2 months have flown!

Greetings from Argentina!
I am going to state the obvious, but I want you to know that I am aware of the fact that I am not good at giving frequent updates. I am overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts that I want to share and this results in me not writing anything. I’ll consider this post as one small step towards recovery!

First of all, I want to thank you all for your prayers, support, encouraging notes on facebook, emails. You all have carried me through, offering uplifting words at the perfect times, praying prayers that I may never be aware of, and overall reminding me that God is my Sustainer.

My first 6 weeks here were challenging, I’m not gonna lie. In general the people here are very welcoming and loving. But the language barrier affects everything. I found myself caught in the midst of feeling incapable, insufficient, helpless and purposeless here simply because I could not fully understand conversations or know what was being discussed, both socially and in the ministry setting. I was now in a place where I did not “excel” at anything, and this was a first in my life. Learning in school always came easy for me; serving in a church where I could use my gifts and abilities…and speak in English…was a sweet spot. Now, I found myself feeling lost and in a whole new world. And yet, this is exactly part of the “challenge” that I signed up for when I decided to come to Argentina. I wanted to be stretched and to grow in ways that could only happen in a place and culture and people much different than my own. I do not fully know what God desires to do in me, how He wants to change me and refine me, but I know that it is happening and I am grateful.

Things have definitely taken a turn for the better in the last few weeks, thanks to God! Relationships are deepening; my Spanish is improving slowly; and I have been able to contribute more and help in the ministry here. I continue to play bass with the band each Sunday night. Also, I am still giving music lessons on bass, violin and flute, as well as tutoring a few people in English. Recently, as the church began a new teaching series, I have been able to assist with some basic programming for the services. I have also created the powerpoint slides for the messages each week in this series and helped with a stage change.

Some of the everyday life things that are different here include walking to and from the church much of the time…about 10 blocks. I enjoy using this as exercise and also to wake me up of the mornings, ha! Also, walking to get groceries and other necessities…I’m getting my money’s worth out of my $2.50 backpack (yes, it was a crazy clearance sale a couple years ago…but wow…it has done it’s job well!). I have learned to cook a few things with different resources, ingredients, and methods. I can cook, but I don’t love it…so this has been an area of growth for sure! My mom’s meatloaf and chocolate chip cookie recipes have been well-received here! When it is warmer here (in the 70s), there is so much humidity that the floors are wet. When it is cooler or rainy, it is difficult to stay warm! I never thought that I would be wearing a scarf when the temperatures were in the 50s, but here, it is foolish not to (keep in mind that 50s outside pretty much equals 50s inside too). Today is it raining hard and even hailing a bit. This turns a town with dirt roads into a great place for mud-bogging…but I digress. The dogs roam the neighborhoods freely and often I am accompanied to and from the church by the 3 faithful “friends” that live with the pastors (those of you who know my lack of love for animals can laugh with me). But even more, there are a few horses that roam around the neighborhood as well!!

I really like Colón. It is a peaceful, safe, small town kind of place. The houses are close together and it is easy to get by without a car. I’m here in their winter, so I’m sure it’s even more magnificent in summer time when the weather is great and everyone enjoys the beach on the river that is 2 blocks from where I live. I also love the church here. It is a large, tight family, where the people are very invested in one another. I have been inspired by the devotion and dedication that these people have for their church, serving many days of the week. It is such a privilege to see God at work here in Colón!

In the days to come, I hope to share some more specific tidbits and some photos to go with them. Thank you so much for reading and praying! More to come…

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