The Day Before - Monday, Nov 2, 2009

Again we woke up to a rainy morning and would have to take our umbrellas to work. Luckily, when we left our apartment, it was between rain storms and our 4 block walk was dry. We hurried anyway!

My focus today was to obtain clarification on the bolsa/pouch mail system as it pertains to getting things to the families of our Latin missionaries. Things we have always been able to send through bolsa to the stakes where the families reside are being returned. I guess the rules have changed and mail can no longer be sent to wards or stakes for delivery to families. Bolsa mail is now only for mail being sent to missionaries. We don't trust the local Argentine mail system to get things delivered in a timely manner, and sending things through bolsa was so convenient. I still need some answers on particular things.

Today is the eve of transfer week. It all begins tomorrow bright and early. Elder Nelson will be leaving the office for good, so we need to have camera in hand as he and his new companion greet each other and take off to parts unknown to us.

While here today, however, he and Elder Coria finished up last minute instructions on a variety of things. He is either praying for guidance, or has lost his chair.

At noon, Elder Kroff had to go home to wait for a repair man to come to fix our wall where there has been some water damage due to the rain. I was doubting that it would really happen, but he went anyway because they called and told him someone had to be home. They were coming between 12:00 and 5:00. Yeah, right!

At 3:00, I called him to see how things were progressing and told him to call the management company and see when the repairman would be by. That he did, and they acted like they were surprised he hadn't been there. About 15 minutes later the worker came to tell Rich that because of all the rain the past few days, he couldn't fix the chimney on the roof where the problem originates, so he can't fix our wall yet. Couldn't a phone call have been made to postpone the appointment? Well -- Argentines don't operate that way. We are sure they forgot and then sent someone over after Rich called them.

Last night we captured an important picture for us. These are all the office elders that we have worked with in the past eight months, minus Elder Whitmer who went home in August. Back row left to right are Elders Owens, Clegg, Coria, Nelson, and in front, Elders Paz and Valente. What a great bunch of young men. We love them all!!

This is the gentleman who cleans our office once a week. I forgot to get his name, but he does a fabulous job. It smells so good when he is finished and he damp mops the floor every week. The other guy who used to clean never did the floor unless we asked him to. This cleaning service is doing it through December. After that we don't know what will happen. We hope they don't make us do it because no one has time, and when would we do it, on "P" day? Heaven forbid!!

Tonight, Rich worked on his DVD getting it ready to burn 13 copies for Sister Argyle to give to the missionaries on Wednesday before they go. I studied some Spanish and did the journal entry. It is still 11:00. I just can't get it done any earlier.