Two thirds down, one to go

As seen in the adjacent "pie chart" (haha), as of today our mission has reached another milestone. We spent almost exactly 6 months, the first 1/3, of our time in Argentina. We've now spent another 6 months, the second third, at home in Orem but still serving and supporting the Church's humanaitarian projects in Argentina.

What will happen with the third third?? That's the big question at this point. We wish we knew the answer! We suppose the third part could be like either the first or the second:

1. Conditions might open up to allow us to return to Argentina. Nothing would please us more! We loved living there, and miss so much about our service and the personal interactions we had with the people there.
   
   
2. It might be a continuation of the second third. We could spend the next 6 months at home, continuing to serve. This has been a joy in a different way, to still participate in the work but to be able to be with our children and grandchildren in spite of restrictions, quarantines, etc. But we so miss the personal interaction with the people and missionaries in Argentina, and the joy of being in the country itself.

At this point, option 1 looks pretty unlikely. Argentina did really well in minimizing the spread of the virus for the first three months after we left; but since then, the spread has been hard to control (now averaging over ten thousand new cases each day) and their restrictions on travel remain very tight.

The only option we can see at this point that might allow us to return to our "mission field" would be if a successful vaccine were developed and released that could help to open things back up. That seems unlikely to occur in time to facilitate a return by the end of next March, when we are scheduled to finish our time of service. The only glimmer of hope we foresee on this front is that an effective vaccine comes out early in 2021, and if we were allowed to return to Argentina in the spring, we would perhaps be able to extend our time of service to perhaps allow us 5 or 6 more months of in-country time. We shall see! (That might end up meaning that we have four thirds to our mission!)

During this "second third" of our mission, we have focused on facilitating projects that helped Argentina cope with the COVID-19 outbreak. We've completed projects that directly benefitted well over 100 separate organizations, at a total value that is more than triple what our whole annual budget for the country has been in the past. The Church has been VERY generous in these relief efforts.

In addition, as of this moment, we have 39 additional organizations we are working with in Argentina and Paraguay, with project proposals in various stages of completion. These are a mixture of COVID-related "emergency relief" projects and the normal "area projects" for our pre-approved annual budget. Some of these new projects are quite intriguing, such as

• equipment and resources for a program that provides occupational training to people who are homeless or in complicated situations of abuse
• some significant help for a rehabilitation center for drug-addicted teenagers
• enhancements for the facilities in two psychiatric hospitals
• some modern equipment needed in a complex of maternity hospitals

Plus lots of requests for desperately-needed food and hospital supplies. There are so many needs right now, more than ever!

We are often asked if there is any way people can help and support the work we are doing. The answer is to make a contribution to LDS Charities. The donations made by the Church throughout the world come through those funds. Church members can contribute in the same way they do their tithing funds by specifying "Humanitarian Aid" on the donation slip.