3 YEARS--How did that happen?

3 years ago today I was getting on a plane in Mendoza to fly to Buenos Aires and then to Atlanta, Georgia and then to Portland, Oregon.  I remember trying to soak in every last drop of Argentina that I possibly could.  I took mental pictures of the Andes mountains and the vineyards as we rose into the air.  We touched down in San Juan for a second and I just wanted to get out and smell the air for a second.  I chatted with anyone that I could find as we waited in the MTC in Buenos Aires for our evening flight--I knew my days of speaking "castellano" would be coming to an end.  


Though I tried with "great fervor" to soak up all things Argentina during my last transfer, I fear that some beautiful moments of the mission have become hazy.  Others come back to me randomly when I most need them, such sweet little tender mercies.  The last few days I have been recalling a quote wall that Hermana Gunderson and I kept.  I'm not sure what provoked our quote wall, but subconsciously (at least a little bit) I think it was to help us laugh and deal with some losses that greatly impacted us during our time in San Luis.  


Today a snippet from our quote wall came back to me full force and made me all giggly inside, just like the first time I heard it. 

 "Not the bajonies!!!!!"

I don't know if I even remember the whole story behind why E' Molina and Divis started saying this in the first place.  Elder Divis was still learning Spanish and Elder Molina spoke perfect English and so they often spoke English.  I remember something about how they were with a member or teaching a lesson and somebody was telling some silly story about "los bajones"--the downers.  Some adult reacted dramatically and said, "no los bajones!!!!" and so I think the Elders tried to recreate the scene in English for us and out came "not the ba-honies".  Such spanglish.  I can still picture them gasping the phrase, mouth open wide in shock as both hands smacked the sides of their face.

So next time you feel a little down in the dumps, make the above face and say to yourself, 

"NOT THE BAJONIES"!