Saying Goodbye - Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Today was probably the hottest day on record so far this summer. It registered around 95 degrees, but with 88% humidity it felt like 100+. It was noticeably warmer when we left our apartment at 8:45 a.m. We always pick the shady side of the streets to walk on, because the sun is so piercing. To us it feels different than the sun at home. Maybe it is our imagination, but it feels hotter and just burns with the first contact.

The elders beat us to the office and were working dutifully at their computers when we walked in. Elder Paz was already training Elder Hales by showing him different things on the computer that deal with housing. We logged in, and Elder Kroff got busy sending off the zone money to the zone leaders. I started working on my baptisms -- evaluating which ones were good enough to enter and calling on those where I detected a problem. I will spend more time on the phone tomorrow morning because there are about nine that I have yet to receive.

I was anxious to get to my supply room and start sorting mail and organizing, prior to actually putting together the orders for next weeks conferences. The packages went fairly fast, but the missionaries received an extra large volume of letters and cards. I am only about one third through with those. A fair amount are probably Christmas letters and cards that are just getting here. Our runner is going tomorrow to get the packages that ended up in Customs -- he has about 15 to bring back. Most of these, no doubt, are probably late Christmas gifts.

Elder Coria had transportation all arranged to pick up the missionaries at the mission home at 5:00 and take them to the airport. The two Latinos were leaving at 7:00 to go to Santiago, Chile, and the flights to the U.S. were at 10:30. All were to leave at once, but the President thought that it would be cutting it too close for the Chileans if they left at 5:00. They really should leave at 4:00 as the drive to the airport on a good day is 30 to 45 minutes. The transportation service could not change their plans and come an hour earlier to accommodate the Latinos. Elder Coria called around to find another service to pick up the two missionaries at 4:00, but was running into problems. A regular remise service could take one missionary with his luggage, but not two. Most of these vehicles are small compact cars.

So, we offered to take these two elders to the airport after Rich got through settling up with them on their finances. We were just about to leave to go to the mission home in order for him to do this. We enjoy seeing the ones leaving and telling them goodbye, so we look forward to this assignment. We asked President Argyle if that was agreeable with him if we drove these two missionaries and he was all for it.

We were there for the final photo of this group of elders that came into the mission together and are leaving together. They were good missionaries and we wish them the best as they pursue their goals in life. Hopefully they will all serve as valiantly in church callings as they did as missionaries.

We had fun driving Elder Amo and Elder Miranda to the airport. Their flight to Santiago is under two hours, so they will be home before the others leave. We became good friends with Elder Miranda and he promised to email once in a while. Hope he remembers!

On driving back home, Rich remembered that he was teaching an English class tonight at the church at 6:30. We would be there just in time. The missionaries from the Virreyes and San Fernando wards have young investigators and some members who want to learn English. They asked Elder Kroff if he could do that. Well, just so happens that Rich took a year of classes to qualify him to teach "English as a Second Language" in high school. He did this for three years to mainly Spanish students that didn't know English very well.

When we arrived back at the office we were dumb founded that neither of us had our keys with us. Rich's were sitting on his desk, and I thought mine must be somewhere in the office also, since they were not in my purse. So here we stood by the door realizing that we didn't have keys to open the office or our apartment either. We couldn't call the elders for help because they aren't allowed to take their cell phone with them at night. Okay, so what now?? The only thing we could do was go to the mission home and get the President's key. That was our only option at this point.

Two boys had arrived for the class and we told them we were trying to round up keys to get into the church and into our office. We would be back. It takes 15 minutes to drive each way to the mission home. We would be back in a half hour. When we got back, there were eight girls already in the church sitting in a classroom waiting. We don't know who opened the door for them. Rich quickly got his materials and conducted the class. He said it went well. I walked on home and was glad to get here.

It's been a good day, but a little tiring -- only because we make it that way due to the dumb things we do. Tomorrow will be better -- if I can find MY keys. First look in the office tonight didn't produce them, and they are not here at home. Gulp!