MTC in Argentina

Well, we didn't get an email from Ryan today (so far) - but I checked on the Argentina MTC website and they posted the picture of his group. He's on the end of the third row. Hopefully we'll get an email later today or tomorrow.

Airport Problems

Well, Ryan has safely arrived in Argentina, we've received the first email and he is doing well. We were a little surprised that he will be in the 3 week program instead of the 8 week program, but I'm sure they tested him and know what they are doing down there. :)

The airport thing has been so weird for the last 3 trips. The first one, we missed picking up Tyler, due to a lot of confusion and flight delays. Next, on the way to the airport last Wednesday we realized we had forgotten Ryan's passport, and had to go back and get it, and in Mexico City you can't just turn around and go back, you have to go a completely different route - a route we had never gone before. We made it back in time, but it was REALLY stressful.

Then yesterday, we had an Elder from Argentina scheduled to go home with a flight at 10 pm. The secretaries came to the temple at 7 pm to pick him up and take him to the airport (about 15 minutes away). They realized they had forgotten his passport and visa, so had to go all the way back to the office, and then to the airport. Traffic was very heavy and they didn't make it back in time. We'll try to get him home tonight on the 10 pm flight.

I've heard that things like this come in three's - so I hope this is it for a long time :)

Set Apart

Ryan has been packing his things the last few days -

his room is all cleaned out, his closet is almost totally empty.
He was set apart tonight by President Allen Walker, the second counselor in the Chapultepec Mexico Stake. It was a beautiful blessing and setting apart. He is ready to go!


If you look closely, you'll see that he already has his name tag on!
We received it in the mail a few days ago, and he'll be
wearing as he travels to Argentina.
He is now officially Elder Bulloch :)

Good luck Ryan! We know you will do a great job,

and the Lord will be with you.

D&C 84:88 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

Our Last Missionary is Ready To Go

Ryan has been getting lots of things ready for his mission - and with the help of lots of family (especially Grandma and Grandpa A) he has almost everything ready to go. This past week we held four days of Zone Conferences and Ryan gave a talk in each one. He even gave his talk in Spanish! He did a wonderful job, and will be a great missionary.

After the Zone Conferences, the missionaries (who are almost like his brothers here in Mexico) all wanted to talk to him and wish him well. A lot of the American missionaries told him how great he was doing with his Spanish, and assured him that it won't be long until he is fluent!

We will really miss him, but are so happy for him to get started on this amazing experience as a full time representative of the Lord Jesus Christ in Uruguay.

Two Years in Mexico

Today marks two years for us serving here in the Mexic0 City East Mission. It has been a great experience and we have learned so much. We continue to have wonderful missionaries arrive to serve and even more wonderful and mature missionaries that depart.


We're holding Zone Conferences this week - and yesterday we were driving out to the Los Reyes Stake Center. We spotted a truck up ahead of us with some weird looking stuff in it. As we got closer, we couldn't believe what we saw :) Another first for us here, even after two years.

Wouldn't you like him to deliver some of these good looking chickens to your next BBQ???!!!

KFC better watch out, I'm sure these chickens have a flavor that can't be matched!!!!!

Last Week of Reading for the 90 Day Study

I just realized this morning that I hadn't been posting the reading schedule for the last two weeks. Sorry about that. Here are the last few chapters to finish up our 90 day study program.

Saturday: Ether 12-13
Sunday: Ether 14-25, Moroni 1-5
Monday: Moroni 6-7
Tuesday: Moroni 8-10

It's been a great experience to read and study this way. I've really enjoyed starting over with a "clean" copy to mark. It's amazing to actually see how many references there are to the Savior in almost every page. What a blessing this sacred record is.

Reunion in Mexico

It's been a great reunion here in Mexico. Friday was kind of a long, wild day, but a really good one. We weren't sure which plane Tyler was actually on - and were told that he would arrive on Saturday morning at 5 am instead of Friday evening at 7:15. But guess what - he made the connecting flight (running at full speed in Heathrow airport in London) and he's here! We've been doing a lot of catching up with everyone. We also went to a small city called Ixtapan de la Sal for 3 days. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few of the 170 pictures I've taken in the last few days: :)

Ready for Visitors :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Well, we've been doing a lot of things to get ready for all of our "special visitors" this week. We can hardly wait!!!!! One of the things that we've done is to borrow some baby items from the ladies in the ward. I sent out an email and within one day, I had all three of these items lined up. The sisters of the Relief Society here are the greatest.

Are we excited? WE ARE!!!!!

Study Chapters for this week

Monday: Helaman 12-13
Tuesday: Helaman 14-16
Wednesday: 3 Nephi 1-3
Thursday: 3 Nephi 4-6
Friday: 3 Nephi 7-9
Saturday: 3 Nephi 10-11
Sunday: 3 Nephi 12-15

Ryan's Temple Day

Ryan went through the temple for the first time yesterday.

It was a wonderful experience and a great day. One of his good friends, David Doxey,

went through for the first time as well.

The Doxey Family are serving in the Mexico City South Mission.

They are finishing up in just a few weeks and will return home.

Ryan and David have become good friends,

sharing many experiences here in Mexico

and also rooming together at BYU.

It's been a great blessing for them to have a

good friend here in this city.

They look like missionaries, don't they?

Ryan will serve in Uruguay from July 2009 to July 2011,

and David will serve in Chile from August 2009 to August 2011.

New Mission Photo

We had this picture of the mission taken last week, our second one. I haven't counted up everyone yet, but I think we're right around 200 missionaries, including the couples, etc. I like this years picture much better - the grass is green, the temple is more centered (thank you photoshop) and all the sisters are on the front row this time. I think it turned out much better.

We've studied two thirds of the Book of Mormon

Today is the 60th day of our study of the Book of Mormon together as a mission. I've enjoyed forming a better reading habit and I especially enjoy marking the references in a clean copy. I think I'll do it again when we're finished!

This week's chapters:

Monday: Alma 58-60
Tuesday: Alma 62-62
Wednesday: Alma 63-Helaman 2
Thursday: Helaman 3-4
Friday: Helaman 5-6
Saturday: Helaman 7-9
Sunday: Helaman 10-11

Sweet Little Scene

One of the missionaries emailed this picture to us. I don't know who the kids are, but they are sure cute. If you click on the picture, you can see the pamphlet is about the priesthood. It looks like they're having a little primary class or something. :)

We're Over Halfway There!

Here's this week's study chapters.

Monday: Alma 43-44
Tuesday: Alma 45-46
Wednesday: Alma 47-48
Thursday: Alma 49-50
Friday: Alma 51-52
Saturday: Alma 53-55
Sunday: Alma 56-57

Chapters for Study this week

Sorry this is a little late today, we've had missionaries going home here, and also preparing for our five new missionaries arriving later tonight.

Monday: Alma 25-27
Tuesday: Alma 28-30
Wednesday: Alma 31-32
Thursday: Alma 33-34
Friday: Alma 35-36
Saturday: Alma 37-39
Sunday: Alma 40-42

Have a great week!

What's missing from these pictures?

I went down to the office yesterday and to my surprise - none of the missionaries (or the president!) were wearing ties!!!!! This is just not the way things are on a mission.

I couldn't imagine what was going on.Someone, somewhere decided that all the men in Mexico should

avoid wearing ties during the swine flu restrictions.

So the missionaries complied with this request, and I'm sure they enjoyed it!

I thought it was pretty hilarious.

Here they are making the sign of the coyote.

Do you recognize that new missionary in the blue shirt?

He's not official yet, but will be in a couple of months!

Happy Birthday to My Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Here are a few things that happened in your birth year:

Trampolines were invented

The Securities Exchange Commission was created

Dust storms ravaged the Central Plains of the U.S. creating the "Dust Bowl"

The luxury liner "Queen Mary" was launched in Scotland

Sophia Loren was born

Hitler declared himself the fuhrer of Germany

The President of the United States was Franklin D. Roosevelt

Alcatraz prison opened

John Dillinger died in a shootout with the FBI near Chicago

Bonnie & Clyde were killed by the FBI in Louisiana

Best Picture Academy Award went to "It Happened One Night" with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert

Unemployment in the U.S. was 22%

Average annual wages: $1,600

Average costs of:

New house: $5,970

Monthly rent for a house: $20

Gallon of gas: 10 cents

Loaf of bread: 8 cents

First class stamp: 3 cents

Campbell's Tomato Soup: 4 for 25 cents

Studebaker Truck: $625

Things have changed a little since then, haven't they?

Hope you have a great day today, Dad.

We all love you a lot!!!

Study Chapters for this week

Monday: Alma 10-11
Tuesday: Alma 12-13
Wednesday: Alma 14-15
Thursday: Alma 16-17
Friday: Alma 18-19
Saturday: Alma 20-22
Sunday: Alma 23-24

We're about halfway through the 90 day study program, Saturday May 9th will be the 45th day.

Have a great week!