The Difference Between Chile and Argentina

Dear Family and Friends,

A very quick email this week. Sorry! We got in to the ciber at the very last minute and we are already over time. I will write more next week.

First, Happy Fourth of July! Second, Happy 9th of July! Yesterday was Argetina´s Independence Day, a national holiday, so naturally our P-Day was moved to today.

I was quite surprised to find that no one really does anything to celebrate the 9th of July here. Argentina and Chile are very different in that respect. Chile freaks out on the 18th of September, which is their Independence Day. Everything shuts down for like a week (okay maybe only 3 days...) and they have parades and parties and dances and flags everywhere and more parties and they dance cueca (the national dance) and there are little carnivals and more parades. (Aaron, you can look forward to this).

Here, most people studied. Or cleaned. Or slept. And I saw maybe 2 Argentine flags. Someone explained that Argentina only gets really patriotic when it´s about soccer. I can see that. Also, May 25th is another sort of patriotic holiday here and they tend to celebrate that more than July 9th. But, still, it was surprisingly low-key.

This week we had to travel to Resistencia to renew Hermana Griffeth´s visa. That means 11 hours of traveling (about 5 and a half each way) and another 4 or so hours waiting in bus terminals and about 5 hours sitting around the mission offices waiting for her to finish all her paperwork and get finger printed and stuff. We left at 2 in the morning and got back around 11 at night. LONG day. But it was fun to see some of the other missionaries that are in different areas that we never get to see. There were about 10 other companionships that had to come and do the same.

This week is Victoria´s baptism. Please pray that everything will go smoothly!

Love,

Hna Parker