Getting accustomed to the region

Today we were introduced to "mate". It is a type of herbal tea that is normally drunken out of a dried gourd, although today ours was our of a ceramic type of mug. Here is a picture of what it typically would look like:

I was taught a few very important things about drinking mate. First off, if somebody has welcomed you into their home and offers you mate, it is extremely important to accept it. If you don't accept it, there is an immediate barrier placed. Although it is extremely bitter, and isn't pleasing to the typical gringo pallet, I believe it can grow on you. Everybody passes it around and drinks from the same metal straw, so I'm sure my brother-in-law Russell wouldn't like it! I find this next piece of information to be very important... Once you drink the mate down, you pass it to the next person and they fill it up with water only to drink it down and pass it again. It goes around till it gets to you again. Well the important thing to note is that if you pass the mate back to the person with the kettle and say, "muchas gracias", that means you've had enough and they won't pass it to you again. Otherwise you may get it handed to you all night, and then it'd be important to know where their bathroom is!

In other news, we met a contact given to us through a missionary in Puerto Montt (the capital of the state above us). His name is Eduardo and he lives here in Coyhaique. Eduardo committed to attend our weekly Bible studies, which are scheduled to start next Sunday afternoon at 5 pm. It will at least be he, Annie, Micah, and myself. I visited Jenifer's house, the gal who I led to Christ this week, but she wasn't home. I hope to establish contact with her and see her continue to grow. Hopefully she will be the other person attending and I hope that eventually other members of their families will get saved and be become a part of the church.

Our house is coming along. The only thing that we're missing now is firewood (yes, it is wood heated, like pretty much every home down here), gas (for hot water and the stove), and we're set to go (apart from a few minor details like installing appliances and getting a couch/dining table)!

I'm loving the adventure! And I know God is with us! (Matthew 28:20)