La Primavera

La Primavera is an aborigine colony located about 40 minutes away from the town of Clorinda in the province of Formosa. Missionaries first arrived there in 1989...it is a very primitive area and the people mostly farm corn, mandioca and soybeans.



Actually, most of the people do not work and are subsidized by the Argentine government. Over the years the activity of the Church has ebbed and flowed. Recently, this baptismal service took place there...


Today, I drove out to La Primavera to check on the people and our wooden church building. Here are some photos of the building...









Presidente Gonzales of Clorinda was my driver. The dog is a local.


There are "neighbors" right next to the fences surrounding the building and I discovered why. This is the brand new water tank the Church installed for the building...



This is where the "neighbor" cuts the fence to go and fetch his water every day, especially when no one is around and the building is not in use...the log hut is the permanent home to a family with a father and mother and little children.



It is hard to be upset when you see the need they have for the water. Here is a picture of the "neighbors" to the other side of the building...



But these are remarkably happy people. I was able to sit and visit with some of the local leaders and learn about their goals and their needs.


I promised them some supplies and other improvements to the building as well as some missionaries to periodically visit. I also promised them I would return with Diane in a few weeks. When we were all finished and as I was walking out to leave, the leaders casually mentioned a little issue they were having in the chapel office...



That would be the termites' nest on the light fixture and wall. And inasmuch as the chapel is a WOODEN building, I assured everyone I would have that removed and the building treated THIS WEEK! Needless to say I made a few phone calls on my way back to Resistencia...and Diane and I will be back, unless the termites take down the building before we can get there!

A Visit From The Holms

Last week Brad and Barbara Holm came to visit us. They are from Chandler and Brad and I served in the Stake Presidency together. They arrived in Resistencia at the airport just like our new missionaries do.



We whisked them home and then the action began. Sunday we went to Reconquista in Santa Fe and back. Then Monday we had training for 44 new missionaries.









Tuesday we had a dinner and entertainment with Graciela's family.









Wednesday we went to Paso de los Libres in Corrientes, stayed the night and came back Thursday.






Friday was Brad's birthday and we went to the grocery store, Carrefour, to see if he wanted to pick up a motorcycle to take home, because at 4:15 pm on Friday they left for the U.S.! It was a whirlwind of a trip but a great visit.






Thanks, Brad and Barb.........but let's not forget the story of when the gas station attendant put regular gas in my Hi Lux instead of diesel and they had to siphon it all out and refill the tank!!!

Ok, More Outtakes!

Here are some more photos that I took that did not make it into prior blog posts. I did this once before and people seemed to like the idea, so this time I will post with commentary...





I looked too goofy in this...after I shot the ball it was obvious it was going in and I started to celebrate. The photo makes it look like I am a wind up toy!



It seemed like there was a lot of action going on when I took this photo, but looking at it after it is just a bunch of missionaries standing around...and a bottle of water.




There were TONS of butterflies drinking from puddles in a dirt road we were traveling. So after passing too many of the puddles with gazillions of butterflies I stopped the car, got out and took a photo of one where there were only about 20 butterflies...and from too far away.



I took this at sunset and realized that I would have to explain about the barge way out in the river and just didn't want to....



I was being a little selfish with this one. It is just so perfect and says so much that I was keeping it for myself. Too late, I am sharing it.



I didn't think Diane would like this angle...I guess I will find out!



I couldn't think of a caption for this that would not expose my vanity. I was checking to see how I looked in a photo that Elder Massey took. Obviously from the expression on his face he is trying to figure out how to be diplomatic.









I was going to do a post on the many faces and hair styles of my granddaughter Charlotte. But I did not know where to start or stop...speaking of stopping....

Tucán

Any day you see a Toucan flying in the sky is a good day. We saw TWO on our way to Clorinda. They always seem to fly alone.



You see them in the air and it looks like they are trying to push their beak across the sky. But they are fast and elusive. And, of course, even though I am well into my 50s, every time I see one I just have to say....



"Hey, look, it's a Froot Loops bird!" (They really are prettier in real life)

Another Fan of Diane's Food

This afternoon I went to our kitchen pantry to find something to snack on. It looked innocent enough.



But when I opened the door...



A MOUSE came flying out at me!



No, not one of these...



Not this kind either....



It flew by so quickly and then ran under the china hutch, but I think it pretty much looked like this....



Ok, maybe, it was like this. But in any event it is on the loose. Being Mr. Nice guy, I opened the kitchen door to the outside and chased it in that direction. But it made a last second turn and went under the stove. It is not there now....so, next step....



We are going to have to bring in the big guns!

Happy 34th Wedding Anniversary!

Today Diane and I celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary! WooHoo! We will celebrate it by going to Corrientes and signing some contracts, interviewing the missionaries in the Corrientes Zone and eating McDonalds' Big Macs and fries with them. Then, we will walk around the Costanera, grab dinner and come back home to pack for our weekend in Formosa.

They Made It!

In June, Elder Jorge F. Zeballos (and his wife Carmen Gloria) was scheduled to come and tour our mission.



They day they were to arrive, he called to say that due to heavy fog in Buenos Aires his flight was cancelled and he would have to reschedule for July 3-5. So, on Wednesday true to his word, Elder Zeballos and his wife flew to Formosa where we picked them up and checked in at our hotel. Then we attended a training meeting for the local leaders until 9:00 pm. Afterwards, we had dinner with Formosa Stake President Zayas and his wife. Then it was back to the hotel.

Thursday morning we had a multi zone conference in Formosa (Formosa 1, Formosa 2, Clorinda and Ibarreta) from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. We then drove 2 1/2 hours to see the flooding from the Parana River just outside of Resistencia (all of our missionaries and members are safe).






Afterwards we dropped our bags off at our home and had a training meeting of the local leaders in Resistencia and Corrientes until 9:00 pm. Then we had dinner with the Zeballos, Stake Presidents Fernandez and Yañez and their wives at the Amerian Hotel. From there we went back home.

Friday (today) we had another multi zone conference (Resistencia, Resistencia Sur, Corrientes, Roque Sáenz Peña, Reconquista, Goya and Pasos de los Libres) from 9:00-3:00. Then it was straight to the airport to drop the Zeballos off for their trip back to Buenos Aires. For all that hustling around, we were still standing up straight and smiling when this picture was taken as we were leaving for the airport.



It took so long for them to come and the time they were here went by so quickly, but it was great and we enjoyed every minute, story, laugh, song and message. On to the next adventure!