An Argentine Evening - Monday, November 8, 2010

One month from today!!

It rained all day!! After a beautiful weekend and temperatures in the low 90's on Sunday, it was a definite change to have it back in the low 70's today. The rain was not heavy all day, but constant. However, it did let up for our walk home in the late afternoon.

It was P-day today and another group of missionaries came in to go to the Correo in San Isidro with Elder Peterson to sign for their packages that are hung up in customs. These happy campers are Elders Vera, Ramey, Griffeth, Labra and Hermanas Bray and Romo. Everyone loves a package from home.

Crowded under shelter from the rain before taking off for the correo are Elders Trayner, Allred, Godfrey, Beck, Cranford, Kelly, Watson, Witherspoon, Vera, Ramey, and Griffeth in the front. We are seeing packages come in now addressed to Sister Gulbrandsen, so hopefully in the near future we won't have to call missionaries to come in on their P-day to complete this task. Some living far out left at 7:00 by train and bus to get to the office in time to go.

I made progress on my carpetas and finished them today. Only having eight new missionaries coming on transfer day this time made my work a little easier. I was grateful!

I still have anxiety about getting my desk ready to train Sister Schoeny. I am not quite sure how to organize all I do so it follows a time line and will be easy to see what needs to be done when. I'm working on it.

On this rainy day, Elder Kroff had more than one errand that took him out of the office. Luckily he had bus transportation and his umbrella. Even his fleece vest felt good today.

All day we looked forward to our invitation tonight to go to the Sarachos for Family Home Evening and dinner. We experienced how the Argentine's do things, because we were being picked up at 8:30 p.m. Ezequiel and Rocio were invited also and she doesn't get off work until 8:30. So, after he picked her up from work, they stopped by to pick us up. In our Sunday School class this week when the time was set, they asked, "Will that be too late for you, Elder Kroff?"

By the time we got to the Sarachos it was 9:00, and before dinner, we all sat around the table to hear the FHE lesson prepared by Gabriel on Example. What an inspiration it was to see Gabriel, who has only been a member for four months, leading his family in FHE. Elder Kroff, Florencia, Gabriel, Blanca, and Luz all participated in the lesson.

Dinner was served around 10:00 (true Argentine style to eat late) and it was yummy. It was pasta mixed with a meat sauce to which we added grated parmesan cheese. It had the best flavor and I will have to ask Blanca for the recipe. Rocio made flan topped with whipped cream for dessert. Surrounding the table are Luz, Rocio, Ezequiel, Blanca, Kroffs, and Florencia. The two youngest little girls, Delfina and Aracelli were off playing.

Blanca has been a member of the church for 20 years and Rocio for 14 years. Ezequiel was baptized a year ago and Gabriel last July. While their relationships were without marriage until their husbands joined the church, the girls drifted back and forth from activity to being less active in the gospel. Both couples are dedicated and strong and are working towards being sealed in the temple once the Buenos Aires temple is reopened, hopefully by next July when Gabriel will have been a member for a year. We are going to miss these two families when we go home.

When we suggested that Ezequiel could drop us off at a bus stop and we could catch a bus going straight up Avellaneda, the answer was a resounding "NO." He is in between jobs right now and we hated to have him use his gas to take us home. It was raining, so the ride was appreciated and we left them all with many hugs for a delightful evening. We love them all!

We returned home at 11:30 and felt like true Argentines, doing it their way!! Goodnight!