Our typical week and the state fair of Buenos Aires Arg

Chacaritas ward Joan is in back 5 from right

I am behind a month with this blog.  When that happens, it is not because nothing was happening.  It is because so much was happening that there was no time to record it, let alone convey the spirit and emotion tied up into the highs and lows of it all.

We had the ward group on the basket
ball court/parking behind the chapel

FHE w/ YSA at a members

I will try and cover all of it in future blogs but I had a birthday that went on for several days, participated in some most amazing events in other people's lives, renewed acquaintances with two wonderful families I taught the gospel to 42 years ago, coordinated the SAS Area conference in Salta for all the area 70 (20 counting the Area Prdcy) including being invited to give a 15 minute impromptu talk in a sacrament meeting, and we join with the young single adults each Monday.  In addition, Joan has also been totally focused on learning Spanish (she has these moments where she gets after me to speak to her only in Spanish)

Out w/ Senior Mis for a, would you believe,
"American" style '50s dinner hamburger

The birthday of Gabriel, the Pres' Secretary
Joan brought the flowers

Joan coming to church w/ the YSA we met on the bus

Our week days are filled with long hours of intense, often stressful work but with some amazing spiritual highs.  A new adventure nearly every Saturday (our "P day" or preparation day to get our groceries, and see some of the city, etc.).  Sundays are a time to be amazed by the spirit of the people in the little ward we attend, skype with our wonderful kids and grand-kids and sometimes rest, study, or write this blog or in my book on Patriarchal blessings - I have even had an Argentine stake patriarch that is in our ward and another Senior Missionary patriarch read it over and give me some ideas - They got me interested in working on it again.

Fridays nights are still our “date night”  It is our time for going out to dinner and then try and find a decent movie to watch on YouTube – usually a black and white oldy or old Hallmark-, since we do not have a TV or videos and even the ones we bought with digital copies wouldn't loaded on our computer correctly. (occasional G-rated movies are allowed for senior missionaries in case you wondered)

An "Asado" dinner at the Fair
Argentine BBQ
She must be thinking of  my
cholesterol
that's olive oil in the bottle,
salads get oil & vinegar here

one Horse Show at the fair

Another horse show

Sat 20  Joan had her Spanish class with our wonderful little relief society president. We then meet the Raymonds and went to the Buenos Aires “state fair” called “La Rural.”  There were lots of horse shows, and all the usual farm animals and equipment.  There were also lots of Argentine stuff and really nice gaucho items as clothes, ponchos, saddles, boleadoras, knives, etc.

The meat truck bringing a side of beef to our local butcher

 Fri July 19 It got late and Joan was not feeling fully herself still so I went to our little corner Chinese grocery and bought some tenderloin from the butcher and some potatoes from the young lady that sells vegetables, and some yogurt, fruit and chocolate cookies for desert (called temptations – they weren't as good as their name but they were chocolaty).  The steaks were the best meat we have had and cheaper than in the US for filet mignon, probably $5 a lb (although we were surprised how most items in Argentina are very expensive - the government does not allow imports so it jacks up the prices of almost everything). I baked some “black” potatoes (they have white, black and red) and broccoli and the dessert at least looked pretty.  Every block also has at least one little Kiosco that sells miscellaneous junk food items.

Sun 21 We heard the story of the rich young man that asked Jesus what more could he do to have eternal life and Christ told him to sell all that he had and follow him, he was telling him he had to leave the world and worldly things behind to receive celestial kingdom.  We must all trade what is worldly, temporary, and physical for the eternal, spiritual, and celestial and that includes, leaving behind things, possessions, and ultimately even this mortal body.  And if we don't figure it out, we get old and it is taken away anyway; so, we learn it one way or another. Most of the people down here have very little in the way of material goods.  So they seem to either have a head start on us or become the pickpocketers that are also prevalent.

So long for now!

Boarding the subway to go down town on P day