This series of posts are about the different customs and traditions that we are finding here in Argentina. If you ever come to Argentina, I can assure you that you will see people with these little wooden cup-like items in their hands. It will have a metal “stem” protruding out of the top. This is a mate (pronounced ma-tay). We use these to drink…mate! Yes, a “mate” is the cup you drink “mate” out of. Mate is an herbal tea. It is prepared by pouring the dry mate herb into the mate cup and pouring hot (sometimes too hot) water into the mate cup.

The metal “stem” is actually a straw called a “bombilla” (pronounced “bombeesha”) and contains a filter in the lower end to separate the mate infusion from leaves and stems. Sometimes there is sugar, sometimes mint, orange, lemon, other herbs, and sometimes it is just plain or “amargo” (this is the way I prefer it).

It is a social drink, so once you drink it, more hot water is poured in and it is passed to the next person. You drink out of the same straw and use the same mate herb until it has lost it’s savor (then the mate cup is dumped out and filled back up with fresh mate herb to pass around more. I love it! I drink it almost daily as I am out with people practicing Spanish. It is intertwined with Argentine culture.

More posts are coming out soon. Check back for more posts about life here in Argentina.

This is the first post of a series on living in Argentina. We have lived in Argentina for almost six months. We have learned so much in the six months we have been here and we have only touched the “tip of the iceberg”. We noticed differences in Argentina from the United States as soon as we landed in March. Some things are obviously different. Other things have taken more time to notice due to the subtle differences. I am very blessed to have made friends in the church we attend while in language school and around the community that have been very kind and patient and teach me things about Argentina. Here are two quick observations in starting this new series of posts.

• This country is huge! What is custom in one part of the country may be totally different in other parts of the country. I have two friends (a husband and wife) who have travelled a great portion of Argentina. They have shared with me the differences from province to province. They are from La Plata (where we are for language school), so there perspective has been very interesting. The greatest difference would be from greater Buenos Aires in comparison to the other provinces. Almost 33% of the country lives in greater Buenos Aires. Even so, there are differences between provinces and areas of the country, there are also customs they all share in common. This paragraph could easily be applied to the United States and a big city. New York City is a part of the United States, but people from upstate New York will quickly tell you that they are not like people from the big city.
• The need is the same! I don’t get this from my the six months I have under my belt. I get this from the Bible. Romans 5:12 is very clear, ” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” With all of our differences, we are all in the same state until we believe on Jesus for our salvation. The whole world needs the Gospel of Jesus!

I don’t claim to be an “expert” on the customs and traditions of Argentina. I don’t even claim to be an “expert” on the customs of the United States and I have lived almost all of my life there. I do think this blog series will give you an interesting insight as to what life is like in Argentina.

We are learning Castellano in La Plata, Argentina. I think one of the most common questions I am asked is “Where do you go from here?” We love La Plata! It is a great city with great need! The churches here are advancing the Gospel. There is still a great need, and they are training men to help start other churches! There are many other large cities in Argentina. So, where are we going next? The truth is we don’t know exactly. We have areas we are looking at, but we are not yet fully persuaded. With that in mind, the following are a few options we are looking into (in no particular order).

• Rosario: My family was in Rosario recently. It is the third largest city in Argentina. Rosario is located about 300 kilometers northwest from Buenos Aires. The population is over 1,193,00. There are a few churches (Baptist) that we know about and a Bible College. The need is certainly great with such a concentration of people.
• Córdoba: Córdoba is the second largest city in Argentina. I talk to a lot of people here in La Plata. I like to ask what people think of different cities in Argentina. Anyone I ever talk to about Córdoba tells me how amazing it is. Córdoba is about 700 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires. It is located in the foothills of the sierras. The population is over 1,428,000. I am told there are a few churches (Baptist) in that city. I have not been there. I know one missionary here in Argentina who told me that Córdoba would be an excellent city to start churches in. The missionary is in one of the northern provinces. We talked about different cities in Argentina and Córdoba was the city he seemed most interested for a new work to start.
• Mendoza: Mendoza is located on the western border of Argentina (approximately 113 kilometers from the Argentina/Chile border), with the backdrop of the Andes Mountains. The population is 1,011,600. The city is 1050 kilometers from Buenos Aires. I have heard that there are a few churches in Mendoza. The need is also great there.
• Greater Buenos Aires: I don’t know how anyone could consider church planting in Argentina and not consider Buenos Aires. The city is the 20th largest city in the world. Almost 1/3 of the population of Argentina lives in Greater Buenos Aires! The issue here is that Buenos Aires is so big, that “planting churches in Buenos Aires” is not very clear. There are large portions of the city where there are no churches (Baptist) that I know of. There are quite a few churches in some parts of this monster city, but the need is far, far greater than the laborers!

These are the largest cities in Argentina and the areas that we are praying about. So where do we go from here? I am fairly sure we will be in one of the above mentioned cities before long.

Sunday was a special day for me. Before we get to the details of Sunday, let me give you a little background.

We landed in Argentina on March 25, 2016. We started language school in June. We practice the language every day. We are growing in the language. I have given the offering devotion some 25 or more times (a 2-3 minute reading and explanation of a Bible verse that pertains to giving). I’ve wanted to teach and preach the Bible in Spanish for some time, but I didn’t know if I was ready.  I asked Pastor Jorge if  I could try some time. He told me to tell him when I think I am ready. I finally told him I was ready (although I had serious doubts I was). He told me that I would preach/teach for 10 minutes minimum. He gave me a date. I was very apprehensive. I just didn’t think I was ready.

The day finally came. It was Sunday. Pastor Jorge reiterated that he wanted me to preach for 10 minutes minimum, and to go longer if I could. I was just hoping to go 10 minutes. I really didn’t think I was ready. Even so, Sunday night I preached in Spanish for the first time. The message was 27 minutes, which was pretty surprising to everyone!

This was a huge goal for me! I am very thankful to the Lord for this! Here are a few observations from my first message in Spanish…

• I have a long way to go! The message was full of grammatical errors, I caught a few of them but most of them I did not.
• Learning grammatical rules and applying said rules are two completely different things. I have learned this in my daily practice of the language. I have learned how to say something, and know it as a fact in my mind, but my mouth does not say it the way I have learned it. I understand this to be very common and that practice and time will correct these sorts of things.
• This is not the finish line in my language studies, but it is a great “mile marker”. Even though it was very far from adequate, it still is a “victory”. I could not have done this 5 months ago! I am growing in the language and as I continue to practice in the language, the errors will decrease, and I will become more comfortable in speaking.

All in all, it was a great day. The people at Iglesia Bautista El Faro (Lighthouse Baptist Church) were very kind and supportive of me. I think many of them looked beyond some of the grammatical errors, because they saw a foreigner really trying. The great news is this was my first attempt and certainly not my last. As the Lord allows, I am scheduled to preach again on September 25, 2016 for the morning service. Now it is time to get nervous again!