Christmas Zone Conference

First of all...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  We're waiting for the clock to tick by for our 10:30 p.m. dinner invitation at our bishop's home.  I'm currently watering the backyard as it's summertime down here and it's plenty hot.  Today was only 108^ and we were told it felt like 111^.  I had to agree 100%.  In fact, it's 105^ outside right now and it says it feels like 109^ so we're cooling off.  I must admit, it feels like anything BUT Christmas with this kind of heat but the calendar tells us it's December 24th so it must be Christmas Eve.  A week ago we went to Cordoba for a combined zone conference with 3 other zones and it was wonderful seeing so many missionaries and even other senior missionaries.

For lunch we were served pork and beef sandwiches.  That's a big pork leg and the bowls have various kinds of mayonnaise sauces to add to the rolls.  There were tossed salads on the tables for everyone.

Elder Green/CO is on the left with Elder Ramos/Brazil on the right.  I don't know the names of the 2 elders in the middle but some certainly look very interested in that pork leg, wouldn't you say? 

One satisfied group of missionaries!

And another...

                                                                                                        And another...

And one more!  Missionaries are always happy when food is being served to them!

Here we are with Elder and Sister Mahr who are from Buenos Aires.  They're currently serving in Dean Funes, which has an independent branch (doesn't belong to a stake nor district), where Elder Mahr served as the branch president for a year.  Now a local man has been called to be the branch president and he's training him until the end of their mission, which is in March.  They told us they were married and living in the Buenos Aires 5th ward when Doug and I were both serving in the mission office and in that ward 40+ years ago!  Small world!  We don't remember each other but they were able to update us on the status of many members in that ward.  They still are from the same area. 














Our final goodbyes to Elders Puma/Peru and Gallacci/WA as they left last week for home.  Elder Puma served in Catamarca from the end of January until the middle of December, serving in 3 different areas.  Elder Gallacci served with us for 6 months.  They're both outstanding elders and served the Lord well as missionaries.