The end begins with a trip to Buenos Aires


We began the last month of our mission by having an awesome visit with Martha's brother and sister-in-law Bill and Carin (Elder and Hermana Taylor).  They are serving as Humanitarian Aid missionaries in the South America South Area in the church offices in Buenos Aires. We wanted to visit them before leaving Argentina and this last week it all worked out for us to visit, except for the freezing cold weather.  We really enjoyed spending time with them as they showed us all around the big city.  Buenos Aires is huge!  You'd need at least two weeks to see everything.  


It's been so fun to share our Argentine experiences with each other.  We've talked on the phone several times throughout our missions.  We are in two very different places of the country but yet some things are exactly the same.  For example, the picture above is in their ward building in Buenos Aires.  The background you see is exactly the same in most of the church buildings in our mission, and throughout Argentina.  We also talked about going to the grocery store, trying to dry clothes without a dryer, and mate.  I think I'm the only one of the four that likes mate!

Boca Juniors stadium

River Plate stadium

Most of you know we are a bit of a soccer crazy family and for me I was super excited to visit the two most famous soccer clubs in Argentina, Boca Juniors and River Plate.  If anyone is paying attention to the Club World Cup going on right now both of these teams are playing in the tournament, but not doing too good.  River Plate is in a pretty nice area with a new, sleek stadium that looks like any you might find in the U.S.  However, Boca is in a not so nice area and the stadium looks kind of old but it has lots of history and a super cool vibe around the stadium.  

We could write and tell stories for hours about our trip to Buenos Aires, but instead we'll give you a small photo dumb at the end of this post. 


Friday was our last missionary "mulitzona" (multiple zone conference).  These mission zone conferences happen every six weeks and it's a time for the mission leaders to train, teach and motivate the missionaries.  We have enjoyed attending and hanging out with these awesome young adults.  For this last zone conference the mission leaders gave us the opportunity to do a short training for the missionaries.  We used the scripture story about putting on the whole armor of God.  



Our mission President, President Barlow, was a great sport and let us dress him up in the armor of God. You can find the reference to the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-17 and Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18.  By putting on the armor we can protect ourselves from the fiery darts of the adversary and withstand the temptations and evil that is around us.  


Yesterday, Saturday, there was a baptism in Colonia Ensanche. It's a small place with a little building for church meetings. A few months ago we were able to get a portable baptismal font set up inside the building.  This is a somewhat remote place and it has been super cold. The missionaries borrowed a huge pot and built a fire to warm up some water to place into the font so that it would not be too cold.  The picture might look like something you would do when camping.  At times we feel like we are camping, it's fun!  We enjoy attending and helping with these baptisms.  


We don't have much time left here in Ibarreta.  We have enjoyed serving here and getting to know some great people and being able to serve them.  We have learned from them and hope they have learned, at least a lit bit, from us.  With only 4 weeks left we have so much we want to get done and have so much we wish we could have accomplished over the past year, but time has come and gone so quickly.  We'd be lying if said we are not "trunky".  It's hard  not to be when we have our first two new grandchildren at home!!  But, like all missionaries we are doing our best to finish strong and working to the end to accomplish all that the Lord has sent us here to do.  


OK, I think we did this in the last post so here it goes again.  The obligatory photo dump!

God bless America!  The U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires. 



Museum of Water.  Believe it or not this was one of the most fascinating places we visited in BA.  It was built in the late 1890s' as the water pumping station for the city.  Now it's a museum. 

Some examples of pipes in the water museum.

Valves and handles used throughout the years in Argentina

Lots and lots of toilets in the museum.  Can't have toilets without water!

Maybe you can see the detail of the water museum building, very intricate with terracota siding. 

An old theater turned into a huge bookstore.  Martha was in heaven there!

Ceiling in the bookstore/theater



Obligatory kiss under the umbrellas in Sal T

San Telmo market

Gauchito Gil.  He is a saint in Argentina and is quite popular where we are living in Northern Argentina.  This painting is on the side of the leased building in Buenos Aires where Bill and Carin attend church.  

Subway ride in BA

Provoleta at the River Plate stadium restaurant.  Bill and Carin know all the insights to Buenos Aires.  The best way to see the stadium is to have lunch in the restaurant. 

La casa rosada (basically like the white house)

Subway station mural.  

Choripan for lunch at the San Telmo market.  It was fantastic!  

Even the pope is a Boca fan!

Templo de Buenos Aires

If you know, you know!

Shops in San Telmo with decorative umbrellas.  

Streets in San Telmo

A look inside River Plate stadium.  Unfortunately, there was no soccer game to watch. 

Avenida 9 de Julio. The widest street in the world.  16 lanes of traffic. 


The obelisk.  This is on Avenida 9 de Julio and is where all of Argentina celebrated when the national team came home after winning the World Cup.  They say about 1 million people filled the streets of Buenos Aires for the celebration.    

Met this little guy here in la colonia Ensanche.  He is wearing a capybara cap.  

These little boys are trying to move the branch president's car.  It was a tough job, and ultimately the car won.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

And so it begins...

Image
  Map of Formosa.  Each X is a branch or group of church members. We finally made it to Ibarreta in Formosa province, and now it begins (referring to the work of course).  It's only been one week here but it seems like much longer.  As many former missionaries can attest, the days seem like weeks and the weeks like days.  So much happened this week that it's hard to believe it was only one week.   We visited with members in four different areas: Ibarreta, Ensanche Norte, Bartolomé de las Casas, and Estansilao del Campo.  Oh, and a pit stop in Fontana for a baptism.  No, not Fontana, California but a pueblo called Comadante Fontana named after the military leader who founded the city of Formosa.  Most of our work will be with the members living in las colonias (the colonies).  These people are descendants of the original groups that have been in this area of Argentina and Paraguay for centuries.  They are referred to as "origina...
Read more

Temples

Image
  Baptism of our friend Mahia It’s been another two weeks as missionaries and we are moving along and getting accustomed to Argentina (for me its getting reacquainted with Argentina).  We’ve learned to cook new food, how to spend the siesta, and most fun and important we are getting to know the members.   Last Tuesday was the baptism of Mahia, a young woman in the Ibarreta branch.  We enjoy spending our time with the youth. They have energy, hope, and faith.  We were able to participate in a few lessons teaching her about the gospel in her preparation to be baptized.  Her dad and younger brother are members of the church but not her mom.  There are three other children in the family, a young brother about 7, and two cousins that are sisters.  These two cousins came to this family under very sad circumstances and one of the girls is almost entirely blind.  Her name is Sophia.  Sophia is a very special spirit.  She is always so positi...
Read more

Returning Home, for a visit

Image
  Meeting Lyla Brynn Francis Happy Thanksgiving! With everything we have been blessed with we would be ungrateful servants if we did not begin our update with what we are thankful for. We are thankful for family, and the opportunity to have visited with them for almost two weeks. We are thankful for this beautiful granddaughter that we were able to see and hold. We are thankful for all of you and your friendship and all that you do to strive to follow Jesus Christ. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Argentina in the Resistencia mission, and for this specific time to work with all the wonderful people in Ibarreta, Formosa. Most importantly we are thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice and resurrection. And for His great plan of Happiness that provides a way for us to be reunited with our families once again and to live with them for eternity.  Grateful for all the family and friends that came to Lyla's baby blessing. Thankful for ...
Read more