Is it May already?

We are thrilled to have turned off all of the air conditioners and are welcoming fall with cooler weather and fewer bugs.

New project:

Christina, the cook and house cleaner, wants to make a bath mat out of tela (fabric) so I went on line to find some ideas. We also need one so I decided on a braided mat made out of terry cloth to take the place of the old towel we use for a rug.

First cut strips 2 1/2-3 inches wide and sew them together at an angle so the fabric isn't too thick at the seam. Make three long pieces.

 

(Sewing the pieces together at right angles is a trick we learned in Nauvoo making rugs)

Then fold the three long pieces in half width wise, right sides together, and sew them together.

 

Turn them right side out using a big safety pin that is taped shut for security.

Then have a talented husband help you braid the three strips.

Roll up the braid to the desired shape.

Then hand stitch it together with the strongest thread you can find. I used a big suture or upholstery needle.

Tada...like it?

Much better than an old towel don't you think?

Helping Juancho and Argentina  Healthcare

Tuesday, we were asked to cancel our responsibilities with the kids’ school and take off to Parana to help Juancho. Apparently, Juancho received an appointment to do some testing on his liver cancer. I guess when an appointment is offered at an Argentine clinic, you jump on it regardless of anything else going on in your life (or your chauffeur’s life). We spent time on Monday on MapQuest trying to find the best way to maneuver in the streets of Parana. The GPS is not good at deciphering one way streets, and in the past, we have wasted too much time and risked our lives a little too much for our liking. It worked! Thanks MapQuest.

We got up at 4 AM Tuesday and was out of the house by 4:45. We picked up Juancho and his wife in Federal and got to Parana right on time—8 AM as requested. However, much to our dismay, 15-20 other people had been given the same 8 AM appointment, and they had all arrived early before 8 AM, so Juancho was last to be seen. He was fasting, and by the time he was given dye in his veins for the test, he was worn out. Instead of a few hours in Parana, we were there all morning, but mostly, we were sad for Juancho. He is usually so upbeat and patient, but this time…not so much. He’s never angry, but he was certainly beat up.

We are also sad for many Argentine's who are losing their teeth. Pulling teeth is a covered benefit while filling cavities is not. One of our older students had to have one of his permanent teeth pulled recently. So much for free socialized medicine.

Truck registration and safety inspection:

Because of our long day in Parana, we decided to get the truck registered and take the safety inspection test on Wednesday before our trip to Los Perales instead of Tuesday afternoon. So, we left Wednesday 8 AM for Concordia. All went well, and we didn’t even have to wait very long, but it was quite expensive, and we couldn't see any good to this annual requirement.

The price was fourteen hundred pesos ($90) which is almost one fifth of a monthly wage for most workers. No wonder many people don’t have more than a bicycle. Even a moto is a luxury. No wonder large families are such a rarity. For the past century or so, the government has robbed the people blind. It’s heart wrenching to watch and know that there is very little we can do to bless lives with extreme poverty so abundant. So, we don’t think about it and just do what we can—take Juancho to Parana, teach and chauffeur the ranch kids, and keep a smile on our faces.

Food for thought by Gregg:

In the last days, the gentiles shall build up secret combinations which shall spill the blood of the saints and seek to destroy the people (2 Nephi 26:22; Ether 8:25; Mormon 8:27).

Preaching the word of God destroys secret combinations (Helaman 6:37).

Speaking of a secret combination built up by the devil, master of lies, in our day, the Book of Mormon  tells us that those who build it up do so to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries (Ether 8:25). One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to show us the work of ancient secret combinations so that we may repent and suffer not that these same murderous combinations should get above us (Ether 8:23), and that we should awake to a sense of our awful situation when we see these things among us (Ether 8:24).

“We are in the midst of the greatest exhibition of propaganda that the world has ever seen. Just do not believe all you read or hear. The elect are being deceived.”  Reuben Clark, Conference Report, October 1941).

“Satan…plans to destroy liberty and freedom-economic, political, and religious, and set up in place thereof the greatest, most widespread, and most complete tyranny that has ever oppressed men. He is working under such perfect disguise that many do not recognize either him or his methods."

“Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, confusion all over the earth. One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the President of the United States…it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan himself.” (Joseph Fielding smith, doctrines of Salvation Vol. 3, pp. 314).

“Concerning the United States, the Lord revealed to his prophets that its greatest threat would be a vast, worldwide ‘secret combination’ which would not only threaten the United States but also seek to ‘overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations…’(Ether 8:25)”  (Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961).

“Gadianton robbers fill the judgment seats in many nations. An evil power seeks to overthrow the freedom of all nations and countries.” (Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, General Conference April, 1980).

Today many people view conspiracy as something strange, on the fringe or to be dismissed, and that those who speak of conspiracy must be a little crazy or extreme. This is a very perplexing viewpoint because it is a matter of historical record that conspiracy has been with us from the beginning. Plots, intrigues and secret combinations have plagued government and societies at large from the beginning of time. We need to, as Moroni put it, wake up to our awful situation.

Humor:

#1 The young sisters ate lunch with us again today. They told us of the need to travel to a neighboring pueblo and the need to stay in a hotel there. Check out the toilet which is located inside the shower. 

Looks like a step saver bathroom to me!


#2 We are still dumping our dish washing water outside since the plumbing is so poor in the kitchen. Well, this week as I opened the door for Gregg to take out the dish pan full of water, a spider the color and size of a mouse whipped through the door. I couldn't help emit a little scream. Well, okay, maybe it was a loud and long scream. Gregg gallantly flattened the spider with the dish pan (but not before joining me with a scream of his own). With the spider under control, we spent the next ten minutes laughing.