A Fun Day

We, office workers, were excited to wake up early even if it was Saturday and "P" day.  We were going to the Mission Home to have breakfast with President and Sister Argyle and their family. This happens every six weeks after every transfer.  They treat the office staff to breakfast.

                The Elders picked us up at 8:15  

    
Breakfast consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash brown potatoes, muffins, and fruit.  The President gets right into it stirring the eggs.  His daughter, Anika, helps too. 

    The table is set with china plates and cloth napkins, surrounded by hungry hombres who love this tradition.  

The President's children even get up on a Saturday morning to join us. For a couple of them, it may be out of obligation rather than desire. But, they are friendly, and pleasant, and a joy to be around.  It was a good meal, and a good time. This is definitely a perk for being assigned to the office.  

After helping to clean up, the Elders went out back to throw the basketball around with the young boys.  Since we were in Acassuso, we decided to go exploring and find the meat market where we buy our hamburger, and the health food store where we buy brown sugar, baking cocoa, and many of the items that can't be found in the regular markets.  Then we would take the train back home. We didn't tell the Elders we were going, because then they would have felt obligated to leave their game and take us back, and we wanted to just head out walking and see what we could find.  We also wanted to try to find a Western Union so we could get the money that was wired to us. 

Before we found the Western Union, we really had to count our pesos and calculate how much meat to buy, and how much we could afford at the health food store. We only had about $18 in our pocket. Plus, we needed a few pesos for the train.  We certainly felt like the rest of our missionaries who don't have much money and have to carefully budget what little they have.  

We made one stop before arriving home, to an area where we were told we might find a Western Union.  It was just a block from the train stop, so it was easy and convenient to find. We were successful in obtaining the cash, and it felt good to have money again. However, most of what we got will go for our rent that is due.  So we were grateful to have that money in hand.  

We were tired when we arrived back at our apartment, so we decided to take a nap before heading out again. My half hour nap turned into a two hour one. I couldn't believe it!  

One of the main activities I wanted to do today was to go to WalMart. I can't believe I am saying that because at home, I don't really enjoying going there all that much.  It is too big, and it tires me out walking miles to find anything in the store.  But, I had a list of things I wanted to try to find.  I was hoping I could find some name brand items in the cosmetic/toiletry section that I was used to using.  Not so!  But, at least I tried.                                                                                                              

Sister Argyle took us to WalMart a couple weeks after we came so I could find things to cook and to show us around. Since then, the GPS we had in the office car went on the blink and kept wiping out addresses.  No one could tell us how to find WalMart.  We have a new GPS now, so we were anxious to make the trip and today was the day.  We were shocked at how easy it was to get there.  Only one turn from the office, and we stayed on that road all the way out to the store.  We could have easily found it if someone would have just given us verbal instructions and the correct street to take.  It seemed confusing and hard to find when we had just been in the country 2 weeks, but now I guess we are more brave and we understand and recognize where we are and how to get around.   

This has been a fun Saturday!