Ola todo, We left Buenos Aires last wednesday with the church truck to drive to Cordoba where the church has a 15000 acre wheat corn and soy farm called Kilgruman. It has a big center area with tent areas and huge bathrooms and kitchens and facilities for EFYs and large groups. They have 29 handcarts and big campsites on the outskirts with a giant lagoon. we prepared everything for our group of youth to come for three days and have a handcart trek experience. The big buses cant come on the little farm roads so we have to tie the handcarts behind the truck in a train and very slowly drive them down to where the buses drop the kids off. Prepare 8 mobile 

porta potties and 1000 gallon tank of drinking water and get them to the campsite. The buses dropped the kids off in a rain storm so in a few minutes we were all soaked and so was most of their belongings. We loaded up the handcarts and hiked to the farm in the pouring rain. We felt like real pioneers. The leaders did activities and games in the big buildings after getting the kids in somewhat dryer clothes. We had pioneer dancing that afternoon and the rain stopped so they could set up tents and have dinner. The next morning was Sunday and we set out with the handcarts to an outlying Campsite to hold Sacrament meeting and make each families flag and have lunch. It was  awesome taking the Sacrament in the  out of doors and feeling the Spirit. We trekked over to the Lagoon where .the leaders separated the boys and girls and had special talks with them before the girls had to pull all the handcarts through the Lagoon by them selves as the men had died on the trail. It was pretty humbling and thought provoking. We girls were covered in mud from the Lagoon and hiked back to Zion to get cleaned up. We showed them Epfriams rescue movie with spanish subtitles and had a Testimony meeting. It was wonderful hearing how the leaders and youth processed their experiences and all they had learned about their pioneers. Don had to take one of the girls to the hospital in the middle of the night with heat stroke from the long hike in the hot sun. They gave her a shot and brought her back. She seemed fine the next day. Several of our leaders brought children and babies and hauled them along in the handcarts. My admiration for all their hard work. One mom made homemade bread twice for all the group in the big camp kitchen oven. It was beautiful, since Argentines are pretty much bread and meat folks, it was really appreciated. As we stood on the hiway waving to all our kids leaving, tears running down our cheeks, as we felt like we were saying goodbye to our own kids.Wonderful youth and dedicated leaders in the church all over the -World. We had one of the farm families with three children over for dinner and family night and shared a Christmas message with them. It was wonderful to keep from missing our own family so much. 

We cleaned up all the carts, potties, and greased the wheels and covered the carts. Packed up the farm house and headed 6 hours back to Buenos Aires to continue with our Capilla Abierta work  and hold our own events for the Light the world Christmas campaign. and teach the self reliance  devotional to the missionaries going home from Buenos Aires.

It was our turn to teach Family night tonight to all the missionary couples serving in the area. We showed this video that Ive attached to this email and had each couple share an experience from their life when they used the Atonement. It was a very spiritual evening, as these are faithful couples who have experienced much of life's sorrows and sufferings. Hope you are all enjoying a very special 

christmas season by using the advent calendar on mormon.org to learn more about our Savior and practice His teachings all month. Merry Christmas and lots of love from Nan and Pop

Argentine Youth trekkers

Poppy getting kisses