Two Busy Nights

Last Sunday the Branch President came rushing out after church to catch Sisters Cano and Howard and us as we were leaving the building. He said that next Sunday was going to be missionary Sunday and he wanted all of us to participate in Sacrament meeting. He wanted all the talks to be from the missionaries and also a musical number. Three speakers and a musical number is about all the time will allow, so it is probably good I don't speak the language. The other three will speak for 10 minutes each and all of us are going to sing a hymn. That will about do it for what time is available. I could write my testimony and have it translated and then read it, but not this time. I need more practice.

I told the group that I could probably play a hymn for them to sing, but since I am not speaking, they thought I should at least sing with them. Well, the first counselor's wife and daughter were talking with us outside after the Branch President was through, and we asked her daughter, Belén, if she played the piano. She said she only knew 3 hymns. "Great," we said, "Will you play one of them for us to sing?" She agreed and we set up a time to practice which was tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the chapel in Tigre. Right after, at 7:30, there is a Ward Coorelation meeting that we (the missionaries) are going to attend.

Rich and I were anticipating the busy evening, so we didn't stay late at the office. We left after 4:00 so we could come home and rest up, have some dinner, and walk to the bus stop.

Upon arriving in Tigre, we met the Hermana's who were already at the church. We wondered if Belén would remember, and she did. We learned that she took some piano lessons two years ago, but quit. Now she has started practicing again and it is out of the Simplified Hymn Book. She said that the only two hymns she can play are Come Follow Me and I am a Child of God. She can play I am a Child of God best so that is the one we are singing. We invited her mother, Hermana Olmedo to sing with us. We all praised Belén for her playing, and I told her to practice up as when I am no longer in the branch, that they would need her to play the piano for sacrament meeting. She is rather shy and stays in the background. Who knows, maybe this will be such a positive experience for her that she will develop the piano talent that is so badly needed in the branch.

The Ward Correlation meeting was interesting. President Torre keeps things moving right along and doesn't let things get out of hand with unrelated matters or idle chit chat. The branch is planning an activity where they meet together at the church and then split up and go out to invite less active members to our Ward Conference which is in a couple of weeks. He is all about helping the sister missionaries find people to teach and baptize. This branch should become a ward someday.

We walked with the Hermanas to the bus stop and paid the fees to give them and us a ride home. It was nice to meet with the members at Tigre tonight.

Today the weather was warmish and sunny. We had a good day at work getting things all cleared up before the weekend. I finished getting letters prepared and in the mail to the parents and Stake Presidents for the 13 going home in November. It seems strange to talk about November, but as fast as these days go, it will be here before we know it.

With 160 missionaries, mas o menos (more or less) we get A LOT of mail each month. Our supply room gets filled with packages and envelopes and it is my job to get it into the right bins going to zone conferences every six weeks. Some missionaries get an abundant amount of mail. The parents, girl friends, Aunts, whoever think their missionary will suffer if they don't receive a package or an envelope every week. Email is the suggested and preferred way to communicate with missionaries, but some families feel the need to still send letters and "things" through the mail. Last transfer, one elder received 20 letters and three fourths of them were from the same person. When would he have time to read all of those letters??

Anyway, a package came through the mail today that just blew us all away. What well meaning parents and friends don't realize is that sometimes on this end of receiving packages, there is a fee that is to be paid to accept it. Padded mailing envelopes comes through just fine and added costs are not assessed to them, but some packages end up going through customs and we have to drive to the Capital to get them and pay the fee to get them out. Some are delivered right to our office, but we still have to pay a charge on this end. Either way, the missionary is responsible for the costs incurred in getting this package to him/her.

Well, today, a medium size box came UPS and was mailed about 3 or 4 days ago. We had to pay 400 pesos to receive it. Gulp!! That is $100 US dollars. We just about died. Elder Kroff called the elder to give him a heads up that this package was here and to start saving. It was a birthday gift for him from his girlfriend. The elder couldn't believe it either. He laughed at the thought that he was getting a birthday gift that he has to pay for -- and pay probably more than the gift is worth.

Now, we aren't against missionaries receiving an occasional package from home, but some families go over the top in this area. So much money is being spent in mailing nonsensical things. One elder was a little embarrassed at all the packages he got and said he wished his mother would stop sending so much. It really isn't necessary.

Tonight we decided to go shopping at our favorite stores in Acassuso where we buy hamburger and milenesa (thin breaded meat or chicken) and to the store where we can get chocolate chips, raisins, good peanut butter, baking supplies etc. We haven't been there since July when Rich hurt his knee. We first had to stop in San Isidro to go to a paper supply store to get some needed items for the office. We, then, went to a store jam packed with anything for the kitchen or bathroom to find a cart on wheels that we can pull behind us to carry our goods when we go on shopping sprees. We have always wanted one and have been looking around. Now we look like the locals who don't have cars either.

We got on the train at San Isidro and went one more stop to Acassuso and were successful in our purchases. We even went to a fruit/vegetable stand and replenished our healthy food items.

But we did it again!! We got on the train going the wrong way and could have ended up at the end of the line in the Capital, but realized our error and got off after three stops. What were we thinking??? We both need caretakers.

We made it home at 8:00 and enjoyed a visit with Melissa and Nate on Skype. They are in Oregon. Love this day and age of instant communication.

We could have never carried all that we bought. This little addition to our family is going to come in really handy.