Consejos June 2010

The Top Zone for July- Maipu Zone- with Elder Paz and Elder Wajchman as Zone Leaders

The Zone Leaders Counsel is a full day of food, the spirit, instruction, and practices. This is the first Consejos that the Zone Leaders came the night before and had get-to-know you activities. The next day was incredible to watch the difference from all the other Consejo's we have had. They usually stand apart from each other in the morning when they are eating their brunch. Today they all stood together, visiting and enjoying each others friendship. Definitely worth the extra few hours of work.

Elder Sorensen and Elder Medina (not shown) and their Chimbas Zone won the World Wide "Mundial" competition. It was played like the World Cup, with brackets. We had Mundial t-shirts made with the Mission logo, and medals. Chimbas was the winner of the first bracket

Elder Campbell and Elder Frischknecht won the second bracket of the Mundial competition with the Valle de Uco Zone. They won matching ties. I am sure they will be sported at the next zone conference.

Elder Ruiz reached his goals as the top District Leader

Elder Porras reached his goals as a top District Leader

Elder Reynolds the Top Zone Leader for May

Zone of the month- MAIPU with Elder Paz and Elder Wajchman as zone leaders

The Zone Leaders who reached their goals for July- Mendoza Zone with Elder Linares and Elder Smith and Chimbas Zone with Elder Sorensen and Elder Gimenez. They received Argentina scarves.

After a big lunch- don't they look a little tired?
(left back) Elders Frischknecht, Sorensen, Bills, Mamani, Hurst, Porras, Paz (left middle) Elders Canaza, Cardus (AP) Ascheris, Ashby, Gimenez, Morera, Linares, Wajchman, Nieve, Snow (left front) Elders Orduña, Campbell, LeBron, Martin (AP), Smith, Reynolds, Wiest (AP), Robinson, Hopkin.

Singing the Mission song!

Finishing Stake Conferences

The orchestra at the San Juan Stake Conference. They were all so cute and excited to play. They sounded very good for being so young. San Juan city has many music opportunities for their youth. The President Noriega and his family participate in many cultural events in the city.

The Stake Choir for the Sunday meetings. Sorry about the photo angle. They were wonderful. There is a lot of talent in San Juan.

Sister Noriega and her little angel daughter.

(left) Elder Morera, Reynolds, Bro. Noriega (future missionary), Jesica, Me and President

A quote from a letter from Elder Reynolds (2nd to left)-
Last Thursday Morning Elder Morera and I were knocking doors. We
entered one house and began to teach a little old lady, María, and her
grown daughter Tomasa. We taught them about prayer and prayed with
them, and when we were about to leave when Tomasa said, "don't leave
yet, my 18-year-old daughter wants to talk with you". We weren't sure
exacly why her daughter wanted to talk with us, but we decided to wait
and find out. After a few minutes, the young lady appeared and we began to talk. Her
name was Jesica. She said that she had many Mormon freinds and told us
what she knew about the church (and she knew a lot). She told about
Joseph Smith praying, seeing God and Jesus Christ, receiving the
plates from Moroni who was the son of Mormon, who'd compiled the
plates. We were surprised, but very happy to find a young woman so
prepared. Then she got quiet and said, "I know you might think this is
weird, but yesterday I was reading in the Bible, as I like to do, in
Mark where Christ talks about His path, and I prayed that if He had a
church that He would lead me to it, and then this morning you showed
up." Tears filled my eyes and I felt the Spirit testify that this is the
Lord's work not ours. He prepared His childred to receive us and leads
us, even unknowingly, to find them. One of her Member friends is named Gabriel,
a young man preparing for his mission. We set up an appointment to go with Gabriel to
teach Jesica. When we told Gabriel what had happened he couldn't believe us, "Are
you serious?" he said, "You found Jesica and she wants to hear more
about the gospel?" He told us that Wednesday night, the same night
that Jesica was praying, Gabriel (who hadn't talked with Jesica in a
few months) prayed that she would receive the gospel.
God listens to prayers. When we pray specificly and with real intent,
He answers our prayers. The Days of miracles have not ceased. I know that God still works
miracles among us, His children, He loves us and knows each one of us.

Soon to receive his call, Brother Noriega. He bore the sweetest testimony.

The Millan Family invited us over for Sunday dinner. This is a family very special to Elder Martin who has been trying to baptize the father into the church. He has raised a valiant family, sent his children on missions, attends church regularly, but won't be baptized while his mother is alive. He feels he is honoring her wishes. His wife is the Stake Relief Society President. Elder Martin goes home soon, and was hoping to have the opportunity to baptize him, but it will have to wait.

New Missionaries Arrive- We love them already!

Elder Evans from Provo arrived on time to the mission. We now have 10 missionaries, visa waiters, scattered through out the US. These arriving missionaries probably don't know how lucky they are. It seems all the Argentina visas are on hold because of the World Soccer Cup in So. Africa.

Elder Leany from Kearns, Utah

Hermana Richins from Richmond, Utah

Hermana Pelton from Bothell, Washington

Oldies Leave

Elder Stevenson and his parents
My favorite part is seeing the parents when they come to pick up their missionary. They are always touched by the conditions their missionaries live under, and equally touched as they enter the homes of their converts. What a great experience to share with the whole family.

Elder Sargent and mom at the airport

Reunited with both mom and dad- Elder Sargent

Dinner with the oldies in our home (left) Elders Sargent, Clayson, Christensen, Stevenson, Hermanas Flake, Maucotel, Elders Roy, Cubilla, Alvarado, Flores (floor) Matson, Budge.

Elders Budge, Matson, Hermanas Maucotel, Flake

I am always sad to lose my Hermanas, there aren't enough of them anyway. These are two special young ladies. Hermanas Maucotel and Flake.

The private table- Elders Stevenson, Clayson, Sargent, Christensen

Elders Flores and Roy

Stake Conference in San Luis

President with Mauro, a young man that always comes up and says hi after stake conferences. He is a sweet, future missionary who has that look about him that he will be some one important in the church someday in this part of the world.

His name is Hipolito Gerez from Maldando, Uruguay. He was baptized in a branch called Bella Union in 1973 in Uruguay. Jim was the missionary who opened that branch in Uruguay 37 years ago one year before Hipolito was baptized. It is so interesting and worth noting, that our missionaries never will know all of the lives that they are affecting and touching during their time on their missions. If that branch had not been opened, this man would not be a member of the church. All of his children have served missions and married in the temple.

Alex Arrieta (left) with his missionaries Hermana Sybrowsky and Ochoa. This young man has a special look about him. He and his family are soon to be baptized. Alex stayed by my side the whole time I was in the chapel after we had talked at the conference. He just wanted to be loved and hugged.

Selma Arrieta- she smiles just like my granddaughters, always ready with a pose.

The Arrieta family with Hermanas Sybrowsky and Ochoa. (Selma, Mom Karina, Malina, Dad Evon, me, Alex, President)

June Zone Conference with Elder and Hermana Zivic

Elder Zivic and his wife Dina Zivic with us in front of the Cerro de la Gloria. Argentina celebrated their bi-centennial celebration of San Martin (on the horse) and his troops crossing into Chile. In 1810 the troops fought Spanish soldiers winning as they went freedom from the grips of Spain for Peru, Chile, and Argentina.

The Brown's are our senior couple who will be going home next week. Hermana Brown has served as our nurse and her husband has been helping with the maintenance of the apartments and the bookstore. We will miss them.

Elder and Sister Zivic with the Rastelli's and Anna Acosta. They were the ones who did all the cooking and serving of the lunch three days in a row for our 200 missionaries. The zones were divided into 4 zones per day. It was a wonderful experience for our missionaries.

The service tables with all the food.

The last day of the week we had a big group of Hermanas, and they enjoyed sitting together and sharing experiences and visiting with old friends and companions.

San Juan Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Reynolds, and Elder Conti

Chimbas Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Medina and Elder Sorensen

San Martin Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Mamani and Elder Hurst

Maipu Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Wajchman and Elder Paz

Valle de Uco Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Campbell and Elder Frischknecht

Mendoza Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Smith and Elder Linares

Godoy Cruz Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Hopkin and Elder Toledo

Guaymallen Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Nieve and Elder Boyd

Alvear Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Bills and Elder LeBron

San Rafael Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Patterson and Elder Ramirez

San Luis Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Bodily and Elder Orduña

Valle Mercedes Zone- Zone Leaders Elder Mendoza and Elder Smith

Office Zone with Assistants Elders Martin, Cardus, Wiest