Missionaries

October 2007 we took our first long trip of the mission. We went with Casablancas, Welfare Missionaries, who had set up Regional Welfare meetings where there were supposed to be all of the priesthood leaders from the two different regions that we would meet with. We were told that Firesides would be set up with the youth for us to teach them about PEF and that we would be able to meet with the Stake employment specialists and then at the Regional Welfare meetings we would be able to teach the priesthood about PEF. It was a very long drive. It took us two days to get to Neuguen about a 13 or 14 hour drive. When we got there, there were just a few priesthood leaders and about 4-5 youth for the fireside.The next day we drove part way to Trelew that was another 12-13 hour trip, so we split it up. We found out that near where we stayed you could see whales very close to the shore, so we went to see them, before we drove on the Trelew. At Trelew, we had the same experience with our teaching. We were able to teach a few people, but very few. For the cost of us going and the time we spent, we realized we had to change our way of doing things totally. The Priesthood leaders had told Justo(Elder Casablanca) that they would set it all up. We will do our own setting up after this. We did get to see whales on the way to Trelew and then during the day before our meetings in Trelew, we went out to see the Penguin reserve, which both were facinating.

Dad and I went to Chaco, one of the provinces in north Argentina a couple of weeks ago. We happen to be there the day that the Senate had the big vote on whether they were going to charge the farmers a 46% export tax on all of the goods or not that were exported. This fight had been going on for weeks and Dad and I had been stuck in some of the stops that were created on the highways because of the truckers rebelling, because the farmers refused to process their produce because of the tax and so the truckers had nothing to carry so lost money. There were miles and miles of trucks parked on the side of the road and Dad and I had to drive on shoulders, on dirt roads and one time down around a guard rail to get to a dirt road a little way away. They were very peaceful just stopped, except one time when we tried to drive around them and a truck started driving straight at us and it looked intentional. Dad was able to slip around him and between him and another truck and we were fine.

Two weeks ago we were on another trip, the day of the Senate voting because the President turned the decision over to the Senate. The vote was even in the Senate and so the Vice President had the deciding vote and voted for the farmers, going against the President. The next day we drove past miles and miles of farmers parading down a highway celebrating. They were on foot, on horseback, in horse drawn buggies carrying their camping things and with trucks with all their camping gear on top. That night as we drove back to Resistencia from Posadas, they were all camped along the side of the road for miles. It was really fun to see. I will try to add some pictures of each event.

Dad and I went to La Plata a couple of times and saw this gorgeous Cathedral. We went the last time this week and went to the museum under it and it shows how it was constructed and tells all about it. It was built in the late 1800 and dedicated the first part of 1900. The detail in the work in it is just amazing. We couldn’t see inside too much because they were having services and even though they let you walk in we didn’t want to disturb them. The stained glass windows came from Europe and are beautiful and intricate.

A few weeks ago Dad and I had training in La Plata and had been told about a beautiful cathedral there.  We decided to go look at it after our training.  It is amazing the intricate work that has been done on this building.

In July 2008 Dad and I went with the Casablancas to Temaiken, which is a zoo in the province of Buenos Aires. It is very well kept and was fascinating because we saw some animals I have never seen before. There were bats that were huge also. I was amazed at the color of the flamingos, because they were orange instead of the pink I am used to seeing.

There were several activities there and some went horseback riding, but I wasn’t sure how my knees would hold up to pulling up in the stirrup, so I decided to ride on the wagon and when I got on several of the people in the wagon suggested I ride shotgun.  It was fun.  I don’t know who the other person is that is up there with me.

In February Dad and I went with the Casablancas to San Luis during a trip for training and during one day we drove up into the mountains to this beautiful view of a lake below us.

In December Dad and I went 2 times to Iguazu Falls, once while out doing some training with the Casablancas and once when we met Michelle and Patti and her Mom there at the very end of December. Here are some pictures of these spectacular falls.

In late February Dad and I went to Mendoza area with the Casablancas to attend some Regional Welfare meetings and do some teaching. It was a great trip and we did lots of training in lots of different stakes. We went to San Luis, San Rafael, San Juan and Mendoza, where there were 4 stakes that we taught. We had a great turn out as we have found we do when we set up all of the meetings. One night we had two stakes in San Juan that didn’t want to meet together, so we had one meeting with one from 9-1030 pm and the other stake about 10 minutes away, we met with supposedly from about 10:30 until midnight, but with the switch and the drive we didn’t get started until closer to 11. Dad started his training of the priesthood leaders at midnight. When we got there about 10:45, the chapel was full of people, even some with their children. After the meetings were over we went up to a room they asked us to go to and they had all sorts of food set out. Empanadas, sandwiches and drinks. At 1Am we started eating this. Not the parents you guys know that is for sure.

On Oct. 12, 2007 , we left with the Casablanca’s on a trip to Neuguen and Trelew.? We were gone for 7 days and traveled 2500 miles in a car.? Most of the trip was like driving through the desolate parts of Texas.? Sage brush after sage brush.? The Pampas weren’t anything like any of us expected.? It just looked like sage brush with a lot of cows there.? We did see lots of cows.?

When we were driving from Neuguen to Trelew, we stayed at a beach place and they directed us to a reserve where you could see whales.? We went and saw about 4-5 whales swimming around very close to shore, probably less than 50 feet from the beach. They were very big and when I learn how, I will put pictures of them on the blog.

The next day when we were in Trelew and didn’t have meetings until evening we drove to another reserve where they have penguins that migrate from the straits of Megelan up to this area in Argentina in August and are there until about February.? There are supposedly 15,000pairs of adult penguins.? Needless to say they are everywhere.? People walk on a path and the penguins are free to walk wherever they want and if they are on the path, they have the right of way.? They are very cute.? I was amazed that they build their nests in the dirt.? They dig a hole in the dirt and that is where they lay their eggs.? It was fun also to watch them surfing in the water.