Rainy Weather - Oct. 28th & Oct. 29, 2010

Thursday, October 28

The days have been so pleasant weather wise and it is wonderful not to have to wear coats to work. We haven't felt the humidity much lately, maybe we are just used to it. But our walk to the office for the past few days has been refreshing with the warm, not hot, sun shining so brightly. However, we need to enjoy it while it lasts because the weekend forecast isn't so good.

Today should be the last day of the Mission President's Seminar and we anticipate that President and Sister Gulbrandsen might stop by the office on their way home, since we haven't seen them all week. Elder Anderson from the Quorum of the Twelve is in Argentina and spent time at the Seminar with the Presidents, then if I understood correctly, will be going to Cordoba for the ground breaking of the temple that will be built there. I will learn more about that from Sister Gulbrandsen when we have time to talk.

We had a normal day at the office just doing what we do. We are each trying to get our training instuctions typed up and ready for the Schoeny's. Some of the things we typed up a while back have changed now due to various changes in how the President's wants things done, and programs and training that have been mandated by the Missionary Department in Salt Lake. Since we won't have as much time as we thought we would to train, we will keep our computers open to skype and each day if they have questions, we will train them over skype. That should work.

We came home from work and I had a small shopping list of things that could be picked up at Disco. We always go shopping on Friday nights, but due to the weather forecast that predicted rain all day and into the evening tomorrow, we decided we should pick up what we needed tonight as pulling our shopping cart in the rain would not be fun. So Rich went to the store and I stayed home to work on journal/blog entries. These things rule my life.

He didn't come, and didn't come, and right away I knew that he was standing in long lines. That's just how it is if we don't go right after work at 4:30 or 5:00. Somehow the check out process around here takes forever, and they even have scanners for the bar codes.

Friday, October 29

So, I sent Rich to the store last night because the forecast was ugly and this morning it was beautiful outside with some white clouds against a blue sky, and the sun was shining. It said there would be rain ALL day and night, but looking outside one could never be convinced that the weatherman was right. However, it was a little windy, but warmish. I still thought I might need a jacket, so I took the lining out of my coat and wore it as a wind breaker.

And the skeptic that I am, I stuck my umbrella in my purse. Rich seeing me do that prompted him to stick his in his carry bag all the while thinking we were not going to need them.

The office was full of assistants and staff at the same time so it was a hive of activity. The Gulbrandsen's didn't show up yesterday, but Elder Lowry said that they would be coming by at 10:30 today. Oh good, Elder Kroff got a check ready to be approved, and I had a small stack of new missionary applications, and some other things to give Sister Gulbrandsen.

I am finally feeling a little less stress as I work at my desk, because I am making progress on things that were put on the back burner. But as I was working away, I looked up at my window above my desk and through the opaque or frosted glass I could see that it was very dark outside. This was just an hour or two after we arrived at the office. Sure enough, the rain clouds were forming and before long it was pouring outside. Who would have thought! They came fast!

The President came and as I went for a chair for Sister Gulbrandsen to sit with me, she declined saying that they only had a few minutes. They didn't make it at 10:30 as was the plan, but they dashed in about 11:10 and said they had to be somewhere by 11:30. Elders were asking him questions, and he was flying here and there telling the Assistants what he needed, and instructing Elder Peterson on some things he needed done for him. It was like a whirl wind came through and they were gone again. They took Elder Mamani with them to work with another elder for the afternoon. Whew! I don't know how they do it.

Lunch time came and Elders Davis and Paz chose not to eat the food in the fridge furnished by Sister Bolentini. They left to go to the Peruvian restaurant -- in the rain with our umbrellas. Elder Peterson is more frugal and he invited us to share the food in the fridge with him. Who could turn down Milanesa, chicken and rice. It was much better than the sandwich we brought, so the three of us sat together and enjoyed our lunch.

Last night Sister Romo from Tigre called and invited us to go tonight with them to visit with Olga. We went with them several weeks ago when they were first teaching her and when her baptism date came, she backed out with the fear that after baptism she won't be able to obey all of the commandments consistently. They wanted us to come along with the hopes that maybe Elder Kroff could say something to help her and give her the strength she needs to act in faith. She knows English pretty good and likes to speak it when she is with the missionaries.

We were hoping the car wouldn't be in use tonight so we could take it in the rain instead of waiting for buses, but the Assistants had appointments spread out that required them to use it. It was okay, as we would take a remise if need be.

I told Elders Peterson, Davis, and Paz that they were not getting very much exposure on my blog lately and that I needed to take their picture. So before they headed out in the rain themselves, they posed for a shot. They are a good looking threesome! Elder Davis' fractured foot is much better and he is walking good now so a comment from the President has him thinking he will be leaving the office shortly. He is anxious and nervous about it wondering what is in store for him.

It was still raining when we left the office, but we dodged the puddles in the uneven sidewalks, and hurried along as fast as we could being very thankful that we brought our umbrellas even when the sun was shining early this morning. I, in turn, was grateful I wore my coat as one sleeve was wet and the back was noticeably damp -- as was the bottom of my skirt and Rich's pants.

Our appointment with the sisters was to meet them in front of the Tigre chapel at 7:45 to walk the couple of blocks to Olgas for the 8:00 appointment. But as the time grew near, my telephone rang with a sister missionary that had a medical problem. In speaking with her and the doctor a few times and trying to figure out what to do, it was decided she would need to be checked out at the hospital in Austral for the pain in her abdomen that she was experiencing.

Right in the middle of arranging all of this, it was time for us to leave for Tigre. I couldn't get off the phone right then, so Rich had to call a remise and leave without me to meet the sisters. Besides, sending someone to the hospital requires an authorization which I need to print off from my computer at work and fax to the hospital. I would need to go back to the office tonight.

After getting off the phone and resuming my journal update I was working on, here came Rich through the door. It was now 8:05. He left at 7:30 to go downstairs to meet the remise, but they never came. He continued to call them every so often as he waited and they kept telling him, "Just five minutes more and someone will be there." "Five minutes more." Finally at 8:00 he called them back and said to forget it because it was too late. They then admitted that they were short on cars due to the rain storm. They should have told him that in the first place and he could have called another company. He knew the sisters would not have waited at the church for us past 8:00, and he couldn't contact them by phone because they don't carry their cell phones with them while on the streets. It all worked out well, because Sister Romo called him at 9:00 when they returned home for the night and said that Olga wasn't there when they went to her home anyway.

Missing that remise ride then made it possible for Rich to walk with me to the office in the dark to send the authorization to the hospital. I could have done it okay as our streets are well lit, but still . . . it makes me a little nervous to be out by myself after dark. So all is well that ends well!