Catching Up

This is what I am going to call catching up.  There are several photos we didn't know how to upload before so we are kind of regressing here, and it will jump around too.  Sorry.

This was taken at the Luhan Zoo.  Yes, we are really petting a tiger and I am smiling but don't be fooled, I am petrified and I'm going to wait until the new system to do it again.

This is a panoramic photo of the site.  When the iron started to go up the first day, it reminded us of when it started to go up at our assembly hall.  Everyone was so excited.  Currently they have about 23 of 30 up.  It has rained so much that the work was stalled for a bit.  They are about 10 weeks behind schedule.  But it was dry today.

This is the "Cocina" where I work when I'm not working in the "comedor".  We had just taken out these pear upside down cakes.  The brother who is the chef, Gaston, is unbelieveable.  He used to own his on restaurant in Buenos Aires but sold it when he and his wife were invited for this project.  They have been here since around January and have another two years to go.  They just purchased a new bread mixer and now will be making all of their own bread and hope to save about $600 a month on bread.  We will be heavier when we come home.  But wow, what a way to weigh.

This is us at our assigned table.  Today we had the comments for the text at morning worship so we sat at the head table.  It wasn't really scary because hardly anyone speaks English so they don't know what we said.  Even the brother conducting morning worship doesn't speak English so he just said "muey bien" and "excellente".  So it was all good.

 

This is an artist's rendition of the assembly hall and school for married couples.  The auditorium will seat 6300 in the main hall and 1300 in the auxilliary auditorium.  They want to finish the school first which has 20 rooms for 40 students to stay.  Then they will move all of the IV's and IS's from Canuelas there to work.  It will save them so much money in fuel as the commute from Canuelas to the Ezezia site is about 40 minutes.

 

 

 

This past Sunday, Neil was invited to give the public talk in Buenos Aires to the English congregation there.  It was kind of funny to hear them speaking English when it isn't their first language.  They are actually an English Group at this point.  We met some Bethelites from the States.  One brother from Colorado Springs, CO actually knew friends of our there.

After the talk, we went to this downtown flea market place.  They sell the same stuff they sell at every flea market.  Neil bought a leather belt and we had some pastry.  This was like a long line dance.  But, the dance was the Tango.  Some of these people really got into it and there was one guy that we didn't even want to show you his picture because it was so ridiculous we figured we need a signed authorization to show it. 

Well, that's it for now.  I'm trying to get over my second cold and am coughing like crazy.  Everyone has been sick so we are going to hit the sack.  5:30 actually comes very early, in fact, in AZ it comes around 1:30.

Yesterday we went to Buenos Aires.  It reminded me at times of NYC and Time Square.  Lots of hustle and bustle.  We rode in a couple of taxis.  Walked, and then walked some more and then walked some more.  We saw the Casa Rosada which is where Eva Peron gave her famous speeches and Madonna played her in the movie.  We went in, there is no charge, nothing like the White House.  We also had lunch at a great restaurant which is called Follow the Cow in English.  It is all you can eat meats and salads.  That was the only meal of the day because we were too full.  Also, Neil had to go to McDonald's for a coke..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we went to the Safeguard Your Heart Convention but could not get a seat so we came home and watched on Closed Circuit TV.

 

 

Last weekend we experienced a very different BBQ for us.  Bro. Nelson Camano BBQ a baby lamb.  Sad but delicious.  It had been slaughtered like two or three days beforehand.  It was very good but they eat at like 9:00 and these old folks like to go bed early. 

Br. Dan Pilley and his wife Rachel were here being trained to oversee the construction for the European area of the world.  He is from Scotland and she is from England.  We had a going away snack after the family worship evening to say goodbye.  They were at the lamb party too.

We have been here two and half weeks and decided the easiest way to tell everyone what is going on is to write a blog.  We will be adding photos just as soon as we learn how to do it.

Just a quick overview of what's been happening.  Neil is of course operating equipment which is his first love for work.  The sister in the kitchen whose husband is the chef, her name is Gabby, says her husband's first love is cooking so we know how each other feels. I am working in the "comedor" or dining room and am trying to learn Spanish as well.  Just so you know, Agentinian Spanish is not the same as "our" Spanish.  So if I say weird words when I get home, I'll just say I'm speaking Argentinian.

We live about 40 minutes from the construction site in a town called Canuelas.  We live on the property of the current assembly hall in a little three bedroom house that we share with two other couples that are the age of our children.  Yes, we are the old folks.  There is another housing facility next door that houses about ten other couples that are international servants. 

Neil works five days a week and I work four.  Friday is is my "dia libre" which is my free day but I have chores to do at home and my laundry.  We have been assigned to a Spanish speaking congregation called Norte.  We don't understand anything but we feel the love. 

Last weekend we went to the Luhan Zoo and were able to pet lions, tigers, monkeys, feed elephants and ride a camel.  It was a lot of fun and most of the friends here went also.  We want to attach photos and we will.

We have family worship here on Monday night, it is the WT study conducted in Spanish but we can answer in English if we like.  This weekend is their district convention so there were no meetings.  We will attend the WT and the drama on Sunday.  We went out in the invitation work and Neil actually placed five invitations.  I placed zero.  One thing I noticed, they say no a lot here just like in the US.  More later with pictures when we figure out how to do it.