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
