Can you really get brain cancer from cell phones?

If so, I'm sure I've got it.   I actually counted this morning and I received or called on my cell phone 20 calls before 1 PM.   It started about 9 AM, so that's within 5 hours, and that's not counting the missionaries who were waiting for me in the office when I got there, and the phone calls I had to call back because I didn't have time to answer the first call.  What a busy morning.  Am I complaining?  No, I really can't think of anything I would rather be doing right now than working with these missionaries, I've learned to love them all and feel it's my pleasure to help them do their work.  There are many really special young people here and the Church is in good hands with the next crop of leaders I'm seeing here.

We are having so many missionaries with the flu.   Most of the time when they call now, it's the same symptoms, sore throat, headache, congestion, cough, chest and breathing discomfort, some worse than other's.  Yes, it's definitely the flu season.  I know if I get the flu, it will be back in bed with bronchitis again, so I can't afford to take the chance.  So per our Buenos Aries doctors instructions, I went down to get a flu shot.

Now getting shots here is a little different than in the States.  You buy the medication then you have to go to the "injection" clinic to have it injected in you.  The Farmacia (pharmacy), can occasionally give you the injection, but only some Farmacia's and only during certain hours.  The one I like to go to, only gives injections between 6 and 8 PM, and it's dark (and cold) by then and a 6 block walk.  So I decided I'd give it to myself, right now it's sitting in my refrigerator waiting for me.  Elder Packer said he wanted to get a shot too, but he'd wait until later.  I gave myself allergy shots for about 2-3 years, it can't be too different from that can it.

Elder Packer just got back from going South to San Rafael for two days.  And last week he went to San Juan for another two days.  He's checking and installing CO2 detectors, and checking on broken heaters, etc., and when he goes, I stay behind, companion-less, and it's always nice when he come back home.  The Church is on a real campaign to make sure all their missionaries have CO2 detectors, there have been many missed calls and some tragedies without them.  Actually, I became a believer a few weeks ago when our detector started beeping at us and when we checked it, it was up to 95 (should be 0).  We were just going to sleep and, had we not know about it, it's possible we might  not have woken up in the morning, or at least been very sick.  This has happened a couple of times, and we're still not sure where the gas is coming from.  Thank goodness we had the detector.

Next Thursday is the last day for President and Sister Lindahl to be here, they will fly out on Friday and our new President Avila and his family will be here on Thursday.   President Lindahl says it's like a fast moving train, they get off and the new president gets on and the train barely misses a beat as it continues to roll on.  We will really miss the Lindahl's, they are great people and we've learned to love them, I'm sure we will always stay in touch.   Now we must learn to know and serve our new president and everybody is speculation on what changes to expect.   Time will tell.  We are having a "good-bye lunch for the Lindahl's and all the office crew on Tuesday.  I'm making pork barbacoa with the black beans and etc., just like Cafe Rio's.   I've already got the pork started, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ahhh, the mission life.... days of rest and leisure....well, maybe I was thinking of Hawaii, not so much here.  But we still would rather be here, what a great experience we are having, and we're so glad we came, wouldn't trade it for anything, (even Hawaii, that's next year).

By the way, the "ash cloud from the volcano a few weeks ago is still circling the globe and causing problems wherever it goes.  We probably have some of the dust here, but not noticeably, we really lucked out on that one.
Mission Mendoza seniors signing out for now,
Elder & Hermana Packer /Dad & Mom/Grandpa & Grandma.

P.S.  To our families, give the grand kids big hugs from us.