We have been back in Argentina for almost two weeks. It is great to be back and we have many goals for our second term. In this specific post, I want to share a few thoughts on our return. This is not an organized post of eloquent thoughts, nor is it an all encompassing explanation of the return to the mission field for a missionary. It is just my first thoughts after being back for less than two weeks!

• There are quite a few things to repair. This has more to do with our vehicles and the house we rent. After being gone for just over a year, we came back to a few things that are not in the same conditions as they were. Some things are little (the air conditioning in my car was not working), other things are more complicated, but a large part of what we have done since we have been back is repair (or attempt to repair) things that are not working properly.
• The church is doing great! It is great to meet new Christians and it is great to see the growth of the church! The Lord is at work in Faith Baptist Church and it is such a blessing to see what He has done and is doing!
• My ability to speak Spanish is not what it was when we left! This will take time to improve, but it will. We are still able to converse, preach, teach, and counsel, but there are words that are not as easily “accessed” in conversation. It will improve with time.
• The inflation in Argentina is outrageous! Paying for things is a gut-punch! The cost of things is outrageous in comparison to what it used to be. This is due to the inflation, the which I am told has reached 100%!!! We go to buy something, even groceries, and we walk away having spent so much more than before. To make things more complicated, at the writing of this post, the largest bill in Argentina is the $1000 peso bill. It’s worth is roughly $2.63!!! So to pay for something, you have to have a sack full of bills! This is something we are going to have to get used to. I am told that a $5000 and $10000 bill will be soon printed. The inflation is very high and it has been a “culture shock” for us!
• I love serving with my family. It is great to see the girls jump right in to love on and serve others! They are a blessing to the church! Leslie is too, she is a blessing to the ladies of the church!
• It is hot and we are loving it! The day we left the States, that morning there was ice on the windshield of the van! We arrived in the middle of summer with 90º+ temperatures! I love the summer, I love the long days, the sounds and smells of this time of year!
• There is much to do! We are just arriving and putting everything in it’s place, and we start our first camp next week! There is so much to do and we have “hit the ground running”. It is going to take time to get settled, but I do believe this is the best way to return, at least for us!

There is much more I could share, but this is a good start. Perhaps in the future I will write a more profound blog detailing my thoughts on our return. Until then, we continue on, living the dream, serving Jesus in Argentina!