On this Sabbath Day we share some of the reasons why we are serving our third mission together...

Elder Walter and Hermana Eileen Petersen - South America South Area Mission - October 2008 to March 2010...
Dr. Petersen helps 2,300 missionaries in 14 missions in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay stay healthy. The missionaries in the three Buenos Aires West, North, and South Missions can come to the area office to have him check personally on their medical needs. The rest can call him on his cell phone any time of the day or night. The mission presidents and mission presidents' wives also call him often about their missionaries.
On July 27 to 30, we will make our 8th mission visit--since arriving Oct. 15--to give an hour power-point presentation in the zone conferences on "The Ten Commandments of Missionary Health & Safety" then have private consultations with each missionary who has a health concern. I run the computer for the slides, and then keep a record of each missionary who consults with the area medical advisor and what the doctor advises them to do.
We also enter each medical record in the missionary medical computer program called "e-med" that keeps a permanent record on each missionary in the whole world.

We are serving to help missionaries stay healthy to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the honest in heart who want to learn of His truths.

Our granddaughter, Sister Aimee Fisher, is serving in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission to teach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God for the whole world, and we share his beliefs that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true, restored Church of God on earth at this time. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.

Heavenly Father lives and loves us. He is in charge of all things.

Jesus Christ is the Savior of all. By Him, the Earth and all things were created.

Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, the Prophet of the Restoration.

Yes...the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow is that Families are Forever when we all keep our temple covenants.

Love, Elder y Hna. Petersen - Argentina

WEPR = "Walt & Eileen P Family Reunion"

Our kids and grandkids gathered for our annual family reunion.
For those who know our family, you will enjoy the photos our oldest daughter has posted on her blog "Fisher Family" which you can click in to from our Family Blog List.
All the photos of seeing our family together and having fun helped us feel not quite so left out and so far away.

Today in our corner of the world...

Since I can't match up cutlines anymore...here's for all 6 photos:

1.Tradition here: Guys do the dishes after combined events.

2. Walt (cut all the onions, green peppers, etc.) and I made a quadruple batch of chili last night (some for Sunday dinner; most for a potato bar for the 8-Sr. Missionary Couple "farewell family home evening" Monday night for Elder y Hna. Chalmers who finish their 23-mo PEF mission July 28).
3. Reva Lou dishing up the delicuous pineapple upsidedown cake she brought for dessert.

4. Alejandro & Monica, Gary, and Walt waiting for dessert.

5. Alejandro & Monica in front of their apartment building. They are a darling couple here from Mexico. He is the executive secretary of our ward.

6. A wintery day in Buenos Aires, Argentina...about 15 C and sprinkling. (lost photo into cyber...)

Feeding missionaries, plus 3 office moves in 3 office days...

So here we are for who knows how long...

Guess we're having a game of musical offices...

Here is the office manager telling us that these custodians will help us move...first it was going to be in the big open devotional room where all the finance people are temporarily, with desks all out in the open...then 10 mintues later they said "No" they were going to put us in the multi-conference room on the main floor...so back down we and our stuff went...stuff like computers, files, exam table, crutches...etc, etc, etc...

Here's the temporary office on the second floor where Walt worked several hours on Saturday, then we worked Monday, and part of Tuesday...today, when they came and said they needed to move us because they were going to paint and change the carpet in our temporary office. The jack hammers were spewing dust all over everything so we were glad to get out of there.

Since the offices were closed, Walt dropped me off at the apartment where I did all the washing, some cleaning, baked bread and made stew to have ready for him when he returned from taking a Sr. Missionary to a cardiologist because of some heart problems.

Believe it or not, her foot was a lot better.

So after the area office was closed for the July 9 Argentine Independence Day, because of the swine flu epidemic, the government declared that Fri, July 10 would also be a national closure day for businesses. We went in to check the sister missionaries foot who had gotten a bad infection from a rock getting into her shoe, then into her foot. This is what our permanent office looked like.

The remodel is to take out this nicely lit by the outside windows hallway and out the hallway on the other side. Seems ridiculous to me, but they didn't ask my opinin.

I shared most of the photos from the next day, July 9 in the previous blog, but here's a cute little volks wagon-like car that was parked beside us.

Elder Turnbow, left, is from Sandy; Elder Digiovanni is from Texas. They were happy with the left over meatloaf I sent with them (I made two and there were four slices left to send with them; the rolls (the burnt ones I had left in the kitchen they also threw into their 'take home' sack; the homemade frozen strawberry jam, and especially the cinnamon frosted hot out of the oven while they were there. Of course, we spoil these young missionaries who work so hard each day bringing Gospel truths to so many!

"Hna. Petersen, we didn't even realize it was the Fourth of July till it had past...you've made us feel like we didn't miss it completely with the red, white, and blue tonight."

Good thing the Elders were an hour late, because Walt didn't get home till 7:30, and the missionaries could not have stayed if he had not been there.

They about had us moved out on Wed, July 8 by early afternoon, so Walt dropped me off at the apartment to cook dinner for the 2 young Elders from our ward. Walt had to go check a temple missionary, and also someone at the MTC.

This is the office we were in on Wed, July 8.

They were just starting to move us upstairs to a temporary office for 3 weeks to remodel this whole side of the area office.

Sunday afternoon in Buenos Aires...

Eileen takes a photo of the guys taking a breather while Reva Lou is putting the hot dishes on the table. Reva Lou is a great cook and we enjoy having Sunday meals together in our building...just four floors apart. Today we had a delicious Roast Beef dinner. We brought Texas Chocolate Cake for dessert.

After the guys did the dishes (great tradition, huh!), we headed back downstairs so they and we could have our Sunday afternoon naps. Now we'll contemplate what we learned in Sacrament Meeting, and Walt continues to answer many phone calls about sick missionaries.

We will continue July with only Sacrament meetings because of the epidemic of Swine Flu. It was also announced last Sunday that there would be no hand shaking nor abrazos until the epidemic is over.

Some of the missions have a lot of regular flu, others not so much.

Photos from last blog that got "lost"

"Chocolate," by any name is delicious! Some asked if it's cold. Yes! July in the South America South Area is like January...

Dr. Petersen reading plaque of founder of Argentine Medical Society. Tree from "Children's Forest" that Grampa thought our grandkids would love to climb in.

Argentina's Independence Day - July 9

Here's another photo put in earlier that "disappeared." This pink bridge is one of the famous things in San Antonio de Areco, 113 km (67.8 miles) from Buenos Aires, where we went July 9. We knew the wind was really chilly for Walt to wear his coat. The hour drive was through beautiful country side.

Most of this is backwards...except the first photo here is the one I put in first and kept losing, so it's at the start of our excursion. The rest are in reverse order of another fun Sr. Missionary adventure. The fiesta/festival that was scheduled to be held in San Antonio de Areco--where we went--for their 9th of July Argentine Independence Day--we learned when we arrived, was cancelled because of the flu epidemic. There were still a lot of tourists there and we had a fun time together.

I heard Walt laugh like he does when he's happy...mostly when he's with family and close friends. Sr. missionary couples become very good friends in a short time. We did love this country side yesterday.

Oh, good, here's a photo with Sally and Deana, as Sally showed us all on the map how the 3 carloads of two couples each were to get there, before we had prayer and headed out. I put this photo in first...then it disappeared. I put it in a second time, it went off into cyberspace somewhere. So maybe the third time is the charm. Sally and Alan finish their 2 years (23-mo) in 18 days as the SAS Area PEF Missionaries. We will miss them, but thankful to have become eternal friends on this mission.

Sally and Deana were in the van and headed out before the rest of us got to our cars and I asked Marilyn, Diane, and Pat to pose with me before we headed back. Sally is from Georgia (last place she lived, anyway), Deana is from Kentucky, but three of the gals pictured with me are from Utah...one from Cedar Hills and the two on right are from Salem. I'm the only one from Idaho.

One group pose with everyone at the museum, then it was time to head back to our vehicles.
Beulah and Merlin were teaching their special piano lessons which help members learn to play hymns in a few days. Reva Lou has the flu, so Gary stayed home with her.

I've named the sisters--so the Elders are Frank, Richard, Grant, Walt, Alan, and Bill.

I would have rather seen regular gaucho paintings like the one below in the chocolate shoppe than this caricature one. But this museum was just the paintings of a famous Argentine artist, C. Molina Campos, who was even hired by Walt Disney at one time. But then he quit because he didn't think the gaucho was being portrayed well. I don't think HIS caricature art portrays the gaucho very well, either!

Then it was off to the gaucho art museum...some walked..a few tried the oranges from the ornamental orange trees all along the street. They were the "sour" variety...more sour than lemons, I'm told.

Walt and I ordered milenaisa, which was excellent, but wish we'd ordered the grilled steaks.

These steaks are what most of the missionaries ordered and said they were delicious.

"La Lechuza" means "The Owl."

The "asada" meat roasting over the open fire outside with the young gaucho holding his mate gourd.

On the way over to the restaurant for lunch, Walt stopped to read about the founder of the medical society in Argentina (photo lost).

Grant and Marilyn, who help people get jobs through the Church Employment Service found out that this local chocolate shop has been here 31 years and the proprietor has 9 employees now. You can see part of the kitchen where they are making the chocolate treats.

We got warm by the fire place at "The Copper Kettle" until it was our turn to choose what chocolates we wanted.

Grampa Mission thought that tree looked like one his grandkids would like to climb in.

Sorry I can't get the cutlines to stay put...have fun figuring out which description goes with which photo.

Remembering July 4th in Argentina...

The pies, for which Walt peeled 21 apples, even said July 4th and U.S.A.

Jen, thanks for the 4th of July and Father's Day box. Everyone loved the red, white, and blue.

"Why are you wearing levis?" I asked Walt.

"Because it's the 4th of July," he replied.

Most of the Sr. Missionary Couples for the South America South Area even dressed in red, white, and blue, for our 4th of July pot luck indoor bar-b-que and party yesterday.

We had a patriotic program, then some played games,

and most of us watched "Chariots of Fire." Walt and I were surprised that so many had not seen it. We watch it several times each year. Remember when Eric Liddell, the Scottish racer would not run on the Sabbath in the 1924 Olympics. He quoted one of our favorite scriptures: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." --Isaiah 40:31

Then as he was ready to run in a different race which was on a different day, the American medalist Schultz handed him the scripture: "Those who honor God, will God honor..." 1 Samuel 2:30 [Thanks, Janiece for giving us the reference.]

Independence Day 2009

Glenn Beck wrote: "...the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776...233 short years ago, a small group of men dedicated themselves to a higher purpose, an ideal they believed in so greatly, they signed their name to its expression and in doing so put their very lives at risk.

"...56 men stood in direct defiance of the British government. They became marked men, and willingly so...

"Five were capatured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes burned to the ground. Two lost sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, and two more had sons captured. Nine fought and died in the Revolutionary War.

"Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners. They were well educated, smart enough to know that by signing the Declaration of Independence, they were signing their own death warrants. They did it anyway, and God bless them for it.

"As we enjoy our liberty on this 4th of July...or any day... In the words of the Signers themselves, "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor...

"The Signers asked for nothing in return for their pledge, but I say that we show our thanks with a pledge of our own: To remember, to be grateful, and to carry on in their spirit. America is the greatest country this world has ever and will ever know..." End of Glenn Beck quote.

The "divine providence" was that there be a free country for the Restoration of the Gospel to take place. I want to pursue this in a future blog.
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.