Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is

March 12, 2017

Starting our tour of Colonia

So you better like Chicago and Rock and Roll from the ‘60’s era to get this title.   This morning we woke up in Castillos and were confused with the time.  We were excited that it was daylight savings time in the States so now we only have a three hour difference to talk with our family.  But, our “Uruguayo phone” showed 6:30 A.M. and our US i-phone and i-pad showed 7:30 A.M.  To settle it I looked at my regular watch and it said 7:30 A. M. so we settled down a bit.  This week’s blog is going to seem a little disjointed for two reasons: 1st it is 10:00 P. M. here and I am ready for bed and 2nd, we had quite a variety of things happen this week.

Our week started with a trip to Colonia de Sacramento which is a city about two hours away.  It was the first settlement in Uruguay and has a lot of history and museums.  I hope you like the photos.  We spent the day with the Temple Missionaries and the Nortons from Buenos Aires.  We went over and back on the bus.  It was a fun day.

Next we have the results of the Sisters “using” our i-pad.  They had several poses such as, “look happy”, “look sad”, “look scared”, “something tastes bad”, and “something smells bad”.  I put up about 10% of the actual pictures.  They are quite entertaining.

We had the Zone Leader and District Leader Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I like the pictures of the Elders helping and getting ready to eat.  I especially like the picture of Elder Montiel and Cheney “begging” for food.  This is really a good tool.  With this photo, they not only get more to eat, but they also get more help with all of the missionary work.  They have really got things popping in the Carasco  Ward.  This is the one that surrounds the Temple.

My favorite part of the conferences was eating lunch with the missionaries.  Elder Ruiz is a Zone Leader in Durazno.  I have never seen him without a smile on his face.  He can also put the groceries away, if you know what I mean.  (See our blog a few weeks ago about the bauru in Durazno)  So for lunch they served roast pork, mashed potatoes, rolls and green salad.  As he sat down with his second full plate he said, “I only want a little butter on my roll because I am on a diet.”  I almost fell off my chair laughing.  I am already sad because he leaves in a few months.  I will miss him terribly.

 Consejo is training received each change for Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders.  There are a few, older, and  extras in the photo.  They love meeting together and renewing friendships.

The picture of the Sisters with the fan tells several stories in one.  First, this house had terrible walls with the masonry falling off and mold all over them.  The members of the Pan de Azucar branch banded together to help the Sisters repair the walls and paint the house.  It looks so good.  On top of that the Sisters received a new fan so now they get a little relief from the heat.  Their happy, positive smiles are what make our mission so great.

Now for Elder Childs.  Here is the four month story in one sentence.  Elder Childs arrived in the office, received his cedula or Uruguayan documents, got his health test for a driver’s license, found out his US license had expired, started driving school, somehow got his license renewed in the states, stopped driving lessons, waited for his license from the US, received his license after three weeks, got another health test, went to the driver’s license office to get his license, found out it was closed for a strike, returned the next day, got his license and finally passed his driving test from me.  You think he was happy?  We sure were, if for nothing else than not to have to listen to the saga anymore.  His picture actually shows how much fun it is to work with him every day.  We love him.

Next up on the list is Cristina’s birthday.  If you check out our blog from March 20, 2016, you can see pictures of Cristina’s birthday party with all of her family.  It was a real fun party.  Since that time she has recovered from a stroke and been baptized.  This year the party was not as big partially because she has to be careful about how much she does so she does not get so tired.  Instead of a big party, we were able to enjoy a fun evening together and talk about what they are doing to prepare for Humberto to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and be sealed in the Temple.  We concluded with a Priesthood Blessing to help her do a little better.  It was different evening than a year ago but a very special evening.

Elder Lockhart and Gomez enjoyed the ride

On Friday we headed to Castillos to help with the branch.  As we were driving into Rocha, we found Elder Lockhart and Gomez walking down the highway on their way to a charla.  We picked them up and took them out to Laguna Rocha to the charla.  This is 10 kilometers each way.  We really wanted to stay and give them a ride back but we had things scheduled in Castillos and needed to be going.  What a sacrifice all the Elders make to bring the Gospel to the people of Uruguay.  I have not had a chance to see how the charla went but we are praying for them.

I wish I had more time and space to talk about our weekend in Castillos.  We had several good visits and we feel that each time we go we are definitely led to the people that we meet.  Progress is slow, but you can see the efforts of the missionaries paying off in increased faith and work of the members.  The highlight of the weekend was Renee’s talk in Sacrament Meeting.  She did a real good job.  She still struggles with Spanish but is making progress every week.  One thing that is for sure, the people in Castillos love her.  They appreciate all of her efforts to learn the language and share her testimony with them.  We leave Castillos every week with a heavy heart as we love the people so much and can’t wait to go back.

Lastly was a Capilla Abierta in the Los Ceibos branch.  It was very well attended by the members and they were able to give a strong message to several people interested in the Gospel.  The missionaries were great and did a good job inviting people and sharing their Testimonies.  Because of the Capilla Abierta it is now 10:30 P. M. and I am tired and ready for bed.  Next week does not appear to be quite as hectic but it still should be fun.

We are so grateful for the chance to help in some small way.  We love the mission president and his family.  The missionaries are so wonderful.  We hope we can rest up enough to get a few things done this week.  The Gospel is true.  We are grateful for it.

We love you all.
Gordon and Renee