We didn't realize it had been so long since we last posted! We have been around Buenos Aires for the past month. We decided to stay here during the holidays and relax and rest a bit. Michael has had a cough and congestion since we arrived here but hasn't really had a chance to just stay home and get well. I am happy to report that the rest was very helpful for him.... although he still has some lingering coughing and congestion. We did have a really lovely Christmas and New Years Day... and we will share a few photos with you.
However, before Christmas and right after our AAA Conference, we spent one evening just north of Buenos Aires in a little town called, Mercedes. We traveled with our MSR friend Osmar Avila. He was giving a training to the Mercedes District and we wanted to talk to the District president. We had a wonderful meeting. These small districts are made up of several small branches with lots of small and large problems.... but also lots of good things! Most of the leaders of these branches are very young men in their twenties with young wives and families....they sacrifice alot to serve. We have found that many of these young leaders have leadership callings, work full time, and attend night school to further their education. All of these leaders that we have met are very wonderful people. The district president we met with was maybe thirty. We explained the audit program to him in greater detail and he was very anxious to take care of all of the details. He told us that he traveled alot to visit the branches in his district several of which are a good distance away, so much of his time is spent traveling to check on members in these small locations and lend his love and support to them.
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| This is our friend, Osmar.
Our trip to Mercedes was a great experience... we really like Osmar and while traveling we had a superb visit with him and learned of his conversion story, which was an amazing story.
Christmas Eve we were invited to spend the evening with a very special family in our ward. Alejandra and Sergio Gomez and five of their six children. It was indeed wonderful. Sergio came to pick us up at our apartment around 8:00 in the evening. (People in Argentina eat very late dinners).
We had seen their children at church but had not been formally introduced to them so this was a real treat: Mauro (18 and leaving on a mission to Guatamala next month), Andreas, 14, Sebastian 13,
Leandro 9, and adorable Maria Amelia, 7. They all greeted us so warmly and little Maria Amelia shook our hands and kissed us on the cheek! (this is the everyday custom in Argentina and I love it!)
One has not really "lived" until being kissed on the cheek by a little Argentine girl! Their oldest daughter, Julia , I believe, is at BYU and speaks three languages and is headed to Boston this month to serve a mission speaking Portuguese.
We were served a most delicious dinner, of very moist roasted pork, sweet potatoes, an unusual and fabulous slaw salad, chicken breast stuffed with eggs and vegetables... For dessert we had an enormous fruit salad that was out of this world. Each piece of fruit was perfectly cut into very tiny pieces. Everyone in the family had helped to prepare it. There were probably eight different kinds of fruit... and the syrup was fabulous... We had wonderful conversation and left their home around 11:45 pm .... as the children were anxious to open their gifts at midnight as is the custom!
I made some lemon curd for them and a lemon cake. They especially loved the lemon curd as Andreas loves to cook.... and I gave him the recipe. So now my grandmother's recipe is in Argentina and I am thrilled!
This was a very memorable evening and we enjoyed every minute!
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Christmas Day I had invited several missionary couples to dinner, and when I was about to invite the third couple, the area DTA(Director of Temporal Affairs) and his wife, they said they had a bigger apartment and would we all like to go there... we thought that was a great idea ... so we all gathered at Spallino's for dinner, everyone taking something.... Their apartment was indeed much bigger! It was beautiful and we had a delicious dinner and fascinating conversation! It was a great day!( We of course missed our families but it felt good to stay busy so we wouldn't be too homesick) We enjoyed wonderful visits with all of our children during the holidays.... as most of them gathered together at our little farm....
This was our first Christmas away.... we missed our family but were very lovingly embraced by new friends and much love.....
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| My lemon curd! |
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