Its three days until Christmas, and just exactly two weeks until we go to the Missionary Training center. I think we are ready for Christmas, well almost. Christmas Eve is at our house this year. We will set our feast for 22 people. I think our little house will be bursting at the seams, but having family all about is just part of Christmas.
Part of getting ready for the holidays and getting ready for our mission was visiting our children all scattered all over the United States. In May we visited Greg and Brenda in North Dakota. Then at Thanksgiving we headed to warm Southern California to visit the California Kids. We even camped at the beach for Austin's 14th birthday. Then after a day of lots of turkey we headed to Sea World with Mike and Kasey. Lo and behold, who is also at Sea World, but Matt and Debbie and their family from Utah.
Our last trip was to Kentucky to visit Tracy and Paul and their family. Little Sarah, age 11 months will be a walking, talking toddler by the time we get back from Argentina. While we were there it snowed, and then we came home to snow and cold. Boy, going to summer time in Argentina sounds pretty good right now. Merry Christmas to all , and to all a good night.

Our Mission Call

The big white envelope arrived while we were on our trip to Washington DC. Steve's son, Randall opened it, and we received our call long distance-via the phone. "You have been called to serve in the Argentina, Mendoza Mission". We hadn't even thought of South America. We immediately got out the maps and globes to see exactly where we were going. We have been on the internet many times learning about Argentina and about Mendoza.

Our assignment: Well, I was called as a Medical Advisor to care for the full-time missionaries, and Steve was called as an assistant to the Medical Advisor. That leaves lots of room for guessing what his duties will be.

We arrived home to find phone calls from our mission president, President Lindall, and from Elder and Hermana Quist, senior missionaries serving there now. They were so excited about our call. President Lindall said, "Can you come now!"

Then the work started. Visas, immunizations, and trips to the MTC twice a week for our Spanish tutoring. Our Tutor is the best. He is Carlos, from Mexico City. We have been shopping--luggage, white shirts, lap top computer, journals, an MP3 player for our music, and the biggest challenge has been to find summer clothes here in Utah in the Winter. When we arrive it will be the middle of summer.

But we are excited, nervous, stressed, thrilled, and a little scared. What an adventure lies ahead of us. Our Mission Farewell is December 28th, and we enter the MTC on January 5th. We should be headed to Argentina about the 15th of January.

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