Wednesday, October 16, 2013

October 14, 2013 - Q and A's -Hiking Zonda Photos!

1.Do they celebrate Halloween in Argentina and how? They just really started celebrating Halloween like we do not many years ago. Guess we´ll see what really happens!
2.Do you think shoe inserts would help if I could get some for you? I´ve never tried them...so I don´t know. But my toms and moccasins are working wonders. it´s just when I try to use real shoes that I have problems. Why can´t missionaries just go barefoot? jk the streets are horrendous.
3.Is San Juan different food than you had in your first area? Yes. But honestly we haven´t really had very many meals with members. Yet. We filled our calendar yesterday. But they are all really super gluten-free aware, so I think it will be good. 
My favorite quote from Hermana Lybbert this week. I do all the cooking usually. ¨Hermana, I´m really grateful for you.¨ ¨Why´s that?¨ ¨Because you´re really good at making yummy food out of really cheap things.¨ Ha ha what a great skill. 
4.Did any thing happen worse with the dog bite? Nope. We just avoid walking near him these days.
5. you skipped 5.
6. Did you sew up your tights? Do you need new tights? no, they were dead anyway. I might actually. Right now it´s super hot here, but come winter time I´ll need some...
7.  Do you have running water in San Juan? Yes, but it tastes super funny and the pressure is really bad. ha ha so... showering is an adventure.
8.  Is the weather getting warmer?Cold and fall here.  Spent a lot of time in the yard trimming this week.  
It´s starting to get really HOT. we have the greatest. not. tan lines ever.
9. Is there any thing funny you want us to know? Hm mm. I got asked out on a date the other day. this guy literally chased us down to ask me to go dancing. Poor fellow could not understand why I would not say yes or give him my phone number. So I taught him the restoration. He gave us his phone number, and he now has a folleto, and a referral sent to the ELDERS. we´ll see. 
10.  Do you know you are loved? Yes. Literally there are days when I am just beat. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. I´ve never been so tired. But sometimes in those hopeless moments I just get this random overwhelming sense of love and peace. I´m grateful for each of you and the strength and prayers that you send my way. 
Did you know there are lots more being sent your way as well? I pray lots of times per day :)

Greenie room for conference!

Hiking the non-trail. I WAS IN HEAVEN!


Sketchy pipe over the great cliffs!


District at la cabeza del indio!


Hermana "selfie"



Amazing view!


Looks like Utah?

Package sending FYI
For all that have been assigned to the Argentina Mendoza Mission, here are some instructions we have received concerning the mail and packages between you and your families:
To all missionaries of the Argentina Mendoza Mission, current and future, their parents, friends and families:
In order to allow the missionaries to receive mail and packages from home, please consider the following suggestions (These are based on our most recent experiences with the customs service here in Argentina, especially here in Mendoza.):
First some background information. Packages sent through the mail are processed here by the Argentina Postal Service, Correo Argentina. There is no additional charge for their service for letters or small packages. However, for larger packages that must be cleared through the separate Customs Service, Aduana, the post office charges a document processing fee and possibly a storage fee if we are unable to retrieve the package in a certain amount of time after being notified it is being held for pick up at the Post Office. Then the package is opened by Customs, in the presence of a representative of the missionary (an elder from the mission office staff, currently), the items evaluated and a tariff assessed. That tariff can be up to 50% of the declared original price. That charge is then passed on to the missionary and deducted from the monthly allowance provided each of them. What that means is a package intended as a gift for a beloved missionary in Argentina turns out to be an unexpected, and often very expensive and, therefore, painful, surprise; one that costs both the sender and the receiver.
Also, there are some items that are not allowed to be imported into Argentina, specifically, vitamins and medicines without proper and complete prescription labeling. These are always potentially confiscated and definitely always result in the mission representative receiving a lecture about not allowing such materials to be sent in the mail.
So, 1) Please never send vitamins or medications via the mail. Most items are readily available here and probably at much lower cost than in the US. 2) Never repackage anything you are sending. Candies that have been taken out of the original packaging, homemade candies, dried fruit and jerky all look like contraband drugs and are almost always confiscated and serve to embarrass the Church. 3) The Argentina people are neither backward nor superstitious. Putting pictures or religious items on packaging does nothing more than cost the sender and further embarrass the Church by appearing to protect the package contents with icons. Honest treatment results in a much better impression. 4) If you can prepare packages that weigh less than 2 kilograms (about 4.4 pounds) they will generally bypass the Customs office and avoid the extra charges if they have a sticker that lists the contents and the declared value of the contents does not exceed $25US. 5) Letters and very small packages are always welcome and highly encouraged, (though home baked cookies and candies, dried fruits and meats are not, they often look like contraband because they are not in “factory”-like packaging ), and are very gratefully received, but even more gratefully received because they don’t have an additional cost to receive them. 6) If larger items are needed by your missionary while she or he is here, we suggest you provide them via additional funds deposited in a personal bank account at home and the missionary being able to access those funds here via a personal bank card. Personal cards are accepted almost everywhere in Argentina.  That way the only additional cost may be the bank service fee which is generally fairly reasonable, especially when compared to the Customs duty. If you have any questions regarding these suggestions, please feel free to contact the Mission via Email at:2012677@ldschurch.org





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