More beauty at El Quebracho

Sometimes we are completely mesmerized at the beauty around us. We were taking German to Feliciano last Monday so he could start school on Tuesday. Remember the high school kids board in Feliciano during the week so they don't have to miss school when it rains. As we drove in to town, coming toward us came this herd of horses and German exclaimed, "Oh, those are our horses." meaning that the horses are El Quebracho owned. Gregg found a place to pull over so they could pass us safely when we took these pictures.

Sure enough, later in the week we saw these horses grazing in our fields waiting to be implemented.  Aren't they magnificent?


Ñandú
Finally, we were able to get better pictures of the fascinating ñandú {Rhea} in Argentina.


Actually, one of our students, Gabe, took the pictures while Gregg was taking the kids home this week.








Remember, a ñandú is like similar to an ostrich about 4 feet tall that can run like crazy. We've never seen them fly, but they must use their wings to help them move so fast. They are fascinating to watch.

New office for Yuca
A little before we left for our cruise to Antarctica, Yuca laughingly told us that the church was surprising him with a new office. The joke of course is that the surprise was not kept secret very long since it required Yuca to move everything out of his office.

When we got home from our cruise a month later, no progress had been made except the moving out of personal items and a disruption of the internet. Remember, they had a full month of rain? Anyway, once the teachers moved out of the old school, the workers were allowed to take up lodging there and tremendous progress has been made the past week and a half.





Argentine's know how to work when they are not impeded by bad roads. They start with sunrise, take a short siesta and work into the evening.


The building was completely gutted with doors and windows moved and/or replaced. Stucco is the usual "new" treatment for the outside and sometimes the inside. Labor seems to be cheaper than replacing so upgrading is the norm.


Roque is the butcher here. He comes every week to provide meat for the workers.

Gregg took these pictures as Amy has yet to set foot in this building in fear of finding such a scene. Yes, she's still city-fied or sissyfied however you want to term it.


Speaking of wimpy, Amy got tired of wondering if a small snake might be trying to enter the house and filled all the gaps and hiding places outside the front door with sand that was left over from the stucco project. She knows that snakes can't dig so there's hope that these creepy crawly things will find habitat further away from us...way further away like Antarctica. Think it will work?

So far, so good!


YOUNG Elders in Feliciano:
Looks like Elder Martins got hold of Gregg's camera.

Such maturity!

Note the sister missionary in the front below. She is a member of the branch who was called on a temporary mission to Argentina. One of the sister missionaries had medical problems and had to go home before "transfer" week so this sister is filling in the gap until transfers next week.

Elder Martins is from Brazil, the others are all from Argentina somewhere. Gregg and Amy are currently the only Americans. Elder Mateo in the back below is almost finished with his two year mission and will be returning home to Buenos Aires.


Gregg was pretty proud of his clean truck, and Amy was happy with her clean windows--thus this picture below.


Yes, school started for us this week! Yea. We only got to teach one day. Boo! (More rain)

Free college anyone?

So, here’s the deal with college and higher education down here. If you attend a public school, it is free. Sounds good so what is the catch you ask? Well, while touring South America on our cruise, we watched for people who had the answers, and we learned our information from either tour guides or local tourists with a degree.

In Uruguay, though all public education is free and it is not too difficult to pass the entrance exams, there aren’t enough classrooms or teachers for all who have been accepted. That explains why getting accepted into a university does not mean that you will be able to get the classes you need. It definitely does not mean you will have a seat in the classroom if you get the class you want. Many students spend years sitting on the floor. However, about 90% of students finish high school and many go on to college. To earn a four-year degree, it takes between six or seven years.

In Argentina, it is much worse even though public universities are again all free. Only about 50% of the students graduate from high school and about 20% of them go on to college. Of the 20%, much fewer graduate. The problems are similar to Uruguay, but even more complicated. As a college student, not only are you not guaranteed a seat in the classroom, students are only allowed to take one or two classes per semester, and the classes are all spread out on different days, different locations, and different times. So, it is impossible to hold a job while going to school. Also, there are problems with enough tests for the students. So, you study for an exam after learning much of the material on you own, and then there are not enough tests that day. It can be weeks or months before the test is offered again. Teachers don't always show up to teach either, and they don't  bother to tell the students. It often takes 10-12 years to get a bachelor’s degree and most drop out before that time.

Though private schools are more accommodating, the majority of students cannot afford them since student loans are not offered in either country. Basically, only the wealthy families can utilize private universities.

We didn’t get any school information from Chili except that tour guides in Chili are required to have a degree in tourism and the degree includes being able to speak English. However, some of the guides were quite difficult to understand, having a reading rather than a speaking vocabulary. One Chilean tour guide was describing an endangered animal. He said that if you kill one, you will go to hell. Gregg and I thought about it for a minute and then Gregg asked, “Did you mean hell or jail?” since the letter J is silent in Spanish. You guessed it, police only have jurisdiction over jails and not over heaven and hell.  😊 The tour guide covered himself and said, “Well, they will go to jail first and then to hell.”

Speaking of school, we heard a sweet story when we went to church Sunday morning in Buenos Aires. The young mother delivering a talk told of a young student who was given a letter from his teacher to be given to his mother and not to be opened by the student. When the mother read the note, she hugged her son and said that the letter said that he was so intelligent that the teacher had nothing else she could teach him. Plans were made for the boy to be educated at home. Years later, the letter was found and read by the young man. It said, “Your son can no longer attend school because he is too sick.” What wisdom on the mother's part! In case you were wondering, the boy excelled in his education and became a successful adult.

While children need to have faith in themselves, adults need to learn to have faith in a higher power. As the saying from Brigham Young goes, “Get on your knees and pray like everything depended on the Lord, then get up and go to work like everything depended on you.” That has become our philosophy.

A little more beauty

This might look like an ordinary, healthy El Quebracho vaca, but if you look really close...

...you'll see a cute light green loro (parrot) sitting on his upper back near the cow's head. See it?

As we drove past this cow, we saw the loro perched on the cow's back like he belonged there. The cow moved from grass clump to grass clump, and the bird stayed for the entire ride content and undisturbed.

Is there school yet?

False alarm: we did not have school this week like we had been told. Monday was a local strike day. Tuesday was a country wide strike day, and Wednesday a new teacher was still in training. Thursday was predicted rain, and by Friday there was too much mud from all the rain on Thursday afternoon so school was postponed again. Kids in the states would probably like this strike of luck 😊 (we're so punny!) like the kids here do. You should have seen the smiles on both students and moms. In the long run, it is not good for the kids education.  

We did make it to Los Peralos, and piano in Felicano went well though we only had one of the two young women show, and we taught one of the missionaries in place of 10-15 youth. Not to worry! Feliciano had a big fiesta the night before keeping everyone up late so we are told that next week should be different.

Speaking of a big fiesta in Feliciano, it was a celebration of the terrneros (calves). Streets were blocked off all around the town square, and the whole town came out to the BBQ. Strange how the honored quests were on the menu. 😊

We usually try to avoid as many cow pies as possible. After a summer of little driving on the campo (country) roads, Gregg had quite the challenge. Do you think he can dodge them all?

How about this stretch? (Actually, Gregg was not able to do all that well and ended up back on the car wash.)

Is this terrnero hiding from us because he’s embarrassed of the mess left behind? He’s too cute to do such a thing don’t you think? It was probably his cousins.

El Quebracho doesn’t just raise cattle, they also raise sheep for the families who work here upon request. As we waited at one of the gates, this herd of sheep came through. I wish I could put in words the majesty of watching one gaucho with his dogs herd the sheep in the direction he wants them to go.

Gregg has found a great way to enjoy mutton. He had the butcher grind the meat, then we ground it a second time. Gregg added chopped green peppers, onions, and lots of spices. He rolled it really thin and fried it like a hamburger. We ate it with potatoes and vegies. It was the best ever.

Una Adventura!

Written Thursday, March 09, 2017

There is so much on my mind, I hardly know where to start so I’ll begin with my testimony that God lives; He loves us; as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having the GIFT of the Holy Ghost means that the Holy Ghost can be a constant companion if we remain worthy of Him by keeping God’s commandments. I bear testimony that we have indeed had the Holy Ghost with us constantly throughout our recent trial.

The ordeal began on Monday afternoon when we learned that Yuca was heading to the main office in Vernado Teurto, Argentina with three other main directors of the church ranches for a few days. There was going to be a country wide strike planned for Tuesday, the next day so he was leaving a day early, and he wanted us to stay home. School had been canceled much to our dismay but not to our surprise. Not a problem… We have our music, our reading, and we have learned how to keep ourselves entertained here.

It was less than five minutes after our discussion that Yuca came knocking on our door again with a request for us to take Juancho to faraway Parana on Tuesday as he had finally been given an appointment for a cancer treatment that he drastically needs. Juancho apparently is a very talented employee that is missed greatly as no one has been able to take his place. We felt a little confused after the strike scare and request to stay home but sensed the urgency to help Juancho and agreed to make the five-six hour trip on a national strike day.

Tuesday morning, we got up early and had our normal ritual of a healthy breakfast after a heartfelt prayer asking for protection. Little did we know the close calls that we would face that day, but they would have nothing to do with the strike. (more on strikes later)

The first problem didn’t seem too drastic though we acknowledged that it was our 20 minutes late start that allowed time for a little more sunlight. That small difference of extra light kept us out of some deep holes that we could easily have found ourselves in just a few minutes earlier.

However, one of the biggest problems of the day occurred shortly after we reached pavement. The highway is “deformed” as the signs warn and deformed they are with bumps, dips, and miles of deep ruts caused by the heavy trucks and poor soil. As we watched a vehicle pulling a trailer approach us from the other direction, it began to swerve due to the deformed road. Seconds before we passed each other, the trailer jack knifed and tipped over throwing the car out of control. Somehow, the approaching driver maneuvered to his right, and we pulled to our right avoiding impact. We’re still not sure how it all happened but there was debris everywhere, and we are very, very grateful.

Though this was the most blatant dangerous situation, the trials continued all day. Multiple times we witnessed big semis swaying back and forth either in front of us or approaching us. Of course, we were extra mindful of them after our experience that morning. One time an ancient truck hit us from behind unable to stop at a light. Fortunately, no one was hurt and not much damage occurred to our truck. (The other truck was so old that we couldn’t tell what damage could be new.) We were glad not to have the police involved.

One time Gregg began to move into the lane with oncoming traffic to pass some big semis and there was a truck in his blind spot that Gregg is quite certain hadn’t been behind him. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and was going incredibly fast. Fortunately, Gregg was able to get the truck under control and back in our lane without incident.

Part of the day’s trial came after reaching the cancer clinic in Parana. Though Juancho had an appointment, he needed to stay a couple of nights in the clinic and it looked like all the beds were taken. We waited a couple of hours to make sure he could stay for his treatment before we headed home. In the end, there was room for both he and his wife, but precious time had elapsed.

We were also stopped by the police. First, the officer wanted our identification card so we offered all our official documents, but he only wanted one at a time. On and on he went drastic to find reason to ticket us. (Fortunately, our lights had been on.) Finally, when he found everything in order, he asked to see our fire extinguisher. It too was in place and recharged as required. By that time, he had another vehicle pulled over so he waved us on. We think our accent is the problem, and all Americans are rich and can pay fines, right? Anyway, it was annoying and stressful.

Even though Tuesday was a day full of anxiety, it all culminated today, Thursday. I, Amy, awoke early with clear signs of a bladder infection. This is not unusual for me. In fact, my doctor sent me to Argentina with antibiotics assuming that I would need them. It is only the second infection I’ve had since August which is record breaking for me, but the infection leaves me rather weak and uncomfortable for a day or two. So, this morning when we received a call requesting us to return to Parana and bring Juancho home, we had to decline.

Both Gregg and I felt that we should NOT go this time under the presumption that it would be bad for my health. Otherwise, we would have tried to make it work of course. However, it is early afternoon exactly when we would be coming home had we made the trip, and we are engulfed in a very heavy rain storm.

Here is a picture of the water that collected around our house in just 20-30 minutes, and it has continued to rain all afternoon.

 

Could it be that getting the infection kept us home and away from the dangers of muddy roads? We felt guided all along and know that we were directed to stay home, but the reason for staying home may have been much more than a little infection.

Many times, we have expressed our acknowledgement that blessings have kept us from major disasters. Certainly, we have struggles like everyone else, but we would be ungrateful or just plain ignorant not to acknowledge the influence of the Holy Ghost the past few days.

(Just in case you were wondering, there is a public bus that can take Juancho and his wife home. It is expensive but doable.)

Also, Thursday afternoon this connection for the air conditioner caught fire. Most fortunately we were home and the connection was coincidentally resting on a marble floor lamp or we may have had a house fire.

Strikes in Argentina

So here’s the deal with strikes according to one of our tour guides during our cruise last month. Argentina was under a dictatorship in the 70’s so when a coup took over the government and ousted the unwanted rulers, the people demanded more freedoms. To appease the masses, strikes were allowed. Strikes can happen at any time and any place, and they happen all the time—probably multiple times a month. Almost always, the reason for the strike is unknown. Many times they are on busy streets during rush hour in big cities like Buenos Aires clogging up traffic for hours.

But, we see strikes in the campo too. Some only last a day while other times, they last much longer. The truckers’ strike last spring lasted for weeks. We know because Yuca was unable to move his terrneros to Los Perales or get feed in to keep the cows fed. Two thousand of the cows had to be slaughtered early.

Also, according to Yuca, on a national strike day like last Tuesday, strikers can become violent and throw rocks at drivers not honoring the strike as well as other things. (Yuca didn’t explain the “other things”.)

There is a group camped out in front of the Argentine Capital Building striking because they had family members die in the Falcon Island war, and they want to be compensated for it. They have been camped there for over eight years.

Hmmm…. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Speaking of the Falcon Island war, we got the British side of the war story when visiting the island since the British still rule there. The Argentines don’t want to talk about it, but it’s clear that they don’t like the Chileans or Americans for siding with the British. Apparently, all other South American countries sided with Argentina. Perhaps, that’s why Gregg and I had such a hard time getting our visas. 😊 Maybe Argentines hold grudges for a very long time.

Our neighbor, Mr. Frog, tried to hide in our bucket that is used to collect condensation from the air conditioner. I don’t see him… do you?

Getting Ready for the New School Year

When the ranch plumber (who is also the landscaper, handyman, electrician, and anything else Yuca needs) got around to repairing our kitchen sink drain, he decided that the real problem stemmed from the septic field. After he cleaned out the swamp in the yard, our seven large toads had to find a new home. At least, we don't see them popping their heads out of the watery hole anymore.

The pipes underneath the kitchen all need to be replaced due to decomposition, but of course, replacing them is out of the question. So to keep things draining better, we now dump most of the kitchen sink water into the laundry room sink which drains to a separate septic system.

Problem solved once again. What's next?


Many of the terneros (calves) were taken from our ranch at El Quebracho, to the large feeding fields in Los Perales (the other church owned ranch).

It's amazing to watch the movement of hundreds of young cows and the orderly manner of transportation. These trucks are being weighed before moving the calves off.

On our way to Los Perales, we passed these trucks about twenty minutes away from our destination; they were stopped waiting for the road to be repaired enough for safe passage. We had been teaching an hour or so when they pulled up, and we realized that they were "our" cows. These are the ternernos we had honked at while traveling between student's homes! They kind of looked familiar. :)


Vanesa finished a little dress for her infant niece, and made an apron for an older niece all in one afternoon.


The apron is reversible.


We stopped for a picture of the fields having been thrashed and bailed. What a peaceful part of our world.


Side note: A little piece of Nauvoo was left in Gregg's pants pocket. Yep, these are pieces of sisal last collected at the Family Living Center while making rope. Rather than a suit, Gregg wore some slacks traveling to Buenos Aires and then attended the temple. Obviously, he hasn't worn them much the past year. It made us laugh to think of the distance we and our clothes have come the past few years.


New School:
Another chapter in our lives will start tomorrow as school is back in session. We have created a new schedule for the kids and have been told that the new school has been properly transferred to the Argentine government so our days will include an extra trip to pick up the kids a couple miles away. It was handy for the kids to be able to walk to our house from the school, but it will be better for the kids to be in their new school.

Piano lesson update:
Our two new students are practicing and making great improvement. We are excited for them and are motivated to keep them on task.

Today the young missionaries in our branch asked if we would be willing to teach piano to non-members in Feliciano. "How many?" we asked. "Oh, probably 10-15." was the reply. What? How is that going to happen? Well, long story short, we are going to have a group lesson on Saturdays after we teach our young ladies. We'll primarily teach the basics. We found a YouTube in Spanish teaching basic piano. So, we'll start with that and some general instructions with a few handouts like flash cards for learning notes. Oh, what are we in for now?

More bad roads
On our way to Feliciano on Thursday for a piano lesson, we came to a bridge that had been washed out so we had to back track and take the longer route. Fortunately, we had left early hoping to do a little grocery shopping so we arrived right on time. So sad for us however, because a dam had washed out leaving the impassable road and we're told it will be a long time before it is repaired. So we're back to leaving an hour before church and piano lessons rather than just 30 minutes. When we start feeling sorry for ourselves, we remember the stories we told in Nauvoo and conclude that we really don't have it so bad. :)

It rained how much?
Speaking of water and rain, we learned that while we were enjoying Antarctica, El Quebracho had 230 millimeters of rain which calculates to about 9 inches. This is in one month! We noticed on our return to the ranch that there were signs of water around our house. Remember the sand bags we piled up in the back of our house? Well, there were signs of water between the sets of sandbags but nothing inside the house. Once again, what a blessing. Finding creepy, crawly things in your house is simply not a good welcome back sign.

Humor:
Argentine's are pretty open with their feelings. We could say that sometimes they go overboard by American standards. So on the ranch, we are now referred to as the "Gorditos" meaning little fat people. Ok, Ok, it's true that over eating on a cruise for a whole month has caused our clothes to fit a little tighter but "Gorditos"? Looks like we'll be on a diet with extra exercise for a while. :)