festivities and the days after.

Wow, I can't believe all that has happened since just last week!

Fiestas
On the 30th, our church had a end of the year BBQ with the whole church. Yes, picture big juicy burgers, hotdogs on a bun, and a grill. Now take that thought and get rid of it! Haha, yes. This is an Argentine "Asado" BBQ. LOTS and LOTS of steak. Whole chickens! And churizos (which are kind of like brats but not really..)! And, nix any kind of sauce. It's just, steak! And of course great company!

The women preparing the salad!

Alejandro keeping the fire burning!

Everyone eating STEAK!

After the asado, our friend Belen and her boyfriend, Danny, along with another couple, Mario and Denise, and their parents and kids (haha yes, we were quite the caravan!), went to check out the New Years munecas, "dolls." This has been a tradition in La Plata for about 30 or so years where people make this huge dolls out of wire and then papermache them. The neighborhood with the best one wins a prize and everyone gets to send in their votes as to which they like the most!

This is the first one we saw! I think it might have been based off Maleficent.

It all moved and the big tree in the back talked and blinked!

Another display with Looney Toons! Our whole group got our picture taken 

with it but it was with a different camera.

What's crazy, is they spend weeks building these things and then after midnight on New Years they burn them!

More Fiestas
The 3rd was Belen's birthday! We were invited over and we got to have another great dinner, lovely cake and to enjoy the company of friends!

Getting the party started! Me, Staci, Soli, David, and Belen

Belen and the cake!

She brought out some balloons and I ended up making everyone the different balloon animals and things that I know how to make! (Thanks Dad!)

Belen and I with the dog I made her haha! 

I later found out that she got a puppy for her birthday!

Most of the party!

One of Belen's friends knew English really well, so it was fun to understand everything she wanted to say, as well as have her translate some of the things we didn't know. I will say that Spanish has been a struggle, but I have to remind myself that I'm lightyears ahead of where I was when I got here!

Life Be Like
This weekend we decided to plan a day of freedom where we didn't have to worry about language, or what we were going to eat for the next meal, or how to get where we were going, we just decided to find a place to explore. Hahah! We came across this beautiful sign that we had no idea what it meant....

Our interpretation: "Meanering with Máte"

Everyone who drinks máte often has a bag that holds their máte cup and their thermos along with the máte leaves and sugar.

Haha! Turns out, at least we think, it's a school zone sign. But I like our's better ^_^

The other day we went to the park to practice some Spanish and were joined by Coti. She is our barista/waitress at the coffee shop that we like. We had always struggled trying to order what we wanted and then one day she outright spoke in English and had told us that she taught herself by watching movies! (This WHOLE time you spoke English!?! Haha!) We chatted at the park, I wasn't aloud to use English =/ and we shared different things that we like to do. One of her hobbies? Planking!

Today
This morning there was a huge storm! Like, I had to block the door to our room or else it would have been blown open. And I had to sacrifice my towel to cover the gap under the door to keep a flood of water from running across the floor to our suitcases! It was intense.

This month Patricia is in the United States! Once again, God has worked wonders and she is going to be able to visit my church in Salina to talk to them about the projects here and what the team will be doing when they come in October. 

Since she is out of the house, we volunteered to make lunch for the boys a couple times a week. Today we made ham and cheese stuffed chicken and mashed potatoes! It was a hit!

Though the rain has subsided all day, a big thunder just crashed outside our window… Some day soon I will post pictures of where I live ^_^ But this post is long enough today, so I will leave you with one of God’s promises from Isaiah 41:

“I have chosen you and have not rejected you,

So do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Blessings,

<3