Most of the adjustments we are making are about living in a new culture that “does life” in a different way than we are accustomed. This specific post is more about life as an “extranjero” (Spanish for “foreigner”). So those who are from other countries that live in the States are going through a very similar process. As a foreigner, there is lot of paperwork to complete. This past week or so we have been working on the paperwork for our baby daughter, Isla. Isla was born in Argentina, so in the eyes of the Argentine government, Isla is an Argentine! Because we are American citizens, Isla is also an American (in the eyes of the US government). While both of these things are true privileges. They do not come without paperwork and a few hoops to jump through. To get her American citizenship (officially), we must first…

• Obtain her Argentine citizenship (officially). We did this last week.
• Obtain her Argentine passport. (I don’t know if this is really necessary, but she cannot get her US passport without first obtaining her Argentine passport, so we did it). We did this today.
• We must then fill out an application for her Social Security number, a US passport application, and a “born abroad” birth certificate application. (we have filled those all out today as well).
  • We must email all three applications to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires. 
  • We must also provide proof that we have lived in the USA. We must send these “proofs” by email along with the applications. We sent all applications and the “proofs” today.
• We will receive an appointment from the US embassy, to which we will show up with passport photos printed out (of Isla) to officially submit the applications. We have not yet received the appointment to do this. This is out next step.

Once we complete all of these things, our little bundle of joy will be an official Argentine citizen and an official American citizen. We are also in the process of applying for residency. This is another whole set of paperwork that includes multiple background checks, as well as other documentation with apostille seals, and everything translated into Spanish by an approved translation service here in Argentina. So our lives are filled with paperwork but that is a pretty normal thing for foreigners.

It can be frustrating when we are told we need something else before we can receive what we are looking for. I am thankful for Leslie, who is patient through it all and helps me to try to remain patient. It is part of life in another country, and it is a necessary part of our lives.

Faith Baptist Church will be 3 months old in just a few days. I believe God is blessing. We have had many who have visited us already and have a few families who are starting to form a core group. Although I take a part of each service and explain the salvation that God offers us through Jesus, we had not seen anyone saved. We have had several people acknowledged they are lost, but no one had responded to the Gospel by believing on Jesus…until last night! We had our midweek service last night. A woman has been coming for about three weeks, she brought her boyfriend last night for the first time. At the end of the message, I explained the Gospel and our need for Jesus. I asked if anyone was lost, and would like me to pray for them. The young man raised his hand. He was attentive the whole time. I prayed for him and others, we closed the service with a song. After the service, he and I sat down and I explained the Gospel further. He repented of his sins and believed in Jesus! While that was going on, his girlfriend was upstairs doing the exact same thing. We were blessed to have two people saved last night. These are the first fruits of Faith Baptist Church, and we are thrilled!

We have a new baby girl! Isla Faith Henry was born on Thursday, July 06, 2017 at 5:00 AM. Mommy and baby are doing very well. Isla (pronounced “I” as in “aisle” and “la”) has the unusual opportunity to be a full citizen of two countries. From what I understand, she will be an Argentine the rest of her life, and she will also be an American the rest of her life. Today we just registered her with the Argentine government, making her an official “Argentine”. Once we receive her national document identification card in the mail, we will proceed through the required channels for her to “officially” receive her American citizenship. We are very blessed to have her in our family. We have already started praying for her salvation and that God will use her to progress the Gospel. Our other daughters already love her and are take any opportunity they can to hold her.

We are very grateful to our God for such a beautiful daughter that He has given us. Isla Henry is an answer to our prayers. I am living in a house full of girls and I could not be happier!

Food and culture are intertwined in such a beautiful way it would be practically impossible to separate a culture from its food. I’ve been told to reject a country’s food is to reject their culture. I believe this to be true. Argentina has some of the best food I have ever tasted! I could easily make a series of posts on the different foods we have here in Argentina, and it would be a great series, but for this post I am just going to highlight one specific food here, it has become my favorite thing to eat. I am referring to the empanada, but not just any empanada (because not all empanadas here are created equal). It is a specific empanada, from a specific restaurant. The only complaint I have is that it is on the other side of Buenos Aires, and I rarely ever get the opportunity to satisfy my craving for this most delicious of Argentine cuisine. When I do have that opportunity, I eat an embarrassing amount of this specific delicious empanada. Even when I have filled myself pass to capacity, I debate on eating “just a little bit more”. Before I explain what type of empanada is, first I will explain what empanadas are.

What is an empanada? This is a loaded question, because empanadas are made and sold all over South America, and each country has their own version, and each county believe that their’s is the best. Empanadas are a “meat-filled” turnover. Some are fried, others are baked. They can be filled with a number of things, from beef, chicken, ham and cheese, corn and cheese, onions, lamb, and even bacon and plum. Some are made from a corn dough while others are made from a flour dough. All of these variables can make a really good, or a not-so-good empanada. This meat turnover is the stuff of dreams!

Argentine empanadas: Argentine empanadas are different (and dare I say “better”)! Each province (our version of states) has their own spin on empanadas. The most well known are “Salteñas” (from the “Salta” province), but others are very good as well.

My favorite empanada: My favorite empanada is from a place called “Pekin” in Buenos Aires, and it is an empanada de cordero cortada a cuchillo. This may be my favorite thing to eat in the world! The empanada is baked and is filled with chunks of lamb and filled with spices. It is in the shape of a triangle and a portion of the filling is revealed (this is not typical, but it doesn’t even matter because it is so good). They are cheap too! Lamb empanadas are from the Patagonian provinces, but this little spot in Buenos Aires has them and does them better than anywhere else. These are the best of the best!

Some adjustments are harder than others. The food here is an adjustment, but not a hard one! Some people want Argentine steak, others want our delicious Italian food, others want to experience one of our cafes, or one of our many ice cream shops. While all of the above are delicious, I’ll choose the lamb empanada from Pekin every time!