An Evening with Lindsay Stirling

I don’t get to use that title much.  Lindsay Stirling is on tour through South America and Uruguay.  As a favor to the people of Uruguay she did a “Face to Face” event last Monday night in the Chapel where the Mission Home is located.  To say it was spectacular is an understatement. She performed a few pieces on the violin and also answered questions.  Her message was very clear.  If you want to be happy you have to decide to be happy and then do things to make yourself be happy.  Great advice for people that are thirteen or sixty-three.  One of our friends was able to come for part of it.  It was wonderful.  You can see her perform on you tube.

This is one of those weeks when we just have too much to tell.  I’ll try to keep it short.  This was change week.  It usually starts off with the new missionaries coming in on Tuesday.  This time we got to start it off by saying good bye to Sister Campbell on Monday afternoon.  I could spend several blogs just talking about what she did for our Mission.  We will miss her.

We had nineteen oros or new missionaries that arrived.  They came in on 5 flights that started about 2:00 A.M.  The last ones came in about 2:00 P.M.  It was a lot of trips to the airport for the mission president and the assistants.  We did not have to go to all of trips which saved our old tired bodies.  This is quite an animated bunch.  It was fun to see how excited they are.  I hope you can see what a fun group they are.  It will be exciting to see them grow.  Too bad we won’t be around much longer to see them.  They really got into milking alfajores.  That’s a good sign.  They were also pretty excited when they met their trainers.  It was fun to see their enthusiasm for the work.

Right after we sent the oros off with their trainers, the Valientes or missionaries that are going home come in to the mission home.  This was very difficult as we remember when most of them came and can see how much they have grown.  We had three missionaries in this group that served in the office with us.  Also, Hermana Nava and Anderson were in the group.  They are the missionaries that taught and baptized our friend Cristina, so we are especially close to them.  Elder Montiel wanted to get some more alfajores to take home so I gave him and Elder Rodriguez a ride to get them.  It was our last trip of many.  I already miss them terribly.

We enjoyed dinner with the Valientes on Wednesday night and then said good bye to Elder Filigrana and Sister Lizarazo as they had a flight to Colombia at about 5:00 A.M.  We didn’t start until 7:00 A.M. when we picked up Elder Montiel for his flight to Argentina.  What a great friend he has been.  It was hard to say good bye to him because we may not see each other ever again.

We no sooner sent him through security when the next bunch arrived.  These were the Latinos.  Elder Rodriguez was headed home to Panama and Elder Ruiz to El Salvador.  It was hard to say good bye.  Luckily we have face book and other ways to communicate.   Then it was time for the North Americans to come.  We sent them off about 5:00 P. M.  In all we were in the airport for more than 10 hours, mostly waiting.

I want to say a little about the task of a mission president.  President Eddy started Tuesday in the middle of the night.  Then, besides all the meetings to teach the new missionaries he did 19 interviews with the new missionaries.  After the meetings ended at about 9:00 P. M. he got together with the assistants to make the final assignments of the new missionaries.  Wednesday was filled with meetings and final interviews of the missionaries going home.  Then Thursday he and his wife were at the airport starting at about 5:00 A. M.  He made at least three different trips to the airport through the day and finally was able to go home at about 5:00 P. M.  What a schedule!   We appreciate him and his wife so much.

In the middle of the Missionaries going home we also said good bye to Elder and Sister Jensen.    They just completed their Temple Mission.  That leaves us the only North American Senior Missionaries serving in Montevideo.  It’s going to be kind of lonesome.

Friday we had a more or less normal day as we did inspections in the La Costa zone and also cut the grass for three of the houses.  The La Costa houses are interestingly enough on the coast where it is the most humid and has the most problems with mold in the houses.  We were please to find out that for the most part the missionaries are working to take care of the mold.  We really appreciate it.
As part of the inspections, Renee always makes cookies.  She made lemon bars Thursday after we got done with the “rodeo” we call changes.  I guess it’s a complement when a missionary likes the cookies so much that he takes a picture of them.  But, that is Elder Larson.  He is a very fun and happy missionary that just happens to like lemon bars.

Yesterday was finally P-day for us.  We cleaned to mold off our walls, cleaned the rest of the house and just relaxed while it rained cats and dogs outside.  We were glad for the breather.  Our testimonies continue to grow as we have a chance to serve.  We appreciate the opportunity.  We appreciate all of the love and support from home.  We love you all.

Love, Gordon and Renee