Visiting Irene - Saturday, October 30, 2010

We had a lazy morning with nothing too exciting on our agenda, so it was hard to get moving and motivated. But then we remembered that we needed to go to the libreia in San Isidro to get some five tab colored dividers for my new missionary binders. We'll need to show the Schoenys where this store is as it is the only place I can find these dividers.

While I got ready, Rich went for a short walk up the street to get a tie and a pair of pants from the dry cleaners. When he returned, we left to get on the train and go just three stops to San Isidro.

It was sunny today, but very windy. Not a good hair day!! We were successful in buying what we needed at the libreia and then hopped on the train again and went one more stop to Acassuso to the health food store where we buy peanut butter that tastes second best to Jif, for an Argentine brand. We picked up a couple other things there too. The owner knows us now.

I could see that bringing our shopping cart would be beneficial because I know how we are when we go shopping for "just one thing." It never ends up being just one thing. After leaving the health food store, we walked around the corner to the meat market that we used to patronize early on in our mission. We didn't know any other reliable places, but now we do. Then across the street is a good fruit and vegetable market. So by the time we made it back to the train station, our cart was pretty full.

Walking towards home when we got to San Fernando, we stopped at our favorite panadaria for rolls, pizza crust, empanadas, and a sweet treat. Good thing we were close to home because we had no more room in the cart.

We arrived home at 2:00 and started cleaning the apartment. Then I started catching up my entries that I enter into the mission medical site. I wanted to get that off my mind so I could continue on with my journal entries.

However, at 5:30, Elder Lowry called and asked what we were doing and wanted to know if we would go with them to meet with Irene Mercado again. She is the one we met on Wednesday evening. Could we meet them at the church in twenty minutes and we would take the train to her home in San Isidro. Since it was short notice, we figured that possibly the adult they had lined up to accompany them for this sita dropped out. Since they can't teach a single sister without an adult present, we changed gears, put on our missionary clothes and hurried to the church.

Irene had the time mixed up for their appointment and was not prepared for us when we came. She let us in but had to resume bathing Maria, the little lady with Down Syndrome, that lives with her. So we visited in the living room over orange juice and apple juice while we waited. When finished, both came to the living room where Irene then brought out Maria's dinner. She sat quietly at the table to eat her food. She is such a tiny lady and so cute. Irene is a saint to sacrfice her time to care for Maria and she isn't a member of her family. Maria comes from a family of eight brothers and sisters and not one of them will take care of her.

Elder Lowry (Midway, UT) and Elder Urra (Chile) are the AP's and the highest baptizing missionaries in the mission right now. They are excited about teaching Irene and can thank the Gulbrandsens for sending her their way as she is the one they met in the fruit market a couple weeks ago. Tonight, however, she was a little more hesitant than she was last Wednesday. She had many questions about the resurrection and the need for a church. Her evangelist thinking came forward that people can believe in God and live a good life and they don't need to belong to a church. It was clearly evident that she didn't understand the Plan of Salvation lesson that she had been given, and Rich could see that the lesson was getting so fragmented and going off in all kinds of directions.

When the elders asked for his input, he asked for a piece of paper and said that he would like to answer her questions and tie all of them together in one concept and then he layed out in simple terms the Plan of Salvation. He explained where God, Jesus Christ, and we, as children of God, fit in and how we get back to His presence. She was in awe and was stopped short in her negative thinking. She could see that it was all so simple and his way of explaining it left her without questions. She kept sayng, "He's good, he's dangerous" and "He knows his stuff." When she would try to interject something that might get them off track, he would tactfully cut her off and bring her attention back to the paper. It ended up so positive and upbeat that the elders couldn't thank him enough afterwards for what he did.

Elder Lowry admitted that as missionaries the way Rich taught the gospel so simply tonight was how they all need to do it, but that they just aren't there yet . . . they are still learning. They were so impressed! Isn't age and experience wonderful?

The elders have a baptism of three tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. before church and Irene said she will be there, and will bring Maria. We plan on going tomorrow too, so we can sit with them as the elders will be busy running around preparing. It is really early to hold a baptism, hopefully she will come.