Zone Conference= 60lbs of potatos

Well the past couple of days have been exhausting, but fun! Saturday night the Zone Leaders of this zone called mama Ofelia to ask her if she could cook for their zone conference on tuesday! There would be 2 zones together for a grand total of 41 missionaries! The Feresin theme is anything and everything for the elders, and they feel like the missionaries need to eat enough to fill themselves for the whole week, no one thinks of the part of the Word of Wisdom where it says not to eat too much!! Anyways I didn't think I would be able to help because I thought I would already be starting my internship, well since I don't start until next week... I was able to go and help. They decided to serve them Milanesa a la Pizza, and potatoes, a very delicious lunch, but a little bit in practical for so many, and they calculated to have enough so that each missionary and repeat THREE TIMES!!! Well do you realize how much chicken and potatoes one needs to buy to fulfill that amount?

Well I don't remember the exact amounts, but we had a 60lbs bag of potatoes that I helped peel, then there was 45lbs of milanesa, it was a lot, but en fin, we were able to do it all, and it turned out delcious, but the three of us (mama ofelia, Daniela and me) were worn out by the end of it!! I had no desire to do ANYTHING the rest of the day!
It was a lot of fun though because I knew a few of the elders there, and it was fun seeing their reaction, also for the elders that didn't know me, if I said anything in English they just stared at me like I was from another planet, then they would gush about how well I speak English, I don't even have an accent... haha!!! I would just laugh so hard and then tell them well I hope i don't have an accent, I'm from the states!!

We had a bit of a problem with the oven, we couldn't figure out how to turn it on, a couple elders came to help us... Daniela was trying to get as far away from the oven as possible, apparently she has had a bad experience, she asked me to put something away in the refrigerator for her because she didn't want to get near the oven, that is way she is laughing in this pic... no worries, we got the oven turned on and there were no causualties!!
This morning I was still trying to recuperate from all the peeling, cutting, and serving I did! I took it easy all morning and afternoon. Then I went out with Kevin to buy food for dinner, I had promised to make tacos for everyone! I was nervous to make tacos because they always tease me that I don't know how to cook, well I knew that if they didn't turn out delicious, that I wouldn't ever be able to live it down!! Well it took me a while to cook the 4-5lbs of meat that I had to cook for everyone, then I had to make a TON of rice, luckily they helped by cutting the tomatoes and lettuce, and onions.
Since here in Argentina they don't have anything mexican, I had to improvise and use empanada dough to make the tortillas, not quite as good, but hey es lo que hay!! I was cooking like a true Argentine, drinking mate while browning the meat, it was so hot in that kitchen, I felt like a crazy person drinking a drink as hot as mate while cooking!! But hey what can I say, it is really good!! My family won't believe me because when I made mate when I got home from the mission, it turned out really gross... well I'm going to learn how they make mate and then make it again when I get home, in fact I will probably make it alot, I really love it alot!!
Well the dinner turned out delicious, I know they all liked it because they all ate a ton, but luckily there are leftovers, so its what we will be eating tomorrow!! I had to make 2 types of meat, one that wasn't hardly spicy at all, because most people here don't like spicy, and the other that was perfectly seasoned (for me it wasn't very spicy, for all the feresin's it was really really spicy).
I'm relieved that they turned out so good, but of course they all teased that just because I cooked something well one time doesn't mean I know how to cook... basically saying they need to see more evidence of my cooking skills!! I'm sure it will never end!!

Well tomorrow (or I guess later tonight) we are all leaving to go to Uruguay to go to the temple, I'm way excited... I get to go to a country I've never been to, and a temple I've never been too! It will be an amazing experience as well because Nico is going for the first time, and so is one of my converts, and not only is she going for the first time, but also she and her husband are going to be sealed as well!! I have a feeling this weekend is going to be one of the best weekends of my life... at least that is what I'm hoping and praying for!!

Well I should probably go to bed now, I have lots to do tomorrow to get ready for Uruguay!!