Pieces and parts

With my laptop all charged up, I’m typing as we’re on our way to the airport to pick up the Claytons. David and Pamela are the couple who has answered the call for replacements for us in the SAM Regional Office. Their skills seem to be very close to ours, so the next two weeks’ training should go well. The clouds are burning off with the sun coming up; it should be a beautiful fall day! Following the calendar, it has turned to autumn here this week. There are still warm days, but cooler nights and more variables – some mornings are foggy, some have a little rain.

Skype has become our best friend, connecting us 4 times last Tuesday, to get our Spanish lessons and give Mission Coaching sessions. It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like to do this a few years ago, without the latest technology!

Constantly in the back of our minds, we’re formulating lists of what knowledge and procedures we need to pass along!

Late Summer days...

What a busy couple of weeks this has been! Two families have returned from deputation tours in the U.S. and it feels more like a neighborhood already! Carlos and Robin Radi arrived the first Monday evening, back from a 3-month deputation tour in the U.S. They spoke over 80 times in 60 days! That evening, we had quite a tormenta (storm), not much of a “welcome home!”

Tuesday, we Skyped with Thea, keeping in touch and coordinating our team efforts. Regional Director Christian Sarmiento (our boss) was in Argentina for a few days. We met with him and Liliana Radi and Carlos Fernandez about our ongoing relationship with them and the SAM Region, how things can work as we continue to work remotely, via the internet. Christian was joined here by General Superintendent David Graves and his wife Sharon, although we didn’t get to see them this time before they headed off to more district assemblies and ordination services in other South American countries.

In Days of UPS and DOWNS our God is Faithful!

After helping Thea get checked in at the airport last week, I knew it would be strange not having her around, but I didn’t expect to feel so incredibly DOWN the next morning. I moped my way through the day, tearing up whenever anyone asked, “Did you ride along to take Thea to the airport last night?” It’s not like we’ll never see her again! But, I think, I’d been caring about and for her so much, that it was such a let-DOWN to not have to stay UP for her. Sunday evening, Ana Melva’s mother (who’s been staying with Ana, caring for her as she heals from surgery) wanted to go to church with us, so we all hopped on the colectivo (public bus) and went together. Even the Sunday night church service was difficult; I understood very little of the service and it seemed to last longer than usual.