how painting gates is not the chore we thought it would be.

  Before

 After

There was only a 40% chance of rain at noon so we thought we’d have our sewing class this morning and if we missed rain altogether, we could potentially have the second class this afternoon. Summer will not be too long and boring we concluded.

After about a half hour of painting, we heard thunder in the distance. Still we thought it would be noon before it rained so we continued. Only minutes after that discussion, we had a sudden feeling to pack up our supplies and head home. We’d only painted one side of one gate but even though the paint is oil based, we like it to dry thoroughly before a rain. So, we cleaned up and headed back home. It only took 3-4 minutes to walk home, but the very moment we reached the covered patio, rain dropped like it had been waiting for us to reach cover. It was immediately rain forest heavy.

Okay, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world if we had gotten wet, but the story doesn’t end there. Last week when it rained hard, we noticed that the water level by the back door was dangerously high and the previous missionaries said that rain can and does occasionally build up and move across the patio and into the house. We had attempted to insulate the door but we knew it was more to keep bugs and critters out than water. 

So, last week out of the blue, we remembered the time we were living in Idaho Falls when the Teton Dam broke. Sand bags were used to control much of the water. But that happened in 1976 so why did that thought pop into our mind now? However, we heeded the nudge we had and started scavenging around to see what we could do.

There is a pile of sand near the car wash that isn’t being used so with some strong bags, we figured  we could fortify ourselves against a flood. We asked the clerk at the hardware store that we use all the time in Federal about getting sand bags thinking that there is probably no way of finding something strong enough for weight in Argentina. He said that he didn’t have any sand bags. We reiterated that we had sand and only needed bags. Oh, yes! He had plenty of those."How many do you want?"  was his reply (except in Spanish of course). 

Cool! They were strong and even free. We got the bags and were in the process of drying and cleaning out the sand on the back porch this morning when rain came unexpectedly. We had them ready to go last night except for the last bag because some of the sand was a little wet, and we were waiting for it to finish drying.

So, this morning when our paint job ended early, we decided to finish filling and sewing the sand bags. It was only about 10 minutes later when we placed the last bag by the patio screen door. Rain had already formed puddles and was nearing the top of the ledge. About 30 minutes after that, water was spilling over the top and being stopped by the sand bags. It wasn’t much, but again, it was understanding that we are being watched over and guided.  

It didn’t rain long. It is almost noon now and it is barely sprinkling, but our classes were cancelled. 

With the down time, we’ve had time to ponder the morning’s events. Other thoughts have surfaced on just how watched over we are. Take for example our trip to Los Perales last week. We stopped to get some paint supplies in Federal and for the life of us couldn’t get the back gate of the truck open. It was shut solid and not only could we not retrieve what we needed for the store but all of our needed supplies for teaching sewing, English, and piano were stuck inside. It was probably only 5-8 minutes of struggling when in desperation, we said an inconspicuous prayer. Not more than 2 minutes after that, a clerk from the store walked by and asked if he could help us. With a little oil that he retrieved from his store, the back end was open and we could carry on.

That was good news for us because we hoped to have time to swing by Concordia to buy an exercise bike and we would be cutting it close. Side note: you thought we had ordered a bike from Walmart to be delivered to Yuca’s mom’s home, didn’t you? Well, so did we, but come to find out Walmart wasn’t serious about delivery way out here so our bank is disputing the charge for us since our bike is sitting in a store somewhere in Buenos Aires. 

In the meantime, we need aerobic exercise. Gregg in particular is going stir crazy since this is the first time in decades that he hasn’t been able to run or bike regularly. So, we paid over $400 for a bike that cost us $136 in Nauvoo and would have been $180 on line from Walmart. But, … I’ve digressed….back to the story (just be happy you don’t live in a socialist society).

We somehow got all the way to Condordia, bought the bike, and got back to Los Perales just 10 minutes late and classes there went fine. It was on our way home that again, we had guardian angels. I haven’t mentioned this before, but we took a mother, Mariela, and her two kids with us to Federal where they spent the afternoon while we did our shenanigans. We picked them up on the way back and were rushing the last 40 minutes back to the ranch before the sun set and driving would be more dangerous, when we hit another delay. The family still needed to stop for groceries. Yikes! How would we ever make it now; but not to worry, other than the need for daylight, we didn’t have anything else pressing.

Well, up the road about 5 miles from the ranch it was raining hard at that time. As we waited in Federal at the grocery store, the sky had opened on the roads near El Quebracho. Little did we know the dangerous situation ahead of us. We never saw the rain. It came and went before we even knew what had happened but it left the dirt road as slick as St Mary’s glacier. Had we not stopped for Mariela to get her family food, we would have been in the middle of it. However, even without the danger of poor visibility that comes with down pores here, the road was worse than we’ve ever experienced. We had slowed down quite a bit before we hit the mud, but Gregg immediately felt the truck go out of control. At one point, he even got out of the truck to see if the tires had loosened and were coming off or something crazy. We were completely off the road several times, sliding sideways a time or two, and even did a 360. One time, we were trudging along quite out of control when Gregg sensed he should back up. As he did, the truck a righted itself without cause and we avoided sliding off the road in a place where we would have probably needed a ranch tractor to get us out.

(Later this week we found the problem. The air filter had been filled with mud and the truck virtually had no power meaning that the four-wheel was not engaged either.)

Needless to say, we got through the bad three or four miles in the road and even managed to get Mariela and her children home without further incident shortly after the sun set. Our lives were never really in danger, but our hearts were full of gratitude for our protection that evening as we contemplated the events of the day.

I must admit that this all came at a time when I needed to be reminded that we are loved and watched over. I was missing family something terrible with the holidays so close, fighting fleas probably didn’t help, and then wondering if after all, we had been forgotten since we haven’t yet received all our stuff from the states. Haven't we turned our lives upside down once again to serve a mission? Can't those over us find a way to get us our stuff? Those were the thoughts I was fighting.

We are certainly getting by just fine, and I was just feeling sorry for myself.

Now I can say with deep conviction from within, I know that God lives. I know that He loves us and is very aware of us even in our petty despair. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His and we are in His service. He will not abandon us, but will strengthen us without always removing the obstacles. We are asked to do hard things sometimes. Life isn’t supposed to be easy, but He will support us and comfort us when we’re struggling even if it is in small blessings like the rain doesn’t dump until after you are under cover.

So, Merry Christmas to us and to all of you as well. Our sacrifices seem insignificant compared to the matchless gift that we will celebrate in a week.

December endings

Success in Los Perales:
Carina finished her bag. Remember this was made from some worn out trousers.

Since the three women (chicas) in Los Perales have finished their bolsas, they have now moved on to bigger things. Vanesa wants to learn to make roses out of ribbon so I have a YouTube sight ready and the needed tools. 

Veronica is sewing a dress though so far it has been a disaster. She didn't cut anything on the fold, and she cut two raglan sleeves for the same side. She is going to buy more fabric this week. They often want to do things on their own without help. I admire that but sometimes that means doing things the hard way. 

I made a pattern from a blouse that Vanesa likes. I'm not sure she is ready to sew a blouse and wear it, but I don't feel right about discouraging her either so we'll give it a try. (I'm usually wrong on their abilities.) Fortunately, I took a pattern construction class at BYU and have made many of my own patterns. It works as long as I have something to start with like an article of clothing that fits.

Bug bite update:


We figured out the bite problem....we had fleas. Gross, I know, but I think we got a handle on it. We haven't had any more night bites since we treated all the bedding early last week and I plan to do  another treatment this week in case there are any larvae waiting to hatch. Do you remember that Romeo the dog died?  So sad especially for Yuca's kids. However, we think he had fleas so after he was gone, the fleas were looking for another host.

We also spray the truck with mosquito killer before we go in it and again on the way home  when we're gone for a long time like to Los Perales. We use repellent every day and Gregg uses it every time he goes outside even to the burn barrel.  It's working well. 

We got a few bites at the kids school performance last Friday because we were outside so long. The program lasted 2 1/2 hours and the repellent only works on Gregg for about an hour. However, 4 or 5 bites is tolerable while 50ish is beyond sanity. I used allergy medicine for a few days but I couldn't tell if it worked. We have a mosquito bite suave that we brought with us. Baking powder with water works too. 

We also watch for ant trails by the outdoor chairs. We were sitting to put our boots on and getting ant bites. The house and garden killer works well to divert the ants away from the chairs.

Spanish Skills:

We started reading Preach My Gospel in Spanish each day to pick up more Spanish. It is much simpler than scripture or Conference talks and has been very helpful to increase our vocabulary. Here is a link if you don't know what we're talking about: https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary?lang=eng  

Of course we still work on Pimsleur and Duolingo everyday also. Gregg is doing awesome, I still need a translator at church and when conversing with fast talkers (almost everyone). Today the Relief Society President (the lady over the women at church) told me that by June I wouldn't need a translator. "Espero que si!"

End of year program:

The kids usually wear these jackets over their clothes. They are called dust covers. Don't they look professional?


The props and drop backs you see are for a play the kids acted out at the end of the program.








Sofia is 12 and finished with primary school moving on to secondary school. The kids attend a boarding school for secondary education during the week and often are back at the ranch on weekends. We will miss Sofia in our English class. She doesn't look too sad about graduating though. What do you think?


First they had a celebration for Argentina singing some of their national songs.


Then presents were given to Sofia since she is graduating and the three youngest children who just finished their first year. It took a good 45 minutes for the presentation of the gifts. The giver and receiver posed for pictures for every gift and there must have been 30-40 gifts. They sure love their students.

Then the play began.



It was a combination of the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood along with some butterflies, bunnies, and birds.





Candela was Little Red Riding Hood.

Sophia was Granny.

Gabe was the big bad wolf.



The costumes were really quite spectacular.

We didn't stay for the BBQ. It was almost 10 PM when the play ended and we were getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes.


Waist not want not. Just thought you would want to see our fix for not being able to see the clock at night. There is only one outlet in the bedroom so everything that needs electricity has to be close to the outlet. Some items from the states need a transformer which you see on the ground.


Painting Gates:

Before


After
We've painted 3 of the nine gates.

Last day of school, Last battle on bugs....we hope!

The last few days of school were the best yet!

Kids are loving listening to Tom Sawyer.

We played word games on the back deck.

Kids are pretty good now at matching Spanish and English words.

Home run for Juan!




Kids are still into our worksheets.

PowerPoint hasn't grown old

After finishing their own worksheet, the older kids are getting good at advancing the screen so we can help the younger kids.

Paint projects are always a hit.

Mariquita....Ladybug anyone?

KidsA-Z and computer time calmed them down so we could deliver our last pen-pal messages.


Success in Los Perales

This bag is so loved, Vanesa's sister wants one just like it. Fortunately, she had enough materials to make a second one...all but a zipper anyway. Unfortunately, for her she has 5 sisters and a mother who all want one just like it. I think I'll make a copy of the pattern and leave it with her.

Remember this one? Veronica was the first to finish her bag and is now working on a dress for herself. She has her own sewing machine so she only needs my help with the hard parts.

Carina made her bag from some worn out trousers. It turned out darling but she wasn't at class last week so I still need to get a good picture.

Farm Life:

We visited Edguardo in our ward. He has a large piece of property and raises animals on it while his wife works in Buenos Aires as a nurse on weekends.

They wanted me, Amy, to stand closer to the pig for the picture. No thanks, this is close enough!

I have a story about a pig in Arvada that will put you in stitches. Ask me about it when we get home if you want to hear it. Colleen Riggs will back the story. This pig is about the size of the pig in Arvada.


Come on, get close,...it doesn't bite.

This cow likes to frolic and play around with his owner.

He was funny!

Goofing around as prompted.

A bit mad however, when we tired of his game.


Goats:
This is the neck support you get if you try to break through the yard fence. (This is how Amy feels with the language handicap...a bit silly talking baby talk.)

He's not alone in his mischievousness. Nothing like wearing your weakness for all to see.

Backyard barn


Back of the house built by the owner, and it even has a real door.

Last battle on bugs...
We received our care package from the main office this week. Some of the jefes were in the US for a conference and brought some of our stuff back with them. Fortunately, one of the items was the spray foam from Home Depot.

To keep the leaches and worms out of the house we had used masking tape.


You probably can't see from the picture, but the cracks are very deep and probably open clear through to the outside.

We filled most of the gap with spray foam.

Then we smoothed it off with caulking and painted it to match the surrounding tile.
How did we do?

Just in time for a heavy rainfall too. The evening after the repair we had a torrential downpour that had water running just outside this wall. The tape would probably not have held any longer.

This couch also got a repair.

First I turned over the raw edge and stitched it down.

Then we pinched it together, pinned it, and used a small paintbrush to put adhesive caulk to secure it in place. (Our upholstery needle probably won't get here until April, but glue was easier anyway since the fabric is so tough.)

What do you think? Two of the pillows were repaired. Can you tell which ones they are?

Family pictures now help us feel connected to home.


Bugs etc:
We may have won one battle with the spray foam, but we still have an ongoing war on mosquitoes, spiders, frogs, and ants.

We're still getting mosquito bites. So we're still spraying, creaming, watching, drying, cleaning and inside as much as possible.

Spiders: We taped up a huge opening above the water heater that we had missed earlier. We couldn't figure where the spiders were still coming from until we saw the web decorated corner. We looked up and sure enough, behind the pipes were gaping holes. Spiders are slowly disappearing thanks to bug spray, taping up gaps and holes with packaging tape, and glue traps from home.

We also found a trail of minuscule sized ants that led right under our boots outside.


Great...Sit down to protect your feet and ankles with rubber boots, and ants find their way in for a feast. We just can't win...unless...we spray the side patio for ants. Done!

We also had to tape down the toilet seat closest to the septic tank. Did you know that smaller frogs can fit between the crack in the lid. Yikes! The toilet is now secured with packing tape and gets a flush every day just in case.

What's next?
Next week will bring warm and drier weather so we hope to start painting gates. In trying to pin down exactly what Yuca wanted done, we were told that we only need to paint 6 of the more than 100 gates.  Well, maybe 7... okay, 8... actually 9. Let's stay with nine!

We're also starting sewing lessons this week. The PowerPoint room is now full of sewing machines and the ironing board. Oh, and two computers set up for translating...one for English and one for Spanish.

We'll also see what Christmas decorations we can find in storage here.