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 :)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
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
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
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