Into The Heart of Argentina

On Thursday, knowing Tito and Adriana would pick us up as soon as they dropped their daughter at school at 7:15 a.m., we were up and out the door by a little after 6:30 a.m. so we could hurry down to YPF and guzzle have some cafe con leche to help us wake up.

We had no idea what we were in for, but we knew it might be a LONG and perhaps frustrating day. Doing paperwork here is an interesting proposition, usually requiring trips to many offices, finding out there’s always one more piece of paper you need (and another and another)...in other words, typical bureaucrazy at work. Yes, I misspelled that word on purpose because it defines for me how it’s usually characterized.

But not when you have lots of people praying for you! Y’all must have some serious prayer power goin’ down!

Not to say it was a cake walk, but WE WERE DONE IN HALF A DAY. Oh.My.Word!

First of all though I want to share a picture that Ivan took from the window of the Ramirez’ van (so it’s not the crispest photo). Cordoba, as well as being the provincial capital, is also the second largest city in Argentina with about a million and a half people plus all the ones like us who come in to take care of business. You can imagine what the streets were like as we were entering the city just before 8 a.m. And then we see this. These horse-drawn carts are a common sight as they pick up trash.

Anyway, the best way to explain the experience of filing the paperwork is in a time line format. So you see what a rush it was yet how God worked out the timing so that it was all accomplished before the office of Registro Civil de Provincia de Cordoba closed at 2 p.m.

8:00 a.m. In line to get a number.

8:30 a.m. We are #A80.

9:15 a.m. Our number is called. But we’ve been sitting there long enough to know everyone, no matter their business, is being told to go to the fourth door on the right. So we figure it’s going to be another line. We are right.

9:35 a.m. We are ushered into a cubicle. We FINALLY turn over the envelopes we have been carrying like precious jewels for months. Envelopes received at the Argentinian Consulate in Chicago back in April. Envelopes with special stamps and seals which we have been ordered NOT TO OPEN by every official and every missionary in numerous communiques. Repeatedly. And now they are opened. And examined. And then Ivan produces his old documents from when he lived here the first twenty years of his life.

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We take a break from the time line to report what a God thing it was that we found Ivan’s old documents just a few months ago. The documents had been misplaced YEARS ago and only found because I’m anal careful about going through things. Ivan often said, “Throw it out. We haven’t needed it for years, we don’t need it now.” But I can’t let go of stuff that easily. So I WENT THROUGH EACH AND EVERY BOX OF PAPER WE HAVE EVER COLLECTED—AND THAT WAS CONSIDERABLE.

And in the box of things from our first trip to Argentina in 1996, his various documents were tucked in among the pictures, souvenirs and receipts. Neither of us have any idea how they ended up there; just praise God that we found them!

The most important piece is his cedula, an ID issued by the federal police. It’s not like the ID cards today (even has a different name) but it’s still an ID card. With a traceable number in the system. And this card makes all the difference in the world. It shows Ivan had permanent residency status then, and because he never requested that such residency be rescinded, he continues to have it! This makes our his life much easier.

If it had only been him, we would have been done then and there.

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9:35 a.m. continued The nice woman at the office of Registro Civil tells us that my paperwork is incomplete. Of course. And it will be necessary to have my birth certificate and marriage license officially translated (we have already paid for this but it was by a certified translator in the U.S. and it must be by a certified translator in Argentina.)

10:00 a.m. We fast walk the two or so blocks to the office of Traductatores Publicos de la Provincia de Cordoba. With the understanding that we can get it done there. Silly us! At that office they merely give us a 7-page listing of certified translators. Single-spaced, with one per line, that’s a lot of translators!

10:20 a.m. After standing on the street making many unproductive calls, we decide to go into a little coffee shop on the corner and grab some coffee while continuing to make calls. May I just say how heavenly coffee shops smell? I have a hard time focusing on the task at hand when I am surrounded by the aroma of good coffee. Especially when they offer a little something on the menu called the Americano that includes coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, croissants, ham and cheese. Tito keeps making calls while the rest of us dig in. Four hours since coffee at YPF and we are ready for more!

Did I mention the list of translators is single spaced and seven pages long? His coffee finally cold, Tito gives the phone to Ivan. Who decides to go backwards, and is successful when he calls the very last translator on the very last last page.

10:45 a.m. We fast walk back to the van and head to meet the very nice Cecilia on the corner of Lima & Maipu by 11 a.m. She tells us she can have the translations done in one hour! While we wait we walk around the neighborhood a little. Find a Personal store (cell phone company) and try to see what they know about getting the Ivan’s Blackberry activated. They say we have to go to the main office downtown.

12 noon We meet Cecilia on the corner again and she hops in the van with us for the quick trip back to the office of Traductatores Publicos de la Provincia de Cordoba where she gives the lady there the translations and her ID papers and then the lady in the office gives us the necessary stamps of approval. Much cash changes hands in these transactions and we are happy to pay for such quick work! As soon as we have our stamped paperwork we say goodbye to Cecilia and fast walk back to the Registro Civil office.

12:25 p.m. We find out that now we must go to the bank and pay the necessary fees, and also make photocopies of all the work we just had done. Because they will keep the originals and certify the copies for us to keep.

Oh, and thankfully the Banco de Cordoba two blocks away is open until 1:30 because the one at the office of Registro Civil closed at 12:30.

12:40 p.m. Fast walk to bank and pay fees; find a photocopy place next door and have the copies made. And see that Spring has come to the city. 1:00 p.m. Return to office of Registro Civil only to find out the four-page copy of my birth certificate and translation is missing the actual copy of the birth certificate. Adriana runs out to do that. And I find that they thought for a bit that I was Ivan’s sister because we have the same last name. It is not done that way here. So my national identity card will use the name found on my birth certificate. It will seem weird to go by my maiden name after 29 years of being called Mrs. Hoyt!

While waiting for Adriana to return, the clerk completes the paperwork on me and begins on Ivan’s. Where is the copy of his cedula? What do you mean? No one said anything about a copy of that! (This is all in Spanish so I am not alerted to the fact that yet another piece of paper is lacking. I am blissfully unaware of Ivan’s rising frustration.) One of the ladies in the office, in a show of compassion, says she’ll just do it, it would be a shame to make us run out yet again. And so it is done. Just like that. Then we cannot find Ivan’s photo that was in that sealed and stamped envelope from the Consulate. It had been in there when initially opened but now it is nowhere to be found. Aaaargh! But no worry, says the clerk who’s taking care of us. Just bring us a photo when you come to pick up your DNI.

You mean we’re done?! It is 1:40 p.m.

Yes, just come back in six months. Six months?

Yes, and until then you use your passport (in my case), or cedula (Ivan), and these two pieces of paper that show your DNIs are in process.

We leave the office in a daze. We are DONE! Incredible. Amazing. Did that really just happen? “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

We left at 5 a.m. Friday August 15th and arrived at our apartment in Carlos Paz at 7:30 p.m. Saturday August 16th. Two very lengthy layovers in Miami and Buenos Aires made for one loooooooong trip!

Everything is much more expensive than a year ago. I about had a heart attack when we stopped for some basics at the Walmart on our way home from the airport. Yes, there’s a Walmart in Cordoba, a town about half an hour from where we live. AND a McDonalds, too. But after being reminded that meat and produce reflects KILOS, not POUNDS, the palpitations settled down. Still expensive but not as bad as I thought. Sort of like moving to California :-) About 20-30% more than we were used to paying in rural America.

A week ago, while still recovering from jet lag, we went to Aerosilla and took the chair lift to the highest spot in the city.

Have I every mentioned an unreasonable fear of heights that might afflict me on occasion? As in every time I get higher than three feet off the ground? Make that two feet. So. As you can tell, Ivan is in 7th heaven and I’m trying not to throw up since obviously bending over isn’t an option because then I’d be looking DOWN. Down is bad when you are up.

Once we arrived at the top, the panorama was breath-taking! The city spread out as far as we could see. I knew it was a good sized city but I had no idea how big it really was. Wow! This is looking toward downtown.

Thursday Ivan learned that because he still has his ID papers from way back when (we won’t say how long ago that was) he may be able to get permanent residency status right away. Before going to Cordoba to start the paperwork, though, we had to go to the police station here for a “certificate of domicile” that proves we live in Carlos Paz now. Our co-workers helped us with that piece on Friday.

We’ve found a rental house! So let me just tell you how God has provided a house with ALMOST EVERYTHING ON MY WISH LIST…

(1) On this side of town. This wasn’t a deal breaker but it sure was near the top of the list. Especially this first year while I’m taking Spanish lessons with Marcela.

(2) In a great neighborhood and only two blocks from the lake!

(3) THREE bedrooms, each with a built-in closet (an unusual feature here).

(4) Large kitchen.

(5) Living room AND separate dining room. There’s actually enough room in the dining room for a large table and chairs plus the perfect space for an L-shaped desk in one corner where we can set up our “office”.

(6) Covered parrilla and patio area. Argentines take their grilling seriously and you won’t be finding big American style gas grills. Heaven forbid! No, each house has a large brick parrilla with a grill you can raise and lower. This house goes one better and has a built in counter and storage area around the parrilla.

(7) Decent-sized yard with some landscaping [a number of rose bushes along one side of the house!] but also space to plant tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and so on. Remember, we’re going into spring here and we’ll be moving at just the right time to get some things planted. Yeah!

(8) The price is below market rate because the owner wants to rent “as is” without cleaning or painting. This is actually a plus for us—not only do we get to save money in exchange for some elbow grease up front, but WE get to choose the paint!

So a long wish list and just about every item checked off. Thank you Jesus!

We’ll have three weeks or so to clean and paint before the container arrives and Ivan heads to the port in Buenos Aires to get our things through customs. How’s that for timing?! God works everything out, right down to the last detail.

The renting process is very different here. Our co-workers had to serve as our “guarantors” and provide a copy of the deed for their house as collateral. They built two years ago but before that they rented. I asked how in the world they were able to rent in the beginning. They were required to pay six months up front! Glad we don’t have to do that. And before we can officially rent the house, the realtor will go into Cordoba (the provincial capital) and verify the deed.

We’re really grateful for the way God has provided abundantly in so many ways! Not only the house, but in great co-workers. We don’t know how other missionaries do it that have to go it alone. Tito and Adriana have chauffeured us around, helped us with the ins-and-outs of living here, and served as our “guarantors” so we could rent the house.

Here are some prayer requests:

1 For the folks who are currently coming to the Sunday meetings or are having Bible studies with our co-workers, that they would see their need for salvation, would repent and commit their lives to Christ. We’ll be talking about specific ones in coming posts.

2) That we would have all the necessary papers when we go to Cordoba and begin the process of getting permanent residency status as well as the necessary identity cards.

3) The upcoming missionary get-together in northern Argentina. It will be a time of teaching and encouragement. Please pray for safety in travel and for good fellowship.

Our goal is to post an update here once a week. So keep checking back!

It is August 9th and we leave August 15th. Less than a week left!

With lots of help, everything we want to take is boxed and/or palletized. The 20 foot container arrives Monday around noon and it [should] be a simple matter of using a fork lift and pallet jack to transfer the nine fully loaded pallets from the garage into the container. That’s the plan anyway.

The car made it almost to the end. Last night the ball joint on the right side gave out. The same thing happened to the other side last year while we were in Atlanta for pre-field training. It’s been a good car and we’re grateful for God’s provision of trustworthy transportation over the past four years of deputation.

One by one we’re checking off all the things that must be done before we leave. Just a few things left to be done over the next six days.

Saying goodbye is never easy, but it’s been even more difficult than expected. The emotional roller coaster probably won’t ease until we’ve gotten settled in Argentina. It’s especially hard to say goodbye to Ivan’s folks (his dad is growing more frail all the time) and our kids. What can I say? We’re thankful for the close relationship we have with them, but at the same time it makes it that much harder to let go.

Our commissioning service on July 20th was a particularly emotional day. It’s impossible to describe the overwhelming sense of unity and prayer support we felt as those who have “raised” us in the ministry, commissioned us to go. Our daughter videotaped it and is putting together a DVD which we’ll try to make available to anyone who might be interested in watching it. She’s dividing it into segments, separating each special music and speaker - so it won’t be necessary to watch the entire two hours in one setting :)

We just feel badly we didn’t let other folks know about the service ahead of time as we know more would have come to it. Quite honestly, life has been so hectic we just didn’t even think about it. So we apologize for the oversight and hope you’ll understand it wasn’t at all intentional.

July 29, 2008 we reached 100% of our monthly support!!!

We have the most amazing support team! Every one of our supporting churches and individuals are not only giving financially, but faithfully praying for us. And we know many others who cannot give but pray. THANK YOU!

Here are some specific prayer requests:

• that everything will fit into the container so it’s not necessary to try and figure out last minute what to take out
• for emotional and physical well-being as we finish our goodbyes and go
• that we would not lose sight of the God Who has prepared and is sending us, in all the busy-ness of going
• for a dependence on God alone, Who is our sufficiency, at all times and in all situations
• for the process of getting our things through customs, that it would go smoothly and not be so costly
• as we look for an apartment or house to rent and then get settled
• for Kim as she learns Spanish

If you’d like to contact us, please e-mail us at: ihoyt@biblicalministries.org We’d love to hear from you occasionally, letting us know what’s happening in your life!