New Family Picture

After three months of bed rest, Kristen was ready for fun day trip to a nearby German tourist colony called Villa General Belgrano. The ice cream was awesome and we had a great day!!

Parque... dos

Easter Sunday in Parque Sarmiento

The 12 steps of an Asado (better than any 12 steps I've ever heard)

Step 1: Have friends like Elizabet (Lichi), whose father is a great asador (bar-b-q man), and who also happens to have a log cabin in the sierras near Cordoba! Then hop on a bus with your friends and neighbors on Sunday morning to travel past Carlos Paz and into the sierras.

Step 2 (after arrival): Make a fire in an outdoor handmade brick oven

Step 3: Prepare the meat

Step 4: Place some of the meat in the oven for that smoked sausage flavor.

Step 5: Look hungry

Step 6: Smell the delicious goodness that will soon be entering into your mouth.

Step 7: Act like you are making a difference

Step 8: Stare in utter amazement

Step 9: Eat, but don't take a picture because you will have to put down your fork and knife

Step 10: Try to take a siesta with a crying baby who had his siesta during the partaking of the delicious goodness... Praise be to God!

Step 11: Drink some great camp coffee, before jaunting off on a

two hour hike through the sierras.

Step 12: Thank God for a refreshing time, and for giving a great idea of returning for a camp out with more people we are reaching out to.

Maté

I don't know how we live in the U.S. without maté... maybe we are not really living?

Happy Moments of Life

One of the lakes in Valle de Calumuchita, outside of the city of Cordoba

The Waterfall at a German Colony called "La Cumbrecita"

We took the short-term team there as part of Christmas in July... later we also had a secret santa gift exchange.

IS ARGENTINA COMMUNIST?

Thousands flocked to hear Hugo Chavez, dictator/president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (which is what he changed the name to along with the flag), Fidel Castro of Cuba and the Bolivian president who is equally as bad. This picture is what we saw from our balcony. There is a huge anti-american sentiment here along with an even greater distaste for Bush and capitalism. Pray that we will be light and not have to meddle into idol conversations about this ridiculous situation.

This sign was posted right near us in our neighborhood. Imagine if this was posted next to your local Starbucks or Coffee Underground. How would you feel?

Translation:

Welcome brothers of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia

Out with imperialism in Latin America

For a Argentina without unemployment, exclusion, poverty, discrimination and dependency.

Communist Party Cordoba

Merienda time

Sometimes we get together with friends and neighbors for tea and maté in the afternoon. This is a great time to learn about our new friends and share life together. Merienda usually starts at 5 or 6 and can go up to like 8 or so. That is why dinner is at 9 or 11. Our friends from left to right are: Javier, Noelia from apartment 4b, Gaby from 3a, Mary Lu from 4b, and Kristen and Coen.

Mary Lu was named after the Virgin Maria de Lujan, because she was considered a miracle baby and her parents had prayed to the Virgin for help. Noelia and Mary Lu are sisters from Santa Cruz, a province in the south. They are here studying for the next 7 to 8 years. Javier always hangs out with us to practice English. He also comes to the English Bible study on Thursdays.

Some of his latest photogenia

Ready for La Iglesia

I love my new block car.

I love to look at the people, cars and dogs below to let them know I am up here.

Hey feet!

Am I cute or what?

Ok people. I have been standing for a while now. This picture is so two weeks ago. Don't get that impressed. Now I am in to letting go. It is so cool because in mind I know how to walk... well... I just need to work on something mommy calls balance!

Stolen glory!!

I stole this picture from Scott's blog. i didn't think of taking my camera to the big game. we always have a blast playing... win or lose or tie, which is where the current standings are for the teams i have been playing on... 1-1-1. The most important is that we are getting to hang out with some guys and get poked in the eye while going up for a header... notice the left eye has a little black under it. I almost scored on that play, but I could only see from one eye during the follow-up shot. thankfully, the shiner didn't last even through the night.

Hungry for the Word!

It's never too early to teach your child about the word, especially when he is so hungry for it.

Throw away your watch

Do you know how long an Argentine asado takes? If you arrive at 10pm expecting the meat to be already on the grill, then you do not understand the culture. If you are told that the meat will only take one hour to cook, then you do not understand the art of asado. Last night, we began to eat at 1am. Thankfully Kristen and I decided earlier that I would go with the team without her and Coen, while they hung out with Gabi. Now, if you think that beginning to eat at 1 am means that you will be done definitely by 2am, then you have forgotten that an asado is more than just a steak or some chicken on the barbi... First comes the blood sausage, then the chorizo (regular sausage), then you get some ribs, and then some brisqet. Just when you think you can't eat anymore, the backstrap and pork comes off the grill, followed by the kidneys and intestines. If you are feeling really queasy, it is not as bad as it sounds. When I looked at the clock on the wall it was 3:30... but sitting where you are it probably seems like a really long time to eat an asado, but then you have forgotten about the time warp in this great country, where people celebrate new found friendships over a dead cow, and a watch is just big honkin' piece of jewelry.