Exhausted and Energized

Yup, I have lost weight. Just kidding! That isn't me in the picture, but since Betty and I were far too exhausted to remember to ask for a picture, this is the best we can do for now. Somebody who actually understands photoshop can stick us in the middle of President Da Silva and his lovely wife.
Friday began at about 4:00 A.M., as we needed to get ready to meet the van taking us to the airport by 5:00. We had weighed and re-weighed our luggage the night before, trying to get all of our bags under 50 Lbs. Over 50 would cost $50 per bag, and over 70 would cost$100. Because of construction, the van couldn't get close to our dormitory, so we had to lug 4 suitcases, 2 carry-ons, and two "personal items" across the MTC campus.

When we got to the van, we were unpleasantly surprised to find that it needed to carry a driver, 3 senior couples, and one younger elder, plus up to two years worth of luggage for everybody. I really didn't think it was going to happen and I figured somebody had goofed, (and actually, I still think so), but in a kind of reverse "loaves and fishes" miracle, the young driver somehow fit 2 full van loads into one van, and off we went.

When we arrived at the airport, we were the quintessential opposite of Heidi's "traveling light" philosophy. I wasn't sure how we were going to move all this stuff at once, but we found a "small" luggage cart, ($4.00!) and got to the baggage check. After that things got better. The nice lady at the desk winked at our two overweight, (51 lbs), bags, and we were on our way.

Salt Lake to Dallas, and then a two hour layover. Dallas to Miami, followed by a 6 hour layover. Finally, around midnight, we boarded our plane to Montevideo. It was a long night. I took a sleeping pill and still never slept, although I think I hallucinated that I had died and was headed...well....not toward heaven!

President Da Silva and his wife were waiting for us at the Carrasco airport, and took us to the mission home. We tried to make a good impression, but after about 30 hours of travel, I doubt we succeeded. The president is an impressive man, probably in his late 40's, and somewhat serious in nature. He has already been a bishop, a stake president, an area president(seventy), and now a mission president. Actually, if all that had happened to me, I guess I would be kind of serious too. Or...perhaps my lack of "serious" is the reason it never did.

Veronica Obaldia rescued us, or the president, or both. Veronica is the 2nd in command at the career resources center, and is an absolute ball of fire. She is a returned missionary, (Argentina), and has been working at the CRE for about 5 years. She drove us to our Hotel in downtown Montevideo, and by the time we got there she had us so pumped up and enthusiastic about the work we are going to do, that we almost didn't feel tired anymore. While I am talking about Veronica, I should also mention that she picked us up for church early this morning, got us there, gave an amazing gospel doctrine lesson, and then provided us with a wonderful lunch. I think we will have to really work to live up to her example.

We have been temporarily housed at the beautiful and relatively expensive downtown Holiday Inn, at the expense of the CRE (Center of Resources for Employment.) If you ever saw pictures of our room in the MTC, (another post), you will recognize that we have taken a step up in the world.

So here we have pictures of me and the hotel, and me standing in front of the hotel with my scriptures. Yeah, scriptures! My Kindle didn't survive the trip. I think it somehow got squished on one of the legs, and all the screen shows is black. This after making it through the Andes of Peru. I am sure many of you are thinking the Lord is trying to tell me something, and you may be right. Nevertheless, I am having another one sent down as soon as I have an address. Although I had already concluded in the MTC that I wasn't going to have time on this mission for much discretionary reading, the Kindle had already proven to be a great tool for the materials I did need to read. Of course, mom still has hers, but getting her to share it is a real problem!!

How strange it was when Veronica took us to church this morning, that of all the chapels she could have picked, she took us to the same one I had attended for 11 months on my mission. Talk about deja vu all over again.

I have to say right here that we tend, myself included, to assume that the church in Latin America, is perhaps a step or two behind the US in the knowledge and/or spiritual development and commitment of its members. Of course, it simply isn't true. The discussion in gospel doctrine today was as intellectual, (and spiritual) as you could find anywhere in the church. The members who attended the unheated, (winter here), church today were at least as committed as any in Idaho and Utah. Their knowledge of the gospel, excluding the newest converts, was the equal of our own. In many cases, they probably have us beat in terms of humility, but that is often the result of a challenging life. The gospel is mature here. The church is being led by people who served missions in their youth, and who have made temple covenants.

Hopefully, I haven't come across as flippant or disrespectful, but I have decided to live this mission joyfully, and for me that means that my true, somewhat irreverent personality will emerge now and then. However, Betty and I both feel very, very privileged to be here at this time, and we would not trade this experience for anything else that is out there.

This afternoon we went to the home of our friend, and my former baptism, Nibia Abeiro, and it was a joyful reunion. Betty was encouraged by how much she was able to understand, and communicate, with the members we met today, but....she still feels as if she has a long way to go, (and she's right.) Tomorrow, we go apartment hunting, and then start our CRE training in the afternoon.