Week #2 in Argentina

Our first full week in Argentina continued to be full of learning new things and how to survive in a new country along with being effective in the work we have been called to do here.   I was able to experience a first interaction with an Argentinian Police Officer as I missed a turn into the mission office so crossed a double yellow line into a driveway to turn around and just happened to do that right in front of an officer standing on the side of the road and, yes, i now know you cannot cross a double yellow line no matter what.   He talked so fast I couldn't understand what he was telling me so just said, "No entiendo" a few times, he asked for my license, my passport (which I didn't have).  At this point i was envisioning a dark cell in an Argentine prison but luckily Linda had her passport copy which appeased him and after a stern lecture about obeying the laws which I partly understood, he let me go with no prison term or fine..whew...

We were able to attend our first baptism with a young named Santiago who we helped teach briefly one night last week and he asked us a few times if we were going to attend his baptism so we left our ward in Pilar after Sacrament meeting to make it back to San Fernando for his baptism
A nice young man that was very excited to be baptized with his Mom and Grandma in attendance who the missionaries hope to teach in the coming weeks.  

Below is a picture of Mario a 16 year old young man who was baptized around 6 months ago that came up to us after the baptism and said, "Cheers".   He has self taught himself to speak English and to speak with an English accent because he wants to go to Scotland someday.   He really did have a good English accent that made it hard to understand him sometime just like when we were in England last year   :)





The mission president was doing interviews with a few of the zones this week so we went to the chapels where those were being held to get to know more missionaries...below is a picture from one of those days.   You will note the box of empanadas on the table, they are eaten everywhere and quite tasty and also not very expensive...I'm sure they are not good for us so when we come back 20 pounds heavier, these empanadas will be the reason.

We have also started doing apartment inspections in the Littoral Zone for missionaries where we go in and ensure the missionaries offices are clean and everything works, then we leave a short message and a treat.    The apartments are spartan but have everything they need...I just tell them I would have really enjoyed air conditioning and hot water which I didn't have in Peru back in the day...they mostly look at me like I'm an old geezer talking about the good ol' days...but we love them anyways


A few interesting things we have learned about Argentina:

These little green parrots are everywhere, I don't think I expected Buenos Aires to be as tropical as it appears with palm trees, bamboo stands and flowering trees everywhere.


As we drive around the streets we have noticed alot of cars with plastic bottles sitting on top of the roofs like below...we have learned this means the car is for sale...The history lover in me wants to know how such traditions get started in a country and I'm very careful to not leave my bottle of diet coke on top of our little Fiat Car


We are certainly trying to figure out what kind of things will keep us busy as we serve as MLS missionaries.  It is kind of up to us to see a need and attempt to fill that need.   The Pilar ward is growing very fast (they had five baptisms today, for instance) that we think we may focus on helping new members understand better how to get to the temple, do family history work and access all the apps, etc. the Church has available but we will adjust as asked by the Bishop and others in the Ward. 

We are doing great and enjoying the adventure the confronts us every day.   Love you all!



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