I can’t tell you what a wonderful time Martha and I had on our visit to Argentina and Uruguay. The picture that will stay in my mind from now on is seeing Mary for the first time in the airport on Thursday morning in Bois Aires. She was like a lighthouse standing out in the sea of people. It was so good to see her vibrant smile in person. I did not realize how much I missed it until I saw her. I know we only got a small idea of her experience over the last eight months, but the visit really helped me put faces to her experience.
On our taxi ride from the airport we learned of two great tragedies in Argentina. The death of Alfonzine, the first freely elected president after the dictatorship of Peron, was a great emotional loss for many in the country. There was a national day of mourning with a large state funeral. The other tragedy was the lost of the Argentine soccer team to Bolivia, 6-1.
The best part of the visit was the people we got to meet. The folks we met first were Javier, a seminary student and Kate, the ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission Coordinator (who also attends the seminary in Bois Aires). I was thrilled to see the largest protestant seminary in Latin America. As I would learn through out our visit, the people and the Lord do so much more with so much less than we do in the States.
Our next stop was in Colonia, Uruguay. We took the Buquebus (Ferry boat) across the Rio del la Plata. (An estuary that is about fifty miles wide between Buenos Aires and Colonia) It took about an hour. In Colonia we got a personal tour from Analia’s Mom (Mary’s adopted Uruguayan Mom) of the historic city. It was exciting to see the family that has become such an important part of our daughter’s life. They live in a small, simple, but very orderly house. Colonia was a major point of contention in the struggle between Spain and Portugal to control colonial South America in the 1600’s. It is now a tourist destination. We got to eat lunch with Ricardo, Analia’s Dad and Graciela, Analia’s Mom. Mary did a great job of translating. It was amazing how Martha and Analia’s Mom would say the same thing, one in English and the other in Spanish. I guess that mothers are mothers in all cultures.
We then took a three hour bus ride to Montevideo. The country side of Uruguay is open rolling grass land with a lot of cattle. The ranch houses are small but the land is fertile. Agriculture, and ranching in particular, is one of the economic mainstays of Uruguay.
When we arrived in Montevideo we were met at the bus station by Analia, Mary’s good friend. After a short taxi ride we got settled in at the guest house at the Waldesian Church (sort of an Italian Presbyterian denomination). It was like a dorm room. It had two single beds, a bunk bed and a table. There was an adjoining bathroom. Our room was along a busy main street that did not stop at night and we learned that we have gotten spoiled by the quiet of Savannah Lakes.
We then went about six blocks down the street to Nuestro Salvador Evangelical Lutheran Church where Mary lives and works and got the grand tour. The church building was built in the 1950’s by Lutherans from the United States. (They then withdrew their support and left the congregation with a challenge to maintain an overwhelming facility.) It is large and sprawling, but is being used in innovative ways to best use the resources. A dentist clinic is housed there as well as some student housing and various outreach opportunities.
We then met Pastor Wilma, Mary’s supervisor at the Lutheran Church. She is very gracious. We got on a bus to go to an “asado” or the equivalent of a barbeque or cookout in the USA. It was at the home of Milton & Carla. Milton is the coordinator of “La Obra” the school Mary works at three days a week. The hospitality and welcome we received spoke to me of God’s love. It helped me feel better as a parent, knowing that God had provided a supportive loving environment for Mary. The only difficult thing for me was that it was Saturday night and late and I was very tired and had to preach in the morning.
Sunday morning, I was nervous. Even though the congregation is small I was going to try to share the Good News with a culture that is foreign to me. I felt much better when the first lady I met was Beatriz. She had lived in the US as an exchange student and spoke English very well. Her host family in the US was Dr. Jerry Smallenburger, a Lutheran pastor and professor, whom I was familiar with his writings. It really helped me to see that God had it all under control even if I didn’t.
The worship service was one of the most moving I have been involved with in a long time. It was not because of the large attendance, there were only about 20 there. It was not because of the grand setting, it was very simple. It was not because of the outstanding music, it was ordinary. It was because God was present. The liturgy spoke to me even though it was in a different language, I knew what was taking place. It helped me to see the extent of the Kingdom of God.
I presented the prayers shawl from the Lutheran Church by the Lake to Pastor Wilma and told her that “every stitch was a prayer and every hole a hug.” She put it on an wore it for the rest of the service. She had a true sense of gratitude in her eyes.
When it came time to preach I tried to keep the message simple and I pray that God used it to speak to the hearts of the people gathered. The sharing of Holy Communion was a truly moving experience for me. I came to realize that in this simple meal God speaks the universal language.
After worship we had a Uruguayan “covered dish” with the congregation. Once again I realized people are more similar than different. That afternoon we went for a walk along the beach and Sunday evening had dinner with Pastor Wilma and her husband Pastor Alvaro of the Waldesnen church. Alvaro showed Martha and I around the church and I thought once again, “What we have in common is far greater than what separates us.”
I could see myself showing people around the churches I have served as Alvaro told of the ministry there in Montevideo.
Monday morning we took a tour of Montevideo with Beatrice, the lady from the church. She is a registered tour guide and is working toward starting her own guide business. I enjoyed seeing the sights, but was more interested in talking to her about her experiences of life under a dictatorship and now a social democracy. This is an election year in Uruguay and the president can’t be reelected. They elect a new president every five years. The current president has done a good job and people seem concerned what the future will hold.
After our tour we ate lunch in the tourist section of Montevideo, or the Old Town. I was struck by the contrast between the tourist experience and that of a person seeing the city on a day to day level. That feeling was to become even more pronounced as we went to “La Obra” in the barrio. “La Obra” means “the work,” as in “the work of Christ.”
La Obra is an ecumenical school for children and young people in one of the poorest sections of the city. Families were given plots of 1000 meters by 1000 meters on which to build homes. This was to get them out of the poverty of the inner city. What happened is there were no guidelines and soon two or three shacks sprung up on the original lot, as children built houses next to parents. The houses were built out of available material. While some are simple yet nice, many are very basic shacks with no water, sewer hook ups, or electricity. The purpose of “La Obra” is not only to provide an education, but also to provide hope. It is demanding, yet necessary way of sharing the love and dignity that every individuals needs as a child of God.
“La Obra” reminded me once again that God is doing so much with so little. The positive attitude of those who work there and the smiles and joy of the children touched my heart. I know Martha and I only got a limited look at what goes on at “La Obra”, but in what we saw the finger prints of Jesus were very present. It is so exciting to see God at work in ways I could not have imagined and in places I have never heard of before.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A quick hello.
The fall weather is beautiful here... and hopefully this weekend will still be beach weather! I cannot believe my parents board the plane in a WEEK to come see me. I also cannot believe that I (along with my twin sister) will be turning 25 so soon. Unfortunately, Laura cannot make the trip down here, nor I up there, to celebrate our quarter of a century mark together, but I get the parents! My friends here said I have to throw a party, but they also told me no one is here during Holy Week, so I have to choose another date for the party. So, I will be celebrating my birthday for a while... starting with yesterday when I received a birthday card from Sarah, a volunteer in Mexico! Not only did she remember my birthday, but she got it out with the slow mail system in mind! THANKS, Sarah!
In the church, a student housing facility has started up. There are now seven students living here, and I feel much more comfortable with the growing activity throughout the evening in the large church building. A few times we have cooked together or just hung out.
I feel like this week, I haven't had any free time, but I dont think that will change until I get home.
What has been tough is missing out on babies being born and weddings happening while I have been here. It never gets easier thinking about the things that I am missing out on while I am here. I love sharing in moments like those with my friends and family. I know I have missed 8 months full of activities that I regret not being able to be a part of. However, I have had and continue to have an experience that is shaping me in ways that I could never have imagined.
In the church, a student housing facility has started up. There are now seven students living here, and I feel much more comfortable with the growing activity throughout the evening in the large church building. A few times we have cooked together or just hung out.
I feel like this week, I haven't had any free time, but I dont think that will change until I get home.
What has been tough is missing out on babies being born and weddings happening while I have been here. It never gets easier thinking about the things that I am missing out on while I am here. I love sharing in moments like those with my friends and family. I know I have missed 8 months full of activities that I regret not being able to be a part of. However, I have had and continue to have an experience that is shaping me in ways that I could never have imagined.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Many apologies
I can come up with a bajillion excuses as to why I haven't updated this blog the entire month of March. I will start by apologizing.
The biggest news right now is that my parents are coming to visit in a week and a half! I am very excited for them to come see me and for them to get a taste of Uruguay. It is one thing to write blogs and tell people about my experience, but I feel like words do not do justice to everything that I am learning and seeing. For them to come will be a great experience for all of us... and I kind of miss them.
After 7 months out of the United States, I find myself with mixed emotions as the last 2 1/2 months fly by. It seems like everyday goes by faster than the day before.
The beginning of the school year marks the beginning of a new year in La Obra Ecumenica and a lot of excitement! There are many new faces in La Obra and new activities starting there. I am still working in the Study Center and the Children's Club. I enjoy recognizing faces from last year and seeing how La Obra functions in the begininning of the year with all of the planning. It was hard to understand how everything was run when I arrived in September, because they were in the last months of the schoolyear. Now, I can participate in the beginning of the year and have a better idea of all of the work and decisions made to prepare for the new year. One thing that I have really enjoyed is the field trips they take the kids on. They get the opportunity to see lots of Montevideo through La Obra and really see parts of the city they otherwise would not get to see. This March is dedicated to taking the kids to different parts of Montevideo. In April, activities like English, music, crafts, cooking, Italian (new this year with an Italian volunteer) will start.
I am amazed at how much I understand in the Spanish language now. I can finally feel a difference in my willingness to participate in conversations without fear of using incorrect grammar or being misunderstood. I recently went to the birthday party of my Spanish teacher whom I had not seen since mid-December and she and her husband were surprised at the difference in my Spanish.
The church Nuestro Salvador continues to prepare for its trip to Minnesota along with starting up all the regular activities for the new year. We have had a good group show up for Wednesday Bible studies on Ruth the past few weeks.
In other news, I started tango lessons last week. I go once a week for an hour and a half. Last week I proved to have two left feet. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
The biggest news right now is that my parents are coming to visit in a week and a half! I am very excited for them to come see me and for them to get a taste of Uruguay. It is one thing to write blogs and tell people about my experience, but I feel like words do not do justice to everything that I am learning and seeing. For them to come will be a great experience for all of us... and I kind of miss them.
After 7 months out of the United States, I find myself with mixed emotions as the last 2 1/2 months fly by. It seems like everyday goes by faster than the day before.
The beginning of the school year marks the beginning of a new year in La Obra Ecumenica and a lot of excitement! There are many new faces in La Obra and new activities starting there. I am still working in the Study Center and the Children's Club. I enjoy recognizing faces from last year and seeing how La Obra functions in the begininning of the year with all of the planning. It was hard to understand how everything was run when I arrived in September, because they were in the last months of the schoolyear. Now, I can participate in the beginning of the year and have a better idea of all of the work and decisions made to prepare for the new year. One thing that I have really enjoyed is the field trips they take the kids on. They get the opportunity to see lots of Montevideo through La Obra and really see parts of the city they otherwise would not get to see. This March is dedicated to taking the kids to different parts of Montevideo. In April, activities like English, music, crafts, cooking, Italian (new this year with an Italian volunteer) will start.
I am amazed at how much I understand in the Spanish language now. I can finally feel a difference in my willingness to participate in conversations without fear of using incorrect grammar or being misunderstood. I recently went to the birthday party of my Spanish teacher whom I had not seen since mid-December and she and her husband were surprised at the difference in my Spanish.
The church Nuestro Salvador continues to prepare for its trip to Minnesota along with starting up all the regular activities for the new year. We have had a good group show up for Wednesday Bible studies on Ruth the past few weeks.
In other news, I started tango lessons last week. I go once a week for an hour and a half. Last week I proved to have two left feet. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sometimes you just have to laugh.
It is hard to think about giving an update without sharing a not so fun story...
Last Wednesday I left Montevideo to go to Buenos Aires to meet up with the other YAGMs and Kate to do our second retreat. We were meeting in Buenos Aires then going on an 8 hour bus ride to a town called Sierra de la Ventana. While walking around Buenos Aires, I felt something fall on my head... yep! It was bird poop. Here they say it is good luck if a bird poops on you, but I never really believed that... nor did it prove to be true in my case. I walked around Buenos Aires for a few hours carrying a pretty heavy backpack that I had to go camping and clothes for a week. Well, we got to the bus station about 45 minutes early, so we had some time to waste. I left my backpack with a couple of the volunteers and went to check the Internet. While there, one of the girls came in and told me that my bag was STOLEN! So... the bus was leaving in 10 minutes... I went camping with no backpack and the clothes on my back. Thank goodness my passport and camera were in my purse that was with me! When we got to Sierra de la Ventana, Kate (our coordinator) was waiting for us and we had to tell her what happened. Then we went to a second-hand store to buy a couple things that would get me through the days camping.
This is me shopping for my camping clothes and the place where we went camping. We camped at the base of the mountain. The little hole in the mountain is where they get the name "Ventana" or "window." It was a beautiful place, but it got unusually cold and without my clothes and little tolerance for cold weather, I was chilled to the bone most of the trip. The day we hiked up to "La Ventana" was however a gorgeous day. I borrowed tennis shoes so I could hike in something other than flipflops. On the way down the mountain (that is very rocky) I fell on my face. Literally, ON MY FACE. It hurt.
The end.
While in these moments, I was not a happy camper (literally), I can now laugh and have some stories that I will remember for the rest of my life. I will just say I am happy to be "home" in Montevideo for now.
Last Wednesday I left Montevideo to go to Buenos Aires to meet up with the other YAGMs and Kate to do our second retreat. We were meeting in Buenos Aires then going on an 8 hour bus ride to a town called Sierra de la Ventana. While walking around Buenos Aires, I felt something fall on my head... yep! It was bird poop. Here they say it is good luck if a bird poops on you, but I never really believed that... nor did it prove to be true in my case. I walked around Buenos Aires for a few hours carrying a pretty heavy backpack that I had to go camping and clothes for a week. Well, we got to the bus station about 45 minutes early, so we had some time to waste. I left my backpack with a couple of the volunteers and went to check the Internet. While there, one of the girls came in and told me that my bag was STOLEN! So... the bus was leaving in 10 minutes... I went camping with no backpack and the clothes on my back. Thank goodness my passport and camera were in my purse that was with me! When we got to Sierra de la Ventana, Kate (our coordinator) was waiting for us and we had to tell her what happened. Then we went to a second-hand store to buy a couple things that would get me through the days camping.
This is me shopping for my camping clothes and the place where we went camping. We camped at the base of the mountain. The little hole in the mountain is where they get the name "Ventana" or "window." It was a beautiful place, but it got unusually cold and without my clothes and little tolerance for cold weather, I was chilled to the bone most of the trip. The day we hiked up to "La Ventana" was however a gorgeous day. I borrowed tennis shoes so I could hike in something other than flipflops. On the way down the mountain (that is very rocky) I fell on my face. Literally, ON MY FACE. It hurt.
The end.
While in these moments, I was not a happy camper (literally), I can now laugh and have some stories that I will remember for the rest of my life. I will just say I am happy to be "home" in Montevideo for now.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Carnaval and Artilleros Photos
I am putting up some pictures from Carnaval. This is celebrated throughout the month of February.
This is the parade of Las Llamadas (The Calls) Slavery existed here as well and the owners let the slaves get together occasionally and they would play drums and dress up on the same street where the parade is today.
The costumes are a little more intricate now than they were back then.
My favorite part of the night was seeing this guy in a WVU hat... I am sure he had no idea how awesome his hat is (I see lots of University shirts here but no one knows cares what team or university it is) or why I was taking his picture.
Saturday I went to Artilleros with a few people from the young adult group in the Waldensian church. It is a town on the river plate that is very small and relaxing.
Maria Noel, Karin (Pastor Wilma's daughter) and Me on the beach in Artilleros.
Right after sunset
Marcos, me, Maria Noel, Karin, Sara and Victor
A beautiful moon right before we returned to Montevideo
This is the parade of Las Llamadas (The Calls) Slavery existed here as well and the owners let the slaves get together occasionally and they would play drums and dress up on the same street where the parade is today.
The costumes are a little more intricate now than they were back then.
My favorite part of the night was seeing this guy in a WVU hat... I am sure he had no idea how awesome his hat is (I see lots of University shirts here but no one knows cares what team or university it is) or why I was taking his picture.
Saturday I went to Artilleros with a few people from the young adult group in the Waldensian church. It is a town on the river plate that is very small and relaxing.
Maria Noel, Karin (Pastor Wilma's daughter) and Me on the beach in Artilleros.
Right after sunset
Marcos, me, Maria Noel, Karin, Sara and Victor
A beautiful moon right before we returned to Montevideo
Loving your neighbor
One of the members in the congregation shared with us a Bible study a couple weeks ago and the questions at the end of the Bible study were simple, but they caused me to reflect, so I thought I would share them with you all.
What does it mean to love my neighbor AS MYSELF?
Am I doing enough to love my neighbor?
Have I chosen the neighbors I want to love and forgotten about the rest?
What does it mean to love my neighbor AS MYSELF?
Am I doing enough to love my neighbor?
Have I chosen the neighbors I want to love and forgotten about the rest?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Living a life of faithful Christian service...
Living in Uruguay has taught me a lot, but do I think that to live a life of faithful Christian service a person needs to leave the country or even city where they live? Absolutely not.
I often find myself getting caught up in tasks and trying to make myself useful by DOING these things that I think will help someone. I have come to realize that this attitude has probably prevented more than one conversation that would have been worth more than anything I could DO. It is not easy to admit that I have not taken advantage of every opportunity that God has presented me with to engage with the people I have encountered. Being more proficient in Spanish also helps with engaging, and I have found it easier to have conversations beyond my ability level in 2008. I look forward to what God has in store for me in the last four months here. I have made a promise to myself to put the people I encounter in front the task that is before me. I have a lot to learn from the people I encounter and pray that I will make more opportunities to do just that.
I often find myself getting caught up in tasks and trying to make myself useful by DOING these things that I think will help someone. I have come to realize that this attitude has probably prevented more than one conversation that would have been worth more than anything I could DO. It is not easy to admit that I have not taken advantage of every opportunity that God has presented me with to engage with the people I have encountered. Being more proficient in Spanish also helps with engaging, and I have found it easier to have conversations beyond my ability level in 2008. I look forward to what God has in store for me in the last four months here. I have made a promise to myself to put the people I encounter in front the task that is before me. I have a lot to learn from the people I encounter and pray that I will make more opportunities to do just that.
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