A New Week - Monday, April 5, 2010

Since we were spiritually rejuvenated over the weekend with conference, we were ready to attack another week in the mission field. We have always enjoyed and appreciated General Conference, but nothing like we have since being on a mission and being in Argentina so far away from the headquarters of the church. We have had a glimpse of what members who live all over the world so far from the Prophet and leadership of the church feel like.

Today started out normal until we received a call from the Stake President of Elder Alvarez looking for a correct number for President Argyle. He relayed that Elder Alvarez's mother was gravely ill and could pass away at any time. He is from Paraguay and is one of our temporary missionaries waiting for a visa to go to his field of labor in Venezuela (I think). He has been with us several months.

We gave him the President's number and about an hour or so later, the President called to say that Elder Alvarez was going home for one week. Leaving the mission is discouraged, of course, but the elder's Stake President said that although the family are members, they are quite fragile and the ill mother wanted to see her son. Understandable! The church allows one week bereavement leave when necessary, so Elder Alvarez is flying home at the family's expense tomorrow.

Now, the President needed to find an elder to be with the companion of Elder Alvarez while he is gone, so the obvious choice was to take a missionary from a companionship of three to go on an emergency "division." Elder Coria was the chosen one. He will leave us for a week and go to the zone of Escobar to be with Elder Hymas.

That leads us to our last office elder spotlight which is Elder Damian German Coria. He is Argentine and comes from Bahia Blanca which is in the southern part of the state of Buenos Aires. It is unusual for the state of Buenos Aires to have a city with the same name. But, that's how it is here. The city of Buenos Aires where we are has a population of 13 million people.

Elder Coria is the youngest child in a family of four children. He has three older sisters. His family has been members of the church for 25 years, so he has been a member his whole life. He likes sports and is an avid soccer player having been on a soccer team. He plays volleyball for fun. Before his mission he enjoyed summer vacations traveling around with friends. He likes "hanging out" with friends listening to music, talking, eating tacos, and -- asados are his favorite (BBQ). He wants to be a pilot, and he hopes to come to the United States sometime in his life. He is a gentle, kind person and has a fun personality. We all depend on him alot in the office to deal with people and situations involving the "Argentine way." He's a gem!

I worked on my carpetas all day completing more than half of the eleven I have to do. I can finish them tomorrow. I also sent some welcome letters to missionaries coming in July and August. Rich had to leave the office to go home and get our laundry to take it to the Lavaderia. They are only open a half day now, so an after work deliver won't work any more. Then, he went to a Pago Rapido to pay some facturas (utility bills) and came back frustrated that he could not get them all paid. There are too many hoops to jump through and too many lines to wait in. Things can change from one time to the next around here. He'll try again another day.

After work, we walked over to the Farmacia to get several of Rich's perscriptions filled - only one for me. Then we picked up some things at Disco and couldn't pass up McDonalds. Since we didn't make it there last Friday, it was legal to stop tonight.

The evening hours went fast, and I couldn't get two journal entries done to get caught up. Someday! We talked with Marianne and Mekhi on skype. We miss our grandsons.