Two Days Worth

Some nights I just can't get the blog updated, mainly because we get home a little late from the office. Then I need to feed us, maybe do a load of laundry and iron some white shirts. The later it gets, I can't get up the energy to tackle it. But last night was a little different, because Rich had a physical therapy appointment at 7:00. We were gone a good part of the evening.

8/25/09

Yesterday Elder Valente took Elder Paz with him all day to show him what he does with apartment contracts and whatever he does when he runs around town. He doesn't have much time left to teach him all he knows. Elder Paz seems a bit overwhelmed, and I don't blame him. But he is an older missionary (around 25 years old) so hopefully his maturity will serve him well in handling all the responsibility. He lives on the edge of the jungle in Peru, is the oldest child, and the only member of the church in his family. He understand English pretty good, and tries to speak it all the time. He does well. He wants me to speak to him in English so he can learn and improve. But then I want him to speak Spanish to me so I can learn and improve.

While they were gone, Elder Nelson, Elder Kroff and I worked steadily and quietly at our computers. We aren't the noisy ones. Things liven up when Elder Valente is around. It will really seem strange without him, but he needs to be having other missionary experiences and not be bothered with the stress the office work brings. He has had health problems during his lifetime and came to the mission a year ago with hammer toes. I'm not sure if he knew what was wrong, but he had a hard time walking without pain. I don't think his family had money to send him to the doctor to find out what was wrong. So he had surgery on his feet and stayed with an uncle close by for a month while he was recuperating. A month has been tacked on to the end of his mission so he will serve the complete two years.

The Tintoreria (dry cleaner) that we take our clothes to is in San Isidro close to the mission home. There may be one closer to us in San Fernando, but we don't know which ones are good and which ones are not. This one is quite close to the physical therapy place, so we had the remise take us to get our clothes before we were dropped off for the therapy.

It is just a small place, but they do a good job. We have been pleased. Two ladies work there and when they saw us get out of the remise, they knew who we were and had our clothes out and ready for us. We have only taken a couple pair of pants there in the past, but this time one of Rich's suits needed cleaning plus a couple other items.

Mariana really worked Rich's leg over. He was even wrinkling his brow a time or two as she applied pressure or made him stretch or bend his knee a certain way. He is tired of being lame and having problems because of his age. Hopefully, this will pass and he will be good as new soon.

8/26/09

We are never bored at work. While the elders were busy taking other elders to get their residency completed, and going on errands, Elder Kroff and I tended to the office. Since it was "P" day today for everyone but the office staff, the AP's and companions had a soccer game with some ward members over on the church's property. It's a good thing our elders were gone while it was in progress, because they would have been so envious. Elder Nelson loves to play soccer.

Now that this transfer is over, I begin immediately preparing for the next one. I have already sent the letters to the parents and stake presidents of the three elders going home. That's right, just three. They leave September 23. It is interesting that in September, we have three going home and three new ones coming. I figure Salt Lake knows that and assigns accordingly. Then, the next transfer comes the 3rd of November and it blew my theory all to pieces. We have 11 going home and 5 coming - all elders. But December is a doozy. There are about 12 going home and 22 elders coming. No sisters in this group either. It all evens out somewhere down the line, I guess.

Two elders waiting for their companions to come back from getting their DNI/residency completed were talking with us in the office for a few minutes. And when we mentioned that our good friends, the Doyles, were serving in the Switzerland Geneva mission, one piped up and said his grandfather was the mission president there about 9 to 12 years ago. His name is Lund.

As we left our apartment building today going to work, there was a sign on the door telling all the tenants that new front door keys were being issued to everyone and we were to pick one up at the place where we pay our rent. (about 12 blocks away) Since the last robbery a few days ago, I guess they are changing the locks. The other night we heard drilling noises in the building and guessed that others were installing the "monster" locks on their doors like we did.

Right after we got home tonight, Rich took a remise down to the Maipu Diagnostico place where he got his MRI. He had to pick up the MRI of Elder Halsted, the missionary that has the knee problem that has been bothering him his whole mission. Then tomorrow, he will take it to Dr. Ottonello so he can assess what is going on with his knee.

There is some strange hooping and hollaring going on upstairs in the party room above us. There must be some celebration going on of some kind. Thank heavens for the ear plugs.