Week Three in Argentina!!!!!!!

September 23, 2012

Hola!

This week we formulated more of a specific plan for our assignment here!  As Area Auditors we are responsible for 27 Assistant Area Auditors in four countries;  Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.   Each Assistant Area Auditor is responsible for a region and is responsible for the training of stake and local people who perform audits and take care of the tithing and fast offering funds of the church.  It is now our responsibility to train the Assistant Area  Auditors and visit them and lend them all of the instruction and support that they need to carry out their tasks.  Michael has begun communicating with many of these AAA's through phone calls and emails.  We will hold a AAA area wide two day training during the first part of December.  This will be held at our area office here in Buenos Aires and we are in the process of putting this together!  We are very much enjoying the process and are learning a great deal.  The purpose of the audit program of the church is to protect and assure the wise use of church funds and to protect church leaders who handle the funds.

We are also preparing to go to Salt Lake City in October where we will receive training from the Church Audit Department.  It will be a two day conference October 18-19 after which we will return to Buenos Aires.  So it will be a very quick trip!  All of the Area Auditors from around the world will be there to receive training as well.  There are about 15-16 couples who perform this duty on a volunteer basis as Senior Missionaries.  We met one couple in the MTC who are Area Auditors in the South America Northwest Area, Elder and Sister Casos.  They are natives of South America.  She is from Chile and he is from Peru.  A very sharp couple and we are looking forward to seeing them in Salt Lake City.

This week our friends, Mike and Judy Bigelow will be returning home to Olympia , Washington.  We will be taking their apartment on Thursday as they walk out the door to the airport to leave!  They have made a big impact here especially helping other Senior Couples who are new.  They will be greatly missed and we have tried to get together a few last times this past week before we have to say our goodbyes!

Yesterday they wanted to show us a few more sites in Buenos Aires and the pictures are below.  We took the bus and the Subte to arrive at our destinations!  It was great fun!  After a day of traveling from one part of the city to another , we purchased homemade pasta  and two sauces from an amazing pasta shop (there are many of these scattered around the city)  and shared a wonderful meal in Bigelow's apartment.  The pasta we bought was ravioli, and  the sauces were a pesto with chunks of pecans in it, and a tomato cream sauce.  Both were amazingly delicious.  Mike Bigelow bought a wonderful apple dessert for us to finish off the meal!  It was a great day!

This morning we met the Bigelows in front of their apartment at about 9:10  and walked to their church where we will also be attending.  It was a wonderful 10-15 minute walk through a beautiful neighborhood with lovely homes and a few embassies , one of them being the Italian Embassy.  We were very warmly greeted in the ward with an abrazo and a kiss on the cheek!  The Bishop and many people who greeted us were so friendly and happy that we will be in the ward.  We will soon approach the Bishop to see where we can help and we will hopefully be assigned some families to visit.   Mike and Judy were greatly loved here and it was wonderful to see these people embrace them and feel so thankful for their friendship. The Bigelows gave short talks all in Spanish .  Judy has done really well!  Her efforts have certainly inspired me!

 This is the front of Eva Peron's "home".  It was painted this pinkish color to represent all of the blood that has been spilled for Argentina.

                                                          This is the back of the palace.

  This is a very imposing statue of Christopher Columbus at the back of the palace.  It was amazing!

 There are two soldiers who guard the tomb of General San Martin, the most famous Argentine general of all time!  He freed four South American countries, Argentina, Peru, Chile and Ecuador.

We ate in this beautiful food court; these flowers were fresh and were gorgeous!  Our food was great!

Mike/Dad is not really blind; he just looks like it!! It was a warm sunny, sunny day!!

 We went to "La Boca".  This is an area of the city where the "Tango" originated.  There are many restaurants and tango dancers everywhere plus many, many artists selling their wares.  Judy and I loved it!  The two Mikes didn't share our enthusiasm!  This was a colorful building with models of Eva Peron and two other famous people waving on a balcony!  La Boca is very safe during the day but very dangerous at night!

Les mandamos un abrazo!

Templo de Buenos Aires, Argentina Rededicacion: 9 Septiembre de 2012

We had a wonderful day at the temple dedication yesterday!

It was a beautiful early spring day and hearts were filled with much happiness and joy!

We were assigned to attend the third and final dedicatory service with another senior missionary couple and a young Latino sister who also works in the office.  We sat in a very lovely sealing room .  There were about 60 people in our room.  The dedicatory service was given in the celestial room where people were also seated.  The service opened with Elder Christofferson conducting in Spanish.  A very small choir made up of young adults provided the music which was wonderful.  (we had a screen in our room as did other smaller rooms.)  

There were several speakers, Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of twelve Apostles, the temple president, the wife to a counselor in the temple presidency, and then President Eyring, and then Elder Christofferson offered the dedicatory prayer in Spanish.  We have gained a deeper appreciation for Elder Eyring.  We have always loved his talks, but his words to the Latino people was filled with the greatest love we have ever experienced.  His message was filled with hope and great joy for the knowledge of the Savior and His Gospel.  

After the service we walked outside and soaked in the happiness and joy of these Argentine people.  They were greeting one another with the joy that is described in the Book of Mormon when Ammon is reunited with the four sons of Mosiah.

The white tent in the middle was placed there for entry and a place where young people had baskets of paper slippers that they put on everyone's feet so the carpets would be protected as we entered.

The long tall windows in the temple reflected the sky blue and white in the Argentine flag which by the  way , waves proudly in the front.

     One of the people saw that we wanted a picture so offered to take this for us.  Also on the grounds is housing  for the temple presidency and temple workers and patrons and also an MTC for about 200 missionaries.

We loved this experience  --- it was truly a highlight for the beginning of our mission.  We were greeted by many Latino people who did not know us with an abrazo and a kiss on the cheek!  What more could anyone ask for??!!

The Cultural Event - Buenos Aires

September 9, 2012

Around 5:00 yesterday evening all of the Senior Missionary couples gathered at the area office and we boarded two good sized vans and headed out across the vast expanse of Buenos Aires to a very, very large stadium to witness the long awaited for "cultural event" in celebration of the rededication of the Buenos Aires temple.

We drove to a whole other part of Buenos Aires!  It is an absolutely enormous city!  We passed many wonderful statues, parks and buildings but the buildings that stood out were the government parliament buildings including a huge pink building which used to house Eva Peron , so we are told!  The architecture of the buildings is very European.  To me it seemed very reminiscent of the architecture of the Banff Springs Hotel.

The stadium where the event was held is one of six or seven such stadiums here in Buenos Aires.  An Argentine member told Michael that these stadiums house 5-6 soccer teams.

We sat in a box in the open air and had wonderful seats.  We sat with the Bigelows and President and Sister Wells and a couple of other missionary couples.  It was wonderful.

There were hundreds of participants in the program.  All young people of all ages!  The young women were dressed in long flowing dep purple skirts with white and pastel colored shirts.  Some of the skirts were pastel colors with printed floral fabric.  All of the young men were dressed in black trousers and white shirts.  It was quite a site!

There were two large stages on either end of the field. The young people on the field were in formation on the field for the two entire hours.  They danced off and on and also clapped hands in rhythm  for the dancers on the stage.

The dancers on the stages represented dances from European ancestors and traditional Argentine  dances. They were all in native costume and the program moved along at a good speed.  Our favorite were the "Goucho" dancers dressed in traditional goucho pants, shirts and amazing leather boots.  Their dancing was wonderful:  quick movements of the feet and very masculine.

(President Wells pulled Mike aside and asked him to search for goucho pants, shirt and boots for him!  So we are now on a mission for him!)  President Wells and his wife spent many, many years in South America but he said they never purchased the goucho clothing!

There were about four large screens at either corner of the field which showed pictures of the young people as the large camera moved around.  Their smiling faces were precious.

President Eyring came in an was in a glass box with Elder Christofferson, and Elder Ballard .  The camera caught them smiling and waving to the young performers (President Eyring has a million dollar smile!)  The kids went crazy; they clapped and cheered.... It was very stirring.

Just before the program began President Eyring, Elder Christofferson, and Elder Ballard came out with Meryv Arnold and spoke for just a few minutes after the opening song and prayer.  The opening hymn was  "There is Sunshine in My Soul Today."  Judy says this is an Argentine favorite.These Brethren were presented with beautiful red ponchos.  Elder Christofferson spoke in beautiful Spanish, as he served a mission in Argentina many, many years ago.  He told everyone that in times of loneliness they should remember this moment and take strength from the joy forever.

Then President Eyring spoke and it was overwhelming how that much love can pour from the heart of one man.  He spoke of Christ coming to the Americas in the Book of Mormon and how all of these young people will one day greet the Savior.  It was a wonderful moment we will never lose.

After the program, we were walking with the Wells and so many Argentine people recognized them and greeted them so warmly, and embraced them.  It was very sweet to watch.  Bob and Helen are in their 80's and very agile and so happy and positive.  They were inspiring and we so enjoyed our brief reunion with them.

We arrived home around 10:00 and could hardly settle down to sleep!

A day to see Buenos Aires!

September 2, 2012


Here are some photos of our "day off" on Saturday.  Mike an Judy offered to show us around Buenos Aires.  We saw Eva Peron's grave in the "Recoleta area of the city. We walked and walked and walked!  We also rode the city bus which was great fun!

This coming week is the preparation for the large cultural event on Saturday evening and the rededication of the Buenos Aires Temple on Sunday.  President Eyring is coming.  Also , Bob and Helen Wells are coming .  President Wells was Michael's mission president forty years ago and we are looking forward to seeing them.  Mike and Judy have been asked to help them and we will probably help them do that.  We will add to the blog next Sunday evening after these great events take place!

Dad and Mike Bigelow sitting on the bench!

September 2, 2012

We left the MTC on August 27 around 8:00 am .  We traveled in an MTC van with another couple and about eight other missionaries.  Everyone was headed to a different location except for one young sister who was going to Buenos Aires like us.  The other couple sat behind us on the van and we were able to visit with them all the way to the airport.  They were headed to the London South Mission to do member and leadership support.  He had just retired as the head swim coach at BYU and they were very excited to be able to serve their mission.

When we finally found our gate we were greeted by another young elder who had been waiting for a Argentine visa for about six months and had been serving in the Ogden Mission.  Gradually a few other missionaries arrived from different parts of the country who had also had delayed visas and were now headed to Argentina.  We were all headed on the same flights!  We boarded our plane around 12:15 p.m. and arrived in Dallas a couple of hours later.  We had a long layover there and while  we were waiting, more missionaries, elders and sisters, continued to arrive from all over the country.  It was quite fun to talk to them!  We "watched" over a few suitcases while these young missionaries ran to make their last phone all.

The flight to Buenos Aires is very long!  Over ten hours.  We were unable to sleep so by the time we landed we were pretty tired.  Mike and Judy Bigelow, our friends of 25 years have been serving in the area office here and they picked us up from the airport and it was a joyous reunion!  They dropped us off at our hotel and later that evening we went to their house for dinner.  Mike walked over to get us from the area office and we had our first experience walking the streets of Buenos Aires!  A little frightening to say the least!  The traffic is crazy and pedestrians do not have the right of way.  So one has to watch closely and be alert and aggressive.

We started work at the area office on Wednesday morning.  Clark and Renee Mason came by our hotel to pick us up and they led the way to the area office which is about 20 minutes from our hotel. We met lots of other missionary couples and enjoyed that experience.  This is what our offices look like!

We met with President Arnold this last Friday and he was very gracious and was so happy to see Mike again after about 42 years!  We had a nice visit with him.   The Masons will be traveling after next week and then they will probably leave early and let us take over.  Renee has organized everything on the computer really well and so that is a big help.  There is a lot of training to be done and we will probably start traveling to some of the other countries as well as other parts of Argentina in November to start getting that work accomplished.

We traveled to church with two new sister missionaries and the Masons this morning .  We walked a few blocks and then took the "subte" (subway) to the church building.  The "subte" was amazingly clean and not too crowded so that was nice.  After getting off of the subway we walked another few blocks until we came to the church building.  (La Iglesia De Jesucristo De Los Santos De Los Ultimos
Dias)  The building is nestled in-between apartment buildings and stores.  We were greeted in Relief Society with hugs and a kiss on the cheek which is traditional and quite wonderful!

After church we all went to Mason's apartment for a lovely dinner that Renee had prepared.  A homemade meal tasted so good!

We will be in this lovely hotel about another three days or so.  About mid week we will move into a temporary apartment and will be there until around September 27 when Mike and Judy leave.  We will then move into their apartment.  It is a very nice apartment and we will enjoy living there.  It is nothing fancy but very comfortable.

We love you all and are very grateful for your support and encouragement!