working in the weather

As the wife of a Mission President, I watch the weather with more interest than I did before the mission. I think about my missionaries and what it will be like for them on the streets every day. I pray for them specifically to be able to cope with the heat or be safe in the rain or warm in the cold.

In Buenos Aires, we have downpour-style rainstorms. They come on without warning and within seconds you are completely drenched. We had a similar style rainstorm in Florida, however, in Florida they last for about 15 minutes. If you are lucky enough to be inside when it happens, you can quite easily wait it out. It is different here in Buenos Aires. The storms can last with intensity for hours and hours.

One day a missionary said to me that she loves the rain because real missionaries work in the rain. I love that we have valiant missionaries that work in the rain. As a people, the Argentines are a little bit weather-dependent. They don’t go out if it is too hot, too cold or rainy. It makes missionary work challenging because not only do they not go out, they don’t want anyone to come in.

I am remembering another day when we were having a mid-transfer change. The hermanas arrived soaking wet. When we asked the why they didn’t call a remis, they laughed and asked what was the point since they were soaked already. They dried off, picked up their new companions and went back to work.

I have heard countless stories from missionaries standing in the rain or cold or heat being rejected because of the weather. Fortunately, they are good-natured about it. This week began with lots of rain. I have to admit that mom in me was was glad that today they had district meetings during the worst of the storms.