Dear family and friends,
I realize that I haven´t written since the end of November and that´s quite a while. So, now that I have a minute, let me do my best to catch you up! December for us was all about prepping for the move. Since we could only take 6 suitcases with us, we had 4 yard sales- I guess you could say one for every year we lived there!! And, of course, December was about all of the wonderful Christmas activities. In there as well, Justin began traveling quite a bit and at the end of November we both went to Argentina for the church´s national assembly and to EPES for the International School Reunion while Justin´s parents came to Bolivia to be with Eber. A big hats off and thank yous go to them!! And then the hard part, saying hasta luego to our friends who became like family in Bolivia.
It was a month of roller coaster emotions- being super excited about starting this new chapter of our lives in Argentina, realizing that it was finally happening, changing relationships with the people we love in Bolivia, all the while continuing to work and trying really hard to finish well important projects and we were just exhausted from moving stuff and packing. If you know us, then you know how we are. We packed and repacked suitcases about 5 times to make sure we were taking with us only what was strategically important to take. There were many days, when we remembered that we only took a backpack with us to Spain when we walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2007 and were very, very tempted to do just that in moving to Buenos Aires, but seeing as how we have a child, we always came back around to strategically packing instead.
I promised myself to write to you when I felt settled here in Buenos Aires (when our couch arrives) and yesterday that finally happened! Honestly, I still don´t feel entirely settled as the rest of our furniture is still to be delivered (better priced furniture here is made to size and as it is handmade it takes longer to arrive). There is still so much to do, but the couch has arrived and hence so has this email.
We arrived in Argentina on January 13th (Justin´s birthday!) and slowly but surely we have been putting all the pieces of a home back together and getting to know our way around our neighborhood at least. In addition, we have made visits to the office, spent time getting to know our new congregation, and worked on our residency. It is just simply amazing how long these things can take, but the church here has been fantastic in accompanying us in this process.
Eber is adapting much better now since the couch´s arrival (he clapped!) and we have been able to do more fun things with him like take him to the zoo and parks on a more regular basis now that the bigger things like finding an apartment, setting up the internet, etc. have been done. He starts school on March 5th and we hope that he will have a chance to make friends his age and get settled into a routine, which will also help us out too!
In February, Justin´s went to Mexico City for a trip with GM that was really great. I will have him blog about it in the near future and will send out an email letting you know when he posts it. For now, please enjoy the photos at the top and we will continue to be in touch. Speaking of that, we have a new address to share with you. If you would like to send us mail, please send it to:
Kari and Justin Eller
Marcos Sastre 2891
C1417FYE Buenos Aires
República Argentina
As always, here are a few mailing tips:
-Please put a line through the middle of the number 7 or it is confused with the number 1.
-It takes about 1-2 weeks to receive a letter and 2-4+ weeks to receive a package.
-Please do not send anything FedEx or it costs a lot of money for us to pick it up.
-If you are asked to place a value on your package, please put a small value on it. Otherwise, it appears that we are importing to sell whatever is in it and we are required to pay a hefty tax on the package.
Let us hear from you when you get a chance...whichever way you prefer. We love hearing your news and keeping up with you too!
Our email addresses are: [email protected] and [email protected].
Many, many blessings,
Kari
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-8
I realize that I haven´t written since the end of November and that´s quite a while. So, now that I have a minute, let me do my best to catch you up! December for us was all about prepping for the move. Since we could only take 6 suitcases with us, we had 4 yard sales- I guess you could say one for every year we lived there!! And, of course, December was about all of the wonderful Christmas activities. In there as well, Justin began traveling quite a bit and at the end of November we both went to Argentina for the church´s national assembly and to EPES for the International School Reunion while Justin´s parents came to Bolivia to be with Eber. A big hats off and thank yous go to them!! And then the hard part, saying hasta luego to our friends who became like family in Bolivia.
It was a month of roller coaster emotions- being super excited about starting this new chapter of our lives in Argentina, realizing that it was finally happening, changing relationships with the people we love in Bolivia, all the while continuing to work and trying really hard to finish well important projects and we were just exhausted from moving stuff and packing. If you know us, then you know how we are. We packed and repacked suitcases about 5 times to make sure we were taking with us only what was strategically important to take. There were many days, when we remembered that we only took a backpack with us to Spain when we walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2007 and were very, very tempted to do just that in moving to Buenos Aires, but seeing as how we have a child, we always came back around to strategically packing instead.
I promised myself to write to you when I felt settled here in Buenos Aires (when our couch arrives) and yesterday that finally happened! Honestly, I still don´t feel entirely settled as the rest of our furniture is still to be delivered (better priced furniture here is made to size and as it is handmade it takes longer to arrive). There is still so much to do, but the couch has arrived and hence so has this email.
We arrived in Argentina on January 13th (Justin´s birthday!) and slowly but surely we have been putting all the pieces of a home back together and getting to know our way around our neighborhood at least. In addition, we have made visits to the office, spent time getting to know our new congregation, and worked on our residency. It is just simply amazing how long these things can take, but the church here has been fantastic in accompanying us in this process.
Eber is adapting much better now since the couch´s arrival (he clapped!) and we have been able to do more fun things with him like take him to the zoo and parks on a more regular basis now that the bigger things like finding an apartment, setting up the internet, etc. have been done. He starts school on March 5th and we hope that he will have a chance to make friends his age and get settled into a routine, which will also help us out too!
In February, Justin´s went to Mexico City for a trip with GM that was really great. I will have him blog about it in the near future and will send out an email letting you know when he posts it. For now, please enjoy the photos at the top and we will continue to be in touch. Speaking of that, we have a new address to share with you. If you would like to send us mail, please send it to:
Kari and Justin Eller
Marcos Sastre 2891
C1417FYE Buenos Aires
República Argentina
As always, here are a few mailing tips:
-Please put a line through the middle of the number 7 or it is confused with the number 1.
-It takes about 1-2 weeks to receive a letter and 2-4+ weeks to receive a package.
-Please do not send anything FedEx or it costs a lot of money for us to pick it up.
-If you are asked to place a value on your package, please put a small value on it. Otherwise, it appears that we are importing to sell whatever is in it and we are required to pay a hefty tax on the package.
Let us hear from you when you get a chance...whichever way you prefer. We love hearing your news and keeping up with you too!
Our email addresses are: [email protected] and [email protected].
Many, many blessings,
Kari
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-8
Prayer Requests
-for Venezuela: Political tension and unrest
-for Brazil: Protests at rising prices and displacement due to the 2014 World Cup (soccer)
-for Bolivia: The heavy rains, floods, landslides, and displaced persons and families affected. A very dear friend of ours has been hurt due to a landslide and is hospitalized, but recuperating well; thanks be to God.
-for Argentina: Rising inflation and unpredictable devaluation of the Argentine Peso, which affects low and middle income families the most because wages do not match the market price allowing for affordable consumer goods.
-for us: as we start to write with God this new chapter of our life in Argentina with all its mysteries, surprises, joys, and challenges.
-for Brazil: Protests at rising prices and displacement due to the 2014 World Cup (soccer)
-for Bolivia: The heavy rains, floods, landslides, and displaced persons and families affected. A very dear friend of ours has been hurt due to a landslide and is hospitalized, but recuperating well; thanks be to God.
-for Argentina: Rising inflation and unpredictable devaluation of the Argentine Peso, which affects low and middle income families the most because wages do not match the market price allowing for affordable consumer goods.
-for us: as we start to write with God this new chapter of our life in Argentina with all its mysteries, surprises, joys, and challenges.