Merlo and other Argentinian Stuff

Ben recently sent some pictures of Merlo and his room there:

Elder Corbett says that he is getting used to different foods and treats in Argentina. Some of the treats down there are boiled milk with honey and sugar, alfajores-a huge selection of moon pie-like desserts they sell everywhere, and dulce de leche - its like caramel (he says they use it on everything). He says they eat a lot of pasta down there also.

ALFAJORES:

SUNSET IN ARGENTINA:

Ben says their bathroom is kind of small and the shower doesn't have a ledge so the water runs all over the bathroom and the room they live in. His companion Elder Maw from Utah has made a makeshift water bag ledge to keep the water in.

The Bathroom:


Notice a soccer ball in the room. It is definately Ben's room! :)

Elder Corbett's Room:

A view of the neighborhood:

I don't know if you can see the dog in the bottom of this next picture, but Ben says that there are a lot of dogs roaming around because they don't neuter their pets down there.

Another building and view of the mountains:

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures! Have a good week!

He is now in the mission field!!!!

Well, Elder Corbett has finally arrived in his mission field in Argentina! It took him 36 hours, but he made it. He departed from the MTC at 800am on Wednesday(6th) and spent a couple of hours in the Salt Lake City airport before flying to Dallas, Texas. So close to home but yet so far! After a layover of 7 hours(his flight had a 3 hours delay due to a need to change pilots), he took off at 10:30pm for Argentina. After a 10 hour non-stop flight he landed in Buenos Aires. The Church had arranged for someone to pick up him and take him to one of the mission offices there in the capital to await his connecting flight to Córdoba. While there he studied and had the chance to get his first taste of Argentine cuisine…..at McDonalds. At 5:30pm his plane departed, arriving in Córdoba at 7:30pm. There his mission president, Stephen Olsen, his wife, Sister Olsen, and Elder Corbett’s first companion, Elder Kelton Maw, were waiting to give him a warm greeting and take him to the mission office. There he had his first interview with President Olsen and enjoyed freshly made “empanadas,” a truly typical Argentine dish(bread turnovers filled with meat, chicken, or seafood, and other possible ingredients like potatoes, sliced hard-boiled eggs, raisins, etc.). He said that they were delicious.. The next morning he and his companion took a 5 hour bus ride to their area of labor, Villa de Merlo, located about 125 mile southwest of the city of Córdoba. Elder Corbett told us that it is the smallest area in the entire mission and that it has only been open to missionary work for about a year. I believe he said that there are about 50 members in the branch. Merlo, with a population of about 20,000, is located in the foothills between two mountain ranges. It is a favorite vacation spot for many Argentineans due to its “micro-climate”, i.e. relatively dry with mild temperatures and air with a high concentration of oxygen and no pollution. He is very happy and excited to be able to start his mission there and with such a great companion, Elder Maw. He is from Ogden, Utah and has been out on his mission for 19 months. We look forward to hearing about his labors and will be keeping you posted from time to time.