Sorry that I haven't posted any updates in awhile. It is hard sometimes to remember to get in touch when things are pretty busy here and when the internet comes and goes...but enough excuses :)
July has been a good month thus far and it is crazy for me to think that it is half way over, which means only a little over 2 weeks left her in Argentina. Since the start of the month I feel that each of us are forming close relationships with families and individuals. It is exciting to see them growing as we spend time talking, going shopping, eating, and watching movies together. We had a fourth of July party with one family and it was so wonderful to treat them to dinner and spend time helping each other with english and spanish.
Yesterday we got back from our week vacation in the province of Cordoba. We spent some time relaxing in the beautiful Villa Carlos Paz. It was great to get away from the big city and climb a mountain. I didn't realize how much I missed Flagstaff and Tucson until I was hiking up the mountains in Carlos Paz. Since we are only here for two months at first it seemed silly to take a week off, but in reality it was absolutely necessary. The trip really allowed for reflection and relaxation. It is definitely going to help me focus on the last two weeks here.
One of our friends from Argentina was able to join us in Carlos Paz. His name is Elias. I felt that it was great to have at least one friend with us and I think that he was able to see God's love working through us as we interacted with each other and with him.
God has been teaching me a lot during this trip as well and working to improve my character. While in Carlos Paz I was challenged to deal with conflict with a teammate and I was making this a huge deal in my mind that I was sure for the rest of the trip we would not get along and I would be constantly feeling upset about it. But God allowed for me to approach that person and talk out our issues in a loving way. It is really easy to count people out when you feel like you don't have to love them, but it is even worse to try and resolve differences when you know you have to love them. I think my perspective on conflict is changing through this experience.
Now we only have 16 days left and this is exciting and scary to me. Part of me wants to just rush through it so I can be home, but the other part of me realizes that doing this would be selfish. I want to strengthen my friendships with the people here in Argentina. Our goal in being here is to get people thinking about God and helping them to know who He is, and if that is to have any impact in their lives we have to build trust and friendship. And we still have time for that. Hopefully I can focus on right now and not think about the next school year too much while I still have time here in Argentina.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Making Friends
This week has been a blessing and a great pick me up at the midpoint of our trip.
On Monday we went to two nursing homes. We met a woman named Maria who is 101 years old! She kept telling us how she can still do everything on her own, she can even go to the bathroom on her own! She also just told us how blessed she was and how content she was with her life. She never married and the nurse tried to get her to tell us a story about her one love but she replied "no, that story is for me." I wish we could have heard it, but still it was wonderful hearing about how content she is with where she is and her gratitude to God for her life. We met some others and heard them sing some old Tango songs. It was really great speaking with them in Spanish and just realizing how similar they are to people in the US. We are all people right :) We sang some songs for them in English- Lord I lift your name on high and Marvelous Light.
At the second place we went I met one man from Italy who moved here in 1948. He kept asking me if I understood better in Italian or Spanish (after he told me a story completely in Italian ;) ) The story of moving here brought him to tears- me emociona. He missed his home country and I think that his family was split up due to the move. There were multiple boats leaving Italy after WWII and they went all over the Americas. So one brother may end up in Canada and the other in Argentina. After talking with him I spoke with a blind man who has lived in BA all his life. He recently went blind and it cost him a lot, I think he said due to him losing his job he couldn't afford to take care of his sick wife and she ended up dying- I held his hand while we sang a few songs. There is a lot of sadness with many of the people there, but I think they truly enjoyed us coming. When we were about to leave one woman asked to talk to me. I didn't understand her at first but I had Marisol come over and help me with the translation. She asked me if I liked the new president of the US but then told me it was a stupid question and not to answer it. She then proceeded to tell me that she was delighted to know a North American girl :) She also asked me if I had ever been in love and asked me if there was anything I would like to ask her. I didn't have much time to ask her but I asked her when she was married. I think we are going to be going back so hopefully I will have a chance to ask her some more questions about her life. It was a wonderful day and I think that they were so grateful to have us come and visit them.
Yesterday (Thursday), I went to my friend Jimena's house. Her best friend Alexandra was there too. Jimena is a photographer and was going to do a photo shoot of her friend Alexandra. She asked me to be a model for her as well. So Alexandra and I dressed up and went up to Jimena's studio and we posed for a few photos. Since my sister is also a photographer I am used to having to be a model :) It was fun to be a part of it.
After the photo shoot I went to the kitchen and talked with Jimena's mom, also named Alexandra. She gave me a spanish lesson on how to use the vos form. The vos is the tu form in Argentina. We had mate and talked for a good while and the rest of her family joined us, her dad and two brothers. I really enjoy being with their family. We are going to have them over tomorrow night for dinner which I am especially excited for! The Dad, Pepe, always jokes with me in Spanish but most of the time I don't understand. However, last night I was able to joke with him in Spanish so I am improving :) When I left her dad told me to remember that their home is mine as well. It is so nice to be so warmly invited into someone's home that I have only met 3 times or so. I hope that we can show them the same love to them tomorrow night when they come over. Please pray for their family :) God has definitely given me a heart for them.
Well it was great to have these two experiences this week. We are now half way through our time here and it is wonderful to see deeper relationships form. I have had lower energy lately but with the time in the nursing home and with Jimena's family I feel rejuvinated.
On Monday we went to two nursing homes. We met a woman named Maria who is 101 years old! She kept telling us how she can still do everything on her own, she can even go to the bathroom on her own! She also just told us how blessed she was and how content she was with her life. She never married and the nurse tried to get her to tell us a story about her one love but she replied "no, that story is for me." I wish we could have heard it, but still it was wonderful hearing about how content she is with where she is and her gratitude to God for her life. We met some others and heard them sing some old Tango songs. It was really great speaking with them in Spanish and just realizing how similar they are to people in the US. We are all people right :) We sang some songs for them in English- Lord I lift your name on high and Marvelous Light.
At the second place we went I met one man from Italy who moved here in 1948. He kept asking me if I understood better in Italian or Spanish (after he told me a story completely in Italian ;) ) The story of moving here brought him to tears- me emociona. He missed his home country and I think that his family was split up due to the move. There were multiple boats leaving Italy after WWII and they went all over the Americas. So one brother may end up in Canada and the other in Argentina. After talking with him I spoke with a blind man who has lived in BA all his life. He recently went blind and it cost him a lot, I think he said due to him losing his job he couldn't afford to take care of his sick wife and she ended up dying- I held his hand while we sang a few songs. There is a lot of sadness with many of the people there, but I think they truly enjoyed us coming. When we were about to leave one woman asked to talk to me. I didn't understand her at first but I had Marisol come over and help me with the translation. She asked me if I liked the new president of the US but then told me it was a stupid question and not to answer it. She then proceeded to tell me that she was delighted to know a North American girl :) She also asked me if I had ever been in love and asked me if there was anything I would like to ask her. I didn't have much time to ask her but I asked her when she was married. I think we are going to be going back so hopefully I will have a chance to ask her some more questions about her life. It was a wonderful day and I think that they were so grateful to have us come and visit them.
Yesterday (Thursday), I went to my friend Jimena's house. Her best friend Alexandra was there too. Jimena is a photographer and was going to do a photo shoot of her friend Alexandra. She asked me to be a model for her as well. So Alexandra and I dressed up and went up to Jimena's studio and we posed for a few photos. Since my sister is also a photographer I am used to having to be a model :) It was fun to be a part of it.
After the photo shoot I went to the kitchen and talked with Jimena's mom, also named Alexandra. She gave me a spanish lesson on how to use the vos form. The vos is the tu form in Argentina. We had mate and talked for a good while and the rest of her family joined us, her dad and two brothers. I really enjoy being with their family. We are going to have them over tomorrow night for dinner which I am especially excited for! The Dad, Pepe, always jokes with me in Spanish but most of the time I don't understand. However, last night I was able to joke with him in Spanish so I am improving :) When I left her dad told me to remember that their home is mine as well. It is so nice to be so warmly invited into someone's home that I have only met 3 times or so. I hope that we can show them the same love to them tomorrow night when they come over. Please pray for their family :) God has definitely given me a heart for them.
Well it was great to have these two experiences this week. We are now half way through our time here and it is wonderful to see deeper relationships form. I have had lower energy lately but with the time in the nursing home and with Jimena's family I feel rejuvinated.
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