Good Day - Friday, Jan. 8, 2010

It has been a busy week for illnesses within the mission. Even before we left for the office this morning, my phone rang with a sick missionary calling. Two callers today had the same symptoms. Each had fevers and sore throats. We encourage our young friends to drink lots of water and liquids because of the heat and humidity. We don't want anyone suffering from heat exhaustion or dehydration. It can happen quickly around here.

None of us were super busy at the office today. I probably had the most to do because of the new binders I am working on, but I just couldn't get on a roll with them today. I puttered around doing odds and ends to clean up things on my desk that had been laying around for over a week. I also went over to the chapel and practiced my hymns for Sunday. It was a slow, stress free day.

Elder Kroff was less busy than I, but he did work with Elder Paz in setting up a new landlord to be paid electronically. Their goal is to get all the landlords on electronic payments, then the zone leaders won't have to worry about hand delivering rent money to them monthly. But that is a huge undertaking. It requires driving out to find the landlords to obtain their signatures to get them set up. That would be hours and hours of driving around to complete the project. Over time it will be done, but it isn't on the priority list yet.

The man who cleans our office, the chapel, and the church restrooms quit last week. When Elder Paz called to find out who would be coming and when, he was told that the man was just on vacation. That wasn't our understanding, however. Then yesterday, we received a call that a new cleaning company would be by to clean our office today. Hurrah! The garbages were getting really full and the floor was looking pretty dirty with mud being tracked in from a couple rain storms we have had recently. And the restrooms that we use over in the church were needing attention. So cleaning people will be a welcomed sight.

Lunch time rolled around and Rich and I already decided that we would order a pizza to be delivered for our lunch. We found out that the elders didn't have lunch for today either, so we ordered two pizzas and they tasted pretty good for a change.

Sister Argyle and her children fly in from the South at 1:00 a.m. Elder Coria arranged for a combi to pick them up and bring them home. That way, neither us nor the elders have to pick them up at that late (early) hour. It seems like they have been gone forever, but we are sure they have had a wonderful time. President Argyle returns next Tuesday.

We were suppose to take Hermana Argyles van back to the mission home and park it in the garage so she would have it when she gets home. But, it has a flat tire. Elder Coria was hoping to find a tire company that would come to our office and change the tire and take the flat one to be fixed. He was unsuccessful in his search. So Elder Coria and Elder Curtis took on the job of changing the tire. Elders Pugmire, Healy and Riquelme look on. How many missionaries does it take to fix a flat??? The assistants, Elders Curtis and Pugmire are leaving today to fly South to meet up with the President to work with the missionaries in those zones.

Since the van isn't ready to go back to Sister Argyle, Rich and I drove the other car over to the mission home and left it. Then we walked to the train station and caught the train back home. Friday night is usually our night out at McDonalds, but we weren't feeling it tonight. So we had some left over Sloppy Joes and fruit for dinner.

As this week ends, we have been thinking of our friends, the Fairbanks who have been in the MTC this week preparing to go to their mission assignments in Athens, Greece. She is a nurse and is going to be the area medical advisor, and his title is office specialist. We are excited for them.

And the decision is final with the Doyles in Switzerland. They will be extending their mission for five more months. Their release date will be in September, same as ours. They are in a beautiful part of the world.