The First Snow

We have had a mild Autumn but the weather in changing!  Here are a few pictures we took as we traveled the mission for Zone Conference.  It has since warmed up but it is clear that we are heading into winter!

 There were high winds in the south and west of the mission as we traveled to Zone Conferences in Caleta Olivia, Comodoro and Bariloche.  This just lasted a few days but this pictures shows the dust we traveled through.     

 

The Ocean was covered with waves caused by the wind.

 

 As we traveled from Esquel to Bariloche we saw our first snow of the year! 

 

 

The autumn colors with the snow in the background was especially beautiful!

 

A visit to the Zone Leader's Pension in Comodoro

As we travel around the mission for Zone Conferences the Assistants stay with the Zone Leaders and spend time working in their areas with them as time permits.  When we went to pick up the Assistants we wanted to see this Zone Leader Pension. They had told me earlier that they had tried to make their pension to be more like a home.  They had been to the Casa Grande here in Neuquén to stay during Zone Leader training and felt the difference that Hermana Ehmke had made there. They wanted the same feeling in their pension. They have worked hard at organizing it and adding a few things to invite the spirit.   As you can see here they have put up a few pictures on the walls. 

 

 (They have an extra Elder staying with them today because they are helping him with his paperwork to be here in Argentina.  That is just one of the many things our Zone Leaders do!)

 

 

It was great to go into their bedroom and see that it was nice and clean!

 

Their desks were nice and tidy and they had their systems to help them keep track of everything!

 

I moved the drape over to look out their window and they apologized to me that they had written Doctrine and Covenants Section 4 on the window to help them memorize it!  What amazing Elders!

 

We did see this Zone Leader's Collection of Alfajor Wrappers!  Alfajors are a very delicious treat here in Argentina!  He has enjoyed many different kinds of Alfajors!

 

They had even made banana pancakes for us and they were delicious!

 

Then they walked us to our car and to top it off they stopped on their way back into their pension and shared the gospel with the man standing by their doorway!

 

It was fun to see how proud they were of their clean pension and what a good spirit was there.  What a blessing it is for them to have a clean "home" to return to every night and to study in every morning! 

 

I love Winston  Churchill's statement: 

 

 "We shape our homes and our homes shape us."

The Sea Lions

We had about an hour before we started back to Comodoro from Caleta Olivia and President Lovell had a meeting with the District President.  The assistants and I decided to go see if we could find the Sea Lions since this was one of the last times we would be in Caleta Olivia.  They live near the ocean only a few minutes outside of Caleta Olivia

 

After a few wrong turns we saw them all huddled together.

 

 

 

Since none of us had ever seen sea lions before we didn't know how they would react but we soon found out that whatever they were thinking they just can't move very fast!

 

A few of them got into the water and watched us from afar!

 

 

A few of them slid over top each other and no one seemed to mind! 

 

The seagulls did get excited about us coming!

 

There was one sea lion that stood between us and the others with his nose in the air.  We are guessing that that meant he was in charge.

 

 

One of them moved about two steps...

 

 

...and then fell over from exhaustion!

 

 

We could have probably gone closer but we were fine with watching them from a distance!

 

 

Another fun adventure of the mission!

Elder Cook's Visit to the Mission and June transfers

We will have the privilege of having Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve and Sister Mary Gaddie Cook visit our mission on June 1st.  They will be accompanied by Richard J. Maynes, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and Jorge F. Zeballos, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and their wives and President and Sister Carlos R. Fernández, President and Matron of the Buenos Aries Temple.

 

  

 

 

We have been given permission to bring all of the missionaries of the Argentina Neuquén Mission to Neuquén to be together for this special event.  We have been reading the entire Book of Mormon together as a mission to prepare ourselves spiritually so that our hearts will be open to the spirit on this special occasion.

After the meeting with Elder Cook all the missionaries will travel to another nearby chapel where we will announce the transfers for the June transfer cycle.  Those missionaries who are assigned to the Trelew, Comodoro and Caleta Olivia areas in this transfer will have the privilege of being the first  missionaries to serve in the Argentina Comodoro Rividarvia Mission to be organized about July first under the direction of President Mark F. Rogers and Sister Gainell Cameron Rogers. 
 

2013-03-02 Church News

Mark Flake Rogers, 63, and Gainell Cameron Rogers, eight children, Lindon 9th Ward, Lindon Utah Stake: Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission. Brother Rogers is a counselor in a branch presidency at the Provo MTC and is a former stake president and counselor, high councilor, bishop, ward Young Men president, elders quorum president and missionary in the Argentina South Mission. Self-employed podiatrist, Central Utah Foot & Ankle Clinic. Born in Chicago, Ill., to Lorenzo Flake and Mary Jane Rogers.
 

Sister Rogers serves as a ward Relief Society president and is former counselor in a stake Young Women presidency, ward Young Women president and adviser and ward organist. Born in Provo, Utah, to D Eccles and Nellie J. Cameron.

 

 

Zone Conference

We just returned from being with the wonderful missionaries of the Argentina Neuquén Mission for Zone Conference.  This Zone Conference was especially meaningful to me.  For me personally my testimony is stronger and I am even more grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

 

During the Zone Conference we practiced how to share the first vision to allow the Holy Ghost to testify that it all happened just as Joseph Smith described it. 

 

We talked about the power of reading the Book Mormon with those that are learning about the church.  On the last page of Preach My Gospel it says to "read the Book of Mormon with those you teach.  Teach people that an important way to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God is to read and pray about the Book of Mormon".

 

We learned more about inviting the members of the wards and branches to also participate and read with those who are investigating the church.  It is so important that those who are learning about the gospel gain their own testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon by reading it and applying its teaching in their own lives.

 

 

We practiced using the scriptures more as we teach and to teach to the needs of the investigators.

 

 

We studied the last page in Preach My Gospel and especially the importance of "Ask for referrals from everyone!"  This last page in Preach My Gospel is entitled, "Remember This".

 

 

Along with the wonderful spirit of the Zone Conference we enjoy the fun of being together.  We love to eat, acknowledge those who achieve the Standard of Excellence, Celebrate Birthdays...

 

 

and just being together! 

 

 

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