Bariloche, Argentina's Winter Paridise

One of the senior missionary couple has said, "after the Garden of Eden, God made Bariloche."  It is a beautiful Andes mountain village surrounded by seven beautiful lakes and of course the Andes.  Not everyone has the good fortune to be able to visit so much of their mission.  Joan and I were in charge of coordinating the yearly Mission Presidents' Seminar.  It is a combination of three days of intense training couple with an opportunity for the mission presidents and their wives to get away from the 24/7 grind of being the "camp director" for 200+ missionaries.  Several things came together (including an amazing deal at the hotel) to allow us to hold it in Bariloche.  A ski resort and 2nd most popular tourist spot in Argentina.  It was off season and it was held Monday through Thursday morning - so part of the reason for the deal at the Hotel Lloa Lloa.  There are so many beautiful pictures I will put up a couple of posts on this.  One of more the  Seminar later.

here are the Mission Pres and their wives on a lookout.
Behind them is the hotel we stayed at with a couple of the
lakes in the foreground.  I had climbed up on the cliff to take this

From our hotel room window

Trying to catch the sun setting

with another senior couple. The Knapps were doing the translation
for the wives that did not speak Spanish.

there are several islands and one has a tree only found on it
and another a type of hibernating animal that stores
his winter food supply in his tail

Bariloche was settled by northern Europeans
and there food is typical of that reagon,
as lamb and trout and of course chocolate.

Another chocolate store

Its hard to see but that is the Andes over our shoulders

Using my telephoto I got a picture of the hotel from the
look out

Mission life has been flying by; Time to catch up

It seems we get busier every day and over a month has slipped by.  I will catch up with more pictures and less explaining.  We have had some great adventures, lots of work, spiritual experiences and mixed in is the "everyday" in a not so ordinary or everyday place.  We have been to Bariloche, seen some amazing people and are getting ready for a visit from two apostles and a seventy.

On the way to work you see where they have
torn down a home and building an apartment
complex.  They have have platforms to prevent
items from falling on the sidewalk pedestrians
and you are still not sure.  They toss most of
their materials up from one floor to the next.

From time to time we run into people we know.
Elder Hancock was on his way home and he first saw
 Sister Boyle walking by and then me and jumped up and said
I know you.
It is always a treat to find that the world of the saints is so small.

We always enjoy our home evenings with the young single adults.  I usually work late Monday getting ready for the Tues Area Presidency meeting.  The ward YSAs were planning on coming over to our apartment at 8:30 for FHE but some were sick and some had other obligations so we only had one, Zeida.  We had a wonderful discussion with her.  She is a pretty amazing young lady- probably 26 or 27.  She is a return missionary.  Came from Peru to get an education.  Works during the week and volunteers her Saturdays to work in the temple and Sunday she is one of the ward YW leaders.  She has the most amazing story of conversion and subsequent love and forgiveness.  She loves everyone.

YSA FHE

Here is Genisis giving her lesson.  Zieda is in the Orange

We made my oatmeal cookie recipe and Joan made brownies.  They brought deserts as well.  Our little hometeachee, Juanita Genesis gave the lesson and she sort of let it go talking a mile a minute with all her pent up feelings. It was a great FHE.

This was Yamila's birthday(with the hat) the other
Secretary for the Presidency.
Two of the most efficient young women I know

Another of the presidency's secretaries birthday.  .














Sunday after church we walk home with two or three other Senior Couple Missionaries.  It is probably just over a mile.  There is one home that is always cooking an asado (BBQ) as we walk home and we have made friends with him and his family.  He always invites us to have a sample - quite taste.  We always invite him to church and he says he will some day.  But he always treats us like his long lost relatives - always fun.

He is now cooking out on the side walk in front of his house

Here he is with Joan and the Switzers

Each Sunday we would pass this little restaurant that was decorated so lovely and had such a wonderful bread shop with it but couldn't go on Sundays.  One Saturday we were at the church for another event and on the way home we stopped and had dinner: