Very Little Rain so We Had a Full Week of Activity

We are delighted to report that we had a full week of teaching. Tuesday night it poured hard for about 20 minutes and we thought we'd be doomed for Wednesday, but there was time for the water to drain off the roads. We didn't miss a beat.

Repairs:

We still don't know for sure, but it's looking more and more like the senior missionaries serving here will be living in the old house for the next five years or more. The house is in pretty good shape now, but we're still trying to keep mold crystals from growing in one of the big rooms we use for teaching. Our latest trick was to re-cement over some of the bad spots, but after 10 days, the repaired places didn't form the hard dry surface that we need.

So, we ran wide strips of repair tape over the bad sections. We love this stuff which America has no substitute for. You simply roll- it- out where you want it and paint over it. The paint acts like glue and sticks it down flat making the surface below impervious to water and thus mold crystals. So far, so good. There are a few places we thought we could just paint over since there was minimal mold crystals, but it didn't work. We plan to buy more repair tape and bury a few more spots.

Staring cows:

We got a better picture of the staring cows. It's rather un-nerving when 30-40 cows are all glaring you down as you perform your job of opening and closing gates. Can't someone teach them some manners? :)

On day, we watched gauchos roping calves away from their mothers. Some mothers are very protective of their young and the gauchos have quite the challenge. We didn't want to get too close and disturb the process so you can't see much....sorry!


Los Perales:
The chicas are at it again. This time, we made patterns for adult winter wear.


Vero finished a poncho for her 10 year old daughter last week.


Finally:
The road to the school has finally been repaired. The metal strip you see below is holding the road up.


One side of the road still needs repair so you can see the drop off. Several times, the road was damp and we could feel ourselves slipping off the road.

This is what we would have landed in.

This metal strip marks the drop- off but can't do much to keep a truck on the road.


Hopefully,  the government will use this strip to repair the still hazardous side. Anyway, we're hoping that is why it was left at the sight.


Patience is a quality which we practice almost every day.

Rain Stopped so We Made a Temple Trip to Córdoba

Give thanks for the simple blessings:
Just to remind you to enjoy the small things in life, we took a picture of our Oatmeal Krispies rolled in real coconut sent to us from the US. Coconut in Argentina is more like coconut flavored powdered sugar so we make a point to take pictures and savor sweet strips of the coconut plant. Think of that next time you are tempted to leave coconut out of the recipe.

Delicious!

One day while cleaning the driveway, we noticed that there were more stone pavers under the mud. We started digging and cleaning and found about six more feet of road base. Six feet is a big deal when trying to get in and out of the truck without getting muddy.

We found this supposedly dead tree stump near the dump that was trying to sprout new branches. In Colorado, we plant trees and they turn into dead stumps. In Argentina they take dead stumps to the dump and they turn back into trees.


Trip to Córdoba
We were finally able to vacation in Córdoba. Initially, we were going to leave on Monday and go half- way, but couldn't find a room available near the temple. So we delayed the trip one day and then drove to San Francisco which is about 3/4 of the way where we stayed the night.

We got to experience a shower with a toilet. What a strange concept!

Wednesday morning we got up early and headed for Córdoba. We allowed an extra hour in case we got lost and instead spent 45 minutes waiting to pass big trucks on the two- way highway. We don't think we'll venture back to Córdoba if we can help it. Though the temple was magnificent, the roads were very dangerous. We feel blessed to still be alive.

We actually made time for four sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. The temple closes for siesta between noon and 4 PM so we felt fortunate to get that many sessions in. What a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the blessings of being in Argentina.



We ate lunch both days at an Italian restaurant named Vittorio that was recommended. It really was delicious. Don't tell anyone, but we had salmon with creamed spinach both days.


Our hotel was within walking distance of the temple and we spotted this strange tree trunk on our walk. If I were a woodpecker, I'd leave this trunk alone. Perhaps, Colorado should consider this as an alternative to deter woodpeckers.


Back at the ranch:
We arrived safe and sound back at El Quebracho on Friday. We had time Saturday to touch- up- paint, but before working on our bedroom, we took a few pictures of dead mosquitoes on the walls. These spots are not enlarged. The insects are sometimes truly this big. We wondered if any of the spattered blood was ours.




Baptism:
Saturday afternoon, we were able to attend a baptism in Feliciano.

What an amazing woman! What an amazing Spirit we felt throughout the afternoon. As part of the program, Gregg played the piano while the elders sang. Considering they had no notice or practice at all, they performed quite well.



We couldn't help taking a picture of these three well- behaved cuties waiting for their relative to be baptized.

Sunday, after church, we invited four of the missionaries for Sunday dinner. Two of them are being transferred this week. The hermana on the far left is being transferred to a city south of us called Parana. You probably remember us talking about Parana.

A full week of school despite the forecast of rain

We want one of these contraptions below for getting through deep ruts around the ranch. Do you think we can get it approved from Salt Lake? On second thought, it wouldn't do us much good without a fork lift as well for getting in and out.



Visa Renewal:
We are coming up on a year of being in Argentina and it is time to renew our visas. We started the process in May. Tuesday of this week, we were asked to drive to the Santa Fe Mission Home to have the full time missionaries there help us complete the process. We had to cancel school that day, but rain was predicted for ten days starting on Wednesday so we couldn't postpone the appointment.

Santa Fe is about 3 1/2 hours away so we left at 6 AM for a 10 o'clock appointment. We made it in record time and got to meet the mission president in the mission home before he left for a Zone Conference with Elder Bragg from Salt Lake. The President has four assistants to run the Mission while he attends to the Zone Conferences.



The young missionaries were incredible help. We have to submit finger prints for another back ground check, and as we entered the building to start the process, we noticed a long line of people. However, the missionaries took a number and then marched to the head of the line. Apparently, the other people were waiting for something else, and we got in right away. Without the missionaries, we wouldn't have known that fact and probably would have waited in line half the day for no reason.

Los Perales:
Rain was delayed so we were able to go to Los Perales on Wednesday. However, Vanesa was sick, and Vero had to take her son to the doctor so for the first time in almost a year, we drove out but didn't have a class. However, we left two sewing machines for the chicas to use and delivered forms from Yucca, so it wasn't a waste.

Vanesa finished her son's vest and sent me this picture. I am constantly amazed with her drive and skill.



We stopped in Federal on the way home and picked up some of the Galeano family and brought them back to their home on the ranch. You see three generations below wanting to be together for a few days. People would rather not carry their babies on motos so it was a good service for them. We were actually glad to have extra time in Federal (since we did not have to teach in Los Perales) to assist the family with some errands.


We had school on Thursday and Friday, though school closed early on Friday when the rain started.

This is often what we see blocking our route.


Rain is here to stay now for at least the next few days. We are home keeping ourselves busy instead of traveling to Córdoba for a temple visit. The kids have winter break for two weeks, but with so much rain in the forecast, we didn't want to get stuck in a hotel for ten days. We are hoping that we can get out next week to see more of Argentina.

Thoughts from Gregg:
Gordon B Hinckley thought that he was wasting his time and money as a young missionary in Great Britain, and said so in a letter to his father. Dad wrote back and suggested, "forget yourself and go to work." Mark 8:35 the Lord said "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my name sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."

"Those words of the Master, followed by my father's letter with his counsel to forget myself and go to work, went into my very being. I made a pledge with the Lord. I would try to forget myself and lose myself in His service. From that day, I dedicated himself to the Lord in the service of others.
None of us may rightly say that his life is his own. Our lives are gifts of God. We come into the world not of our own volition. We live not according to our wish. Our days are numbered not by ourselves, but according to the will of God."

I would hypothesize that most leaders of the church have made a covenant with God to dedicate their life first to Him at a young age. Opportunities of growth in the form of church leadership positions may be presented. You will be given skills that will facilitate a change in the lives of those you serve. With the additional opportunities to serve will come purpose distilled in your heart along with eternal happiness and joy. Our lives will be consecrated to our Lord and we will bless the lives of all we touch as we put God first.

Thoughts from Amy:
We weren't able to go to church today due to muddy roads so we studied the Sunday School lesson together. The lesson was on adversity and enduring our trials well. I've also been reading about what Michael Wilcox teaches on adversity in his series of books, What the Scriptures Teaches... I've noticed that whenever I give voice to frustrations, whatever I'm complaining about grows in intensity, I feel more of a victim, and less likely to have a good attitude about the struggle, and therefore be able to endure it well. My new goal is to keep still and say nothing unless it is uplifting.

Rain and mud--Stay home and read

As you guessed from today's heading, we were not much help at the ranch this week. Monday was a normal full day, and we took the kids to school on Wednesday. However, the rest of the week was a wash due to rain.

We made it a good week for us by practicing piano and flute, working on the ideal floor plan just in case we decide to build a new home some day, and most importantly, reading with gusto. Amy is reading a series of books by Gerald Lund called Fire and Steel. It makes her appreciate the time and country she was raised in. Gregg reads all the time too. His favorite this week was Shades of Gray by Rachel Ann Nunes.

We got one traditional photo shot of the cows this week. Amy waits at the last gate while Gregg runs the last stretch to pick- up kids at their home. While waiting for Gregg, the cows stare in amazement at a human in their territory that for the time being has made no demands on them. The picture below just has the stare of two cows, but often the whole herd of 15-20 are stunned into staring.



All- the- while they are also chewing their cud with some food dangling out of their mouths. They keep us amused as we're waiting to close the gate behind us.

Gregg's thoughts on adversity:
"The Reward of Enduring Well" by President Henry B Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS Cuhurch (Mormons).
"We all have trials to face--at times, very difficult trials. We know that the Lord allows us to go through trials in order for us to be polished and perfected so we can be with Him forever."
Joseph Smith taught that the "reward for enduring His trials well would help qualify him for eternal life (life with God)."
Life is full of trials that beat upon us incessantly. We may find ourselves surrounded with pornographic images, friends with entirely different values, unemployment or underemployment, failing health, not enough money to make ends meet, schools who do not have our kids best interest, and no close friend with whom we can share confidences.
"But a loving God has not set such tests before us simply to see if we can endure difficulty but rather to see if we can endure them well and so become polished."
"Our trials and difficulties give us the opportunity to learn and grow, and they may even change our very nature. If we can turn to the Savor in our extremity, our souls can be polished as we endure."
"Therefore, the first thing to remember is to pray always. The second thing is to strive continuously to keep the commandments--whatever the opposition, the temptation, or the tumult around us. The third crucial thing is to serve the Lord."
Many have given service and perhaps, felt that there were changes within themselves. The temptation to do wrong seemed to abate and the desire to do good increased. Someone you love may have said: "You have changed. You seem kinder and more patient. You do not seem to be the same person."
We are promised that the Lord will come to our aid if we serve others (thereby serving Him) and your soul will be polished in the process. Our trials will become less arduous if we allow the Lord to help carry the YOKE and we trust in Him with all our adversities.
I believe that if we can be polished towards perfection, we can one day return to live with Him.