May 13, 2012 - Mother's Day Skype

This week we were lucky enough to get to skype Elder Pinegar on Mother's Day. It was so much fun to see him and talk to him. We hooked up our laptop to our television so we could see him better.

Our Skype set up for Mother's Day May 13, 2012--audio was quiet--but picture was great!

Look at that smile! It's blurry because of the big screen--didn't think to take one of the computer screen!

He looks skinnier--since he says that the menu consists of chicken and rice and rice and chicken--not to mention he walks everywhere. He had a hard time speaking in English. Remember, all of his companions have been native Spanish speakers from Peru or Argentina, so he would talk to us for a few minutes then slip into Spanish--until someone yelled out "English, English." He has a great accent and conjugated his verbs as he would in Spanish as he spoke English. He kept telling us it was very hard to speak English...and yes, he dreams in Spanish now. He called us from a public internet cafe--so there were little kids jumping towards the camera in the background and a lot of music playing. He said Mother's Day is crazy in Peru and there is a lot of music everywhere.

A lot of the family came over to talk with him. We had a surprise visit from his newest cousin, Damian Jones (16 months) and Uncle Jeff. Uncle Shark took pics for us. We even put his good friend, Geoff Wilkinson on speaker phone so he could say hi since he had to work that day.

A captive audience. L-R: Grandpa Cato, Grandma Jacque, Stephanie, Jared, Bekah, Amanda Jex, Nick, Liza Doughty, Spencer in front. Chris Jones aka Uncle Shark took the pic.

He talked to Nick about not judging people and just loving them. He told us his favorite part of his mission is teaching about the eternal nature of the family and how important it is. It was nice to hear how much he had grown to appreciate his own family and how much he loves us. He also told us his hiking excursion where he got lost was a bigger deal than we knew--He thinks they might have hiked right into Equador. He's happy and doing his best. He held up a Spanish book with antonyms and synonyms in Spanish. That's Alex for you--always a student. He wants to master his Spanish. Of course his little sister cried seeing him. It was an amazing day and the best Mother's Day ever.

Posing with Elder Pinegar - Jared, Amanda Jex, Bekah, Nick & Spencer

He also told us he's getting a new mission president in July who lives in Santaquin, UT--about 40 minutes from us. So we looked him up and we're going to go to his farewell and meet him before he heads to the MTC and Peru to see our son. We're pretty excited.

President & Sister Rowley - Alex's new mission president starting in July 2012

Here's what the church news said about them. Chad Alvin Rowley, 52, and Lisa Rowley, six children, Peru Piura Mission; Santaquin 1st Ward, Santaquin Utah North Stake. Brother Rowley serves as a stake president and is a former high councilor, bishop, counselor in a bishopric, Young Men president and missionary in the Argentina Rosario Mission. General manager, Payson Fruit Growers. Born in Provo, Utah, to Claude Alvin and Karen Joyce Rowley.
Sister Rowley serves as a ward organist and a ward missionary. She is a former Relief Society president, Primary president and counselor, counselor in a Young Woman presidency and Young Women adviser. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Robert Alfred and Mercedes Celia Harding.

It was an exciting week and we look forward to every Monday when Elder Pinegar writes us.

Love,

Stephanie Pinegar -- Missionary Mom to Elder Pinegar