Argentine Embassy

As I get ready to type about our night, I still can not even believe how blessed we were to do what we did tonight. It was truly a tender mercy to have this experience.

We had been invited to come to a reception at the Argentine Embassy because my husband has served a two year mission for our church there. We had recently had dinner with a diplomat from Argentina and met him and his family and were thrilled to be invited. The way this all came together is to me is as well amazing.
Another missionary from Argentina, who is much younger than my husband works on Capitol Hill and had met this diplomat. During a conversation this young man asked what he thought about bringing as many past missionaries from their country together for a reception at the Embassy. This diplomat was more than thrilled to host this event.

We took the metro to DuPont Circle. I still am so amazed when I am on the Metro and feel like such a small town girl. I love looking at everyone and wondering where they are going, how their day was, are they excited or sad to get home. (this is always tough for Jeff because my mind is racing and it is hard to have a conversation with me)

When we came out of the escalators coming out of the Metro it was POURING rain. This photo does not even do justice to how cool it was to just riding up waiting to get hit by all the water.
We got off at DuPont and luckily only had to run in a down pour for two blocks to New Hampshire Ave.

The Argentine Embassy is not on Embassy row but in a neighborhood right off DuPont Circle. The home was built in 1901. In 1916 the home was purchased by Argentina.
It is exquisite! This is an OVAL (I have never seen an oval room like this before) reception room full of art. There was stain glass everywhere with the RA monogram on it (Republic of Argentina) All of the door knobs and window knobs were just beautiful. I had asked the diplomats wife if it was OK to take photos and she said yes, but still I didn't want to go camera happy, so I didn't take that many. I just felt so honored to be there, I didn't want to ruin the chance to get invited back.

There was a small reception and then the young man who organized it spoke and introduced President Hammond (The Washington D.C. Temple President) who spoke and then introduced the Argentine Ambassador.
The young man who spoke did an incredible job. The one thing that really touched me was when he said,
"As missionaries I know we all made one promise as we flew home, that we would some day return to Argentina. Today you have come true to your promise, because right now in this home your are on Argentine soil. You have returned."
President Hammond spoke to the Ambassador and told him,
"In this room sits some of your best ambassador's. They come home and share their love of Argentina, they tell their families. They get married and tell their spouses of their love for Argentina. Then they have children and what is their favorite stories to tell their children? The stories from Argentina! Then their children become Ambassador's for Argentina." I of course was crying!
The Ambassador is an amazing man and had even run for president of his country. He spoke of his love for our church and what changes it has brought to his country. He said he loves how our church teaches the people to work through example. It was truly an amazing night.

They then brought out empanadas, fresh mango slices and Dulce de leche cookies( i don't remember the actual name). Those empanadas were as amazing as Jeff has always described them to me. If I would have had pockets I would have filled them full to take home.
I am hoping to get together with the diplomats wife sometime as she said she would be happy to teach me how to make them. Nothing would make Jeff happier then for me to know how to make those.


Before we got back on the Metro to go home we stopped off at Krispy Kreme at DuPont circle and had a yummy lemonade slushy and looked over the map of Argentina and it is probably the first time Jeff has shown me on a map all the places he lived and holds so dear to his heart!