Visa, Boda, Lechón and General Conference

 

Getting our visa paperwork completed with Victor

We finally got all of our paperwork completed and turned it in for our visas, that means we are now officially in the country legally.  We actually have until November 4th before we would become known as “irregulars”.  That basically means someone over stayed their tourist visa which is only good for 90 days. Getting our visas was a priority so that we can travel back to Utah to see our first grandchild!  Eric and Ashley will have their baby, a girl, sometime near the end of October or early November.  Needless to say we are very excited to be able to return in December to get to know her and participate in the baby blessing.  Then we will return back to Argentina.  

It is spring here but some days have been quite hot. The hottest day so far has been 107. People around here say that’s nothing.  Come summer time in December thru February they say it will be 100+ degrees every day for weeks with no relief at all.  And most days during the summer they say the electricity gets cut off for several hours during the middle of the day.  Nothing you can do but try to get through the day.  If you are lucky you might have a small plastic pool to cool off, but then the water gets cut off also.  Sounds like fun!  

We’ve been a bit more busy this week.  We taught the youth seminary class a couple of times.  Martha loved that!  The youth are great and it’s fun to see them respond to the scriptures and words of the prophets.  They have great questions and generally a real interest to learn.  We also started a temple preparation class for the “originales” that live in the aboriginal colony Ensanche Norte.  It’s interesting.  They don’t participate much in the class so we have been using videos.  When we ask a question they just sit quiet and do not say anything.  I don’t know if they don’t fully understand our English of if it’s part of their culture.  Some of it we know is cultural because they are very reserved.  The first lesson was about the Plan of Salvation.  If you want to know more check out this video (sorry it’s one of the few videos that only exists in Spanish.  Normally it’s the other way around and we are searching for the Spanish version).

Spanish  https://youtu.be/QO3RSy4JRlQ?si=sSuiTOf-iD5SMDO1

Today we start an English class.  We’ve been inviting everyone around here including the stores where we shop.  Our church has a program called English Connect that has manuals and workbooks for helping people learn to speak English.  We hope people show up.  Most people like to ask us to say things in English.  Last night at an activity with the youth in Estanislao del Campo they wanted to know how to say their names in English.  Most of them had common names that translate almost directly.  Like Cintia (Cynthia) or Angel (Angel haha). When we pronounced the names in English they all laughed.  I guess it’s fun to hear the gringos speak. 

We also enjoyed our first asado.  The branch President in Estanislao got married and invited us to be there.  In Argentina everyone has to be married by the registró civil, the local government official.  If you pay more they will come to your church or other location for the ceremony.  Most just do it in the city offices.  The asado was good.  They cooked up a lechón, or cerdo.  It’s a pig cooked on the grill, or parrilla.  Good stuff!

With the General Conference of the church coming up this weekend we have been inviting everyone to watch.  Martha made up some invitations to hand out.  We love General Conference and invite all of you to watch.  It’s very easy.  Just click on this link for all the info.  

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/feature/general-conference?lang=eng

And this link to prepare yourself. https://youtu.be/bmP3QTMv9IM?si=bW5SFSJ-gGqEiM5s

Here in Ibarreta the church building has been battling with a few unique issues.  They have internet service but it does not work very well because the antenna for it is outside close to the soccer and basketball court.  It keeps getting knocked by the ball.  Besides that it’s never reliable anyway.  The church finally installed a StarLink satellite internet system.  But when we went today it was not working.  We hoped it would be more reliable then the local internet carrier.  We’ll see if it gets fixed before tomorrow so that the members can watch conference at the church building.  Also, this week someone came and stole the lights around the outside of the building.  They are recessed lights around the edge.  They removed and stole about 6 of them.  Reminds me of the copper thefts we had in Southern California.  

We’ll, that about it for this week.  Here are some pictures.  Enjoy the weekend everyone.  We’d love to hear from you.  

Love, 

Elder y Hermana Francis

The married couple, the Huells (pronounced “wells”) along with her two boys (in ties) and her nieces and nephew.

The married couple Ely and Alberto Huells

The entire wedding party outside the registró civil.  The man on the far left was the officiator.  Not sure why but he wanted to be in all the pictures.  The service was interesting.  He mentioned several important reasons for marriage and families.  

The lechón 

Our hosts.  They insisted we take pictures of the feast!

English Connect class flyer


Sunset from hotel room in Resistencia when we returned to do our visas.  It’s 4 hours from Ibarreta where we are living. It’s the second trip to Resistencia in less than two weeks.  This hotel was much better then the first one we stayed in.  We didn’t take any pictures of the first hotel, it was pretty bad.  





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