One Year Ago - Friday, Dec. 18, 2009

Last year at this time we were on pins and needles waiting for our mission call. It came on December 18, 2008, in the afternoon mail. We didn't open it until our children were there and some other interested relatives who wanted to share the happy time with us. I remember the day in detail.

We knew very little about Argentina, only that it sounded like such a long way from home. And it is!! When we arrived, we remember thinking that we would never be able to get around on our own in this massive city. It is amazing what a little time will do to build self confidence.

Today was Zone Leaders Council at the mission home and Elder Kroff and I were on the agenda. The meeting starts at 9:00 and the President likes everyone there at least fifteen minutes early to get seated and in the spirit of the occasion. We complied. The assistants and their companions met us at the office at 8:30 to ride over in the car.

After our brief presentations on baptismal registers and finances, we left again in the car to return to the office, leaving the assistants to return by train. Seniority has it's benefits.

I immediately began calling some elders to clarify unreadable information on some baptismal registers I received. Then I entered the information into the computer. Next, I began collecting the requests for supplies from the missionaries in the Belgrano zone. That conference is on Monday. Reverting back to our normal schedule for these conferences made compiling all the requests and mail a piece of cake.

Rich worked on getting the rents ready for January which require the President's signature before they are sent to the area office in order to be paid electronically. So both of us were occupied with lots of things to do today.

Elder Davis, who had a hernia operation on Tuesday, came to our office today so he could have companionship. We put a mattress on the floor of the President's office and he laid down most of the day reading his scriptures, or some Liahonas (three in one church magazine). He would get up once in a while and come out to move around a little. He will be with us all next week.

A few months ago an elder came into our office wearing these shoes, and we couldn't resist taking a picture of them. We have never seen a pair of shoes so hammered before. It must have been in the winter time. Would polish help? Doubtful!

Later in the afternoon we all decided we had worked so hard this week that we needed to reward ourselves. Ice cream would do the trick!! So a call was made and soon we were enjoying the delicious assortment of flavors from Daniels. Yummm!

We had been invited to the San Fernando ward pot luck Christmas dinner which was starting at 8:00. It seemed like it might be a fun thing to attend, but after getting home and unwinding, it was too much of an effort to get all dressed up again and walk out the door. So we had hot dogs, jello salad, and frozen french fries (cooked, of course) for dinner and called it a night.