subway art

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I realized over the holidays that I really like subway art. We don’t often have time to work on “extra” projects, but over the past six weeks, with a little here and a little there, we finally finished our version of D&C 4. I say “we” because everyone in the office has a part of this project that they can claim. And more than anybody else, Presidente’s secretary knows how to make things from our imaginations become a reality. We took the digital version to the printer’s today. We are looking forward to adding this art to the conference room for all the missionaries to enjoy.
Me di cuenta durante los feriados que me gusta mucho subway arte. No tenemos tiempo muchas veces para trabajar en proyectos extra, pero durante las seis semanas pasadas, con un poco aquí y un poco allí, por fin terminamos nuestra versión de D&C 4. Digo nosotros porque todos en la oficina tienen una parte de este proyecto que ellos pueden reclamar. Y mas que nadie, el secretario del Presidente quien sabe como hacerlas cosas de nuestras imaginaciones ser un realidad. Llevamos la versión digital a la imprenta hoy. Estamos muy animados de agregar este arte a la sala de conferencias entonces todos los misioneros pueden disfrutarlo.

007 presidente

Presidente has often referred to the missionaries as "agents of repentance”.
Every Monday, every single one of them send him a letter. They are personal letters and he receives them in a package that the office elders label, “Top Secret”.
You can only imagine how our grandkids thought that it was absolutely fabulous when their Papa received “Top Secret” mail.
As agents, the missionaries represent the Savior and invite everyone to Come Unto Him. So, their role is quite different that what our grandkids may have imagined seeing his packet, and, I should say, that even though the mail is definitely confidential, the “Top Secret” labeling is, of course, a little joke.

Presidente spends quite a bit of time reading the mail each week and often calls or writes the authors with answers to their questions or suggestions for their quandaries. It helps him to understand exactly what is going on in each area of the mission and things that we need to focus on as a group. More than anything, though, it helps him to understand what is going on in the lives of each of the missionaries as they work to complete their purpose in the best cause on earth.
And by the power of His word, miracles [have been] wrought. Moroni 9:17

El Presidente muchas veces ha llamado los misioneros "agentes de arrepentimiento". Cada lunes, cada uno de ellos le manda una carta. Ellas son cartas personales y el las recibaeen un sobre donde los elderes de la oficina escriben "top secret".

Pueden imaginar como nuestros nietos pensaron que fue absolutamente maravilloso cuando su Papa recibió correo "top secret".

Como agentes, los misioneros representan al Salvador e invitan a todos venir a El. Entonces, su rol es muy diferente que nuestros nietos han imaginado viendo su sobre, y necesito decir que aunque el correo is seguramente confidencial, las palabras "top secret" son, por supuesto, un chiste.
El President paso mucho tiempo cada semana leyendo su correo y muchas veces el llama o escribe los autores con respuestas a sus preguntas o sugerencias para sus dilemas. Lo ayuda entender que esta pasando en cada area de la misión y las cosas en que necesitamos enfocarnos como un grupo. Mas que nada, lo ayudan entender que esta pasando en las vidas de cada uno de los misioneros como ellos trabajan para cumplir con sus propósitos en la causa celestial.

Moroni 9:17

the raya

Pronounced rah-jjjjjjjjjjjjaaaaahhhhh

When we arrived in the mission, there was a tradition that the missionaries wear a raya in their hair. The word actually means streak, line or stripe, but in this case it used to designate a part in their hair.

The white handbook for elders reads:

Hair. Keep your hair relatively short (not clipped too close) and evenly tapered. Extreme or faddish styles—including spiked, permed, or bleached hair or a shaved
head—are not appropriate.

Presidente was pleased to carry on with the raya tradition. He has had the same hairstyle since he first had hair.

 

 

 

Nowadays, I have to be grateful that he still has hair to part.

 

 

 

The missionaries seem to enthusiastically embrace the raya. Certain missionaries have such a distinctive raya that they are known for it mission-wide.

Not only are we the best mission in all the world…

our missionaries have the best rayas , as well!

blog book #3

I wrote about blogging and the mission blog books back here:

http://buenosaireswest.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/about-blog-and-first-mission-blog-book.html

The third book is available for a free download in the United States. For the first time, I received a message that it might not be available for free in other countries.

The blog books are always available on the sidebar.

Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission June 2012 - December 2012 | Make Your Own Book

february transfers

This transfer we have a total of 10 areas that are closed, but holding, as we wait for visas and prepare for future arrivals.

We have several mini-missionaries working to help keep other areas open. These kids are so impressive. Three of them come from the same family and they were baptized by one of our elders that is currently serving in the mission. We have another mini-missionary that was serving with us last transfer that we are taking to the MTC tomorrow here in Buenos Aires and after two weeks, he will return to serve in our mission! We are all pretty excited about that. And we still have another mini missionary from a branch out in the campo. He is the first mini missionary to serve from there and will soon be the first full-time missionary to serve from his branch.

All the music is from the youth.lds.org website:

Arise to the Mountain  2012 General YW Conference

More  by Kenneth Cope

Glorious by Russ Dixon EFY 2012

Walkin’ in the Sunlight by Russ Dixon EFY 2010

valentine pastores

It was a perfect summer’s day for the Pastores Tour. The first stop, as always, was the Plaza de Mayo. We visited the National Cathedral and took some of our traditional photos in front of the Casa Rosada. During the tour of the Colon Theater it is explained that the first theater in Buenos Aires was actually here on the plaza and is now the National Bank building. I remembered to tell the Pastores that little factoid, and even though it was closed, we got a peek inside.

We arrived at the Colon Theater a little bit before the time on our tickets. Since all of the Pastores on the tour today speak English, we actually ended up joining the group ahead of ours with one of our favorite guides. She invited Sister Olson to sing and was quite moved by her acappella version of I Am A Child Of God.

After lunch, we walked over the bridge to cross to the other side of Puerto Madero and then went to Recoleta where we visited the tombs in the cemetery and later did a little last minute shopping.

There were people enjoying the park, but our sacred spot was uninhabited, and we shared our history. The Pastores will go back to the cultural hall in Ramos Mejia and visit with some of their converts this evening. Then, in the morning, we will meet again for our final day together in the mission.

transferring