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
       

Elder & Sister Christofferson - Luncheon and Devotional

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

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

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,

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!

Letter 3

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a note to tell you we had a great week.  They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in South America but we did as missionaries last night with a dinner.  There are 10 couples serving in the area office and its great to get to know them.  About half from Utah and the others from North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, Washington and Idaho. 

Monday was a holiday here and we attended a Christmas concert.  They had an Orchestra, Choir and Dancers. . It was really good and fun to start the holiday season.  It was pouring rain also so we had our first experience of drenching rain, and downtown subway.  

We do our first training in the morning ( I mean Ron does.  His Spanish is wonderful and it is so fun to watch the animation in his face as he speaks to the people)   I am getting to understand a little more.   Doing my Duolingo and studying with Ron. The conjugations of the verbs I still am mixed up but it is making more since. 

We had Stake Conference tonight and it was wonderful.   Ron translated for me and it was great to know what they were talking about.  One of the songs they sang was Battle hymn of the Republic.  It is so fun hearing the singing and for me singing a song that I knew the words to. 

 Pres. Teixeira spoke telling of his conversion and how important our choices are.  Our  happiness is determined by the level of our conversion.  He talked about how early decisions can make such a difference in your life..    It was a great meeting.   Sunday Ron did training in the Buenas Aires West mission!  He did great.  They loved him.  It is wonderful to see the faith and dedication of these families.  The children are beautiful and all so loving. 

We are having a busy week, Monday night family night.    Tuesday & Friday dinners and Saturday Capilla Abierta and the Illumina el Munda.  They are having a big presentation in the park where they have big signs illuminated write on cards and attach to white balloons and let them go.  Should be amazing. 

It is really different seeing Christmas decorations and Swimming suits, and summer things out.   The kids are getting ready to get out of school for the year.  Ready for summer break.

Hope you all are doing well.  We are loving all the people and having a great experience.  What a wonderful opportunity for us to be completely dependent on each other and the Lord. Knowing that he is in control.  We feel his strength and support.   This is His work and we are here to help.  Enjoy the holiday season and take care of each other.

                                                                      Service and love!!!

Abrazos

PS  We have a pressure cooker from one of the couples going home It was in their cupboard and hasn’t been used for a long long time.   It’s an old one Hope we don’t blow our heads off.   Still testing it! Cooking and shopping are an adventure here.

  Did receive our first card.  So looks like we can receive letters in mail but not pkgs.   Will send the story of the pkg.  .   7 cents a chocolate chip???

Third Missionary Post - Happy Thanksgiving!

We had our first experience of going to our church,
 We got to ride the city bus, with shaking and a lurch,
 But we got there, introduced ourselves, and said a word or two,
 And asked for all the members there, to try and see us through.
 We’re working on the appliances here and deal with gas and power,
 Helen cooked a cake this week which cooked for a whole hour!
 But the new stuff we work out, and sometimes pretty late,
 The cake came out just like it should and really tasted great!
 We took our first trip clear downtown with Grandma’s GPS,
 And braved a 12 lane highway, and did OK we guess!
 The second trip was out of town, Cabilla Abierta One
 The program is amazing, our hearts were really won!
 The words of Christ, baptismal font, our prophets oh so dear
 The sisters there do a fantastic job, the people there to teach,
 The elders were out on the streets beside, getting people they could reach

It’s Thanksgiving day this week, we’ll think of you all there,
 Take some time for “thanksfuls” after eating and your prayer,
 We’re thankful for you all you know, each one is in our heart,
 We’re thankful for the work you do, as each one does their part.
 We’re thankful for your kindness, and love for family,
 We’re thankful that our grandkids know they have a place to be.
 We’re thankful for our Savior most, and for the gospel plan,
 We’re thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in lving in our land.
 We’re thankful for the prayers you send, and Heavenly Father’s hand,
 We’ll work hard, with all that help, and do all that we can!


 Este es el major din de mi vida!
 Happy Thanksgiving week!

 We just want to send a note to express our gratitude and love to each of you. We are making progress each day and loving the Argentine people.. I still get turned around but we venture farther, yesterday we drove to our first Capilla Abierta at the Haedo ward. (Ron is getting so good at the driving and Google maps what did we ever do with out it.)

The chapel open house (Capilla Abierta) was such a wonderful experience to see how they present their wards to their neighbors. They have Banners that are displayed. In the chapel they have the Christus banner and then when the visitors come in they play the words of Christ. It is so beautiful in Spanish and you can feel the spirit so strongly. They then visit the cultural hall where they explain more about Christ. Then they go in to the room with the baptismal font. They have 2 missionaries dressed in white with the font full. Explain the purpose of baptism. Very powerful. The YW, Primary and RS have a table set up explain their program. This is such a powerful missionary tool., so effective in our area. The cultural here is such an open and family cultural that they respond so favorability to this open invitation. We are looking forward to helping organize and train for these great events.

 The area we live in has all these small café’s and fresh fruit markets. The fruits and vegetables are wonderful. It has been fun to eat at some of these small cafes. We went to a Peruvian one that the meat was so good. You know I really don’t like red meat but this steak and vegetables were wonderful. With grilled onions and peppers.

 In my Spanish class at work we have been reading Frozen. At close to the end Olaf was given a permanent cloud over him and exclaims “this is the best day of my life” , because then he wouldn’t melt. I decided that each day here this should be my motto.
 “Este es el major din de mi vida!”
 Abrazos,