The Sticker Project

A few years ago, my little family started a tradition. 

Every Christmas Eve, we do a service project.  Afterwards, we come home to a ‘humble feast’ (a beautiful idea that an old visiting teaching companion of mine gave me).

This tradition is something we look forward to.  It brings the true spirit of Christmas into our hearts, and more than anything else, it teaches my children how to serve. 

If I have taught my children to serve, I have taught them happiness.

This year we live in Argentina.  We have an opportunity to help in a big way.  We have a goal to take a Christmas gift to 50 children (ages 10 & under) that will most likely not get anything otherwise.

I have teamed up with a few of Santa’s elves (disguised as LDS missionaries).  Our list is climbing.  Do you want to help us??  You would?!!  Okay, here’s the plan.

We are trying to put together 50 paper bags  - each filled with one mandarin orange and STICKERS!  Stickers are prized possessions here in these parts of Argentina – difficult to find and very expensive.

So will you please send me a few sheets of stickers?  I can get them in a few weeks if you follow these three simple steps.

1.  Get an envelope.  (No larger than a standard 4  1/8”  X 9  1/2”.  You could also use a standard greeting card size envelope.)

2.  Put stickers in it, preferably clean sticker sheets that haven’t been used.  (Keep it simple.  No more than one stamp’s worth.)

3.  Send it to me (the address below) on or before December 1st.

Jared & Sharee Wolfley

139 E. South Temple, Suite 110

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

I know it’s a Utah address, but don’t worry.  All of our standard mail is sent to this address and then forwarded (FedEx) to our Argentina address.  Anything other than standard envelopes will not make it to us, but thank you, thank you anyway if you’re thinking bigger than this.

Here are a few of the faces on our list so far.

Juan Cruz, age 2                                     

Geronimo, age 9

Gabanna, age 3

Can you feel that little tinge in your heart?  I will be posting pictures each day of more children that need Christmas.  Please help us!  You won’t regret it.

Love, Sharee

Kim’s very cool ventures w/Jared

Hi everyone!  What are you doing today?  It is a normal day for us, but we will celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday.  I think all countries should celebrate Thanksgiving, what is the deal?!

When my father-in-law came, he spent the first week touring two of the farms Jared oversees - Los Perales & El Quebracho.  These farms are located in a northeastern province of Argentina called Entre Rios. 

While visiting Los Perales, they went to a little town called La Paz where lies the massive Rio Paraná.  This river runs through Brazil, Paraguay, & Argentina, and is the second largest river in South America next to the Amazon.

Jared’s fishing line got stuck in this:

Kim caught a Golden Dorado, one of the greatest sporting fishes in South America.  These babies have sharp teeth.

Jared caught this creepy looking Surubi, a type of catfish. 

I love how they still managed to have an Argentine Asado on the bank of the river.  Have I mentioned that Argentines love meat??  They eat red meat all the time. 

Goodbye La Paz.  Those beautiful purple trees (jacarandas) are everywhere here. 

Here is a glimpse of Los Perales:

These Braford beef cattle look intense.

Then it was on to El Quebracho, the other farm & cattle ranch in Entre Rios.

I love this next picture of Jared.  Sometimes I can’t believe that my husband is in the middle of nowhere in South America…on a horse!  Notice the horse’s tail – all horse tails are chopped blunt like that. 

Jared, thank you for working so hard & for being such an amazing provider.  This is you living your dream.   Please watch out for poisonous snakes and cacti.  I love you.

Pretty please check back tomorrow to know how you can give an Argentine child Christmas for less than $3.00.  I’m serious.

I’m up to something big, and I need your help.

Love, Sharee

moments I want to remember

Jared’s dad is here, so we’re enjoying lots of Grandpa Wolfley time.  We only have a few days left with him, so we’re soaking it in.  I’m grateful he’s here. 

I’ve been line drying lots of bedding on the roof of our building.  (Bed wetting makes for lots & lots of laundry.  We’re trying to be patient.  My two little nenas have been through a lot of change this past year.)

But…I enjoy a nice view of Venado Tuerto while I hang laundry,

and a nice view of this happy little face:

I drive AnnMarie to school every day. 

Her teacher and classmates are beyond excited to have her back. 

We decided to keep Carlie home from school upon coming back to Argentina.  Jared & I think she needs more time to adjust to all that’s going on in her life right now, including being a big sister.  It’s been good for her to be the ‘big girl of the house’ while AnnMarie’s away at school.  

My girls talk a lot about Christmas & Santa Clause. 

I love that AnnMarie is holding a craft book in that picture.  Those two and their crafts, oh my - it’s nonstop.

And last but not least, not that anybody cares, but I spotted a gray hair on my head today.  And yes, I’m sure it was gray.  A little traumatic, but I got through it. ;)  I won’t post a picture of that.