Argentina Sky

 



It's been a long time since we last posted anything but it's not because nothing has happened.  Yes, there are days when we do little and other days when we are busy.  Like many of you who have served full-time missions, we often feel like the days are like weeks and the weeks like days.  In other words, each day seems to pass by slowly but by the end of the week we are amazed that another week has passed by so quickly.  We continue to enjoy ourselves and spending time together working with the church members in Ibarreta.  

A couple of weeks ago was General Conference.  A time for us, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to listen to the Lord's prophet and apostles, along with many other leaders of His church.  We love this time of year to gather with other saints and participate in the conference.  People from all over the world are able to watch the meetings live online in whichever country they reside.  In this conference, we were reminded that the heavens are open and that God knows each of us individually.



Recently we became involved with the missions effort to help the native Spanish and Portuguese speaking missionaries to learn English.  Another senior missionary couple started Gringo Lingo.  We meet (via WhatsApp) with several missionaries every Friday for 15 minutes.  It's not a lot of time but it gives them a dedicated time to speak English.  We ask them questions about themselves, their families and the missionary work they are doing.  It has been fun!  These young missionaries are awesome.  We enjoy getting to know them better, on a more personal level and hearing about their background and experiences.  We have missionaries from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, and of course Argentina.  Learning English will help them to find good jobs when they go home.

Olivia

We have several classes we've been teaching for the past few months but one that we enjoy (maybe the most) is teaching literacy to Griselda in Estanislao.  She is about 60 years old and grew up in the campo on a ranch. She did not have an opportunity for formal schooling and was never taught to read and write. Martha has been using the church's literacy program to teach her twice a week.  All of the program materials are in English so Martha takes time every week to translate, develop and adapt the materials to Spanish.  She's done a great job!  Griselda's grand-daughter Olivia likes to sit with us as we teach her grandma.  Maybe she is learning too.  While teaching Griselda one day we learned a new word, pitufo.  Look it up!  Olivia likes to watch videos of los pitufos.  

Another new class we started a few weeks ago is a program the church has to teach self-reliance.  The course we are teaching is how to start or grow your own business.  Many people here have their own business and so it is a perfect fit.  The first class we started is in the colonia Ensanche.  There are two couples, Quiroga and Casili, that want to start businesses.  We meet with them once a week and go through the materials the church provides to help people start a business.  It's been interesting and fun to talk with them about them starting their business.  The past two weeks have been focused on keeping records. That is not something that comes naturally for them.  We feel like accounting professors, and we know nothing about accounting.  But I (Brian) do know Finance and have an MBA so it's not totally foreign.  It's been fun.  We really enjoy when you can see them smile and a light goes on when they understand the concepts being taught.  We are so grateful for the resources the church provides.

Homemade tortillas

Martha making tortillas like a latina mama!

Every Tuesday we invite the 4 missionaries that serve with us here in Ibarreta to come to our house for lunch.  This is another great opportunity to be with the young missionaries, learn from them, and maybe share a little bit of wisdom with them.  This week we made tacos.  Martha has made tortillas a few times but this week she changed the recipe a bit and used butter instead of oil.  They were riquisimas!  When we get home she'll have to spend some time with our friends in barrio Los Altos (les amamos) to expand on her new skills.  They will be impressed. 


He has Risen!

This past Sunday was Easter.  We are so grateful to the Savior Jesus Christ for his sacrifice for us and his resurrection.  We know that because of Him we can repent and be forgiven of our sins, we can receive His grace in our lives and one day be resurrected and live with Him again. It is because of Him that we know families will be reunited after this life and can one day live together forever.  

On Sunday we helped plan the sacrament meeting service. Martha selected hymns and we both offered to speak.  Two other members of the ward also spoke about the life of Jesus Christ and the joy He brings to our lives.  It was an inspirational service and a unique experience to celebrate Easter in Argentina.  After the meeting in Ibarreta we visited the group in Ensanche Norte.  They had over 50 people in their Sunday meeting!  We've started working with them a bit more trying to strengthen them and develop some leaders so that one day they can have their own branch (unit of the church).  

We love you Ana (and Jacob)!

We are excited to have grandbaby #2 join our family soon. Jacob and Ana are expecting their first baby, a boy, in May.  Baby Shower #1 was held by the kind women at church. Thanks to our other daughter-in-law, Ashley, the second baby shower took place this past Saturday.  We are blessed to have these two beautiful women as daughters in our family.  Thanks to technology we were able to participate in both showers via pictures and video.  It looked like a great party.  It's a bit sad to not be able to be there physically but such a blessing to have technology to stay included in their lives. 

Lyla Brynn trying her first solid food.

Also because of technology we are able to connect with our family every week with a video call.  It's one of our favorite parts of the week because we get to share our mission with them and we get to hear all about their week, as well.  We also look forward to it every week because we get to see Lyla!  We are so glad we were able to come home in November to see her and can't wait to get home to see how much she has grown and developed.  And once Jacob and Ana's boy is born we will get to see him on the weekly calls (unfortunately we are not traveling home for his birth because we'll be home 2 months after he's born).  

Thank you all for your support and love!  



Random pictures from the last few weeks. 

Gauchito Gil. He's a saint here in Argentina.  He's kind of a Robin Hood like figure.  

Baptism from Enshanche

Hard to see in the picture but this drug store is call Amnesia.  I thought it was funny. 

Baptism of Gabriel in Ibarreta

Lago Ibarreta (that's what we call it).  It's in the center of the town. 

Pomelos

The "professional" soccer pitch in Ibarreta. You can't see in the picture but there is a horse grazing on the field.

Dog in the middle of the street like he owns it. 

Our friends new puppy.

Helping the Huells get firewood.

President Huells shot himself a bambi.  That's the work he used to describe the little deer. 

Duck pond in backyard of the Huells house




 





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