A Day at the Office

This is where we serve our mission. It is in a Stake Center that has been renovated to house the mission office.  They moved the Stake President's office to another building, and remodeled that area for the mission.  We are in that annexed area that is coming off the main building. This is not the entrance to the church, only to the mission office.  They are still remodeling the church inside, and at the end of the week, much cleaning has to be done to get it ready for church on Sunday.  It is very dusty and gritty in some areas.  All of the churches have fences and gates around them.  The chapel is very pretty inside.  The floors are all tile, and the wood benches and pulpit area have a very shiny, high gloss look.  It is beautiful.   However, there are no organs in the churches, only pianos.

Notice the green grassy area in the picture. . . . . the next picture shows it up close. 

It is actually a place to park cars, but they grow grass in between these cement "things" coming out of the ground.  Very interesting!  It is a mixture of grass to make the place look nice, and cement so that cars can park on it and not crush the grass.   We haven't heard any other explanation as to why they do it.  But, oh well!

These are our new best friends, (besides Pres. & Sis. Argyle).  These are the only Elders we really know and with whom we spend the most time.

From left to right: 

Elder Hospina (silent H).  He is from Peru and has been here 3 months. However, he is going home tomorrow due to a back problem.  He was serving way down south in Tierra del Fruego and could not do the work, so the president brought him up here and put him with Elders Clegg and Whitmer to see if he could manage better, but it hasn't helped.  It is an injury he previously had prior to coming on his mission and he does well first thing in the morning, but then is in a lot of pain all day. It hurts to walk very far.  So he is having a medical release, and if and when he gets better, then maybe he can return to the mission field. 

Next is Elder Valente who is from Argentina.  He lives about 4 or 5 hours from here. 

Next is Elder Owens who is from Idaho Falls.  When he is released in another year, his parents are making plans to come and get him.

Next is Elder Whitmer (who has ties to Peter Whitmer in his geneology) He is from Mesa, AZ. He returns home in August.  He has been in the office one year.  He is the one over finances who is training Rich.

Kneeling is Elder Clegg (Dan Clegg's son, grandson of Howard and Zella Clegg)  We are glad to claim him as a relative.  He is from Bountiful and goes home in November. He has been in the office 6 months.   Elder Clegg is the mission secretary and is training me.

Elders Clegg and Whitmer are companions, and after they leave the office, they have appointments with investigator until 9:00 at night.  They don't stop for dinner.  They eat when they get home at night.  They have great success and are high baptizing missionaries.   Elders Owens and Valente also teach at night after office hours.   These four are motivated, obedient missionaries.  They are fun to work with.

Today, I made sloppy joes, and jello with fruit cocktail in it to take to work for lunch.  Doritos and a store bought bag of cookies were added.   I have been trying to think of something I could take to feed the missionaries.  They thought they had died and gone to heaven.  They just gobbled it up.  I thought the jello might not be too exciting for them, but they cleaned the bowl dry.  They hadn't had jello since coming on their missions.  I had enough to fill 14 buns and they ate it all.  They were so appreciative. 

We thought we would be able to have missionaries come to our apartment for dinner once in a while, but that isn't possible because they don't have time at night.  So the only time to feed them is at lunch, but we have to take it to work.   The missionaries are required to stay in their zone areas where they live and proselyte.  No one has cars so they can't just roam around wherever they want.   So the only missionaries we have contact with are the office elders.

          Look what I did!!  I printed my first check. Things are looking up.