Javier & Romina: Visitation continued

Last night, May 27th I went with my friends Pablo and Noelia to visit a couple from Emanuel Baptist who have not been married to long and live pretty far out from the city, Javier and Romina. I had met them at church but just by acquaintance. The three of us were going to go get something to eat and decided it would be nice to go and visit them. Javier is super funny and has a good grasp on the English language as does Pablo. However, Romina is kinda shy and reserved and I think could use some friends, most of her family live in another town. We had pizza, empanadas, and a chicken pie. Then Romina shared with me her wedding fotos and a video they had made for their wedding. They really are a young but sweet couple. I was truly blessed to get to know them more and to be welcomed into their home.

Visiting is ministry?

About a week ago Noelia and her sister Carolina were the first visitors to my apartment for mate time. After, having them at my house it was the first time I ever really thought about what the time I had spent with them had meant. I soon realized if I let it, it could open many doors for me, because visiting is something we do to get to know someone better and to build confidence in the relationship. So, Tuesday the 26th Noelia and her boyfriend Pablo came over to visit. I was especially happy for this visit because Noelia studies in a nearby town and often has to be away for weeks and then comes back when she gets a break. However, she has not had to return to start classes yet so, she was able to visit again and bring Pablo, with whom I had met but didn't know very well. We of course talked about everything one person can share and they had been present at church to hear my testimony but always there is more that is left to share. With Noelia and Pablo I feel secure in my Spanish that I can make mistakes and not worry that they are judging me but looking for the best way to help me. SO, to answer my own question some of the best ways we can minister to people is to visit with them and let them know we are there for them, no matter what. I know even though I am a believer that every time Noelia or Pablo say to me " if you need anything let us know or when can we come back", it is genuine and it means so much.

Pablo & Noelia

My first visitor!

Then on Saturday I went to the bus station at 6:30 to pick up Laura Almdale a friend of mine whom I had all my classes with in Costa Rica my first trimester. She is a missionary in Corrientes, Argentina. By 8:30 she had not arrived and I was worried, I began calling people because she is blond, thin, pretty, etc. (you never know what can happen) Then, about 15 minutes later she arrived just in time to go to the Campo (to the country side) with the Cook family, Maria and myself. We went to the campo, which is owned by Maria's grandmother to see what kind of possibilities of outreach there are in that area. We had an amazing time, getting to know what life is like in this part of the country, sharing lunch with Maria's family. We then went straight back home so that Laura could have a chance to go to a jovenes meeting at Emmanuel Baptist which is Maria's church and the one I am attending more frequently right now. On Sunday we barely woke-up in time to make it to Maria's house for an asado ( BBQ) so, that Laura could meet all of my "new Argentine family." After having a big lunch we went downtown so Laura could see what downtown Santiago is like. We walked all over downtown until it was time for her bus. Then, Maria and I went off to church with Laura safely at the bus terminal. At 11:30 I got a call from Laura telling me she had missed her bus and could I come and help her. God is faithful and I was on a bus that passed close to the terminal and I went and picked her up, figured out the problem and tookher home with me. It actually was a blessing we got to wake up the next morning, make breakfast together and talk before she left that afternoon. God blesses us in so many unexpected ways. When I first met Laura I had no idea of the impact or blessings she would bring to my life. Her example shinned so clearly through the whole bus situation, she was steady and calm, if only we could all be that way! I now am now starting to think about the people God is placing in my life now, daily. It is like when I first met Laura and I get excited because it reminds me that God can make amazing things out of what looks like nothing to us.

Remes- Maria's Grandmothers' Farm

A weekend filled with fellowship!

My weekend started on Friday night with a "Girls Game and Gab Night." I had about 6 girls from Emmauel Baptist (counting myself) come over and enjoy subs, scrabble, and sharing. We had such a good time, many of the girls had never played anything like Spanish Scrabble before so, it was super fun and funnnnny! I am so blessed to have a wonderful place to stay and to entertain and get to know people better. from this share time I was able to get to know one of the girls from the church better and she is now going to be one of my language partners. God is good!

Entertaining + Love = Unity!

On Sunday night I again had the wonderful opportunity of attending Emmanuel Baptist here in Santiago and listening to a wonderful pastor, Mr. Jay Cook himself! The message really hit home to me in many ways but especially when he said " we need to be looking through sunglasses of grace." His message was on unity, how to have it and how to destroy it. He talked a lot on pride and how a lot of times we as humans walk around with sunglasses on and only see things in the light that we want to, we don't take them off to see things how they really are, not to lower ourselves. I have never thought of myself as a prideful person, but I am human so by nature I am. I started thinking that night how could I show the people of Argentina that I want to be more unified with them. The way to have unity is to love. Romans 12:3 So, I started thinking I have already been blessed by having friends here but how can I show them I love them. Yesterday, I had the first set of visitors to my house ( Noela and Carolina) for "mate or tea time." God has blessed me with a wonderful apartment and they wanted to get to know me, so why not show them love by opening my home. Then after we shared a time of fellowship and went to a movie, they invited me to their home for dinner at 11:00 pm. I was overwhelmed by how looking at things in a different light opened up an opportunity for unity or friendship in only hours.

Are you balanced?

This last Saturday I had the privilege of going to my first all day ladies retreat here in Argentina. The lady who spoke came from Buenos Aires to deliver the message and she talked about "The Characteristics of a Woman in the Church." Her main point was that we need to be balanced, clean inside and out, pure from all sides, etc. That there is a balance that we as woman have to pay close attention to, especially in the way we talk. She also went into specific examples of conduct. One thing that she said really struck me, because I have found myself thinking it many times. "Prayer is not a substitute for reading the bible." I have thought to myself before, "oh I will just pray tonight, I can read another day. Then, I begin to wonder why is God not speaking to me, why do I feel like I lack biblical knowledge. She said even if we read just a small passage it may be what we need to hear from God for that moment. What she said was nothing major or profound but I find myself needing to be reminded just like a kid all the time that I may know something but before I make it a habit, it will not have an effect on anyone or anything.

Driving Lessons Again...........Why me?

There were 2 very special things that happened today here in Northern Argentina. First, the cold season came in with a punch, with a low of 48 degrees. The second being my first driving lesson on a manual truck. Well, I will tell you one I like very much because I am from the mountains and the other I will learn to like because there is no other choice here! With all being said, it was not near as bad a I thought it was going to be and I have a very good teacher! However, that doesn't mean stop praying, I still have next weeks lessons to go!

There she is folks, my Toyota wheels for the next year or so!

Baby Shower Anyone?

When I left Costa Rica it seemed like everyone with the IMB was getting pregnant ( well ones that had that possibility). So, when I got to Argentina I thought things would be different. Well, things are a little different it's not the missionaries who are pregnant but the ladies of the churches. So, my first cultural event this week was the first ever baby shower or "te de canasta" in Maria's church. The event was in honor of Carol, a lady who works with a project that educates and feeds needy kids, "El Comedor". The funniest thing for me was how the event was no different then going to someones home here in Santiago and visiting, mate was passed around facturas ( danishes) were on the table, no games ( no clothes pins, no counting toilet paper squares) were played and at the end gifts were opened before people left. Also, no big gifts were given, clothes, some diapers, and shoes. I had a good time and we have already talked about the next one coming up in November and how I can help make it more like a "real Baby Shower" they say! If you have any ideas, let me know!

Maria my new friend!

Beware of the word "Nothing!"

Almost immediately after I arrived in Santiago del Estero my fellow missionaries Jay and Jan Cook being such fine missionaries quickly introduced me to a national young lady to whom they thought I would have a lot in common and could help me with getting familiarized with the culture ( I also think they were ready to have their normal family life back, hahaha) Well, my first Tuesday in Santiago the Cook's introduced me to Maria. Maria is one of Jan's language partners and goes to their house every Monday to practice Spanish with Jan. So, this particular week she needed to do it on Tueday and I went along. Well, while we were in the truck ( yep, the truck I still can't drive yet) Maria and I began to talk in the back seat about our interests and our lives. One of the first things out of her mouth was, I am a missionary and most recently I lived 3 years in Bolivia. I couldn't believe it, God sent me an Argentine version of me to be my first friend. We continued to talk and make plans because I new I needed to go the dentist and I had no idea of where a good dentist was in this city I had been there one week. So, we made plans for Friday to go to the dentist. Well, on Wednesday I get a text message from her asking me what I was doing before I thought, I answered nothing because it was seista time was I was working on my computer or something. She asked me if I wanted to go to her house, I said sure and so she said she would come and get me after she got off work at 8:30-9:00. So, I knew I had time to take a bath etc. Well, my buzzer rings about 30 minutes later, I had just gotten out of the bath ( you can imagine how I was) and it was her, she had changed the plans. Her mom thought it was better I spend time with her family then in my apartment alone. So, she took me to her house while she worked from 5:30-8:30. It was my first formal time having yerba mate:

The infusion called mate is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd (also called a mate or guampa in Spanish) with a metal straw (a bombilla in Spanish) is a common social practice in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Chile, eastern Bolivia and Southern Region, Brazil and has been cultivated in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea. Many consider the flavor to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water, so it is made using hot but not boiling water In Argentina this is commonly drunk with breakfast or as part of merienda (roughly, afternoon tea), often with a selection of facturas (sweet pastries). It is also made by heating yerba in water and straining it as it cools.In Paraguay and the Litoral Argentino, yerba mate is also drunk as a cold beverage. Usually drunk out of a cow's horn in the countryside, tereré, as it is known in the Guaraní language, is served with cold or iced water. Medicinal herbs, known as "yuyos", are mixed in a mortar and pestle and added to the water for taste or medicinal reasons. Tereré consumed in Paraguay may also be made as an infusion of yerba mate with grapefruit or lemon juice. Needless to say I have had my feel of mate during the last week, because the tradition in most homes is to pass the mate around taking turns and it is normally very hot! However, is a great way to open up doors in a family, to sit around and drink mate and talk. It has helped me to ge to know the family better and them me. Also, last week I was able to accompany Maria to the jovenes group that she attends. Jovenes in latin american normally starts at the age of 18 and goes until you get married, into your 30's. One of the first things that one has to understand is the schedule in Argentina, it is a culture that seems to never sleep at night, especially in Santiago del Estero. The youth meeting started at 9:00 and I got home at close to 1:00 am. However, that is not tolling on their bodies because they go to work by 7 in the morning and then have a 5 hour siesta from 1:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon. It is something I am getting used to but sometimes your doctors appointments or schools won't let out till 6:00 or 7:00 at the earliest. Until My Next Event~

Los Vazquez: My New Argentine Family

I made it to the land of the gauchos, Argentina! Well, on April 26th at 4:00 am I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I then began a 4 day visit in the huge city of Buenos Aires. After a good amount of time in the big city I made my way with one of my missionary supervisors in my assigned vehicle to drive 12 hours to my new home, Santiago del Estero. My first days in my new town have been spent getting to know my new mentor and his family and the team I will be a part of . God is such an amazing provider. I arrived here with an apartment ready and waiting on me. A family and new team waiting with open arms. May the days to come only be as bright!