Living in the tent

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 2 Peter 1:13-14

Every time one says goodbye, it's hard.

My parents just finished their visit with me and are now waiting in Santiago, Chile to cross two more time zones (during the changing of the New Year no less) until finding their home in Texas. I held back tears much like my last time with them in Holland. At that time, I had a feeling I would see them again for this Christmas, but in this instance, there is no telling when we'll get to see each other again. 

While I have some wonderful pictures and stories to share from our vacation, I wanted to make note of something special. Yes, saying goodbye is hard. Uncertainty of future is hard. I shrug my shoulders even as I type. I cry from missing people. I get frustrated with some aspects of life here, but at the same time am beyond ecstatic to get to serve here of all places. I smile at the thought of the new year's joys and journeys just as much as I frown about the struggles and sadness.

I can't imagine what life for Paul was like; having visited so many countries and churches (and lived in some for years at a time), only to know that he had to keep going. He had more work to do.

So there I was feeling sorry for myself. There were the last hugs and "I love yous" as I watched my mom and pops get into their taxi and drive off toward the airport--mom waving goodbye out the window as I walked to the bus stop. And then I looked up again only to see three of my friends from el Refugio waiting for the bus too. Then Jaime and his friend got on the bus at a later stop. Each of us exchanging our "Como andas?" and kisses on the right cheek (right cheek, dad!).

There is more work to be done, and I get to be apart of that. I get to help out my spiritual Daddy in the coolest, albeit smallest, way ever! I've only just begun. How could one not be excited about that?

Mom and I were talking about coming back to Texas when all is said and done. We kept mentioning the word "home" and if everything was okay for me getting back "home" to my little barrio of Las Palmas. I know I've mentioned before that my "home" or my dwelling is only in Christ. Today I also recalled the verses that talk about this tent, or this body we live in. 2 Corinthians also talks about it:

...we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

So I guess there are two homes. One is rather transient, and the other is permanent. One filled with anxiety about the future, one filled with peace about the present (His presence?).

We live by faith, not by sight. Soon we will see. And I appreciate how much the Lord opened my eyes once again to see my fellow Cordobans. May I lift up my eyes to Him all the more in 2011 and beyond. May our memories be refreshed by these truths. Chau!

Lose weight, save the planet

This morning was a hot one. I didn't get that much sleep last night due to a much longer than expected visit with Romina. A good visit, mind you, especially in terms of laughing with Fabrizio as I not-so-surrepticiously stole his Leonel Messi trading card. (I learned that Messi's birthday is exactly one year and one month after mine, can you say meant to be? :P)

But I woke up sticky from sweat. Maybe we could do this another day? I thought of several excuses, from having only two water bottles to we have time when we get back.

The plan was to take a few trash bags to the outskirts of Las Violetas and to clean up. We had gloves just in case, and well, the three of us: mom, dad, and myself. And when push came to shove, I realized that this really was the best time to go.

On the walk over, dad said something about not being sure we would have enough energy on such a hot day. I immediately prayed for strength, and later found out that mom had said the same prayer herself.

So what did we find?

• diapers. lots and lots of used diapers. there was even a couple hanging out in a park we helped clean who handed us theirs.
• mom found a two-sided razor.
• dozens of cups for Glup's ice cream.
• i found a pregnancy test. no i don't know if it was positive or not because i couldn't read it.
• broken lighters.
• a needle.
• plastic bags.
• wrappers for all sorts of treats.
• part of a knife.

"I just want to be an inspiration for people to realize they don't have to just throw something on the ground," mom said. I told her about this book I read that was good at helping me be self-conscious about my own mess, but that ultimately, the title needed updating.

As we had pushed in the heat of the sun, we found that taking short breaks every fifteen minutes or so would help us work. I could feel my muscles straining, a real workout taking place. Sweat literally pouring from my body. Yes, it's important that we Serve God, Save the Planet, but some people (especially nonbelievers), could use another motivator. Mom suggested that maybe it was good to keep the original title, but to add my two words somewhere underneath in bold letters. haha.

Ultimately, it felt great to serve in this way. I hope to begin a pattern in my life where I can clean up our plazas where children play. It should be a safe and clean place for them. It should also be clean for the sake of God's beautiful, and only, Earth He's given us. Chau.

I'm dreaming of a NICE Christmas

I remember telling Sarah that sometimes we have really crazy weeks so that when the good happens, we recognize it. We thank God for it.

There was a Christmas attitude in the boys. That is, one part naughty, but three parts nice. Less were there, due to going to "homes" for the holidays. "Homes" include Christian families for some, extended families for others, and campgrounds for the rest. All should be gone from the institute by the end of this week, and returning the first weekend in February.

We arrived with a few games planned, but with only 4 boys outside, it was hard to be competitive. We did enjoy a ring toss game led by JD, a chasing each other game made up on the spot, the makeshift Chubby Bunny game with these delicious chewy berry candies. My favorite, however, was not really a game. Sarah had a great idea of making these Santa and reindeer face mask (type things) so we could have a better excuse of taking the kids' pictures. Worked wonderfully, as you see me with my personal favorite, Nahuel. Harp strum.

Dad got to paint a picture of the nativity scene. It was one of those things that had morphed from one picture to the next, until flipped upside down and look--it's Maria, Jose and Jesus! The kids, including the one in the green shirt who refused to play any games or do anything until this moment, enjoyed adding their personal touch!

Invited to share lunch with the boys after all of our play time, we sat around a table filled with salty type Cheetos, oversized Fruit Loops, Dr. Cola and cookies. Oh, there were also some milanesa sandwiches. My mom leaned over to me, "No wonder these kids have so much energy!" Chechu and Rodrigo uno got to join us, which worked out perfectly. My friend from the States had sent some personalized miniature stockings filled with the perfect toys for growing boys--hot wheels, army men and a candy cane. "What is this thing?" they all asked me. I couldn't begin to describe to you how much their faces lit up when they received their gifts. I hope too, that they wondered why someone who doesn't even know them would want to give them presents. Someday they'll know.

My dad got to talk to a woman who was painting one of the outside walls of the institute. She was Swiss, and had been serving twice a week for about ten weeks. Finishing up on her work, she said that more important was to help the boys learn what it means to behave well. One boy in particular is, and I say it from experience, always mean and has got a pretty filthy mouth. "I just want him to have one day where he's nice," she told my dad. Apparently, after all of our fun together, today was his day. A day that she wasn't planning on coming except for crazy timing on funding for paints, weather and leaving the country soon. Good timing, God!

Chau. Onward to Puerto Madryn!!!

El pesebre

I was in the Christmas play, adorned with this "halo" and a beautiful white dress that I joked made all of us angels look like giant almohadas, or pillows. So first, I made the most of it in a video with my favorite Carlito for my favorite nephew. Then, the group from our church went to a local square to perform.

It was so neat to see a bunch of our neighbors come, especially Amanda who lives next door. Personally, I liked the music better than the drama itself, but it was cool that I got to have three lines. I got to share with the shepherds the good news of Christ's coming, and that they'll find him lying in a manger.

Crazy to think that our God came to this earth as a baby. I really dwelt on that tonight as I watched the only baby from our church tranquilly lie in Mary's arms.

I have more comments to make about the drama itself, but I think it's better to think about Jesus instead. I hope you have plans for a Merry Christmas. I hope to write a couple more times before I head south with my parents, but if not, peace be with you! Chau.

Every moment counts

We had some precious time with Maria Eugenia today. I don't know what you're thinking about our time at the girls institute, especially if you've been paying attention to how fluctuating it is. First there's ten girls, then there are three, then one, then two, and almost every time, we have some sort of trouble communicating, or maintaining attention, or something. The battle is truly a spiritual one.

Sometimes I'm thinking I've started a friendship, especially when we talk about studying English or the Bible. Then I don't see the girl(s) for several weeks, even when I up my ante of coming more than once a week!

For me, it's not a surprise anymore. My prayers change to asking God to make the most of the opportunities I do have. Maybe I focus this week on the baby that doesn't seem to get as much attention; maybe next week I just listen; sometimes my job is simply being the consistent one bringing the snack, allowing those who can speak Castellano well to do so.

Today we had some good time sharing the gospel with Maria Eugenia, and some hang out and relax time as well. We brought the necklaces that we had made for her birthday (we never got to celebrate for complicated reasons) and handed them out in addition to these for the women to put the pictures of their children in:

And by the way, we MADE these. As in, JD cut the wood, I did some gluing and painting. Argentina = progressively turning into a handy woman!

Any way, we continued conversing with Maria as she made her bracelet, and while she had to go to the bathroom, I turned to Jenny. "This is going well, no?"

"Yes," she said to me. "It's a shame that she's leaving soon and not coming back."

"True," I responded. "Although, with God, every moment counts. We can trust Him to take care of the rest."

May I remember this myself! Seems to be a lesson I learn all the time here.

P.S. Sarah did a great job of teaching, in Spanish, how to make the bracelets. Way to go hermana!

Chau.

Asking for it

Take a seat and allow me to share with you the adventurous tale of our ministry with the boys this morning!

It started early, with the neighbor's rooster still crowing (though that isn't too surprising, as it crows at all hours of the day), and with a tranquil walk to the institute. The doorbell outside the gate was rung, and no one answered. We waited, and waited, until finally someone opened the door.

"Pasa, chicos," el jefe nos dijo.

"Come in, guys."

We walked in to find six boys ready to go with us. Their eyes lighting up at the sound of going not to the nearest plaza, per usual, but to the Parque de las Naciones. "Bien!" They said, and we should have read the mischief in their eyes.

I remember praying for our time together, asking God to help us when we don't know what to do. There went Franco, already starting a fight with the newest and smallest, Walter. "Oh Dios, ayuda!" I thought.

And then I remembered something else. If the kids that behave at least a little better from our neighborhood were little terrors when we went to the Parque de Saramientos, how will this go?

When we arrived, three decided to run off. "Can you.. follow?" Javi asked me. I immediately started praying for help. Here we go.. 3 energetic boys getting their first taste of true freedom for at least a few months. 'God help me to at least keep up with them.'

I decided not to run, and thankfully one of the kids is less, um, athletic than the others so I could at least always see him. The others began climbing a tree, trying to hide. So I enthusiastically joined them. "I want to climb!" I told them. So we did for about two minutes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them conferring together and I knew that I should probably start my descent. Indeed, they ran off, but surprisingly (or because the Lord is that good), back with the others.

That didn't last too long though, as they then headed for the street, away from the park. At the same time, another two began throwing punches, with JD and Javi there to separate. All the while Walter concentrated on his putting together of this week's craft--a kite.

Sarah this time joined me as we followed the vagabonds to a high school. Ahh.. the boys wanted to talk to some girls sitting outside. Okay, we will just watch them from a distance. I told her that it felt like that kid's book, The Runaway Bunny. The little bunny tells his mother that he's going to run away. "And I will run faster," she tells him. "Then I will jump," he says. "And I will jump higher."

A minute or so later, Javi walked by with Fabrizio. "I need to take him back," he told me in Spanish. "He won't stop fighting with Dario. Keep watch over the other three please."

These kids.. these kids.. One could say they were behaving very badly. I propose they were just behaving the way they know how. They do not know how to be loved; they do not know what it is to be cared about. I think I understand their desire to have a bit of freedom as well. Just don't...

GO INTO THE STREET LIKE THAT!!!! Ah!! They decided to cross between a bustle of cars. We crossed too, thinking they were going to go down another way, getting lost in the neighborhood. But they didn't, in fact, they liked that we crossed and so they crossed back. And then again and again. Fortunately it only took us the first time to not join in their dangerous game. In time, they again returned to the group.

They sat apart from the others, making fun of the runners who passed by. Then they got impatient, wanting to go back. Walter, busy with his kite. JD, trying to make it fly without wind.

When we left, I gave myself some space in front of them. A little frustrated, but also just trying to know what to do. In the meantime, Javi was talking with Fabrizio about his four years of being in and out of institutes. In the meantime, Sarah and JD had to pull apart another set of fighters. One punched Sarah in the ribs and JD has some scratches on his knees to remember the special occasion. When we were finally all together, we ended with Franco's last stand. He stopped to sit.

"Yo no quiero ir," he said, as the rest continued on. "I don't want to go."

I stood with him. "That's fine. I don't think I want to go either."

He sat with his arms crossed. I then crossed mine.

"Walk on without me," he said with a snarl.

"You walk on," I responded.

Silence. Staring. "I'm just going to stay here."

I nodded. "Me too. I don't want to go."

With a gasp he got up and walked with the rest of the group.

All we can do is be as consistent as we can be with these kids. To show them as much love as possible, to love them without expectations. I guess some people call that unconditional love. But let me tell you, it's not easy. I still don't know if I'm always acting rightly, or saying the right things. I'm just trying. And I thank God that I'm not alone!

Chau.

Success!

I have been put in charge of paying the bills. This makes me feel all responsible and such, but also very nervous. "You're giving me money? I have to walk to where and say what?"

But this morning worked out quite nicely, with no problems. While I was walking to the Pago Fácil, the place where you take your monthly bills and pay everything in cash, I realized that while I had 600AP in my purse, that's only about $150 (All for water, gas, telephone, electricity, and the yearly municipal payment). Weird.

Plus, my nerdy side is really excited to put all the payments in a monthly spreadsheet, so we can know where the money is going. Bam. Oh wait, I was watching something the other day and the word for "Bam" is Zas! So um.. Zas! and Chau.

Sliced bread

I'm not sure what it is exactly, but perhaps a combination of the following:

• Facebook statuses commenting on a blizzard outside.
• Christmas music played by my roommate, particularly Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."
• Seeing sliced bread at Ari and Carol's apartment.
• Making some Christmas presents for my Argentinian friends.
• The countdown to my parents coming to see me.

I just know I'm at a point where I'm really missing home right now. It's not completely a bad thing to miss home--it's proof that you care. For instance, I know that Christmas Spectacular at 4Cs is going on sometime soon, and I so wish I could be there to cheer on my students (especially the now Senior girls).

But some of the things are funny for me to miss, and borderline selfish.

Why, for example, should I feel sad about not having snow? I've only had snow for 2 years of my life during Christmas time, and one of those wasn't even in the States. While I don't know if I've ever had 100 degree, excuse me 40 degree (Celsius), weather for these holidays either, something inside me would really like a white Christmas.

Or maybe it's that I have an internal desire to watch the movie with the same name. I borrowed the first Narnia movie, so hopefully that will do the trick.

Perhaps I miss getting to wear the warm clothes. Seeing friends' beautiful scarves makes me jealous I can't wear mine. Silly, but true.

Then there's something else. It was that loaf of sliced bread. Just sitting there in the cupboard. Sliced bread? Can you believe it?* We've just been buying loaves and cutting them up whenever we have hamburgers (which is rare). We usually stick with the tortilla plan.

Sliced bread is so easy! I can have toast in the morning. I can make a sandwich for lunch, as I often did for the past two years at work! When you don't have to cut your own bread, you don't have crumbs everywhere. A quick fix, a simple snack. Why does sliced bread create such a reaction in me?

The snowball effect (no pun intended)--sliced bread led to me thinking about the other conveniences of home. Wendy's. Driving my own car. Buying pre-made Christmas cards. Starbucks.

Wait--I don't even like Starbucks except for when I was meeting with people!

Maybe that's it? I'm lacking as much social interaction as I used to have? The language barrier makes it difficult to have as many friends because of how much I can communicate. I remember talking with another friend who was a missionary in Germany and how much he loathed not being able to just talk to people like he could back home.

No, no and no. I don't miss Starbucks and the coffee I never drank. I like drinking mate and basic tea in the mornings here. I still meet with enough people to be considered social, and in the grand scheme of things I had plenty of loner moments in the States too. It's like remembering a vacation, somehow we always only remember the best parts. We forget the tough times of traveling or getting lost (unless getting lost is a great story) or fighting each other. We remember the adventures, the views, etc.

"Home" comes with just as many problems as here. What someone views as a convenience another views as a waste. Why can't you just cut your own bread? Cutting your own bread builds character. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but making your own Christmas cards isn't. Show someone you really care by making a personalized card instead of buying in bulk. Maybe..

God spoils me more than I can imagine with the coming of my parents. I know plenty of people around the world who won't be spending Christmas with their family because they are missionaries in a foreign land. It either isn't safe, or too expensive to visit. I could not be more grateful that I am an exception and not the rule. Truly, He is more merciful to us than we deserve.

I have been reading Romans for the second time in the past month and a half and I am reminded of God's great mercy to not only the Gentiles through Jesus, but how much more mercy is extended to the Israelites as well. If God showed this much mercy to the nations by sending His one and only Son, how much more is shown to the Israelites who do not harden their hearts to Jesus' offer of salvation!

Wow it feels good to write what I'm feeling, even if it's not always the happiest at times. Chau.

*This question inspired by Ari.

TWIM

This week in ministry includes some greats, some not so greats, and some randoms.

1. Boys Institute: Spent the morning making the gospel bracelets that have the five colors (yellow, black, red, white and green) together. Rodrigo, Rodrigo uno I might add, gave me a HUGE hug when I entered the room, and get this:

HE SAID MY NAME.

Ok, he called me "Sha-raid-rah," but that's close enough. I wasn't greeted with the usual curse words, but with my God given name. ish. The first time I've even heard any of those boys try to say it. AND, we worked together to make his bracelet. There was even a point were he accidentally messed up and asked forgiveness from me. Say wha--?

2. Girls' Institute: Well, Tuesday was okay. I focused this time on Maria Luz, one of the children of the teenage mothers. We just played together, while the others worked on something on the computer. General hang out.

Thursday was very unusual. We had planned to watch one of Nati's movies, one that she had showed excitement about on Tuesday to watch together. However, she didn't come. She just dropped off the movie with us while I sort of watched with one of the other girls, and then another came for about 10 minutes and left again.

I must say that life in the girls' institute is simply unpredictable. Sometimes one girl comes, sometimes another.. perhaps our problem was starting so late in the year, but I'll get to that in a moment.*

3. Escuelita: So we show up to Escuelita to find out we're taking a bus. Then we find out that we're going to the other side of town to play with the kiddos. We're in the bus not knowing where we're going until we get there. Talk about being flexible. My insides tell me that my former boss at 4Cs Amanda K. would have cringed a little by the lack of organization.

One of the leaders turns to us, "Do you have any game ideas?"

Umm... sure?

At the very least I got to share my testimony (don't worry, I had a days' notice that I would be sharing this), and Sarah and I both shared the gospel message! It was so neat! Seriously, nothing like being able to really share the story of Christ in another language. I smiled a little bigger when one of the girl's recited the gospel message to another adult at the end of our time together. Something stuck, now we can pray for God to continue His work in her heart!

*So... it's the end of the year here. I was telling Sarah that it's much easier to have summer time December-February because then you're school year is just one year and you don't have to get confused. You know, "What year were you a Junior in high school?" "Uhh.. 2003-04.. or was it 02-03? Bah!" Maybe that's just me..

The point is, weekly ministries will be coming to an end and I will have a completely new tale to tell. Summer ministry looks like some long-er short term mission trip(s), specifically to the north of Argentina. I hope I'll also get a chance to visit the OM team in Santiago or something, but we'll wait before anything is definite. The word for that here would be, "Puedecer..."

Chau!

Dreams can come true

Behind me is the largest avenue in the world. Nine lanes on both sides that pass this round about from which I take the picture. In front of me, not pictured, is the Obelisk. This is a big deal.

Last November or so, I had a dream. I freaked out from the dream and told Kendra about how excited I was about it. It was a dream where I was looking out of an airplane onto a city in which we were about to land. There was this giant obelisk thing, and our plane was going to land in the street. I had worried the plane wouldn't fit, but it did. The exact same image recurred three times that night. I had a feeling it was a South American city as I had seen numerous colorful buildings, but none that were not tall skyscrapers or something.

I can't begin to tell you all the real life things that happened next. The most intriguing thing is I didn't know what Buenos Aires looked like. In fact, it wasn't until I was at the OM conference in the US that I happened to see a picture of the city that was exactly what I saw in my dream. Freak out number two.

So here I am. At times, I still wonder what I'm doing here. I still have so much to learn; so much in ministry that I don't get right. I have moments where I don't see myself making much of a difference, if at all. But God in His great mercy has led me here, so what else is there for me to do?

I was in awe to find that the largest avenue was behind me. A plane could totally land there if it wanted to. Perhaps that's why I was at such a loss for words while I sat before the Obelisco, observing the men take down one of the largest Argentinian flags I've ever seen. Wow.

la Boca

It's the colors of la Boca that are most memorable. The history, however, is noteworthy. Originally an Italian village, the people built the ships of the harbor. Whatever scraps of metal or wood were left over, they would take to build their homes. Whatever left over paint as well, were used to fashion these homes.

For me, it was hard to imagine living in small confines; I was reminded of tenement living in New York circa 1860s. The colors may not have been as brilliant either, but whatever the tourists want, they get. Indeed, tis the reason la Boca is now three streets (or four?) instead of just one, and many of the homes are now for sale, in hopes that stores will buy the buildings and refurbish them for tourism.

I shall end on my tourist moment. The honest truth was I knew I could have avoided this guy. Him and his financial venture to lure unsuspecting tourists for some Argentine peso. Like the Roman soldiers who force their helmets on you for a picture you then have to pay for. And with all health issues aside as to how many people have worn the red hat you see on me, this guy was just too funny. It's different when a Euro is almost twice the American dollar, but the peso is a quarter. Plus, now I can say I've tangoed. Sort of.. haha. Chau.

Sunday in the park, you'd think it was a Christmas kindle market

Here we are, minus Jonas who kindly took our picture, enjoying our picnic under some gorgeous trees in Recoleta. Recoleta is famous for its cemetery and market. One may not know my secret love for cemeteries, which I'm sure sounds creepy. But they're so intriguing--I once found a Robert Louis Stevenson in Nevada, and I was disheartened at a Civil War cemetery to find the slaves given nameless stones and the worst plot of land in the area. Finding interesting names, and reading the years have always made me think about life. Besides, this cemetery in Buenos Aires was unlike any I had encountered before. Definitely a must see!

Perhaps the craziest part was that it wasn't a plot of land, it was a garden of behemoth monuments for everyone. Sometimes famous people (including Evita and Luis Angel Filpo) are buried here, sometimes there are war memorials, and sometimes it's just people no one really knows.


                               

Ultimately, everything has a sense of sacred. Lots of Latin (my favorite in fact is the one above, "Expect us God." Amen to that!), lots of memorial placards, lots of crosses and angels. Very beautiful. And the cats were funny too. I like this photo because truly, they never looked pleased. Then again, they're cats that hang around dead people.

We returned to join the rest of the group who had gone shopping in the market. I told both Jonas and Ari that since they don't get to experience their Weihnachtsmarkt this Christmas, that this would have to do. Any way, if you want more pictures, check facebook.

All things Buenos Aires

I've decided to divide ministry time from play time in Bs. As. And since I just uploaded a lot of pictures, I figured I'd take care of the play time first. Entonces..

South America has mad respect for not only San Martin, but Cristofo Colombo too. Ever heard of him? :P

(Plus, I'm in love with the clouds. I feel like I got a lot of great takes of God's magnificence among the architecture of man.)

Here we are at Puerto Madero, a newer section of Buenos. Say hi to Ari and Carol on the bottom right, under the harp bridge. At least that's what I call it.

My favorite part was receiving some free Havana chocolate. Havana is quite delicious. I do say you must try some someday!

I can officially not cry for Argentina at the Casa Rosada, or Parliament building. If you've seen Evita, you understand this. If you haven't seen it, don't.

Ok, that was harsh, but in my opinion, it's just not that great. The main thing is a lot of important things happen here for the sake of the country, and we got to see it all for free! I wish I got to take a night picture, because they set up these purple lights against the walls and it looks very cool!

Ah yes. This picture means so much to me, I plan on devoting a whole other post to the Obelisco, but here is a far away shot first.

I had to include this. The highlight of Buenos Aires for Heather was that she got to enjoy Starbucks (there is rumor of one being built in Cordoba next year) not once, not twice, but three times. I considered it, but then remembered I don't really like coffee any way. However, how could I resist this Argentinian moment? Kind of reminds me of Rome, when a monk was in front of me for gelato.

Oh hello again pretty church with cool sky. The double tower trend continues...

We then headed to one of the older and classic sections of the city but were surprised to find this. When we got closer it turned out it wasn't a demonstration as we first thought, but a crazy parade of some sort. Unfortunately, the people were not well dressed, so we avoided watching all that passed by. And to think I saw it, or didn't see it in San Telmo. The percussion was quite fun though!

What is Argentina without tango? I have been telling Sarah how much I want to learn this dance. She keeps reminding me about how sensual it is. I said that certainly I can learn the not-so-bad version, and besides, all I really want to do is tango with my husband. "Yes, but how will you learn before hand?"

Good point. Thankfully, these two, also in the San Telmo district, proved that you can have fun without being risque. Thanks folks! Chau for now.

Uruguay - picturesque Colonia

I don't know how to explain it. It's just that we took a boat for three hours to cross a river. Then we landed and I noticed a bunch of people taking a bus. "Bus" was not in our itinerary, but we had a map of Colonia, and it seemed near. We walked and were pleasantly surprised by a reverse in time--greeted by the quaint town with bright flowers and old buildings.

Thus, I share them with you, and perhaps some comments for good measure.

Ah yes, the beach. How could I forget? There were some fishermen, and I found a giant snail which will most likely be my new facebook photo.

 A pretty church. I'm noticing a pattern to South American churches with the double tower in the front. Very cute inside as well.

 I saw a picture of this on a postcard and asked where to find it. It looked much cooler in the picture, but had pictures of Don Quixote, so that was kind of neat.

Finally, my "This is Colonia, Uruguay" picture, as it has the name of the country, and a slice of community life represented. I dunno.

Overall, it was beautiful, and a great change from the Argentina cities I know. Much cleaner, but also a tourist town, so it's to be expected. People tell me that Colonia is better than Montevideo, but I will have to see (someday) for myself. Chau.

Under the wire

A quick recap of God's blessings to help my November blog quota go up one more.

Woke up extra early to make a torta for the boys' institute. Unfortunately couldn't go with them because I had to go to the dentist. So Eva and I walk to the local Odontologia only to find it's.. not open. So I come back, read some pleasant mail (see below), watch some Erwin McManus, and tie together some friendship bracelets.

A little while later, the folks come back to say that we have to wait to hang out with the boys until tomorrow. Sweet! I didn't miss getting to hang with them!

Then it's lunch, and I ever so slowly attempt to chew my way through some empanadas. Later, I work on some Bible studies for Escuelita in the future as I wait for Andrea to take me to the dentist in the afternoon. I proceed to miss out on going to the girls' institute instead, which is a bummer, but I'll live. Sarah said that it was a good time and twas nothing too exciting.

Andrea and I go to a house. You know, like the neighborhood grocer, everyone's gotta have a neighborhood dentist. The woman opens up her home where there is one operating chair. I sit down, and explain that it just needs to be glued back down.

"Yeah, but what is it?" She asks.

Um.. it's a retainer, because I had very crooked teeth. She finds some "cemento" and begins to glue it back down. Nothing is as bad as it seems. It's quite lovely to walk in, not have to fill out any paper work, and just get started. We're done in about 15 minutes too.

She talked with Andrea during the operation, and they noted how still and patient I was. When I had a moment, I said, "Of course! I want to eat!" They laughed.

Andrea timidly asked at the end how much it would cost. 40 pesos. 40 PESOS!! Ten bucks!! How great is that?

Chau.

Aww shucks

On a day where I could be sad because I have to go to the dentist, who should arrive at our door but the mailman? And what should he bring but not one, not two, but THREE letters for me?!

God has perfect timing. Encouragements from California, Texas and Michigan. I'm working on the replies, but for now I just want to say thanks.

Dentist Update: They were closed this morning. I will have to try again this evening after siesta time. My hope is they can glue it back on and it will stop sticking out uncomfortably. If they're not there tonight, I get to try again tomorrow morning.

Random Update: Finally watched Crave: The Documentary from Mosaic Church. If you have 30ish minutes today, make a point to watch it. SO GOOD!!!

Didn't predict that one, didya?

So when I left the dentist in the US they said, "Hey, you won't have any problems for the next two years!" (Given of course that I continue to brush my teeth, not overwhelm myself with sugar and caffeinated beverages, and floss.)

What they meant was no wisdom tooth fears, no cavities.. no impending teeth surgeries to be accounted for overseas.

Who would have guessed that I would make a healthy evening snack choice of a carrot and cause the destruction of my permanent retainer? I sure didn't!

The bad news is that it's near impossible to eat. The worse news is I miss out on hanging out with the boys tomorrow because I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. Pray for me--sleeping might be a little uncomfortable.

The good news though is that I have the Spaniard lisp down perfect now! :P Chau.

When God translates

It's often difficult to explain something in another language. How do I explain that I didn't come to a lunch because I was busy going to a funeral on the other side of town, for a baby that died most unexpectedly this past Wednesday? How do I explain why you can't just ask us to do something and then scrap the idea the minute we show our hard work?

Sometimes you have to take the hit. Sometimes you can't say anything. Sometimes you're going to offend people even when you don't mean it. How do you trust God during these moments?

I had an intriguing experience over this last week where God did the translating. You see, some of the people we serve have had very difficult lives. This makes them very cold-hearted and they do not have patience for us gringas who are trying our best to show our love to them. It's important to remember God's grace in moments like these: moments where they make fun of me for trying to speak in castellano, or moments where they say mean things (palabras malas) just to prove that they are better than me.

Really, I can take it from them. How can I persecute those who have not received the love of Jesus the way I have graciously received such love? I've got to turn the other cheek in such moments, and pray for patience and enduring love for them.

What's hard is when my own team mate laughs at me with them. This sort of example is not a positive one, but again, how do I explain that? And when they make fun of another, one can not just join in on that sort of joking either. We are here to be different, even if we're far from perfect.

So one week, I was made fun of a lot, and I have to admit, I struggled that day. I know they're just words. I know that these people don't know me. But sometimes it still hurts. I was greatly encouraged by another team mate on the need for perseverance. I praise God for that reminder!

Then this week, God created an opportunity for the team mate to experience the same as I had the other week. Eyes were opened to see how we can't just let the joking continue, and how we have to be careful when we laugh. Teasing can go too far; causing some very hurt feelings!

I felt so sad that the team mate had to be hurt in the same way as I was. And yet, if the person hadn't, we might not ever have been able to discuss the issue clearly. It reminded me of a woman who told me about a time when she had wanted to lose weight and join a gym. Her husband said that he loved her the way she was, which was cute and all, but she still wanted to lose the weight for health reasons. Not too much later, the husband was in need of carrying some extra books home for a long period of time. After the exhausting trip he finally understood his wife's desire to shed the few extra pounds.

It's a silly example, but it's what came to mind. We need to truly understand what it is to walk in one another's shoes. A story that we've heard a million times, and should never get old. May we pray for each other even more in times like these. May we be ever compassionate within the body of Christ--lest we cause one another to stumble! Thank you Father for translating for me. May my own ears be opened to the times I need to recognize my need for repentance in other areas as well.

Chau.

Fiesta prep

I can not begin to tell you how long the creative process took for Sarah and I to figure these out. They're called Centro de Mesas, or center pieces. You don't see it? That's okay. It's for a Quinceniera, or 15th birthday party, for one of our girls at the institute, and it's kind of a big deal. So the design is simple, but intricate at the same time. What you see includes several scraps of wood that we've painted and stacked in fun ways. Then we found these flowers, which are actually the tops of pine cones.

Pretty sweet, huh? I had a lot of fun mixing the paint in addition to painting, and I think overall they're sort of a modern twist on the traditional. I might be adding some accent dots later, but we'll see. We've also added a giant, and yet tasteful, "15" on corrugated board. Hard to explain, but hopefully I'll have another picture later. I sorta like them just as they are.

Después, we needed to make souvenirs, or party favors for the girls. We were told that there are 15 girls coming, so we needed something for all of them. I then googled images of what souvenirs are supposed to be for this culture. After perusing several hundred photos I saw a really cool key chain. But then I thought, "What good is a key chain for these girls?" So I switched it into a necklace.

Javi helped us find a good bead and thread store, where we came up with these:

And here's the best part. In total, because for the center pieces we used what we had, 20AP. That's 5USD! I love making the most of what we got, and making something beautiful out of it too! I just hope the girls appreciate it, especially the birthday girl--Maria Eugenia!

Hermano Rodrigo (dos)

At the boys institute this week, I was blessed with some more great moments with Rodrigo dos and his brother Fabrizio. These two absolutely love playing soccer, so I'm grateful to God that he has healed my knee, especially for moments like these:

I am hardcore. I will windmill kick you in the face...

So what really happened was I went for a kick and slipped, against all laws of physics, BACKWARDS, due to a patch of mud that had been created by the previous days' rain. Praise God that I have reflexes like a cat, and prevented my face from hitting the same patch of mud.

Surprising.. just the other day I had gone for a run. I was going up hill and had to weave through two people. I was getting pretty excited to pass another person, and was singing, "Just as I am, without one plea.." in my head when BAM! to the cement. Again, face safe. Just a little scratch on my hands and knees.

Maybe I'm more of a clutz than I'm willing to admit. The song, one might also add, was quite perfect for the moment...

Any way, Rodrigo uno also got to play with us a little before leaving for school. The rest of us, new Dario included, enjoyed an extra long game of fútbol that wore me out, but every moment was just plain wonderful. I had lost the ball due to a ridiculous turning trick that I can't do, but pretend that I can, and Fabri and I had a great laughing moment about that. Rodrigo dos and I practiced our secret handshake.. It was just a God send kind of morning. I feel like their older sister sometimes. Now I just pray for more moments of boldness with God's word! Chau.

Why we need more Colombians in our life

Twice now, Johanna and Jenny have stopped in the middle of our walks together. Although some may find their musings crazy, it really has to do with them missing home.

The first time occurred when Johanna spotted the berry tree (we still don't know what kind of berries they are), and next thing we knew, even though we were headed to Grido, we were munching on these berries for a good few minutes. Just picking away at the mystery fruits, fingers stained and dripping purple. Inspiration for their gift to us the next week.

This past Thursday, Jenny stopped and looked up. I followed her eyes to those bulbous green somethings within a tree. Its branches stuck out past the fence, so we figured that meant free reign on the fruits(?) that extended our way. I assisted Sarah to reach the ones the Colombians deemed worthy (madura--ripe).

We came home for J&J's English lesson, while Jenny prepared these.. things. It required some boiling water, sugar and cinnamon. With those ingredients, what could go wrong? The answer is nothing :)

It makes me think that everyone needs their own Colombians to teach them how to make every tree edible. Just like Scarlet, you'll never go hungry again! Chau.

God, you crazy!

I was washing a bowl used for our afternoon of painting flowers with the girls at the institute. Well, only two girls. As I scrubbed, I looked at the two faucets, each extended by part of a hose since the sink itself is much lower. I whispered to myself, "God, I just will never understand you, will I?"

Part of the reason I didn't write either Tuesday or Wednesday was because the good morning transformed into a very frustrating time for me. I will not go into all details because I do not want to become bitter, but I'll just say I almost broke into tears several times. The struggle began when I tried to help Dayana, one of the girls at the institute, on Tuesday. I think I mentioned that we are now going on Tuesdays and Thursdays--Tuesdays for computer lessons.

The lesson seemed easy enough, as it was mainly just filling out the details of a job application or resumé. I was paired with Dayana, who insisted on making her font bright pink, and asking me questions so rapidly I had to have her repeat herself. Except, she was often unwilling to repeat herself and just threw her hand as though swatting a fly, "Ah! You know nothing!" she would say. She would turn to our other leader for help, a native Spanish speaker.

Sometimes I would understand her, and would begin to explain or show her on the computer her answer. Impatient, she expected that I wasn't answering what she wanted, would exclaim her favorite epithet and turn to the other once again. I found myself explaining things multiple times only to be followed by blank stares. When the leader gave her the same answer as I, she refused to give me any credit.

I could judge her. She has two kids, one that is a restless sleeper unless he's held, and he isn't held often. The other, a daughter of 2 or so, who has a bad attitude similar to the example set before her. She sat before her computer cradling the boy, if you could call it that, and smoking a cigarette, skin showing between a tight tube top and yoga capris.

Yet, who am I? I doubt Dayana has ever met a Spanish as a second language person. I don't think she comprehends the importance of slowing down speech, even just a little bit, so that one can understand better. It can be frustrating to work with me, I'm sure.

And take an extra moment to consider her situation. Where she lives--I had entered one of the rooms to hand a Bible to Jessica last week to find a long room with partitions between beds. Each bed hardly furnished, and some had a crib or a desk next to them. These partitions are only about 3 or 4 feet tall. Dayana has not one, but two kids to fill this space with her. Where is her hope except to be the leader of the pack. Indeed, she has a knack for getting the rest of the girls to follow her lead. She had even said something not so nice, looked at me, and everyone laughed. One giggled quietly as she looked over, unsure if I could comprehend or not.

I ran into Andrea on our walk home and she said she would pray for my heart. She reminded me that they are trying to see if I will be consistent, if I am who I say I am. Actions must match what I say, especially what I say about Christ.

So this Thursday came, and I was in charge of sharing a little message from Scripture. I had brought paint supplies so we could paint flowers, and was then to use the "lilies of the fields" passage in Matthew to encourage them to seek God and find peace. Two came. Dayana and Gladys. Deep breath.

Last week had not gone so well when I had brought fruit for the girls to draw. All they had wanted, if you'll remember, was to draw a basic outline and then eat. So this time, I said, "Let's use our imaginations and think of the most beautiful flower and paint away! If you need more paper, just let me know, and we'll just paint."

The time was...

peaceful. Both took time to paint their pictures, and I think that they appreciated me not telling them what to do (although I would like for them to become better painters, they just aren't interested in that). Then something else happened: Dayana started asking questions about us. She asked simple things, the basics such as if we had boyfriends, and a little about her family. Then she looked at me.

"Why are you here in Córdoba?"

I imagine my eyes widened, but I said it. "I'm here because I wanted to serve God in different parts of the world."

That was it. She didn't have much else to ask about that, and turned to Jenny to ask the same question. Jenny, from Colombia, answered similarly. "Hmm," nodded Dayana, who then scolded her daughter for touching her painting and continued.

Praise God for a glimpse of an opening heart! Surely there is spiritual warfare going on here, as moments later Dayana found a radio and blasted Cuarteto. We talked a little about that, but the music was loud and that made it hard to hear. So I painted to the rhythm of the music, hoping to express my liking of the music and to create a bond of common interest in it.

And then she left, before I had a chance to share what I had come to share.

Is it strange that I wasn't disappointed? I was so glad to have had a positive conversation with her. So grateful for a FORTY-FIVE minutes of doing a project, the longest length of time any of us had had with those girls. To end the time, we talked a little with Gladys and then cleaned the table. I returned to wash the bowls we had used and just thought in awe of how God works. How He changes hearts, and yet guards mine as well for the future. It will still take more time. And there are always other obstacles for the Lord to overcome.

Chau.

El abrazo

What a blessing this morning has been. While the entire walk to the boys institute threatened rain, there was none. It wasn't until after we began playing soccer with the boys (this time only with Rodrigo y Fabrizio) that the rain came. Which honestly, was a lot of fun. And as Javi told me, "It's a dream for the kids to play soccer in the rain. They love it."

Javi had also pulled me aside before the game started. He said that we should win this game and give them our prize (for fun we played for the bottle of Coca Cola we always drink at the end of our games) as an example of grace. Immediately my mind saw 2 thoughts about this. The first being that we have never won against the boys because, yes, they are that good. Second, how will they respond to losing?

But the competitive part of me agreed and as we began I asked the Father if He would help us win if we were supposed to.  Next thing I know, Sarah blocked not one, not two, but several goals! Sin cuenta, which sounds like cincuenta, if you will. One means "without count," while the other means "50." Either way, a lot of goals. Sarah is not athletic--this is quite the feat!

At one point, I had stolen the ball and just barely missed scoring. The kick too, was with my right foot. Rodrigo (dos) ran up to me to give me a giant hug and said "Good try!" I was shellshocked. Never before had one of these boys shown such innocent affection. It was adorable, and he felt like a little brother in that moment.

We ended up winning, although it was a close match. Sure enough too, the boys did not like losing. Javi tried consoling the boys but Fabrizio just walked ahead. Rodrigo however remained by Javi's side, so Sarah and I prayed for the conversation as we walked behind. There is always hope.

And another thing, before we left, I was able to teach Rodrigo a fancy little handshake. More than just a "pound it", but with a little explosion thrown in. Very Jack Black-ish.

Ode to the stray dog

You smile at me, and sometimes I know it's your charm,

but sometimes I wonder if you're just waiting for me to pass

so you can chase me as soon as I'm not looking

to infect me with whatever disease

has inspired the loss of hair on your back legs.

You smile, and I see the red rims of your tired eyes

as a sign that you're a spawn of Satan.

You smile, and sometimes I really do think

that maybe there's this bubbly personality

which finds gratefulness to any scrap of food

left for you by the neighbors.

I see three dogs every now and then,

each with similar spots.

Are they brothers?

By sharing our crumbs are we just encouraging the procreation?

You smile, wagging your tail as if a nod to my questions.

Then there was the time when I saw one of you get hit by a car.

The event happened so quickly, and I honestly couldn't tell you

who was at fault.

Yet your kind walked, ere, trotted away,

tongue hanging to the side in a smirk.

But what could I say of the plume of smoke

from the side of the road near our neighborhood playground?

After inquiring, I was told that one of you didn't make it;

so someone set the flame to best rid

the world of the infirmities of the rotting body.

The children thought you smelled like carne asada,

the adults all covered their noses

and made vows not to eat meat for a week.

You smile, but your end is coming.

While the Vikings might consider your send off glorious,

we just hold our nostrils together.

Look. I like dogs, really. Just better when they're on a leash, spayed/neutered, and clean.

This is chaos

This post will mean nothing if you omit the final part.

With the girls institute, I had planned to draw some fruit with the girls. We had talked the week previous about the desire to spend some time drawing, so our OM team thought to practice still life--fruit--and use that to talk about the fruit of the Spirit in the Bible.

The girl most interested in drawing was in a fight with the three other girls. Intimidated, she didn't join us. The remaining girls feigned interest and were only wanting to draw the outlines of the fruit, as well as eat it when we finished. While I tried to teach how to shade (changing my entire lesson plan on the spot), it was to no avail.

We visited Maria Elena on Thursday night instead of Friday, because she wanted me to make fajitas for her again. She's busy this week with a fair, but offered to buy the food and to help (or have her friends she invited over in addition to us help) a little bit.

Unfortunately, they diced the onions. Not that big of a deal, but it's hard for the flavoring of the meat. It's better to keep the onions in long strips. Then there were the tortillas which Sarah and I worked hard on, but they needed more flour and so the women had to redo about half of our work. Oops.

Finally, there's el Refugio, at which I got to join Heather today for her dance class. Only one kid, Santi, showed up for the first 40 minutes (out of an hour), and then about half a dozen kids appeared with the expectation of learning what we had already practiced.

Three boys in particular were most adventuresome, wishing to yell and fight and run around without paying attention.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry," comes to mind. But I kept remembering something through all of these apparent failures. My God is bigger.

At the institute, I was able to find Jessica and give her a Bible. She seems interested in studying it together, which I might be able to do on Sunday afternoons, but I have to get permission with the director first. She showed me some of her drawings she's working on, and I remembered how sometimes when I read the Bible I think of drawing illustrations for it. A possibility.

At Maria Elena's I honestly didn't care as much. The food was given from the heart, and the redo on the tortillas just proves I have more to learn. In the end, delicious comida, and great conversation (only in Spanish!).

Finally, el Refugio. After coaching 20 young'ns basketball this past summer, I remembered some of the tricks for maintaing their short attention spans at a somewhat reasonable rate. In fact, I had a lot of fun with the challenge, as it were, only 3 boys who were most bothersome. We played about 5 different games in a 12 minute period before it was time for them to go again. While we still had a little horseplay, and I even had to wrestle one kid to get my house key back, I would say over all it went well.

"Chaos is often a prerequisite to new creation in Scripture. When we try prematurely to regain control of something chaotic there is a good chance we could undercut the very thing God is doing among us." Chau.

The schedule changes (again)

I began writing the monthly newsletter, remembering the inclusion of an approximate schedule in the last one. Not only did my horarios, or schedule, change last week, but it changed again today!

You see, we planned on going to the girls' institute today, to teach them how to make a resume on the computer. Only two girls came, yet again, and the same ones from last Thursday. That's a good thing, and a bad one as well, if we want to pursue relationships with the other girls in the institute.

So we met with the director. Or rather, she called us in to the office and it had felt like we had gotten into trouble with the principal back in grade school. After waiting for an extensive period of time, we explained everything, and now are meeting, still on Tuesday, just at a later time. If you didn't like commas before, how about now?

The great news is we had a fun time with the boys in the morning, and I was even able to capture a couple photos that I wasn't supposed to take. Voila:

Really, all I wanted was to give you some faces to the names, albeit just a few. In the first photo, you finally get to meet Chechu!!

Then, from left to right is Fabrizio, Rodrigo dos and Franco (the guy in brown is Javi). BAM!

Praise God for another great week. I'm looking forward to seeing the girls again on Thursday! My prayer right now is not only for endurance in prayer for the boys and girls by name each day, but also for a boldness to share the gospel with words and with my life! Schedules can change, I surrender to a God who doesn't.

Chau.

The (spiritual?) discipline of focus

The idea came while listening to a certain Los Angeles based podcast. I was cleaning my room, packing some things away, writing a letter, checking myself out in a mirror, juggling, and listening to the podcast all around the same time.

"The more we multitask, the less we will be able to do one thing really well," or something like it, I heard.

"It's so true!" I thought, as I remembered a time when I was talking Skype and typing to others all at once.

I've also noticed times when I'm reading, will think of perhaps a chore I need to do, go do that chore, then return to--oh hey! I should do this... An hour or so later, I finally pick up the book again. I know I've never been officially labeled as having A.D.D., but oh no way! There's another stray dog outside my window...

Why do we think we can do a lot of things at once? The reality is when we try, we force our brain to switch directions, and it can not complete one task or the other to its greatest potential. I even caught myself again, this past Sunday. In a time meant to be devoted to prayer, I couldn't remember one sentence to the next, thinking of all sorts of people, or all sorts of other things I wanted to accomplish within the day. It was frustrating to catch myself distracted during a time so precious!

For the past several months, since hearing this simple suggestion from the podcast, I've been thinking about how necessary it is to give full concentration to one thing at a time. I've had practice in devoting time to reading, completing house chores in one turn, Skype for conversation alone, and other menial tasks.

What does the Bible say about our concentration?

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul. The Israelites were commanded not to stray from worshiping God by going to the right or to the left. We are asked to not only let every part of ourselves focus on God, but to not get distracted by the little gods that try to prevail either. A call toward focus, and a call away from distraction.

In utter honesty, focusing on one thing is a fight, and I even feel my fingers tempted to check my email, and/or to pull up a recent picture of my nephew. However, having started with these little tasks listed above, I press on to other things in life. Mainly, my call.

If I want to serve Córdoba well, I will need to focus my energies even better on the ministries laid before me. First, is the call to Christ. To love him with every part of my being and to be in constant conversation with him. This has currently developed into a daily devotional routine I treasure greatly. Second, the combined effort toward learning Spanish to the best of my ability, and to place the needs of the Argentinians above my own.

Let's face it, people know when you care about them. When you're actually paying attention to the things they have to say (even when there are times when you can't completely understand due to language barriers), when you're actually looking into their eyes and aren't concerned about what's happening next, they'll be more open to you. I was privileged to experience this again just yesterday.

And another fun fact: when you focus, you finish faster. This blog post for instance, less than 20 minutes to type! Now off to try to read more of The Three Musketeers in record time as well! Chau.

Precious gifts

I think I've finally come to terms with what language speaks love to me best: that is, words of affirmation and receiving gifts. I want to talk most about the latter, because it's not just any gift. It's something thoughtful. Usually simple. Completely applicable to my life.

First example is seen to the right, from my dear friend Christi. Ketchup is severely lacking here. While I did find some regular Heinz '57 at a rather hefty (but somewhat affordable) price, it's just really sweet to receive something from home, carrying remnants of the wonderful Chick fil A as well :D

Next, you will find a memoir to my blankie growing up. I had received the blankie from my Uncle Johnny, and it was falling to pieces when I left for college. I didn't take it with me to Argentina either, though I did contemplate whether I should. This little gem, created by my pops, is more than sufficient, as it is made with just as much love as the original.

Finally, the one that may have drawn questionable looks. To the left you see a gift from Jenny and Joanna from yesterday. The bowl is filled with a homemade jelly from these fruits you can pick from trees. I still don't know what they are, but my favorite part is that you can just walk along the road, think, "Hmm.. I can use a little refresher," pick some of these and BAM! you're golden. The sisters had sensed Sarah's and my appreciation for these mystery fruits and brought us the jam.

They had also noticed that we were getting a little pink in the skin. This was primarily due to a day in a nearby village called Tanti, but also because of the oncoming summer. They picked a couple leaves from their aloe vera plant to share with us!

I like the gifts that take time, as well as the ones that require below the surface thinking, so this post is mostly an "I'm grateful for you!" shout out. Additionally, I am challenged to think how I can show that same love for others. Then there's the reality that not everyone feels loved in the same way. We can thank Gary Chapman for opening our eyes to this (though admittedly, I never actually read it!).

Over all, any expression of real love will require more thought and effort. You have to get to know a person, and see what makes them smile (perhaps take note of what makes them perturbed as well--knowing what NOT to do is just as important as knowing what to do. What is it that you do, do, any way? ;) ). Then do more of that. Sounds simple, but it's not. Es la vida, and pretty much all I have to say about that. Chau.