Feliz Navidad!

End of year fiesta in La Obra Ecumenica
Doing the Cha Cha Slide with the kids in Escuelita 1

It has been a very quick December. I cannot believe that Christmas is this week! We had our end of the year party in La Obra and Christmas worship service at Nuestro Salvador.

I am not opposed to summer weather on Christmas, but I will admit, it is very different wearing tank tops and shorts and going to the beach and eating watermelon and having cookouts to celebrate Jesus' birth.

This time of year, I find myself thinking a lot about my friends and family back home. You all are in my prayers and I hope you all find time to thank the Lord for sending His son into the world! Last night in the Waldensian church there was a Christmas program put on by the children and we sang Christmas carols. It reminded me of all of the Christmas plays we put on growing up in First Lutheran and I really enjoyed the excitement in the children's faces here to be doing the same.

La Obra is closed until January 20 and lots of the young adult group are going home for the holidays. The young adult group had an asado (cookout) on Saturday night to end the year, and we hung out outside talking and playing card games. Sunday, I shared the cookies that Dad sent me with the members of the congregation, and they loved them. I am getting ready to I am looking forward to a visit from Laura, Anne, Megan and Josh this week!

May you all have a blessed Christmas and holiday season. Know that you are in my prayers!

Fin de Ano

Since the end of the year coincides with the end of the school year, December is by far the busiest month. I find myself in awe of how fast the time is flying. While I am grateful that the time is going quickly so I can see my friends and family, I feel like I am just getting started here and know in June it will be hard to leave Uruguay.

In La Obra Ecumenica, we are preparing for our field trip to Cabo Polonio and the end of year party. From a very generous donation, the kids and teachers have the opportunity to go to the east coast of Uruguay and see a new part of the country. I do not think any of the kids or teachers have been here, and everyone is very excited for this Saturday! For the end of they year celebration, I am teaching the younger kids the Cha Cha Slide. While it is easy for any English-speaker to catch on, it is a bit harder for kids who do not understand what the words say. I have probably done the dance 20 times in the past two weeks and will not be disappointed if I do not ever have to do it again after the 19th!

The kids at La Obra are precious and it seems like they understand me and I understand them a lot better than 3 1/2 months ago.

A funny story (that requires a little background):
Soccer (or futbol as it is called here) is huge and the fact that I am not a fan of one team or another is incomprehensible to the kids. One of the teams is called Penarol and another Nacional. Well, today we were talking about our field trip, and on the way to Cabo Polonio we are stopping at a national park (or a parque nacional in Spanish). While the teacher was explaining that we were going to this "Parque Nacional," one boy spoke up and asked if we were also going to go to the Parque Penarol! So we had to explain that "nacional" did not only refer to a soccer team, but also to the country.

At church this Sunday, we had three visitors from the United States! It was a brother and sister whose father was the missionary who helped to start the Lutheran church here in Montevideo. They spent most of their childhood here and this was the man's first time back and the woman's second. The wife of the man was also there. They both got up and shared some of their experience in the church and what they remembered. Some people that were members of the youth group with them were also at the service, and it was so neat to hear their stories. They both graduated from Wittenburg in Ohio and the man knew of Marietta and had even been there! He was a food service manager, and served Marietta! What a small world!

While one was talking during the service, a candle on the advent wreath fell over and the plastic wreath starting burning! AHHH! Luckily someone noticed right away and Wilma blew out the fire and someone took the smelly wreath out of the chapel.

This Friday, I get to see Betsy Curry who is coming to Montevideo for a day on a trip with her friend Cathy, from Parkersburg. It will be so nice to get to see friends from home.

I am looking forward to spending my Christmas with one of my adopted Uruguayan families. Analia is my friend here who is the secretary at the Waldensian church and she graciously invited me to spend Christmas in Colonia with her family.

The day after Christmas, I am going to Montevideo to welcome Megan, Josh, Laura and Anne to South America for a week! I cannot wait to show them what I have been up to!

Retreat

We had our first retreat with the YAGM volunteers over Thanksgiving. We went to Colonia Valdense, which is a small town in the department of Colonia in Uruguay. We stayed at Centro Emmanuel which is an organic farm. There were five of us there: Me, Stephanie, Jake, Angela and Kate. This was a much needed retreat where we spoke almost only English and enjoyed each other's company and God's beautiful creation. It was the hottest Thanksgiving I have ever had, about 40C which is over 100º F!!! It was unusually hot for this time of year in Uruguay and with no air conditioning, it drained my energy quickly. But we had a good time. We ate chicken in place of turkey, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

The three other volunteers came back to Montevideo with me for the weekend, and I got to show them my site and what I do here. It was neat to get to show them around. I hosted my first asado at the church for some of my friends from the young adult group, and it was a lot of fun! We stayed up until 3am singing and talking in the patio of the church.

I am now preparing for the end of the year at La Obra (because the school year ends right before Christmas), Christmas in Colonia with my friend, Analia and then a much anticipated visit from Laura, Anne, Megan and Josh right after Christmas.

I hope everyone is doing well! The holiday season is a time that we all think of our family and loved ones, and all of you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanksgiving

As usual, more is happening than I can write in my blog.

God is at work in all corners of the World. I cannot begin to describe the joy it brings me to be a part of a Christian family in another country. It really gives me a new perspective on what it means to be a Christian and that God is present in all parts of the World. I have the joy of seeing God at work in children who may not have nearly as many material possessions as some that I know in the United States, but they have hearts full of love and joy. Every day I go to la Obra Ecumenica, I am greeted by a ton of kisses, hugs and smiles from the children.
But, it is not easy to be a United States citizen seeing the obvious uneven distribution of wealth that exists in this world. I am often burdened by the realization of how much I have taken for granted. I think it is safe to say that I am not the only one that takes for granted what I am blessed with. I realize that having hot water to take a shower is not a necessity, but a luxury. Going to the store to replace the sunglasses I broke without thinking about the $15+ I will spend on a new pair will be a bit more difficult after seeing that some families of 5 or more have $10 a week to live off of. Never having cried because my stomach hurt from hunger is a blessing for which I have not thanked the Lord recently. Being able to jump in my car and drive 8 hours to another state without having to sacrifice substantially to fund the trip seemed more like a chore than a blessing until I met people who will likely never have an opportunity to leave the city where they were born because they cannot afford to travel. My prayer for everyone is that they recognize a blessing they have and find a way to share it with someone who may go without this blessing. Whether it be an acquaintance who does not have a family to share the holidays with or a friend who just needs a hug, that we can all recognize where we can share God's love in actions.
I still struggle with recognizing ALL of the blessings God has given this World. They appear so abundant in some places and seem so absent in others. But where one person sees an absence of material belongings, another can recognize an abundance of smiles and happiness.

What have I been up to? ...

Last weekend I went to the "mountains" of Uruguay in Minas. It was a very relaxing weekend with six friends from a young adult group. It was unusually cold for the end of Spring, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. We went on a hike and enjoyed a quiet weekend outside of the city.

In La Obra Ecumenica, we are preparing for the end of year celebration and the older kids are preparing for the final exams of the year. It is a busy time of year there. I am teaching the kids the Cha Cha Slide for the end of year celebration, because we have been working on actions in English class. I listened to the song eight times today! I figure by the time the end of the year (or tomorrow) rolls around I will be ready to never hear the song again. But, I will admit, I did enjoy the kids' enthusiasm for the song.

At the church, I have learned about everyone's name that attends regularly, and have been able to answer the phone while working in the office (IN SPANISH!). We are working on getting things organized and on the computer.

Thanks to my friend, Kayt, I got my Halloween candy and enjoyed M&Ms and candy corn :)

Seminario de Diaconia and more...

http://community.webshots.com/user/maryrk45
This weekend was a retreat in Buenos Aires with members of the Lutheran churches from Argentina and Uruguay. About 40 people from all over Argentina and 1 (me) from Uruguay came to share and learn about ways other churches in the area are reaching out to the communities they are a part of. Programs that some of the churches run include a day care center for parents that work, camps for children in the summers, going to underdeveloped communities and doing Bible studies and leading discussions on what people there can do to improve their ways of life, and simply being with the community members to accompany them. It is great to see that there are projects to get the church into the communities. The idea is not to get the people they are working with to become a "member" of their churches, but to just love their neighbors and SHOW God's love to these people and expect nothing in return.

I got together this weekend with the 3 other volunteers and our country coordinator, Kate. We started our weekend visiting ESMA (a navy petty officers school of mechanics), which was an illegal detention center during the Dirty War in times of the dictatorship in Argentina. Standing in the very spot where these kidnapped people were housed and experienced the unimaginable was a very somber experience. It was shocking to be in this school and be able to see the city's bustling streets (just like they were when this was going on). http://www.memoriaabierta.org.ar/eng/camino_al_museo_entrevistas.php Check that out to read more about this.

It was odd speaking English after going two months speaking little English to the people around me, but it was nice to not have to think so hard about what I wanted to say.

I am starting to see a difference in the basketball skills at La Obra, and some (definitely not all) of them are excited to learn. In the Centro de Estudios, I love working one-on-one with the students. They seem to understand me when I try to explain how to do a Math problem or when we work in English.

Yesterday, I received a prayer shawl from the members of First Lutheran! I just can't express how grateful I am! It is beautiful, and it reminds me of the huge family I have in West Virginia! Thank you for all of the prayers that were sent with the shawl.

I am going to Minas, Uruguay with a group of young adults from the Waldensian Church this weekend after we celebrate a few birthdays tomorrow evening. They all tell me Minas is beautiful, so I am excited to go.

Centro de Estudios

Finally I have some pictures from the Centro de Estudios... which is where I tutor in the morning.


Me helping Mathias write a description of polar bears... in English!

Tutors and students. Claudio is in the blue and Virginia is in the white. They are the other tutors.

The room with several students working on their homework.

A little bit of this. A little bit of that.

This week has been a blur.

First, please keep Pastor Wilma in your prayers. She had to spend Tuesday in the hospital. She is back at work now and probably working too hard, but just pray that she finds the time to rest and recover properly. Wilma is always concerned about the well-being of everyone around her and often neglects her own needs in the process. Thank you, Lord for the caring heart you have given Wilma and help those around her give her peace and allow her to get the rest she needs.

On the topic of health, my other supervisor, Milton, is expecting his second son in January. His wife has been put on bed rest until his birth. Please keep Milton, Carla, Agustine and the baby in your prayers. Lord, be with Carla and the baby, help her to stay healthy throughout the remainder of her pregnancy.

We spent the week at the church getting ready for the Reformation Day service we had here on Friday. It was an ecumenical service and about 70 were in attendance. Members of the congregation fixed food for after the service for a reception. It was a nice service with a guest pastor from Buenos Aires who is a professor at the seminary there.

Kate, my coordinator, came to visit with a volunteer from 2006-2007, Rachel. I spoke the most English I have spoken in two months with them, and it was weird, but wonderful. I enjoyed their short and hectic visit, though and feel like we got a good bit accomplished.

At La Obra, the Centro de Estudios students are gearing up for exams, so I will have a lot more students in the morning. Milton said when I was not there Thursday morning (because of Kate's visit) there were seven students there for English tutoring!

The four YAGM volunteers have been asked to prepare devotionals and ice breakers for this coming weekend in Buenos Aires for the weekend retreat with members of Lutheran churches from all over Argentina and Uruguay. We feel honored to be included in this retreat and to share some of our ideas with the people here. Keep everyone involved in your prayers this coming weekend.

For now, I will leave you with those prayer requests. Thank you for being a part of my journey this year. I look forward to returning and sharing my experience with each of you!

God bless!

ps. Pictures are posted here: http://community.webshots.com/user/maryrk45

Pictionary and American food

As I get more involved in the young adult group at the Waldensian church, I find myself getting invited to do more things in my free time. Last night, I was invited to a girls house to play games. First we started out with poker (without money) and I was surprised that I was the one that knew best how to play! The others had just learned the night before, so I told them a few things they did not know about a game that I always lose! I still lost last night which is why I will never put my money in games like that. It was fun to hang out and laugh with people outside of work.
After poker, we played pictionary. I have to admit I was dreading this from the minute I walked in the door because I felt I did not have a good handle on the language. I had my Spanish-English dictionary in hand and 8 people who were willing to help me out if I had a question. I actually guessed a couple of the drawings right with my limited vocabulary. I did not hide my surprise when they told me I was right, and everyone shared in my outward expression of joy (even the other team). Amazingly, the drawing was a lot easier and my team usually guessed quickly what I was drawing.
I am still getting accustomed to the schedule they keep in Uruguay. Almost all eat a big snack around 6 or 7pm and dinner is nto usually served until 9 or 10pm. It is hard to find someone that goes to bed before 1am. That makes my 10pm bedtime a little unusual here, but it is a hard habit to break! Last night the group stayed at the girl's house until 4am!
I woke up for church and was pleasantly surprised at how easily I conversed this morning before worship started. It is starting to feel natural to speak in Spanish. (I am almost not scared to talk on the phone anymore!) Unfortunately today a member of the congregation passed away this morning. I had not met him, he came to church last Sunday when I was in Colonia. He is the second member to pass away since I have been here and both were members of the church practically since the beginning (60 years ago). Keep the families and congregation in your prayers.
I was invited by a woman to her house for lunch. She is very gracious and said that we could get together again. I talked to her 8 year old daughter about what she was doing in English class and her 3 year old son was very shy and would not look at me for the first half hour after he returned from his grandparents' house. We had a nice conversation, and she said we could get together again and cook food that we eat in the United States.
I have been told this several times, but I struggle with what to cook that is "from the United States." If you have any ideas or recipes (that are not too difficult), PLEASE send me an email or let me know somehow. When I am asked what my favorite foods are I tell them Granny's fried chicken and Mexican food. Neither of which I can fix, because I am not my Granny and they don't have the right ingredients to make Mexican food (from what I have seen). Uruguay is definitely not accustomed to eating anything with a little spice. Pepper is never put on a table at meals, because "it gives me blisters on my lips" one girl told me.

October Newsletter

Things are already in full swing for me in Montevideo and I am seeing God at work every day. I have been staying busy tutoring in Math and English, teaching English, playing with kids of all ages, teaching basketball and volleyball, helping with Bible studies at the church and in the community, meeting people, participating in a young adult group and making friends! I have been in South America for 8 weeks. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived. Everyone has been so welcoming and I feel like a part of a family here.

I am splitting my time between work at Nuestro Salvador Lutheran Church and La Obra Ecumenica Barrio Borro.

Nuestro Salvador is a part of the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida (IELU) in South America. The IELU is a sister church to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The church was built by Lutheran missionaries 50 years ago. It is the only Lutheran church in Montevideo. The church was built with the expectation that the attendance would grow rapidly after the construction of the church, but that is not the case. The average attendance is about 15-20. It makes for a much more intimate worship service and the members feel free to discuss the scriptures of the day and share their prayer requests during the worship service. Since the church building has much more space than needed, it also houses a dentist office, and many dance and yoga classes throughout the week. Wilma Rommel is the pastor at Nuestro Salvador. She has taken me into her family like her oldest daughter. She has two children. Sebastian is 17 and Karin is 20. Her husband, Alvaro is a pastor in a Waldensian church a few blocks down the street.

La Obra Ecumenica Barrio Borro (http://www.obraecumenica.org.uy/inicial.htm all in Spanish) is a religious-based community center with four projects. One is a study center for high school students. They can come in the mornings (they don't go to school until 1pm) and get tutored in any subject. Claudio and Virginia are full time tutors and I am there on Wednesday and Thursday for Math and English. The second is a women's project where women who did not finish school can come to learn what they missed. Third is a group of 15-18 year olds who chose to not continue with schooling. Continuing with school is optional for the last three years of high school. The fourth is the young children's club. School ends for them at noon, so they come to La Obra from 1-5:30. Here, it is set up like a school, there are two classes. One for the youngest kids 5-9 and one for the older kids 10-13. They have classes Monday-Wednesday, field trips every Thursday, and sports and crafts on Friday. Every day the kids are fed a snack before they leave. I spend Wed-Fri with this group.

Last Wednesday week in La Obra Ecumenica we had a "Fiesta de Primavera" which is a Spring party. Lots of the kids came in dressed as butterflies, flowers or other Springy things. They were so cute. Another day last week, we took a field trip to the post office downtown. We are doing a letter exchange with my friend, Alicha Farley's class. We wrote letters in English and drew pictures to send to her students. When I asked the kids what we needed to address an envelope a few of them said a phone number. I don't think many of them have ever received or sent a piece of mail. When we went to the post office, we were met by a woman who explained to us how mail is sorted, sent and received. She gave them each a card with prepaid postage on it so they will be able to write a letter to someone in Uruguay for free.

Last Saturday, I went with Wilma to do a Bible study with the group of young boys. I made a tablet with the 10 Commandments, and I got to work with them a good bit while Wilma talked to their mother. We matched each one to "Our relationship with God" or "Our relationship with others." They had a good time doing this, and I was pretty happy that it went over well. I look forward to working more with this group. The boys always are eager to learn and read the Bible. It is wonderful to see and feel their desire to study the Bible and grow in their faith.

In my free time, I update my blog. The website is http://maryrk45.blogspot.com There is a lot there that I did not add in the newsletter. I enjoy keeping everyone updated on what is happening in Uruguay. It is a great reminder that God is at work across the World. It is a blessing every day to see God's hand at work in Uruguay. I encourage you to visit my blog site and to also read the blogs of other YAGMs. I have their sites linked to mine on the left hand side of my blog if you scroll down. I also have pictures posted here: http://community.webshots.com/user/maryrk45
I really enjoy hearing from friends back home, so feel free to send me an update!
I have received several cards from people back home and they are all hanging on my wall in my apartment.

Overdue Update

It has been a busy 2 weeks since I last posted. I took my first trip out of Montevideo since arriving on September 1. A friend from the young adult group invited me to her parents' house in Colonia del Sacramento. It is a beautiful town across the river plate from Buenos Aires. It was a relaxing weekend and her parents were very gracious. We were blessed with beautiful weather.
We are busy at the church preparing for an Ecumenical worship service here next Friday. I am making a PowerPoint slideshow with pictures throughout Nuestro Salvador's existence in Montevideo.
At La Obra things are winding down for the year. The last day of school before summer vacation is December 19. It is still hard for me to grasp the concept of Christmas falling during summer. With a generous donation from a married Italian couple who volunteered during the summer, we are taking the kids on a field trip to La Rocha, where few or none of them have been before. I am not sure many have been outside of Montevideo. We are excited to take them on this adventure. We started playing Simon Says in English class and it was fun to see them learning the commands "stand up," "sit down," "clap your hands" and many more.

Photos

Kids at La Obra playing on a field trip we took to a park.
Wilma's surprise birthday party after church
A plaza during día de Património
Beautiful day to fish
Field trip to an old mill where we met some artists and this guy showed us how he carved he stuff out of fallen tree trunks.

Community

I thank God every day for the wonderful support I have back home for accompanying me through this awesome journey. God is definitely at work in Uruguay and He is good!

It has been a while since I wrote an update, but I feel like it was just yesterday. I started visiting a Spanish tutor so she can help me polish my Spanish and learn the local phrases, too. I have only had two classes, but I can already tell a difference. I have had some great conversations this week! The kids are starting to understand me more and not giggle when I talk (although they still giggle and take delight in correcting me when I pronounce something wrong).

Last week went by so fast. Monday, I got my stove and refridgerator, so now my apartment is complete. I have enjoyed being able to use the stove top to cook food, as I learn to cook without the aid of a microwave. It is really a great thing for me. It is teaching me patience if nothing else.

I have been asked to teach basketball to the kids at La Obra. They have one ball that does not have enough air to dribble properly, but they still love it. I think I am the only one that notices. They also call me a "basketball star." I try to tell them I am far from it, but they still want me to play with them all the time. I enjoy playing basketball with them. However, when I tried to teach them how to play defense, all they wanted to do was run over to the ball, pick it up and shoot it. We talked about getting another school to play a game against our kids when they learn the rules, so that will be a nice incentive for them. Milton said we could buy a couple more basketballs and then we can work on dribbling and other skills.

I have been attending a group of young adults meeting in Alvaro's church. Alvaro is Wilma's husband, and he is a pastor at a Waldensian church. I am really starting to feel like a part of this group. One girl offered to take me to her house in Colonia one weekend to see a new part of Uruguay, so I am pretty excited to do that. I had my third and fourth asados this week with the group. Last night was Lucia's birthday, so we celebrated with an asado and cake.

Saturday, I went with Wilma to do a Bible study with the group of young boys. I made a tablet with the 10 Commandments, and I got to work with them a good bit while Wilma talked to their mother. We matched each one to "Our relationship with God" or "Our relationship with others." They had a good time doing this, and I was pretty happy that it went over well. I look forward to working more with this group.

I really get excited when I run into people that I know in public. It has happened about four times already. All in the vicinity of the church, but it still makes my day when I recognize someone and get to stop and talk with them in the street or wherever. I was at the Saturday market (which makes me think of my Granny) and ran into a lady that had stopped by the church and she introduced me to her friend as the Christian volunteer at the Lutheran church. We had a nice conversation about what I was doing here and she said she had a son who is a missionary in Mississippi. How great that there are people like that sharing their faith with us in the United States!

I was also blessed this week to get to talk on Skype with my family. I felt like I was in Emilee's house when we were talking via webcam the other day. My Skype name is mary.kinsler if you want to call, feel free! I love talking with family and friends.

I am keeping you all in my prayers and I thank God that I have the support of so many dear friends and family while I am here. THANK YOU!

I will post pictures tonight!

Happy Birthday, Emilee!

Happy birthday to my sister!

Oh Happy Day!

So, it is hard to believe that I have been in South America for over a month! It does not seem like that long at all, but at the same time it seems like I haven't seen my family and friends in FOREVER! I survived the end of winter in Montevideo... I had to purchase a couple sweaters to layer with the two I brought, but all is well now. Today, I got to wear short sleeves for the first time since leaving a beautiful week in Buenos Aires.
Friday after returning from La Obra, I went to a Murga with Sebastian and his girlfriend, Andrea. What is a murga? I had no idea until after I went, but I looked it up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murga While I had no idea what was going on and didn't really understand much, I enjoyed the singing and environment. However, I am old and go to bed early and this lasted until 3am, so I was quite tired.

Yesterday I spent the day with Wilma. She took me to a produce market in the morning, then we had lunch and later went to an artisan fair. It is the best artisan fair in Uruguay apparently. There were so many beautiful things, but I decided it was too early to start buying things. We went back to Wilma's house and she made bread (I watched) and that is what we had for communion today.

Today with the beautiful weather, I had a beautiful day. I understood pretty much all of the worship service and sermon today. Wilma preached on the parable where a father asks his two sons to work in the field and one says he will not and ends up doing it and the other says he will and does not. Since the worship attendance rarely is over 20 people, it is a comfortable setting and there are good discussions during worship. It is a new way to worship, but I am enjoying it. I am really starting to feel like part of the Nuestro Salvador family... Everyone in the congregation is so friendly and welcoming. I am very blessed with the placement here. Thursday was Wilma's birthday, so after worship we had cake to celebrate. Also there was a man who was celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife this week, so we celebrated that as well. A young boy, Lukas (about 15 years old), who attends church and Tuesday Bible study without encouragement from his parents, asked me if I could tutor him this week in Math! I am happy to get involved with the congregation outside of worship.

After church, I got on the bus to go to Milton and Carla's house for lunch. On the bus was José, the secretary/treasurer of the church. I was looking at my bus guide to make sure I didn't miss the stop, so he asked me what street I was looking for, and I told him. Three other people near me were very quick to speak up and say they were going in that direction and could point me where to go- even though I was pretty sure I knew, I thought it would be nice to be sure. We had a nice conversation and I told them where I was from and what I was doing here. They were all very friendly. One girl, Cecilia, was getting off at the same stop, so she got me to where I was going. So I got to their house with an enjoyable bus ride. I just cannot ask for more friendly and welcoming hosts. Milton and Carla have already made me feel like a part of their family. Milton is the coordinator of La Obra. Agustine, their 2 year old son, is opening up to me and plays with me when I go over there. He even understands me when I talk to him! We had lunch and then ice cream and coffee. Milton showed me a photo album of a trip he took to Europe when he was 18. Milton even let me use his phone to call home... but no answer :(

Food for thought

As I spend more time with Wilma, I realize how much I take for granted. Wilma is a WONDERFUL person and cares so much for everyone she comes in contact with. She and her husband are both pastors and work hard. Anyway...

Think about what you ate this week. How many meals were from a restaurant? How many were just heated up in a microwave?

Wilma and her family go out to eat at a restaurant one time A YEAR! The rest of the time, they eat at home. The average Uruguayan family does not eat out regularly.

Also, I asked her about a microwave and if she knew of anyone who had an extra one that I could use for the year. She said no, microwaves are very expensive and very few people have them here.

So, next time you go to eat, thank God for what you have, because I know we all can take things for granted. Maybe even think about eating in more often and saving money and donating it to a local charity. :)

¡che!

Che is the word of the day... it is an expression used for "Hey!" or "Dude!" or the likes. It is a word that I haven't gotten to use yet, but I like hearing it.

Anyway, pictures are up on http://community.webshots.com/user/maryrk45 I have uploaded some for the past few days. I hope you get a chance to check them out.

Yesterday we went for a bike ride with all of the kids at La Obra. All of the kids were asked to bring their bikes, which obviously didn't happen. One girl came with a completely flat rear tire, and others rode on the cross bar with a partner. No helmets were worn and there were several falls, but it was a good time. The poor girl with a flat tire wanted to ride her bike anyway, so she did... and never complained, but I sure felt sorry for her, because she was always in the back of the pack. Yesterday morning I was told I explain math very well by one of the girls I was tutoring... and this is in Spanish, so that made my day.
Today we took the kids to a park and played with them. The music teacher brought her guitar and sang with the kids, it was a nice spring day and I only wore one sweater instead of my usual two and a jacket!

Chiquilines

PICTURES... I have been having trouble uploading pictures on my blog (obviously). I am going to try to start posting more pictures on this site: http://community.webshots.com/user/maryrk45

"Chiquilines" is a word used in Uruguay to refer to the young children. It is not used so much in Argentina, but here it just rolls off the tongue. It is used quite often in La Obra. It was especially used this Thursday when 5 of us took 48 chiquilines to El Prado in Montevideo for a farm expedition. Imagine a county fair so crowded that you can't walk fifteen steps without saying "perdón." And now imagine taking about 50 children with you and having to make sure they don't wander off to get a better look at the miniature horse competition while the rest of the group is walking in a line to go see the cows and bulls in the barn. So, basically, this was like any field trip a teacher has taken kids on-- very stressful. I was told I should go back to this exposition with the responsibility of watching the children and I would enjoy it much more. The kids seemed to enjoy the field trip, though, so I cannot complain too much.
In English class this week, I had the kids tell me how to spell their names by saying the letters in English. This was too cute. In Spanish "E" is pronounced like our "A" and and "I" like our "E." Every time they would say the Spanish pronunciation, I would write the letter they said in English, and they just thought that was hysterical. But, they did learn a bit about pronunciation, so we will see what they remember this week! I am working with the older kids on writing a letter in English to Alicha's students in the United States, so they will have penpals from Vienna! They are all really excited about it, and so am I.
In October, I will have a visit from our neighbor in Parkersburg. I am really excited to see a familiar face, even if it is only for a day.
I went to the "Grupo de Jovenes" on Thursday. It is a group of young people at Alvaró's church. We played volleyball, and it was nice to spend time with people about my age and just hang out. Last night, I was invited by the same group to a free concert. Apparently the guy singing is really well known in Argentina and Uruguay. I was even told that he was the best singer in the World. Well, the guy sang for TWO FULL HOURS! It was nice for the first part, but I am old and I got tired of standing. And when he came back for the Encore he sang four more songs! I guess I just need to study up on my Uruguayan music, so I can enjoy myself next time.

Buenos Aires, Argentina Pictures from Aug 24-Sep 1

The four Argentina/Uruguay YAGMs with Alan Eldrid, President of Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida

Walking to the Plaza de Mayo

Las Madres marching in La Plaza de Mayo

Eva Peron spoke to the Argentine people from the balcony of this Pink House of Buenos Aires in La Plaza de Mayo.

Argentine tango show.

On a boat museum in Buenos Aires

Talking with a group of Bolivian immigrants. They shared a bit of their culture with us.

The Lutheran Church in Buenos Aires. It was youth Sunday and afterwards they fixed lunch for us and we had a birthday party for two of the kids.

At a park in Buenos Aires on a beautiful day.



Cemetary in Recoleta.





We experienced a bit of the Gaucho culture just outside of Buenos Aires and had an asado.

Los ninos

It is so neat to do Bible studies in another language, and with young children. Today, I went with Alvaro, Wilma´s husband to a woman's house who hosts a children's Bible study every Saturday. There were five boys there. They were so excited to read the Bible and sing praise songs. They all participated and seemed to really enjoy our time there. I cannot wait to go back next Saturday!

Baby, it's cold outside!

It is has been raining all day and very cold! I don't think I packed enough layers for the weather, but I am still enjoying myself! I have been staying busy these past few days, but am finally starting to get into somewhat of a routine.
Sunday was my first worship service in Montevideo. The Lutheran church is not well-known here. The attendance at this church averages about twenty, but Sunday was low because it was raining outside and most people walk to church. It was interesting to have a small crowd, because after reading the scriptures, we had a discussion about the passage and everyone participated. I basically listened. It takes me a while to decide what I want to say and how to say it and by the time I am ready to add my insight into a discussion, the topic has changed. After church, I went with Wilma and her family to Milton's house. Milton is the director of La Obra Ecumenica (the school where I volunteer). I met Milton's wife, Carla and their 2-year old son, Augustine. Carla is expecting another boy in January! We had an Uruguayan asado. An asado is a technique for cooking various meats on a grill. It was all delicious and the company was fabulous. After dinner, Wilma and her husband, Alvaró drove me around Montevideo and showed me La Rambla which is the path that runs along the coast. It is gorgeous!
Monday was my "free day." I slept in. It is exhausting hearing and speaking a foreign language all day every day. I did go for a long walk/run to La Rambla. While I was running, I tripped over a broken sidewalk while changing the song on my Ipod. Apparently there is a saying that wherever you fall, you have "bought" that land. So everyone told me I chose a good place to fall. It only cost me a few scrapes and bruises!
Tuesday I spent the day with Pastor Wilma at the church preparing a Bible study and doing various things. Pastor Wilma was preparing to leave to be with her mother in Argentina, because she had surgery (the surgery was today). So keep Wilma's mother and the whole family in your prayers! Since Wilma won't be at church this Sunday, I met with two other women to plan the service. I am supposed to pray and read a scripture! I am a little nervous about that! Tuesday evening, Wilma and her family and myself were invited to dinner by Marco and Teresa (an Italian couple that has been here for 2 months volunteering at La Obra and Marco has been preparing to write a thesis.) We went to an Italian restaurant and it was very nice.
Wednesday was my first full day at La Obra. Milton came and picked me up so I wouldn't have to take the bus the first day. I spent the morning at el Centro de Estudios where students can come and get tutored when they need extra help. I met Virginia and Claudio, who work in the Centro de Estudios. They are both very nice. While we talked and worked with the three students there we shared mate. MATE (mah-tay) is big here. It is a beverage prepared with dried leaves (kind of like tea, but not really). A special gourd and hot water thermos are needed for mate, and everyone here carries them around everywhere. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage) to read more about it. We had lunch and then I met some kids who were amazed at my height and wanted to play basketball with me, so we shot around after lunch before the younger kids arrived. In the afternoon, I taught English (Wednesday is English day). We learned the alphabet in the first class and numbers in the second class. The kids are so much fun, and have LOTS of energy. Sometimes they forget that I do not understand when they talk fast or mumble, so it takes patience to have a conversation with me.
Today, I rode the bus to La Obra. I waited for a long time in the cold rain this morning for the bus. I arrived and had mate with Virginia and Claudio before the students came. Today, I worked on math with Carlos. For the most part, he understood me, and that was great! He likes attention, and would ask for approval from Virginia and Claudio, but he seemed to be okay with working with me. Since it rained all day, the kids played inside. Normally on Thursdays, they go outside for walks, but today they cut out pictures from magazines and wrote stories about them. It was fun to walk around and talk to them. I got to read a book on colors (in English) with some kids and they practiced their pronunciation. Aaaand that is about it. I have not quite figured out the easiest way to post pictures. I promise they are coming... some day!

Colonia Valdense

I went with Wilma today to Colonia Valdense. She did a seminar on the natural development of the church. It was very interesting, from what I understood. On our way back to Montevideo (a two-hour drive) we stopped at a family´s house who Wilma knew from before. They have a 10-year-old daughter who has been wanting a television and that has been her only wish for a while now, and a television was available and we got to take it to this family. It was beautiful. The family works hard for what they have, and the wife was very welcoming and made us all coffee. It was great to see their faces when they opened up the box with the tv in it. I cried.

Ludoteca

So, I met Milton this morning and we sat down with Wilma and Beatriz, the president of the church council and discussed how I am going to spend my time. Wednesday and Thursday, I will be spending all day at La Obra Ecumenica teaching Math in the mornings and English in the afternoons. Tuesday and Saturday I will spend at Nuestro Salvador Lutheran Church doing Bible studies (when my Spanish improves) and visiting with children in a community.
After we figured that out, Milton took me to La Obra for the day. Milton was in Europe until Wednesday afternoon. He is married and has a 2 year old son and a baby on the way. They will find out what they are having soon and the baby is due in January! He said I am going to be a part of his family, so I am really excited to play with the new baby.
Today was a special day at La Obra, even though I didn´t know before I got there. This week was the anniversary of the death of Padre Cacho, who did a lot for this area. So, to celebrate his life, they have a Ludoteca. I also had no idea what a ludoteca was until today. It is basically a carnival. There were probably about 15 schools invovled, and each school set up games for the kids to play, then the kids walked around and did what they wanted. The games La Obra Ecumenica brought to play were TaTeTi and Ludo. Ta Te Ti is Tic Tac Toe. However, this was human Tic Tac Toe. Two teams put on two different colors and played this game. Again, like kids in the US, they were very excited to play, but not to listen. But somehow, soon after this game began, I found myself to be the only adult around. With my limited Spanish I had to organize these kids to play this game and keep them under control. This was hilarious for everyone involved except for me. I can laugh about it now, and wish I had been on the other side of this. Anyway, the kids had fun, even though it was FREEZING and drizzling the whole time. I can´t wait for spring! They keep saying it won´t be cold for much longer, but I am starting to have my doubts.

Every day is a new adventure.

I feel like I am writing too much on the blog, but I just am so excited to be meeting so many brothers and sisters in Christ each day I am here. I joke with Pastor Wilma and her husband, Alvaro that I need to write down everyone´s name as I meet them so I can keep them straight, but in all reality, I am not joking about that! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Today I accompanied Wilma and a girl about my age to a women´s meeting in a part of Montevideo that is (I believe) called Mision San Jose. We did a Bible study with two women who grew up their whole life in this neighborhood. One woman married when she was fourteen years old. It was difficult hearing their stories and imagining my life and all the unnecessary things I have that I never thought I could live without. While, I am still brushing up on my Spanish, I feel like I can understand the gist of conversations going on, so I can´t give details as to what was talked about, because I am sure I misunderstood some of it.
When we returned to the church, Wilma prepared for the church council meeting. I have never attended a church council meeting in the United States, but I imagine aside from the different language, they are very similar. I will spare any more details on that, too.
I am meeting with the head of La Obra tomorrow morning and we are putting together a schedule for me. YAY! Well, I am off to bed.
I love the comments, by the way, so keep them coming.

Hello! Hello! Hello, my friend!

I have been meeting so many people in Montevideo and cannot remember anyone´s name! Pastor Wilma has taken me under her wing and into her house and family for the first couple days. Yesterday I met Teresa, a woman from Italy who is studying Spanish and also teaching English at La Obra (where I will be volunteering). She teaches English in Italy and is returning at the end of next week to start work again. After talking with her last night, we decided it would be a good idea for me to go with her to La Obra today and help her teach English. I spent a second night at Pastor Wilma´s house and awoke to a chilly morning. Wilma and her husband LOVE coffee, so I fit right in :) Wilma showed me around the rest of the church building. The church was built by Lutheran missionaries 50 years ago. It was built under the assumption that the congregation was going to be huge and they would need lots of space. However, this is not the case. The building is quite large, but they make use of the extra space by renting space out for a dentist office (on the first floor) and holding dance classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every evening in the basement. There are two apartments in the basement and one on the second floor. I will be staying in one in the basement at the beginning of next week. There is so much to do here, it is great.
At 11, Wilma went to pick up her daughter, Karin at the airport. She has been in Europe for 3 weeks. I was dropped off to meet up with Teresa so she could take me to La Obra. We took a bus to La Obra. When we walked in, we were greeted with hugs and kisses by dozens of happy children. They are so much fun to be around, and so excited to have new people there. Everyone was very friendly. The first class Teresa taught was 5-7 year olds. We talked about body parts in English and sang a "Hello" and "Goodbye" song. Next, we sat in on a class where they were talking about discrimination. It is interesting to hear th same comments from kids in a different language. It just makes me realize how much everyone has in common, no matter where they are born. I really enjoyed listening to the children´s comments and prayer requests when we ended the hour in prayer. Afterwards, we had some time to play with the children. Somehow I got roped into playing a game where you use two hands to hit a basketball that is rolling on the ground and the goal is to hit it between someone else´s legs. If it goes through, then they only get to use one hand. If it goes through the same person´s legs again, they have to turn around, then they are out if it goes through a third time... or that is how I interpreted the game. The game ended when a young girl got out and took the ball with her because she was upset. I tried to reason with her, but I don´t think my Spanish is that good that I can reason with an angry 7 year old girl to let us play a silly game with the ball she has. It´s hard enough doing that with a child that speaks English!
After "recess", Teresa had a class of 10-11 year olds for English. Here, they asked me (with Teresa´s help) in English my name, where I am from, how old I am and where I come from. It was fun to talk with them in English and Spanish. Then we played a game with adding and subtracting and they had to give me the answer in English. In Spanish, they don´t use the "th" sound, so it was fun to hear them say "three" and "thirty". We practiced saying "th" a lot. Then we talked about animal names and the kids played charades to figure out names.
Overall, it was a great day, and I am very excited to start getting more involved in the activities around here. As for now, I am having dinner with Wilma and her family again, and I will meet Karin, her daughter tonight. I miss everyone back home and would love updates!

Montevideo

I made it to Montevideo last night after a three hour boat ride from Buenos Aires. Pastor Wilma and her husband met me at the Port and took me to their house. They are both very nice and I felt like we communicated very well. I understood almost all of what they said and even could respond and hold a conversation! We had dinner at their house with their son, Sebastian, who is 18. Chorizo (sausage) is what we had for dinner. It was good. They don´t put butter on bread here, they use mayonaise. So, I eat my bread plain. I stayed at their house last night and will again tonight. I am stayin in their daughter, Karin´s room. She is in Europe until tomorrow. She went to Italy and Germany with a group of students here for some conference. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. I fel like this will be a great experience! We are having a bible study with women from the church in a few minutes, so I will try to update more soon! I miss everyone from home. Feel free to send many emails and updates :)

So Much Going On!

It has been quite difficult to find time to get to a computer when the Locutorio is open. We have been very busy doing so many interesting things. I will try to recap the last few days...

Wednesday night we went to dinner at a local restaurant because we wanted to get steakk, since that is very famous in Argentina and pretty cheap! We found a cute restaurant and had a waitress help us choose the best food. Dinner ended up costing each of us about 30 Pesos or $10USD for a big meal. The waitress was very friendly and great for our first restaurant stop in Argentina. Thursday, we woke up and had breakfast with Kate. We have had croissants every day for breakfast. I hope to find boxes of cereal and skim milk when I get settled into Montevideo. After breakfast at ISADET, we did a Bible study and talked about our expectations and our fears for the year. By the time we finished this, it was time for lunch. David met us and we had steak again. Thursday was a very educational and emotional day for us. We met with one of the grandmothers of a child who "disappeared" during the Dirty War and discussed a bit of the history of it. It was very interesting. I won´t go into the History lesson here, but I welcome you to look it up. After meeting with Las Abuelas, we went to la Plaza de Mayo where las Madres were doing their weekly march to remember their children who were "disappeared" as well. The mothers were very emotional the day we met with them, because one of the military leaders who was a big part of the Dirty War was on trial that day. It was hard to look these mothers in the eye while thinking about what they went through with their children. Please follow the link below to read more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo
After meeting with las Madres for a while and talking to them, we did the tourist thing and went to a tango show. It was pretty cool to see this. It felt weird to be doing the tourist thing though, then we did more tourist stuff on Friday and went to a ranch-type place outside of BA. We saw the Gaucho culture, which is kind of like cowboys. Then we had more beef... all kinds of beef. LOTS and LOTS of beef. So we spent Friday on the "ranch."

Aaaand that brings us to today. It was our free day to see Buenos Aires. We went to see the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. WOW! I have never seen such a cemetery! It was truly an amazing sight. It was so many mausoleums that we got lost... well, almost. It took us a long time to find Evita´s and we had to ask directions to find it. We walked around B A some more, then met with Bolivian imigrants and talked to them and hung out at a church here. It was cool to hear what they had to say and they shared some of their food and dance with us!

Well, that is it for now. Pictures will be up later!

Buenos Aires!

We arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday morning. There was a slight mixup when we got off the plane, because we were in the domestic terminal, instead of the international terminal. Apparently there were lots of news cameras in the international terminal for the arrival of the men´s basketball team of Argentina who won the bronze medal. After Kate (the site coordinator in Argentina) figured out what was going on, she picked us up and we went to check in at ISADET, an ecumenical seminary in Buenos Aires where we will be staying this week. Kate took us out for cafe con leche and gave us a schedule for the week. We then had time to go back to the seminary and rest and we all took nice, long naps. Kate and her husband, David prepared a wonderful dinner for us at their home and we met their two lovely children, Emily (8) and Matthew (5). Also dining with us was David´s guitar teacher and friend, Lucas (who only speaks Spanish), Justin, a student at Yale Divinity School who was a YAGM in 2006-2007 and Justin´s girlfriend, Rachel (who does not speak Spanish). I realized how much work I have to do on my Spanish skills at this dinner, but somehow was designated as the translator for Lucas when Rachel was speaking in English. I felt bad for Lucas, because he had to deal with my rusty Spanish skills!
Wednesday morning, we woke up and went to Kate and David´s house again for breakfast and to share our faith stories. This was a good bonding experience for the six of us (four YAGMs and Kate and David). After that, we had the privilege of meeting with Alan Eldrid, the President of ELCA´s compnaion church, Iglesia Evahelica Luterana Unida (IELU). The President in Argentina is equivalent to the Bishop in the United States. Señor Eldrid talked to us about the history of the IELU and the similarities and differences from the ELCA.
Afterwards, we caught a bus back to ISADET, and will be going to dinner shortly... Mmmm!

Leaving on a Jetplane!

Well, the time is here! We are all flying out tomorrow for our respective countries. This week has been fabulous in preparing us for our year in mission. I have grown closer to all of the YAGMs (Young Adults in Global Mission) and we are all excited to see what God has in store for us. I met the guy that was in my placement for 2007-2008. He gave me a lot of information on Montevideo and La Obra (where I will be spending most days).
A normal day in Chicago was waking up and going to breakfast at 8am, then the Alum team would do a devotion with us, then Reverend Starr would lead us in a Bible study. Some ideas I will take from the Bible study include "I am a servant, not the Savior." "No culture or language is unfit to be a bearer of God." "There will be a dance. Don't be scared to make mistakes-- take risks and live in the rhythm of confession and forgiveness."

After the Bible study, we would have a speaker on a variety of topics including, Interfaith conversations, racism and security. Then we would have lunch and free time, then another seminar, then dinner. In the evenings we had free time. During the evenings we went to Navy Pier, took a cruise on the Chicago River and went to a White Sox game. Nick Swisher hit a home run while I was there! Tonight we had our closing worship service, and it was very inspiring.
It is so exciting to think about the experiences I am going to have this coming year.

*Top Left Picture: Jacinda, me and Kelly in front of "The Bean" at Millennium Park.
*Middle Right Picture: Nikki, Kelly and me with Elvis x30 at the White Sox game. It was Elvis Night!

Isaiah 61:1-4 "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastation; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastation of many generations."

Called to Follow Jesus Christ

Today was our first full day in Chicago where we will be doing orientation all week. We are staying on the University of Chicago campus and our orientation is on the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. It has been great getting to know the volunteers going to all of the different countries. Reverend Al Starr (pictured on the left) from Los Angeles is with us all week. He is leading us in worship here. This morning we studied Matthew 4:1-11. Some things Rev. Starr said that stuck out were these: "You are an expression of the glorified, eternal Christ who lives within you," and "if you are going to represent what Jesus Christ has done in your life, you must be your 'authentic self' all of the time."
After morning worship, some YAGM alumni shared their experiences and it was very encouraging to hear them talk about their expectations before their trip and how they got more and different (and of course, better) things out of it than what they had anticipated.
We have small group time where we can ask questions of each other and discuss how the week is going for us and what we have to look forward to when we all get to our placements. *Below is a picture of my small group.*
This week is great to help transition us into a year abroad. After dinner, a group of us took a walk to Lake Michigan and went to what they refer to as "the beach" in Illinois. The lake was beautiful and it was good to start seeing the city of Chicago.

August 11, 2008 Preparing to leave

Wow! I have been overwhelmed with support from my church families. I am so excited to share my experience with everyone back in the States. This summer has been a whirlwind while preparing to leave. In June, I spent a week at Camp Luther in Cowen, WV and left for Australia right after that. I returned from Australia to spend a few weeks in Parkersburg, WV in an attempt to assist my parents in our move to McCormick, SC. My Dad's last Sunday at First Lutheran in Parkersburg was yesterday. It was great to see the support from the community and even friends and family from out of town! I have not been able to return to Augusta, GA for a church service, but appreciate all of the support I have received from that congregation as well.
For those who have not heard yet, I will be serving in Montevideo, Uruguay, splitting my time between two sites, Nuestro Salvador, a congregation of our companion church the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Argentina and Uruguay (IELU) and the Obra Ecumenico Barrio Borro. There have been volunteers at these sites for the past 3 years and they have all had very positive experiences. The OEBB is an ecumenical project based in a poor community on the outskirts of Montevideo that involves 9 churches, including the IELU. The OEBB has four principal project areas: 1) academic support, recreation, and English classes for children; 2) center of studies for adolescents; 3) educational and vocational training for young people who are outside of the formal educational system; and 4) a women’s project. Nuestro Salvador is a small Lutheran congregation led by IELU Pastor Wilma Rommel in downtown Montevideo.
I leave for a week of training and orientation in Chicago, IL on Sunday, August 17. I am flying out of Charlotte, NC. After that week, there will be four of us traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week of in-country orientation. I will be the only volunteer from YAGM serving in Montevideo. Here is my address in Montevideo:

MY NAME
c/o Wilma Rommel
Nuestro Salvador, IELU
Avda 8 de Octubre 3324
Piso 1, Sala B
Código Postal 11.400 Montevideo
URUGUAY