Return Set in Stone

The rest of October, 2015

We have a firm intineray for coming home!!!!  We leave Montevideo Dec 16th at 9 pm.  We land in Salt Lake City on Dec 17th at 12:35 pm.  People ask me how I feel about returning home.  I feel a tiny bit guilty for not saying, "Oh, I do not want to leave."  NOOO!  I am "way over the moon" excited.  Everyone is using that phrase now and I have no idea why.
To put icing on the cake, Justin, Travis and Dallin are coming to pick us up!!!  They want to make sure the mission doesn't kidnap us or something.  They come a week before.  What a great opportunity for them.  I have been crying tears of joy all week.   Don't get me wrong though.  I have loved the mission!
Add another great event to the end of the month.  A less active family that we have been fellowshipping returned to Malvin ward.  They have been twice now.  Such a super family, dad, mom, and two teenage sons.  Loved that it happened before we go home.

Saturday, October 24, 2015
Now, back to business.  We had another great capilla abierta on Saturday.  It was with Beatriz's ward.
Barrio 13 Capilla Abierta
A fantastic evening!  All the classrooms were set up with wonderful displays and you could feel the spirit quite strongly from each presentation.  Love was very prevelant and the number of references was the most we have seen in our two years of presenting these open chapels.  Close to 100.

YouTube: Capilla Abierta de Barrio 13

Beatiz on the far right and her daughter on the far left.

She was proud of this cake that she baked.

New member!

Aaronic priesthood. Technology brings the world together.

The Anderson's were able to join us

Beatriz's twin granddaughters.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Our capacitacion was 20 minutes away, so we invited the Hokasons and the Ness' to join us.  They really enjoyed it and the Bishop asked them to share their testimonies during Sacrament meeting.  Sister Hokanson shared hers in Spanish all by herself for the first time.  Simple but straight from the heart.  The Ness' also share their testimonies in Spanish and did extremely well.  Mike also had a Hermana Sara Cantos come up to him and said she remembered an Elder Burnett.  The connection?  Her mother was the mission cook and somehow Elder Burnett must have made an impression on Hermana Santos for her to remember him.  

The rest of our week was spent in Melo. It is a five hour drive.  The last part of the drive is slow because the road is only a two laner with a multitude of potholes.  We installed 3 alarms and did alot of cleaning and repair work for the missionaries here.  They don't get Elder Burnett too often and this is actually the last time they will.  We also visited with the Fernandez family.  Gabriel is close to receiving his mission call.  He is their oldest son.  They have one daughter and 5 sons.  They are an absolute golden family.   

Happy Halloween everyone!  

The Search for Mexican Food

Thursday, October 22, 2015

After our missionaries had departed, Elder Anderson wanted to take us to a mexican restaurant he found on the internet.  It was near the old prison.  So, back in the day you had the prison on one corner and the church on the other corner.

So after some walking, we find that the mexican restaurant is
out of business.  Hmm. McDonald's has a burrito listed on their menu!

We sit and wait...

...for Steve to decide where to eat now!

We did end up at a nice buffet restaurant.  The food was great!  Nice day with nice friends. :)

SOMOS VALIENTES!

Sunday - Friday October 18 - 23, 2015

Another change week!  This one was very different just for Mike and I because now......
WE ARE VALIENTES!!!!  SOMOS VALIENTES!!!!
One of the missionaries told that to me this week and I was so surprised about this.

YouTube Video of the week:  Semana de cambios y valientes

Hermana Fragapane is from Germany. She speaks German, Spanish and English!

Hermana Bertuoli has the best giggle!

We are hopeful to see Elder Gallagher in Utah. He is from California.

The week ends with treat for the office Elders and Hermanas that work
overtime during the week.

New Chapel in Salinas, Great Capilla Abierta

Saturday, October 17, 2015

This was a great opportunity for Salinas to share their new chapel with their friends and neighbors. This was a very successful event for the members. Fifteen tours were held. They happened about every 20 minutes on average.  Most non members were invited and or brought by the members. Great referrals were also given.  Big smiles tonight!

YouTube: Capilla Abierta de Salinas

Beautiful new chapel.

It seems he is staring at the marks in Christ's hand.

As always, our great missionaries. 

Burnin' Up the Road

Thursday - Sunday October 8 - 11, 2015

We moved Elders in Chuy this weekend.  Headed out on Thursday and stopped along the way at various missionary houses for repairs or to drop off new things they needed.
It is a 3 1/2 to 4 hour straight drive but with our various stops we made it into Chuy around 9pm.
They did have our reservations this time.  Hooray!

Hotel International.

I think a new sign is way past due!

We worked all day Friday. Mike had to build the kitchen this time.  He bought the kitchen sink and countertop with drawers and a cupboard from Sodimac, but had to put it all together with its million little screws.  He had the Elders build the cupboard for above the sink.  I shuffled the Elders with the van and trailer back and forth, so they did all their own moving while Mike installed everything that was needed.  We took time to feed them lunch in Brazil and then it was back to work.  We finished in Chuy around 10:15pm.  Because we had a capilla abierta back in Montevideo, we drove back. Traffic was very light and so we didn't have to play leap frog very much and we set a record for the time it takes to drive from Chuy to Montevideo.  2 hours and 45 minutes.
Blessings attend Mike while he is driving. He is blessed with quick, but safe reactions.  Night driving is always more difficult on 2 lane roads and you never know when some "loco" person is going to try and pass when it is not safe.  Enough said.  Prayers answered tonight!!!!  And my heart is out of my throat and back in my chest.

Saturday, October 10, 2015
We helped cook food for the Hermanas Conference this morning.  They wanted chivitos. It is a hamburger with an added cooked egg.  I also baked cookies for them this morning along with cookies for the missionaries that I always give at the end of our capilla abierta.

Alot of tender feelings because next week some of these great sisters
are changing companionships or going home. 

Paso Carrasco is a small but great ward!
The members did a superb job in bringing their family and friends. Every non-member that came was invited and/or brought by a member.  Good questions were asked as those that came seemed to be prepared by the Spirit. Sharing of the gospel plan and Jesus Christ definitely happened in this ward.

YouTube: Capilla Abierta de Paso Carrasco

Sunday, October 11, 2015
We had the great opportunity of presenting our capacitacion to Barrio 13 which is the ward that Beatrice Gea (Mike's convert) lives in.  Such a superb ward.  They invited us to lunch along with the Elders of their ward.  Great food and great company.

Monday, October 12, 2015
Today was a holiday for Uruguay. It was their Labor Day.  Anderson's wanted to treat all the couples to the buffet at the top of the Radisson Hotel so off we went! Our little igloo has now become the extra seat we need in back in order to make our van an 8 passenger.

Wow.  We have done plenty in the last five days!  P-day where are you?