The 2018 Area Plan Broadcast will be available online tonight at the following websites:
https://www.mormonesdelsur.org
(Official Church Website for South America South Area)
https://www.youtube.com/user/NoticiasSUD
(Noticias Sud Youtube page, Official Youtube channel for South America South Area)
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Hola! Happy Valentine's Day!
Hola!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
We wanted you to know how much we love and appreciate you!.
Trying to think of all that has happened the past couple of weeks. We are working on getting Capilla Abiertas (Open Chapels) scheduled for 2018. What a wonderful opportunity this is for the people to invite their friends to the gospel.
We had a sweet young women in our ward Sister Rodriguez leaving on a mission. We went to her FHE (farewell party) Was fun to see how they do it here. They go into the chapel and have family members speak and then have a party afterwards. Then the next day was Fast Sunday so she bore her testimony. She will be a great missionary.
We have been doing training (Well Ron has) I try to understand and smile. It is getting easier. Had to smile at this one the Pres. stopped and got up picking up a can of bug spray and chased that little critter right out of his office. We got a good laugh and to say the least I won’t put my bag on the floor again.
Ron made the Asian Chicken Wraps with the pressure cooker and we are learning our favorite Argentine Foods. They are great cooks here and the Dulce Leche is wonderful. There are lots of Gluten free items. Even the milk has a gluten free label on it they label everything.
We have FHE (family home evening) 3 times a month with the senior couples. That is fun getting to know them so much talent and experience here.
This weekend was carnival weekend. We have had a fun one. Yesterday we went to the Botanical Gardens and then to Dragon land exhibit at the Rural, which is a convention center close to us. Wish we would have had our grandkids here. They would have loved it.
We also had a young man Nicholas who was baptized on Saturday night. He is a waiter at one of our favorite neighborhood cafes. The Peru Deli. He is going to medical school and so excited about the gospel. What a great day!
Today we had the wonderful opportunity a senior missionary luncheon with Elder & Sister Christofferson (https://www.lds.org/church/leader/d-todd-christofferson?lang=eng) at our area office. What a wonderful spirit was there. There were 13 mission couples and our area Presidency and wives. Was so great to hear him speak. He is here on an area tour. He told us about the experience of calling our new Prophet President Nelson and his counselors, and how we should each pray to know that it is of God. He had spoken earlier to the Buenos Aries North Mission. Such a great man and seemed so down to earth and kind. One of our senior missionaries had been in his mission here in Argentina when they were younger. One of those once in a lifetime experiences which we continue to be blessed with.
I think we have both learned while we are here the importance of our testimonies and that the gospel touches so many lives. It is true and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve. Gracias for all your love and support.
Abrazos and amor!
Mom & Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Ron & Helen , Elder and Hermana Dalby
Happy Valentine’s Day!
We wanted you to know how much we love and appreciate you!.
Trying to think of all that has happened the past couple of weeks. We are working on getting Capilla Abiertas (Open Chapels) scheduled for 2018. What a wonderful opportunity this is for the people to invite their friends to the gospel.
We had a sweet young women in our ward Sister Rodriguez leaving on a mission. We went to her FHE (farewell party) Was fun to see how they do it here. They go into the chapel and have family members speak and then have a party afterwards. Then the next day was Fast Sunday so she bore her testimony. She will be a great missionary.
We have been doing training (Well Ron has) I try to understand and smile. It is getting easier. Had to smile at this one the Pres. stopped and got up picking up a can of bug spray and chased that little critter right out of his office. We got a good laugh and to say the least I won’t put my bag on the floor again.
Ron made the Asian Chicken Wraps with the pressure cooker and we are learning our favorite Argentine Foods. They are great cooks here and the Dulce Leche is wonderful. There are lots of Gluten free items. Even the milk has a gluten free label on it they label everything.
We have FHE (family home evening) 3 times a month with the senior couples. That is fun getting to know them so much talent and experience here.
This weekend was carnival weekend. We have had a fun one. Yesterday we went to the Botanical Gardens and then to Dragon land exhibit at the Rural, which is a convention center close to us. Wish we would have had our grandkids here. They would have loved it.
We also had a young man Nicholas who was baptized on Saturday night. He is a waiter at one of our favorite neighborhood cafes. The Peru Deli. He is going to medical school and so excited about the gospel. What a great day!
Today we had the wonderful opportunity a senior missionary luncheon with Elder & Sister Christofferson (https://www.lds.org/church/leader/d-todd-christofferson?lang=eng) at our area office. What a wonderful spirit was there. There were 13 mission couples and our area Presidency and wives. Was so great to hear him speak. He is here on an area tour. He told us about the experience of calling our new Prophet President Nelson and his counselors, and how we should each pray to know that it is of God. He had spoken earlier to the Buenos Aries North Mission. Such a great man and seemed so down to earth and kind. One of our senior missionaries had been in his mission here in Argentina when they were younger. One of those once in a lifetime experiences which we continue to be blessed with.
I think we have both learned while we are here the importance of our testimonies and that the gospel touches so many lives. It is true and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve. Gracias for all your love and support.
Abrazos and amor!
Mom & Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Ron & Helen , Elder and Hermana Dalby
Sunday, January 28, 2018
End of January Letter #7
We were talking and Helen said it was probably time to get another letter out. Thought we had just done one, but it looks like it was the Happy New Year letter and that was a month go. Tuesday we cross the three month line, 25% done. Unbelievable.
Yesterday was the ward temple trip. Everybody meets at the chapel and they rent a school bus to take the trip to the temple. It usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. They have the people who go to the temple and then some of the youth that go to do baptisms and then just a family or two with kids that go and hang out in the park that is right by the temple while the people go in. The MTC is right there by the temple. They have approximately 90 missionaries going there. English stay 6 weeks, Spanish 3 Anyway, it is usually about a 6 hour round trip thing to go. We went out on the bus with them, took some treats which the kids really enjoyed, did a session with the ward and then came back with the missionary couple Powelson. A great day.
We keep busy at work which is a good thing. We spent the majority of the month getting the coordinators lined up for the missions that had coordinators, getting ones that didn’t have coordinators called, working on getting referrals properly input into the Church electronic system so that we can track them. They are really pushing to get everybody set up with the program so it can sustain itself and the members can take charge of doing it. It is a great source of referrals here and gets the members involved in bringing their friends to Church.
We got to go to a tango dinner and show last weekend. They had 17 of us go there, had a bus to pick us up and bring us back, some really good food and a great tango show which is really Argentinian. Those dancers are amazing. They can kick so amazingly high. Like everything here in Argentine, the dinner gets going about 9 and the show at 10 or so, so it is pushing midnight by the time we get back. Now, we know that for some of you, the thought of going to a tango show late at night with 17 senior citizens, is something like having your teeth drilled on with no novocaine, but you take your entertainment in the country you are in, and we enjoyed it.
We have kept an eye out for an electric pressure cooker. We had about given up when one of the couples found one in a department store and we ran over but all they had was a floor model which didn’t have a cord so we couldn’t get it. We wondered if we were ever going to get one. We went to Jumbo the big grocery store yesterday, and I wandered over to the appliance section and lo and behold, there was one. We are so excited to be able to cook some of the things that we enjoyed so much at home. We are going to try and see if we can do some Asian wraps this week and we will have something to cook for the missionaries and for when we have the senior couples dinners.
We had the missionaries over for dinner today, Elder Bravo and Elder Dominguez. Elder Bravo is from Peru and Elder Dominguez is from Argentina. Helen is really getting good about doing conversations in Spanish, asking them where they are from, how long they have been on their mission, how big their family is, and everything. They loved talking about it. It is just great having the missionaries over for dinner. Of course, when they go to eat at somebodys house, part of the deal is that they leave a message. We love to hear the missionaries talk about how they feel and how important the work is and the joy they are finding in doing their work here. We agree. It’s the best.
We had chicken fried steaks for dinner with white gravy, the butterhorn rolls and cake and ice cream for dessert. I guess they must have gone over well, because they ate 3 each, (and they were good sized too) and blasted through a dozen butterhorn rolls and cake and ice cream.
The missionaries seem to really like the potatoes and gravy thing, so we will probably do that as a staple.
One of the sisters asked me to play for the Primary in church today. Those kids are a riot. The children are absolutely beautiful down here – dark hair, beautiful dark eyes and smiles that could light up a room. They are kind of reverence challenged- I had a couple over by the keyboard creating some original side accompaniment in the upper register, and another little girl over at the wall who was fascinated by the plug. Pull it out, push it in, pull it out. It made for a little choppy accompaniament, but whatever. Everybody had a good time. They did “Head, shoulders, knees and toes” with increasing speed, thinking they could get so fast that the Gringo at the keyboard couldn’t keep up with them. Ha!
They don’t call me “Dedos de Relampago” (Lightning fingers) for nothing.
We love being here – miss the family and friends, but know without a doubt that we are doing the right thing, being where we are supposed to be and hopefully making a difference. How I wish that I was as good a writer as some of you, but we each have our talents in different ways. Guess that is what makes up the orchestra. For those of us with only the ability to play the triangle, we grateful that they let little dingalings be in the orchestra.
We know that God has a plan for each of us, regardless of our status, beliefs, impressions or anything. We know that Hs is “in the small details of our life as well as the major milestones.”
We are grateful for all of you, your support, your prayers, your work in doing the best you can in whatever the circumstances with whatever resources are available to you. Thanks so much for all that you do, in so many ways for yourselves, your family and for letting us be here and supporting us on this great adventure.
Mucho amor and abrazos,
Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Ron and Helen, Elder and Hermana Dalby
Yesterday was the ward temple trip. Everybody meets at the chapel and they rent a school bus to take the trip to the temple. It usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. They have the people who go to the temple and then some of the youth that go to do baptisms and then just a family or two with kids that go and hang out in the park that is right by the temple while the people go in. The MTC is right there by the temple. They have approximately 90 missionaries going there. English stay 6 weeks, Spanish 3 Anyway, it is usually about a 6 hour round trip thing to go. We went out on the bus with them, took some treats which the kids really enjoyed, did a session with the ward and then came back with the missionary couple Powelson. A great day.
We keep busy at work which is a good thing. We spent the majority of the month getting the coordinators lined up for the missions that had coordinators, getting ones that didn’t have coordinators called, working on getting referrals properly input into the Church electronic system so that we can track them. They are really pushing to get everybody set up with the program so it can sustain itself and the members can take charge of doing it. It is a great source of referrals here and gets the members involved in bringing their friends to Church.
We got to go to a tango dinner and show last weekend. They had 17 of us go there, had a bus to pick us up and bring us back, some really good food and a great tango show which is really Argentinian. Those dancers are amazing. They can kick so amazingly high. Like everything here in Argentine, the dinner gets going about 9 and the show at 10 or so, so it is pushing midnight by the time we get back. Now, we know that for some of you, the thought of going to a tango show late at night with 17 senior citizens, is something like having your teeth drilled on with no novocaine, but you take your entertainment in the country you are in, and we enjoyed it.
We have kept an eye out for an electric pressure cooker. We had about given up when one of the couples found one in a department store and we ran over but all they had was a floor model which didn’t have a cord so we couldn’t get it. We wondered if we were ever going to get one. We went to Jumbo the big grocery store yesterday, and I wandered over to the appliance section and lo and behold, there was one. We are so excited to be able to cook some of the things that we enjoyed so much at home. We are going to try and see if we can do some Asian wraps this week and we will have something to cook for the missionaries and for when we have the senior couples dinners.
We had the missionaries over for dinner today, Elder Bravo and Elder Dominguez. Elder Bravo is from Peru and Elder Dominguez is from Argentina. Helen is really getting good about doing conversations in Spanish, asking them where they are from, how long they have been on their mission, how big their family is, and everything. They loved talking about it. It is just great having the missionaries over for dinner. Of course, when they go to eat at somebodys house, part of the deal is that they leave a message. We love to hear the missionaries talk about how they feel and how important the work is and the joy they are finding in doing their work here. We agree. It’s the best.
We had chicken fried steaks for dinner with white gravy, the butterhorn rolls and cake and ice cream for dessert. I guess they must have gone over well, because they ate 3 each, (and they were good sized too) and blasted through a dozen butterhorn rolls and cake and ice cream.
The missionaries seem to really like the potatoes and gravy thing, so we will probably do that as a staple.
One of the sisters asked me to play for the Primary in church today. Those kids are a riot. The children are absolutely beautiful down here – dark hair, beautiful dark eyes and smiles that could light up a room. They are kind of reverence challenged- I had a couple over by the keyboard creating some original side accompaniment in the upper register, and another little girl over at the wall who was fascinated by the plug. Pull it out, push it in, pull it out. It made for a little choppy accompaniament, but whatever. Everybody had a good time. They did “Head, shoulders, knees and toes” with increasing speed, thinking they could get so fast that the Gringo at the keyboard couldn’t keep up with them. Ha!
They don’t call me “Dedos de Relampago” (Lightning fingers) for nothing.
We love being here – miss the family and friends, but know without a doubt that we are doing the right thing, being where we are supposed to be and hopefully making a difference. How I wish that I was as good a writer as some of you, but we each have our talents in different ways. Guess that is what makes up the orchestra. For those of us with only the ability to play the triangle, we grateful that they let little dingalings be in the orchestra.
We know that God has a plan for each of us, regardless of our status, beliefs, impressions or anything. We know that Hs is “in the small details of our life as well as the major milestones.”
We are grateful for all of you, your support, your prayers, your work in doing the best you can in whatever the circumstances with whatever resources are available to you. Thanks so much for all that you do, in so many ways for yourselves, your family and for letting us be here and supporting us on this great adventure.
Mucho amor and abrazos,
Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Ron and Helen, Elder and Hermana Dalby
Elder & Sister Christofferson - Luncheon and Devotional
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Happy New Year Letter #6
Happy New Year!
I can’t believe it is 2018.
We are doing great and enjoying our time in Buenos Aires. It sure doesn’t seem like it is winter. The temperatures range from 70’s to the
90’s.
It sounds like the US is really having a cold winter.
We are learning our way and getting pretty good at the bus,
subta and driving. There are so many
people most of the time it is easier to use public transportation and
walk. There is very little parking at
the churches. The basketball court
doubles as parking behind locked gates.
They open them for Sundays. Also
have you ever seen churches with doorbells?
We are making wonderful friends and lifelong memories as we
work on bringing souls to repentance and baptism. The people are so happy and the gospel brings
so much happiness to each of them and their families. It’s amazing in the gospel essentials class
on Sunday I counted and there were 35 people in attendance. They have many
questions and the teacher is great. We have 2 sets of missionaries, and 2 sets
of senior couple missionaries. The other
couple with us arrived a month ago. A
young couple he just turned 51 and they sold their business and home and sent
their youngest son on a mission and now they are the new humanitarian couple
missionaries here. Such great energy!
We went to Chinatown
on Saturday. IT is amazing to see all
the stores and the people converge on this area to do their weekly
shopping. We were able to find some
American items. Had Chinese dinner. It was really good.
We are going to teach institute after the pathway program
this week. The teachers are going to be
gone so we are substituting for them.
The Argentine students that take a pathway class have to be able to
speak English well enough to understand as well as take an institute class in
English following. Will be interesting
to meet these students they are working so hard to get an education to better
their lives. Many of the employees here
are working on their English so they can get into the class.
I understand what they are going through but just in
reverse.
Each Monday morning
we have a devotional. Today the Area
Presidency presented our plan focus for the year.
A fin de aumentar
la fe en el Padre Celestial y en Jesucristo
Haz la historia
familiar y adora en el templo
Vive y comparte el
evangelio
Encuentra la delicia
de observer el dia de reposo
Google translate
will help you translate.
Hint, Family-temple, live gospel, observe Sabbath day
Our love and prayers are with you all and appreciate your
love and prayers and messages. It’s
true! Enjoy and take good care of each
other.
Abrazos,
Chinatown, Institute building, Burger King, Mall
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Letter 5
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We are happy, healthy and strengthening our testimonies of
Jesus Christ. We are grateful for his
gift to all of us. We know the gospel is
true and that each of us can touch another’s life with a kind word, hug or a
smile.
It is great to be in the mission field during the
holidays. The missionaries are
great. We have a new appreciation for
these young missionaries. They work so
hard and are dedicated, teaching and following their leaders council and
reaching out to so many. They are
valiant and an example to all. It is
amazing their energy and willingness to serve.
Parents you should be so proud of all they do. Being here we realize more and more what they
do. They are amazing!
One of my favorite sayings is “Gratitude is the Hearts
Memory”
Today my heart has such a full memory of all those good
things and life.
We are so grateful.
We were able to attend the Buenos Aires Temple with the Area
Missionaries and the Presidency last week.
They are all such great examples, talented and in the place they each
need to be. Each leaving loved ones at
home and knowing that sometimes loving is leaving. Hard to do but so important to understand
what truly is important in this life. Each couple striving to do all that they
have been called to do and much more and helping to bring others into the
gospel..
Sunday night we attended a Christmas Cantata. The music was wonderful and such talent. We love Christmas music and so fun to hear
our favorites sung in Spanish and knowing what they were singing.
The sisters went on a field trip today to see red carpet and
Christmas decoration and visit one of our couples who are archiving the area
history items . Fun day. The senior couples have much more leeway than
the younger missionaries. So we have
quite a few activities planned for the holidays.
We are excited to share Christmas with the sister
missionaries from our ward. Their
request was mashed potatoes and gravy. I
think they get a lot of rice and beans.
What an easy request. We even
made ice cream cake roll, one of our family favorites.
Still getting use to what things are and not being able to
find normal US things.
But finding favorite Argentine foods. Fruits and Vegies are amazing.
Will close for now with our love and prayers for each of you
to a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!
Buenos Aires Temple
Area Presidency and Senior Missionary Couples
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Letter 4
Hi!
The time is going by quickly and here it is two weeks and I haven’t
written. We have been pretty busy and
are learning more each day. Loving the
people and the experiences. Although I wonder
sometimes what is going on. Ron is my rock.
He is taking such good care of me and making the experience even better.
I am studying Spanish and catch
words here and there but never realized how vulnerable and helpless you can
feel when you really don’t understand what someone is saying. Especially when you want to. It has given me time to reflect and learn
from these beautiful people and also put life into perspective.
I am so grateful for the faith I
have and the understanding that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father,
also for the understanding that he loves each one of his children and only
wants the best for them. Today as I set
in Relief Society I thought about the many things that the Argentina culture
teaches.
They greet you with a hola and a
hug and kiss on the cheek. A smile to
let you know that you are not a lone and that you are welcome. They greet everyone that way and it’s fun to
watch them go around the room.
They are very dedicated and bring
their friends and family with them.
We have the experience of working
with the open chapel program which is very busy this time of the year. It is like an open house where people can
come in and see what goes on in the church.
Each ward and stake in the area plan an event during the year where they can welcome their
neighbors to come and see. It can be
very effective and touch many lives. They
have a banner of Christ in the chapel and banners in the cultural hall with missionaries
explaining the basics. The tour takes
about 10-15 min. The organizations set
up rooms to show what the benefits for families are. It’s fun to be a part of this and see how
they can touch the one.
Also today was our primary
program. It brought a sense of love and
calm to me knowing that no matter where you are that the little children in the
gospel are learning the same songs and principles. It is so fun to watch them
on the stand, smiling at parents , grandparents, friends and members singing
their hearts out, and melting ours. The
music is universal. It is fun to sing
the songs in Spanish. I can put many of
the words to the music and love the Christmas songs.
Last Saturday night we had a big
event in the park for the Light of Christ.
Was so fun with balloons for kids to write and attach notes on and let
them go, beautiful choir and digital choir.
So fun to be there with the other missionary couples. They are each so great and such an example of
love and devotion. Love there examples
and humor.
The temperature is getting
hotter. 89 yesterday, lots of
humidity. They say it will be hot
through the middle of February, sometimes into march.
On Saturday we went to Recoleta to
the artisan fair and to the cemetery.
Fun to see their wares and the cemetery is hugh and amazing. We will go back when it’s not so hot.
Well I will close for tonight. Our love and prayers are with you all. We hope that this holiday season finds you
remembering, serving and loving others.
What a wonderful time of year to celebrate Christ and all that he has
done for us. It’s true!
Abrazos,
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Fourth Missionary Post
Sometimes I have a
stupor of thought
In keeping the poems alive
But we’ll work on
keeping them going through,
Even though it’s only followed by five.
A “Light the
World” program in a nearby park
Got the season started off right.
They had lots of
singers, a big screen too,
And balloons headed up in the night.
We did a a
training in a far away ward,
Each visit is never the same,
And got the
privilege for fighting the herd,
As we drove home in the driving rain.
We met a couple
who were called serve
To run the the kids treks down here,
They run from January to April,
Then are off for some months of the year.
A solitary home on
a far away farm,
Few groceries out in the sticks,
They asked us if
we would like to help,
And all that I thought of was “Ick!”
We are getting
better with our good old stove,
Even though the racks are wavy,
Helen really hit
the spot,
When she made hamburger gravy!
Then even taking
the next step up,
We had an ice cream social,
She baked a cake,
got some ice cream here
And made an ice cream cake roll!
They have had some
artisan fairs nearby
Where craftsman showed off their wares
We got some great
looking Nativities,
To bring Christmas into the air!
We continue to
love the people here,
A couple named Castro came,
And taught us about loving and serving and
such
Would that all of us could be the same.
Getting closer to Christmas,
hope all there are well
If you have some good Christmas stories,
We’d like to hear them, tell!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)