Feeling More Confident
During our first week, we pretty much got into the swing of
walking to the subway, getting on the right train, getting off at the right
stop, walking to the office, and doing it in reverse after work. The walk from
our apartment to the subway is about half a mile and the walk from the subway
to the office is about a quarter mile so going to work and then going home at
night, we are walking about a mile and a half, minimum, each day. It’s actually
quite pleasant in the morning but after work, the temperature is generally
between the mid-70s or low 80s with humidity to match so we are generally
pretty sweaty by the time we reach the apartment after work. One morning,
however, there was a driving rain storm. We started out with umbrellas thinking
we could reach the subway without getting too wet but after about 2 blocks, we hailed
a taxi. By the time we got to work we were pretty soaked but we eventually dried
out during the day.
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| Typical Subte station - NOT at rush-hour |
Our second Sunday, we still needed one more trip to church with the Ashtons to
feel comfortable that we knew what bus to catch. By our third Sunday, we were
ready to solo. Some of the senior missionaries have really learned the bus
system and can get anywhere in the city. The buses and the subway each require
a credit card type of pass that we charge with about 100 pesos and then each
time we ride we place our Sube card on the reader and it subtracts the fare.
There are 20%, 30% and 40% discounts after 20, 30 and 40 rides during any given
month (in U.S. dollars, it drops from $.50 to $.40 to $.35 to $.30 per ride) so
the more you use it, the less it costs. We have used it more than 20 times already
this month so we are at the 20% discount rate and will probably reach the
maximum discount before the end of the month. The transportation system is very
good and if one learns how to handle transfers, etc., it is possible to get
within a few blocks of pretty much anywhere in the city for just a small cost.
The subways and buses can sometimes be pretty crowded,
though, and we generally don’t get to sit down, but our ride to work and back
is only 3 stops, about 10 minutes, and our ride to church is about 15-20
minutes, so it’s not too bad.
We're all going to the zoo tomorrow!
On Saturday, October 29, most of the senior couples and
Brent and Kris Gardner caught a bus for about a 45-minute ride to Belén
de Escobar, where the Temaikén Zoo is located. This zoo is a
beautiful park-like zoo where the animals are not in cages but are in large
open spaces. They also have a wonderful aquarium. We were so impressed with how
clean it is and with the gorgeous flowers and well-kept grounds. Also, as we
walked there was lovely classical music coming from speakers along the
walkways. Several of the senior couples went together and we went our separate
way with the Gardners. Brent seemed to have it in mind to see everything in the
zoo because we walked, sometimes at a VERY quick pace, to see all of the areas
and to see all of the presentations, which were really impressive. We had a
great time but we were exhausted by the time we had to leave to catch our bus
back to Buenos Aires. We should mention that Elder Love had a bit of a
misunderstanding ordering lunch and we ended up with a hamburger, 3 foot-long
hot dogs, 4 drinks, and 3 orders of fries. The other senior couples were
impressed (disgusted?) when he finished all the hot dogs. Needless to say,
there was a light dinner that night.
Some pictures of Temaikén Zoo:
Haloween
We spent Halloween at family home evening with the other
senior couples and had a wonderful lesson by Sister Nielsen. Some of the couples
had invited Elder Packer’s secretary to bring her children trick or treating
and she came with a couple of their neighbor children, as well. It was fun to
see kids dressed up in costumes and made us just a little less homesick for our
own grandkids, though we kept an eye on Facebook for pictures of our own little
ghosts and goblins.
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| Our Argentine trick or treaters |
Elder Rasband's Visit
At work, we are faced with some pretty important matters. It
would be inappropriate to say much about them but rest assured, although the
work generally is going well, the Church definitely needs lawyers to look after
the legal affairs of the Church. Elder Rasband’s visit beginning November 9
will include some meetings with some very high ranking and influential people
that we hope will help to solve some of the problems we are facing here. While
he is here, he is giving a speech to the South American Forum on Religious Freedom,
a gathering of individuals throughout South America who are working to preserve
and protect religious freedom in their various countries. There will even be a
couple of professors there from BYU Law School. Elder Rasband has been working
on his talk for a few weeks and we had an opportunity to help research and
footnote some of the sources. Who would have thunk we would be helping an
apostle prepare a speech. It is quite an honor to be involved in it. We were
privileged to be present yesterday when he gave his speech. Also present were
Elder Craig Christensen, of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elders Tiexiera,
Packer and Bragg, the area presidency, and Sisters Packer and Bragg. Here are
some pictures. Look who’s peeking from behind.
Also present were the Secretary General of Buenos Aires, Secretary of Religions of Argentina, the Director General of Religions of Buenos Aires and various other dignitaries.
Prayer Breakfast
This morning, November 10, we had an assignment to attend the annual
Prayer Breakfast in Buenos Aires with one of our Legal Coordinators, David Frol.
David is extremely well-connected, not only in Buenos Aires but in all of
Argentina and most of South America, as he is the head of the J. Reuben Clark
Law Society for this area. Our other Legal Assistant, Marcos Cardoso, is the
Buenos Aires chapter chair. The breakfast turned out to be a really sweet
experience. We met a lovely couple who spent a few years in Moscow, Idaho,
teaching students about their religion. He is from Texas and she is from Canada
but they have lived in Argentina for 32 years. It was fun to connect with them
and it truly is a small world. There was a wonderful quartet who sang as guests
were coming in and later sang a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria, as part of
the program. There were a number of speakers from many religions, many of whom
offered very sweet, heart-felt prayers. There were guests there from Argentina,
Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the United States. The ambassador
to Argentina from Chile was present, as were a supreme court justice and a number of other senior level
government, religious and business leaders, including the Vice President of
Argentina, Gabriella Michetti, who was sitting at the next table from us in her
wheelchair. I was impressed with how low-key the security was. It was not at
all obvious such a high-level official was coming. For example, there were no metal detectors, a security
portal, pat-downs, etc. She was able to mingle freely with the people in the
room and she has clearly endeared herself to the people of Argentina. We were very
impressed with her deep faith and passion and, after all was said and done, we left the
breakfast uplifted and enriched.
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| Vice President of Argentina, Gabriella Michetti |
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