Setting Up

We have now been in Argentina for over a month. We are setting up. We moved into the house we are renting on May 02. We start our language school this month. Things are progressing quickly! We practice our Spanish every day and are improving even before starting language school. I have the opportunity to give the offering devotion at church every Sunday night. It is great practice for me. It consists of sharing a Bible verse on giving, expounding on it for a few moments, and praying for the offering. It is only 3-5 minutes but it is all in Spanish and it is stretching me.

We are loving it here in Argentina. We are not just learning a language here, we are also learning a culture. Setting up is teaching us a lot about how things work here. I am very thankful to have made friends with Christian brothers in the church who are actively teaching me how do things here.

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, and Ivy Henry

Cultural Tidbit: The Siesta

One of the cultural things we are learning about is the siesta. The siesta is a time during the day where Argentines eat lunch and rest. It usually begins around 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM (the actual time is not set). Because of this, many businesses close during these times. This makes things interesting for us. As I type out this letter, we are about to go look at some furniture, but it is 12:19 PM, and most of the stores are about to close for the siesta. We are learning to do this kind of shopping either earlier or later. If you are not careful, the siesta will creep up on you and you missed your opportunity and adjust your schedule accordingly so that you can go to the stores at 3:30 or 4:00 PM. Today is a good example of that. It is not a bad thing at all, just something we are learning and adjusting to. The siesta is not observed by everyone, but it is certainly a part of the culture of Argentina.