Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Our Life On The Mission

This is our almacen where we purchase our fruits and vegetables. Mauricio (right) has become a wonderful friend who loves to teach me new spanish words and is so thrilled when I remember one. His brother Fabio (left) is much more quiet. Their little store is on the street as we drive to the office. Their little store is about 12 ft. wide and about 16 ft. long. Their whole life revolves around this little store. On the shelves on the right, you can just barely see jars of honey, their mother bottles tomatos and pickles and sells them there. It is a family affair. They live behind this store, which is actually the garage to the house. So now you know how Jim stays healthy, we buy more from these two then we do anywhere else. Our favorite motto, "if you want to stay alive, eat things that are alive."
Our kids have wondered about our everyday life here on the mission and so we have a few pictures to share. This picture is taken on a p-day in our favorite park. We get p-days about every other month. We will not get another p-day till December because every Saturday and Sunday for the next month and a half will be in a different city speaking at Stake Conferences.
Our kitchen. Small but serviceable.
The dining room where I put two more church tables to extend the seating capacity to hold 30 people for dinner.
The family room connected to the dining room.
The living room, family room, dining, is all in one room.
We can see our church from the kitchen window. The building under construction is the one I have been watching being built from my windows since we first arrived. They are just finishing the top floor.
Yes, kids this is Dad's car all dirty. Life has changed quite a bit from the days when Dad would clean his car out in the front driveway every Saturday. We are lucky now to get it cleaned once a month.
Elder Christensen and Elder Jarvis (right) our secretaries. The job is a very hard one, and we are lucky to have their capable minds. Elder Christensen is learning Elder Jarvis's job for a change over in a month or so.
Our Vivero where we buy our plants and flowers. Jim loves to care for his bonsai plants and is always getting advice and fertilizers to help his plants thrive.
I have tried to capture this photo on the street, but had to get it from a moving car. This is our local dry cleaning delivery boy. Sometimes the white shirts are blowing in the wind as he peddles his bike along the street.
This was a hand off in the streets. Elder Workman and Elder Mayta had earned a little treat for their zone. They were the only zone to complete the assignment of getting their apartment owner's signatures on an informe, to try to get our rents paid electronically (not our missionaries carrying large amounts of cash).
Elder Christensen on his knees, just where we want him. He was trying to fix our Consejos presentation.
Elder Meldrum, our materialista, who handles the rents, furnishings, and fix it needs. He is trying to bring us into the 21st century.
Dennis Gibson and I were trying to help Jim get the board moved around and organized so it matched the board at the office. You can see the computer screen showing the pictures at the office. The electronic board from IMOS is coming this month. We have been waiting for a year for it to come to Argentina.
A view from one of house windows at the Andes Mountains.
The view on the other side of our building looking out to the city. The new building in the front is the Ambassador a new 5 star hotel in town. We never see a light on in it. I hope it makes it.
At the office, the Elders using the conference room for training. Someone must have spent some money on treats, I can see M&M's and Cheezits. Maybe someone received a package from home. You can't buy things like that on a missionary budget.
Shopping at the grocery store. The wheels on the carts drive me crazy, all four wheels turn 360 degrees, so it is hard to push the cart straight. Everything is a chore when it comes to grocery shopping here.
Watching conference on the computer. How I appreciate technology.

3 comments:

Tara said...

Wow, it is fun to see a glimplse of your life there. Where you cook and what you drive. For a miniute there I thought that picture of dad in the office was him with his white robe on. I almost giggled for a miniute.

Melinda Lindahl said...

How neat that you posted those pictures just for us. I loved it! Hope you are well! Thank you for raising good sons that take great care of women. I'm very blessed. Love, Melinda

Vicki Willes said...

Your pictures make me homesick for Argentina! I was sad you did not include one of a water bottle on top of a car!