Goodbye to Elders Bowen and Zivic

Yesterday, we paid a surprise visit to our Area President, Elder Shayne Bowen, and his Counselor, Elder Claudio Zivic, at the Church Headquarters in Buenos Aires. We were accompanied by 16 of our missionaries.

EVERYONE in this photo, except me and President Benton, will be GONE from Argentina by August 1, 2010. 

Elder Bowen is leaving Buenos Aires in just 6 days, to go to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he will begin a new assignment for our Church, and Elder Zivic will do the same, by August 1, 2010. In additon, our 16 missionaries will be returning to their homes in 4 different countries in just 3 days.

We took our 16 departing missionaries to the Church Headquarters in Buenos Aires, and we surprised Elders Bowen and Zivic with a special plaque for each of them. On the plaques were etched their dates of service in Buenos Aires, and an expression of appreciation to them from our Mission, for the great guidance and leadership they have given us while here in Buenos Aires.

We also gave Elders Bowen and Zivic some homemade brownies and sang our Mission Song for them ("Te Hallare Mi Querido Amigo"), as an extra gift of appreciation from us.

This particular period of "Goodbyes" is a a memorable one for me and President Benton, as we met ALL of the departing North American missionaries in the MTC in Provo in late June, 2008, BEFORE we came to Argentina, and we met the departing Latins SHORTLY AFTER  our July 1, 2008 arrival. Also, Elders Bowen and Zivic are members of the ONLY Area Presidency we´ve known since we´ve arrived here. 

El tiempo todovia esta progresando rapido, lleno con muchos bendiciones.