"Love is friendship set on fire" - Jeremy Taylor

The past two weeks were AMAZING. I don't have words to describe all that happened or that my eyes saw.

Our Buenos Aires Trip was pleasant. Our coordinators planned the trip very well (and fed us a bit too well!) We went to some museums, took some tours, ate (of course), went to artesan fairs, and had lots of free time. I was also able to accompany one of my friends, Miguel, to an event for his internship with Arcor, one of the main candy producers in Argentina. On Sunday night, all the UT students left, except for me, Shivani, Ashley, Albert, and Denise because we were taking the week to do some travelling.

And so our journey to the south began Monday...

First stop, Puerto Madryn.

Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect anywhere. Why? Because I really hadn't done any research about Argentina. I know - that sounds really bad. On the bright side, I wasn't disappointed that I didn't get to see something I really wanted to!

Our first day in Puerto Madryn, we took a trip to see the sea lions, or some animal that looked like sea lions. It was pretty sweet because we were right on the beach next to them, crouching low so they wouldn't feel threatened.

Our second day, we took an excursion to see the whales. Unfortunately, the waves were really strong, so we weren't able to to go out to sea on a boat. But we did see some whales jump from the beach!

From Puerto Madryn, we took a bus to Neuquen, and from Neuquen to Bariloche.

I was definitely not prepared for Bariloche.

Each time I opened my eyes on the bus trip to Bariloche, the scenery got even more beautiful.

Barren land to clay colored mountains to snow topped mountains surrounded by icy blue waters. I felt that it was all so unreal.

I instantly fell in love with Bariloche. The cold didn't even bother me because the scenery was breathtaking. On the first day, we took an excursion to Tronador - a glacier a few hours from our hostel. It's called tronador because you can often hear it rumble, like thunder. It shifts a lot because it's on water. Getting to the glacier was a lot of fun. We were on a little bus with a guide and people from Brazil, different parts of Argentina, England, U.S., and France. I must say, if it weren't for the French, I don't think the excursion would have been as fun. When we made our first stop, Shivani and I decided to play in the snow, even though we were frozen. We rolled down a little snow hill, and the French guys started a snowball fight with us that lasted the entire day (continued on our various stops throughout the day), and eventually even the people who probably thought that we were acting like little kids couldn't help but join in the fun of the snowball fight =)

Leaving deep imprints in the snow, we journeyed to El Tronador. When I first saw the gray mound of ice in the water - I was in disbelief. Was that really all ice? It was. For about 25 minutes, we still played in the snow while admiring the glacial creation. Because of all the racket we made, we didn't hear el tronador until we decided to have about 5 minutes of silence to remember the moment. As we were leaving and our backs were towards el tronador, we heard a great thunder. I thought it was going to rain heavily, and I definitely thought I'd be sick the next day. But the guide told us that was the sound of the glacier moving - it was incredible!

Snow!

It's snowing outside =)

Right now we're in Bariloche, Patagonia. Each time I opened my eyes on the journey from Neuquen to Bariloche, the scenery got more and more beautiful.

Just walking from our hostel to the nearby kiosk, Shivani and I had to stop in our tracks as we saw snow-topped mountains right across the icy blue lake. Simply amazing.

We're about to go on an excursion to see a glacier - I'll update later.

Precious

I'm in Buenos Aires right now, and I just turned in a paper.

I'm in shock. My heart feels for his family. He was so young. God, please be with the Patel family.

Life is so precious.

Tonight, I am going with Ashley, Shivani, Denise, and Albert to the south. We're going to see God's creation.

It'll be a time to reflect as well.

Sometimes we just don't understand things.

Dia de los amigos y mas (Friend's Day and more)

Friendship Day here is very important, and this year, it was celebrated last Sunday, July 20th. In all the shops, little friend's day gifts are sold - there are even cards specifically made for this day! I thought it was such a great idea and wondered why we don't have friendship day in America. After some research, (and I hope my sources are correct), in 1935, the U.S. Congress established the first Sunday of August official "Friendship Day," and who is our friendship ambassador? Why none other than our very own...Winnie the Pooh!

I felt like friendship day lasted more than a week, but I enjoyed it =)

Two Thursdays ago, I went over to Julie's house after work. Julie is one of the secretaries in Fundacion Causana. I met two of her brothers and her mom, who has an awesome mate collection. Her 10 yr old younger brother is so cute! He had his friend over too, and he told me how he was learning English in school and seemed happy to be talking to me with the ltd English that he knew =) He even showed me his English grammar and vocabulary tests! Anyway, then Julie and I walked to Andrea Franchescini's to get some ice cream, which is supposed to be muy rico (very rich)! We met one of Julie's friend's on the way, Gino, who is Argentine but lives in Miami and was just on vacation in Argentina at the time.

On Friday, I went with Jorge downtown. Jorge is a volunteer at Fundacion Causana who used to work at Causana, but now he works at a school. Anyway, Jorge knows a lot about the city of Cordoba, and we just walked around downtown and he told me some history. No one knows if this is true, but it is said that there are many escape tunnels underground Cordoba, but why - I can't remember. We ate a delicious meal at Il Gatto, and then I met UT students up at Angeles. From there, we walked to Sha's, a restaurant and then went to a boliche for Brandon's birthday. Oh my...what craziness. I believe there were more than 20 UT students there and we also met some other U.S. kids. I got sleepy, so I slept for a little bit. Yeah...I don't know...the music didn't bother me? But I believe Jeb, Shivani, and I got home at about 6am?? Never again. I realize, I like my sleep, and I like being proactive during the day =)

Then I woke up at 11:45am. Shivani and I had lunch with another Argentine friend, Jessica, in Patio Olmos at El Hombre que Fue Jueves. Since it was the Saturday evening before Friend's Day, there was a lot of activity going on that night. Some students had dinner at Sushi Club, but I went to spend the night at Karina's place. She had about 7 friend's over, most of who were about 30 yrs old. Her father and one of her friend's were cooking an asado...yummy...lots of roast meat, lol =) When I was eating some salad, her dad came and put fish on my plate. He cooked fish for me after realizing that I don't eat meat! Isn't that sweet?
After dinner, we ate Grido's ice cream =) Mmmmm. I love ice cream. Then we played pictionary/charades, women vs men. I had to draw "La Aldea" or "The Village" and act out "El Juego del Miedo", both of which my team guessed! Obviously, the women won, haha. We talked for a little while, and then slept at about 4:30am.

8am. We all went to church (Manatiel de la Vida) early the next morning. The service started at about 10am, but it was about 1/2 hr from Kari's house. I got back to my house at about 3pm. Then Vale and I ate at Betos...mmmm!!! Delicious! I ate lomito vegetal (vegetarian sandwhich with eggplant and vegetables). And I tried a little eggs and fries. In the evening, Jeb, Shivani, and I went to watch Batman. Ok, that movie was crazy. El guason was psycho!! And I only found out he was Heath Ledger after the movie.

It was a wonderful friend's day weekend.

During the week at work, we all had one Amigo Invisible. There was a box at the front desk in which we put our "pista" or hint for our friend. Everyone just gave some little candy with a note attached to it. My invisible friend wrote his note in English, so during the week, I tried to figure out who could speak English. The grammar wasn't perfect, so I knew it wasn't my boss. Anyway, then Friday was our celebration at work. Everyone brought their friend a present. Each person had to guess who their invisible friend was before opening the gift. My invisible friend was Misael and he gave me mate with a bombilla and containers for yerba and sugar!! I thought that was very nice and and thoughtful. I only started liking mate with sugar at work. Mate amargo is without sugar. It's like a very bitter green tea. Shivani came with me to my work party, and I went to spend the night at her house after we got back.

Yesterday, Saturday, I woke up at about 12pm. Gosh, Shivani and I had such a relaxing day. Shiv made french toast for us, which was mmm - delicious. We watched "She's the Man", and then took a VERY long walk. I believe we left the house at about 5pm, and got back at around 9pm? We stopped at places on the way that looked interesting to us. Our goal was to get to Caseratto, which was supposed to have scrumptious desserts. On the way, we stopped at Disco and a baby store. On the way back, we stopped at an empanada place, and had two vegetarian empanadas. Empanadas look like samosas, but the choices for the filling inside included cheese and tomato, roquefort and albaca, and cebolla and cheese. Later on at night, Ashley, Alicia, Shivani and I went to El Arrabel, where tango shows are held Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The show was fantastic! Although, I realized that the tango dance is not that entertaining to watch. I prefer salsa =) The singers had such strong voices, and the dancers were sophisticated. The place was elegant and there were visitors from Brazil, Canada, Holland, France, and many other places. My friend from Holland was there also!! After the show, we went to meet up with some UT students at Mitre. After getting a little tired of techno, Shiv and I came home and drank some suave coffee before going to sleep. For some reason, coffee puts me to sleep...

It is now Sunday! I'm uploading some photos, but now Shiv and I are going to do some yoga. (Her mom is a yoga instructor and has a yoga room!) Tonight, Shiv and I are going to go to church with David and Vanesa, y despues vamos a charlar en un restaurante (we're going to chat in a restaurant!).

Ciao!

My typical day

The past two weeks have just flown by. Everyday is packed from morning to night. So typically during the weekdays, M-F, I wake up between 6:30 and 7:30. Then I either go to the gym or go straight to work. If I don't go to the gym in the morning, then I force myself to go after work - which can be hard. By the time gym and work are finished, I either have to go somewhere or I go talk to David and Vanesa at the kiosk. By that time, it's between 9 and 10pm, and Vale finishes work at 9pm. I set the table, and we start eating between 9:30 and 10:30. (People eat reallllly late here). Then I usually talk to my AMAZING family and do a little reading, and alas, it's time for bed.

Now you know about my typical weekday =)

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James

So, I'm pretty sure when the bus stopped and a guy bumped into me, he said, "my bad!". English!! I was surprised and wanted to ask him where he was from, but I was too sleepy - it was 7:50 am. I know, that was random. But that's ok, that's what I am - random =)



More important, when I was writing my industry paper for my internship, I came upon this website
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18. It gives some statistics about our disabled population in the world. I didn't realize that about 10% of the world's population is disabled -making them the world's largest minority. Many of us have disabilities. Not having perfect vision is a disability. Not being able to speak the language of a country you're inhabiting is a disability. However, when it comes to encountering people with more severe disabilities - those that prevent one from living a normal lifestyle - we tend to feel a little more uncomfortable. Why? Because we don't encounter people with severe disabilities daily. You know, I was scared at first - but I've been so fortunate to have wonderful friends and family that have encouraged me so much!

I think my dear friend, Lisa Khan, has been an angel on helping me with encouragement:
"I want to tell you something about the kids that scare you sometimes. I was thinking about it, and you should always remember that they never mean to scare you. They have the best intents in their heart and to express a single thought may be hard for them. The way they express their thoughts or personality may be different from yours, but you must work on being empathetic. It's so easy for us to let people know how we feel or what they think, but it's so hard for disabled children to do so. Imagine how difficult it must be to not properly display that you're happy or something scares you. Empathy is different from sympathy. You must be actively trying to understand and conquer your fears in order to be empathetic and truly understand. You're a brave girl, and I know your heart is big. Keep working on it! Part of their comfort is knowing that you're trying as hard as they are instead of standing and watching. =)"

She's absolutely right. For the past week, I have been trying to put myself in their shoes. Trying to understand how they feel. Trying to imagine how it may frustrate them that I don't always understand what they want or how they feel. I really have to pay attention to their actions and sounds.

About me...I don't mind messy, but dirty has really never appealed to me. Every morning the kids are given baths. Someone brushes their teeth and combs their hair. (Like I mentioned earlier, they are really taken care of). Almost gourmet food is prepared every day. None of that frozen stuff. The food is also very healthy. The other day, I watched Maria prepare hand-squeezed orange juice! However, while being fed/trying to feed themselves and throughout the day, the kids dirty themselves. They put their hands in their mouths; they can't blow their nose, but we try to clean them up as much as possible. Nevertheless, no matter how dirty the kids get, none of this bothers anyone who works with them. The kids are showered with hugs and kisses. I, on the other hand, have kept a little bit of distance.

Anyway, yesterday, I helped out Marcela with group 2. We played handmade instruments =) Well, there is this one boy, Nicholas, who would not stop crying! He was all wet with tears and saliva. But even so, Marcela took him in her arms. She was just like a mother - soft but strict. I thought - I would feel so uncomfortable. I'd probably be worried about getting dirty... Then I thought of Lisa's words and "WWJD" -and as he cried, I comforted him, putting aside my fears of getting wet/having mucus on my clothes, and just held him. And I felt an instant peace. This is what God wanted me to do, and what He wanted to teach me.

Yesterday, I helped Genaro, a little boy of 12 years, walk to the kitchen. I felt him really leaning on me, and I was touched. That's what we do in this world - we lean on each other. Friends help friends, and we are there for each other in times of happiness and sadness.

Ay, que linda dia! (What a beautiful day) Updates

Rachel's coming in August!!

Weather
July is supposed to be the coldest month.

This morning I wore shorts and a tshirt and I was hot! Apparently, the weather is behaving oddly. The glaciers in Patagonia, down south, are breaking. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous - but it's happening at the wrong time.

I'm loving the weather, but I'm not sure if it's actually a good thing that it's warm right now? Global warming? I don't really know.

Church
Last weekend, my very sweet friend, Agustin, told me that they were having a special night at his church (which I've been to a couple of times), and asked if I wanted to sing a song with him in English. We sang "Amazing Love", which he later told me was one of his favorite songs. Agustin and I sang while his brother played the guitar, and afterwards I explained the song in Spanish. What I thought was so awesome was that everywhere in the world, we sing these praise songs to the same God, in so many different languages, but they all have the same meaning and we all just want to show God we love Him. Sometimes we have different "feelings" because we're not necessarily comfortable in a different setting that we're used to (for example, a different church). As I started the song, I was a little scared - maybe because I wasn't singing in front of OneWay people, but then I remembered that I'm singing for God. Not for anyone else, and not for the "feelings".

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

Amazing love, How can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love,I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

You are my King
Jesus You are my King

-Chris Tomlin

Swimming
I started swimming this week, and it's been...fun! I always thought swimming was such a hassle, but I figured if I'm going to take a conditioning class in the fall, I better start swimming in the summer. (Plus, I think I put on a few pounds here, and I really don't want to return to the U.S. feeling guilty.)

People
I've realized that everyone is going to have really different cultural experiences while they're here in Cordoba. I'm always so tired at nights and don't feel like going to centro to do anything. I felt kind of sad that I live so far from centro - although I absolutely love living with Valeria. But I'm quite content now! I've gotten to meet so many people in the gym, stores, buses, mall, etc. I love it. I think I spend most of my time talking/listening to people. Almost everyday now, I visit my friends, Vanessa and David, at the kiosk by my house. They are such sweet, God-fearing people, and I hope to come back to Cordoba for their wedding =) I'm trying to teach David a little bit of English before I leave so they can come to the U.S. one day.
Jessica is a girl that used to work at a store near my house. She studied abroad in Canada for about a year and speaks perfect English. Also a sweetheart.
Kari - my speaker partner is still an angel. I went to her house a few weeks ago and met her dad, and we all ate ice cream together. =) I love ice cream.

Movies
I used to sleep in almost all movies. But now, I love watching movies. I actually stay awake through all of them! I thought that dubbing would bother me, but Shivani and I have watched a few English movies dubbed in Spanish - and it doesn't bother me at all. (Although I still like Spanish subtitles - it's easier to read!) Chicas Malas (Mean Girls) was the first movie we watched in Spanish with Veronique and Kim. Others include Encantada (Enchanted), Diario de una Pasion (The Notebook), The Lizzie Mcguire Movie (I can't believe I'm admitting that). Ok - I gotta go meet Kari now, more updates to come!

Walmart

Iguazu Falls, Dangerous Mountain climbing, zipline, Point of three countries...

Ahh, at last. I sank into my ever-so comfortable front seat of our bus. We were on our way to Iguazu!! Well...at least I hoped so. I didn't want to get my hopes up. You know, just incase we didn't get there for some reason or another. The roads were supposed to be clear, but you never know the future.



Shivani and I sat on the top level of the bus. Our view through the huge windows infront of us was spectacular. It was more comfortable than the seats in the plane, and much cheaper. So, they decided to show August Rush, one of my favorite movies, in the morning. Unfortunately, we got to Misiones before the movie was even half way through =( Ok, enough about the bus.



When we got to Misiones...22 hours later, we walked in the rain to our little hostel. (I was quite happy - 55 pesos per person for 2 nights). The toilet worked when it decided to. There were 7 beds for us kids - Denise, Colin, Albert, Jenny, Spencer, Shivani, and me. The only thing was - I found either droppings or a few bugs in my bed. Yep - so I decided to sleep with Shivani.



After a nice lunch, we went to this forest place for some little tour. We learned a little bit about animal traps, and then we had our adventures...



As I looked at the dangerous mountain in front of me, I almost wet myself. I was about to climb it. We all were. Those jagged rocks were eager to tear through my jeans and leave scars on my legs and arms. Would I have the strength to climb it?



Ok, it wasn't that bad =D It was like 75 feet high, and took less than 5 minutes to climb. And we had protective gear. I actually didn't feel like I climbed it at all. (I'm pretty sure the people who worked there pulled us up most of the way!)



Then we did the zipline twice. That was thrilling. I almost felt like Tarzan, screaming through the jungle.



The boat ride. Serene. We cruised the river with Argentina on one side, and Brazil on the other. The sky was again streaked with pink and baby blue with white cotton candy interrupting the flow. Shivani and I stood at the head of the boat feeling the cold air rush past our faces. We got to the the Triple Point - well, I think it was the Triple Point in the river. Argentina was to our left, Paraguay in front of us, and Brazil to our right. Amazing.



The next day was reserved to see the falls. I had absolutely no idea what the falls were going to look like. I knew that I love waterfalls, but I was not prepared for the magnificence of what I would encounter that day.



We took the Great Adventure tour. So first, we went in a bus like vehicle with a tourguide telling us about the forest...I think. I actually don't remember anything she said. I was too excited about the falls.



When we got to the boats, we were given waterproof bags to put our belongings in. This was some serious water prevention. I wondered how wet we were going to get...
I believe we were in a speedboat? But I could be wrong. In any case, it was a fast boat.
We sped through the river with beautiful greenery on either side of us. An occasional little water fall spurted from the forest. I was not prepared to turn the corner.

I almost stopped breathing when I saw the magnificence of the falls. I wondered what the first people felt when they discovered these falls. Pictures that you may see will not do it justice. Only God could do this.
The beauty cannot be described. Even now, I have a mental picture, but feel it was only a dream. I see shades of deep green all around me with rapidly moving white streaks- the water fell so fast; it was almost competing to reach the bottom.

God is mighty.

update...

it's been a long time since I've updated, even though I have so much to say! Unfortunately, I can't right now - but in the next couple of days - I will write about the last couple of weeks.

Falling/Embarrasing Bus Rides...

Bruised. I think God's telling me to slow down.

A few days ago, as I was walking to the bus stop, I saw the bus coming...not far off. I still had to cross the street. So I did so, running, and barely made it on the bus.

The next day, the same thing happened. Only this time, I was a few feet away from the bus when the bus driver decided to close the door and continue on his way. But I kept running, so he stopped. Unfortunately, I was so excited that I didn't miss the bus, that I tripped and hit my knee as soon as I got on the bus. That's not all. Then I tried to swipe my card. 40 centavos. Not enough. A bus ride is 1.5 pesos. I switched my cards (because I had two, and I knew one had credit), but alas, it showed 40 centavos yet again. (I thought I had switched the cards, but I actually swiped the same one again). That exact same thing happened one more time before I finally switched the cards for real. Credit left after swiping the card: 13.50 pesos. Ahh...safe. However, after I got on the bus, I was too embarrassed to look at anyone's faces so I firmly stared out the window until I started laughing to myself. Gosh, I can be such a clutz!

That evening Kim, Veronique, and Shivani came over to hang out and watch a movie. We got our dulce de leche cappuchino and had a ball, singing and "playing" guitar. Well, we were watching the movie upstairs in Vale's room when the phone rang downstairs. I didn't hear it at first, so when I did, I ran to get it because no one else was home. Next thing I know, I was sitting on my sore cachetas. I slipped on the first two stairs and fell down, saved only by the bar next to the stairs (which actually isn't very stable - I bent it). If I didn't instinctively grab the bar, I would have tumbled down the stairs, which wouldn't have been very pretty. When I went to bed, for the first time in weeks, I didn't fall asleep almost instantly. I had to thank God for saving me. I hit my head when I fell and my back's a bit sore, but nothing serious. It could've been much worse.

I had this feeling. After all this running and falling, etc., I think God is telling me to slow down in life. I'm the kind of person that is always on the go. I need to...breathe.

Las Huelgas - The Strikes!!!!

Gosh...it's so weird to be in a country when there are strikes going on! A few days ago, I was watching the news in the gym, and I saw trucks blocking the roads. The government brought out the military. I believe a few people were slightly injured...

I pray that all the students get back to Cordoba safely today.

Right now, from 8-8:15, the whole country is uniting in trying to tell the government and the farmers to come to an agreement. For 15 minutes, people around the country are doing three things 1) turning off all their house lights, 2) hitting pots/pans, 3) honking their car horns. It's sooo loud outside.

On Saturday, Shivani and I counted about 50 cars waiting in line to fill up gas. I just got a text from Shivani saying that today she counted 72 cars waiting in line!!!!

Shiv and I decided to interview someone at the back of the line on Saturday. The guy we chose to interview works for Schlumberger, and he goes to Sugar Land every few months! How crazy is that! We talked outside and then had coffee in the nearby cafe.

When I went to the grocery store, there were limits on the amount of food you can buy. Most said that you can take a maximum of three units per family for items like bread, milk, eggs, and much more. There was no vegetable oil. It was so strange...

Pray that there will be peace between the farmers and the government.

Las Sierras - Cuesta Blanca

Yesterday morning, Shivani and I went with other students to Las Sierras - Cuesta Blanca. It was the first non-program trip I took, and I didn't want to believe I was going until I actually got there. (Although I think the government put an end to the strikes.) I was really excited about being in the mountains while getting to know other students (Preston, Agnes, Ashley, Tony, Jeb "Ozulitos", Priya, Jared). The bus ride up to the sierras took 1 1/2 hrs. First, we ate lunch on the rocks by the river. Shivani wanted to eat her lunch on a rock in the middle of the river. So, being so courageous, she jumped onto a rock, and "splash!" she slipped... Pobrecita, she was wet the whole day. Although we couldn't find the waterfall, the area was absolutely gorgeous. We struggled together through thorns and had fun all the way through. We climbed to what it seemed was a deep well and sat and admired nature for a little while before we climbed to safety. We relaxed, ate and drank for a little while before we headed back home.

Nature is amazing.

Volunteer Day at Fundacion Causana

Last Saturday afternoon, about 6 students from the program went to volunteer at Fundacion Causana, where I'm interning. At first, I wasn't sure how all the students would react when they met the patients because on my first day, I was scared. The volunteer coordinator spoke a little about Fundacion Causana, and then we took at tour of the house.

After the tour, it was time to take the kids from the dining room to the little park outside. Andres, one of the more handicapped patients, was making really loud noises. I heard someone say, "That's kind of scary." He's the only patient I am still a little scared to approach. (Actually, now I'm scared of another boy at the home. He doesn't sit still. One day, I was sitting close to him, and he pulled my hair and grabbed my arm really hard. The thing is, he didn't realize what he was doing, which made me feel really sad...)

I could tell that some of the students were a little uncomfortable at first. I could see the same nervous smiles that I had on my first day at Fundacion Causana. When I took the hand of one of the girls, she had a broad smile on her face, which made my day. This is the same girl that I was scared to take to wash her hands because she kept staring at me without uttering a word.

All the students were GREAT with the kids. We played with the kids, talked to them (they couldn't say anything back, but you could tell that they cared), danced with them, sang... My heart melted when I saw Mark tickling one of the boys. I've never seen the little boy laugh like that! I remember Kelvin playing games with a boy. Sometimes it's really hard to know if you're making a difference to the kids. My eyes were fixated on one boy, Jose Louis. (I later found out that he has the same birthday as me!) He was just so precious. I started singing to him and holding his hand. I didn't know if he was listening or could feel my hand. He sat limply, his eyes staring into space and his head bent to the side. After about 5 minutes, I got up to go to another kids, but then I felt a hand grab my finger. I was moved. We were making a difference in their lives. We were showing them love.

Speaking Partner and Church

Since we didn't get to go to Iguazu last weekend, I got to spend time with my speaking partner, who's extremely agradable (amiable?). On Friday, we went to Casa Tomada (I think that's the name...) On the first floor there were little artesan shops, and on the second floor, there were two restaurants. It seemed kind of shady because there was hardly anyone in the restaurant, and it was 10:30pm. (People eat REALLY late here.) But, when we left at about 12am, the place was packed! She invited me to go to church with her on Saturday night - I was soo excited. It was just like a OneWay large group meeting, but in Spanish. It's so amazing that we worship God in many different languages, but He understands them all. Afterwards, everyone was so welcoming and excited that I was there. We talked a lot, and drank sweet mate and ate criolles.

Despues, my speaking partner, one of her friends, and I went to a little restaurant. It was getting late, (but still early for Argentines), but I went to Mooj's afterwards to meet with Shim. There was a Model United Nations Conference that weekend, and Shim's interning with OAJNU, who helped put together the conference. After the conference, they held a party. When I walked in, I thought I was going to suffocate from all the smoke. It seems like everyone in Argentina smokes! We left early, well...I think late, but I was ready to crash.

Internship - Fundacion Causana, First Week

I don't know where to start. Tears flow from my eyes, just thinking how great God is.

When I walked to Fundacion Causana from the bus stop, I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I thought, Are the people there going to be nice? What if they talk too fast, and I don't understand them? What am I going to have to do? The secretary opened the door with a smile on her face. I explained that I'm the pasante, or intern. She took me to my boss, who is extremely nice. He talked about Fundacion Causana and showed me around the place.

Fundacion Causana was opened in 2000, and it is a home dedicated to providing better lives to the handicapped. There are 23 people living there, 21 youth and 2 adults, who have physical/mental disabilities. The two female women, who are older than 50, can talk, but they think they are young girls. The residents are split into 3 groups: group 1 is in the weakest condition and group 3 is in the best condition. There is more than 30 professional staff who show an incredible amount of love to all the residents there. The residents are helped with speech, hearing, senses, physical therapy, and much more. These professionals are so loving- it's incredible. Most of the residents are there because their families can't take care of them.

So, after talking to my boss, I helped group 1 out with morning activities. I was scared. I didn't know how to react to the kids. I've never actually interacted with physically/mentally handicapped people before. I didn't know how to act or what to say, so I just smiled uncomfortably while praying for God to help me know what to do. There was one boy who kept making really loud noises all day long, which really scared me for some reason...

First, they did saludos, or greetings, like Hola! Hoy es un buen dia. Estoy contenta! (Hello! Today is a good day. I am happy!) Then, we went on an excursion to show them the outdoors. We drove in a van for about an hour and saw the sierras - gosh, they were absolutely gorgeous! The kids behaved pretty well in the car. When we got back, the kids were given colacion (sp?), which is like a mid-morning healthy snack. I then helped them with putting blocks together. I felt really awkward because I didn't understand what exactly was wrong with each person. There was a really nice employee who was telling me what to do, but I got confused because he talked really fast. When he told me that I actually need to hold one of the boys hands and physically help him put the blocks together, I got nervous. I didn't know if I was holding too tightly; I didn't know if I was doing too little to help or too much.
After that, it was time for lunch. I was asked to take one of the girls to wash her hands. I started holding her arms and pulled her a little, but she didn't budge. I tugged a little harder, and she took one step. I thought it would take like 10 minutes to get to the bathroom. On top of that, I was a little scared by the way she was staring at me. One of the employees explained that if I move faster, the girl will also. So I did.

That was my first day. I arrived nervous, and I left nervous. I asked God to strengthen me so that I wouldn't be scared the following day.

On my second day, I just stayed with the two physical therapists, and learned a lot about the patients through them. I saw how they helped the patients, trying to improve their motor skills and strengthening their bodies. They spend about 45 minutes with each resident. For those whose hands curl up, they wear "ferulas," to straighten out their hands. Most of the patients have cerebral palsy combined with something else. They are just so precious. I wanted to take home a little boy of two years and just hug him for hours...

One boy came into the physical therapy room with his shoelace undone. When he was sitting/lying down, I tied his shoelace. When I stood up, the boy was holding onto my arms. Compassion filled my heart. These children are like other children - they need love.
It truly has amazed me how much love is shown to these residents. The staff treats them like they would treat their own children. They play with them, give them kisses, talk to them sweetly, clean their noses...

I left happy, thankful for all the staff there who have such warm hearts. I pray that God will show me how He wants to use me here.

God in this City

You're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darknes
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
and greater things are still to be done
in this city

Greater things have yet to come
and greater things are still to be done
in this city

-Chris Tomlin lyrics

Somewhere I read, "Passion=whatever it takes." It reminds me not to give up on the passion God has instilled in my heart.

Road Block!

Hay Caramba! Habia una huelga, y por eso no pudimos ir a las Cataratas de Iguazu! (There was a strike, so we didn't go to Iguazu Falls last night.) Our other friends went on the 1 o'clock bus, so they were stuck for about 4 hours on the road before they were able to pass through. Our bus was supposed to be at 7:30pm. But when we talked to the bus company at the station, they told us the bus isn't going to leave because of the road block. There are a lot of strikes going on in Argentina. You can never be sure that you're going to get to your desired destination! Haha...we had a good laugh though. We're here for about 2.5 more months, so we'll try again another weekend. As I was told, "It's another cultural experience!"

All Things Bright and Beautiful...

My grandma used to sing this hymn when my sister and I were younger. Still, I remember most of the lyrics and it reminds me how great God is. Today I will be going to Iguazu Falls and have heard that it is truly breathtaking. God made those rushing falls, and he also made the little flowers outside.

"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountains,
the river running by,
the sunset and the morning
that brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden:
God made them every one.

God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well."

Words by Cecil F. Alexander

Little Summary of 1st Two Weeks

Besos...
Kiss on the cheek. That's the greeting here-and I love the love here! People are generally very warm, and it's always exciting to meet new people. I'm pretty sure that when I go back to America, I'm going to want to kiss everyone on the cheek when I see them. (A warning!)

It's Cold...
Well, it's been 2 weeks since I've been in Argentina-and I'm having a wonderful time! I have to admit, I was really homesick at first. I was cold (well, I still am) and just wanted to sit in a warm room for at least half an hour. I think I only know one of my friends who has central heating heating. That big marshmellow jacket? Yep, I wear that a lot, although recently the weather hasn't been too bad. It did snow here in Cordoba last Wednesday though! It didn't settle, but still- it snowed. I can't be sure if I've actually put on weight or not because I'm ALWAYS wearing soooo much clothing, haha.

However, in the midst of all this cold - my weakness for ice cream is really strong... One day, I was one of 3 customers in a Grido store (Una heladeria - ice cream store). One of the other customers was one of my friends.

First Impressions...
When we drove away from the airport into the Central Cordoba - I was a little sad. I felt like it was a mixture of England and India. - Not that I don't like India or England- I just expected to see something very different. There are a lot of little stores everywhere, but the city is not as clean as England. I think I expected to see old historic buildings with great architecture...but I think I'll have to go to Spain to see that! Now I've learned to love the city in all it's uniqueness. It has its own personality.

Home/Buses...
I don't live near downtown though. I live in a relatively nice neighborhood called ¨Villa Belgrano.¨ It's about a 35-40 minute bus ride to downtown, where I have my class in Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. So I thought UT was big. UNC has more than 100,000 students! Since I do live far from downtown, I spend a great deal of time just riding the bus, which can be a little bit frustrating when you have to stand the whole time and can't keep your balance! Also, I have to keep my backpack in front of me, or put a lock on it. Yeah...gotta be careful in Cordoba!

So, everytime you use the bus, it costs one cospel - they don't accept money on the bus, which is a primary method of transportation for many people. One cospel is now equivalent to 1.50 pesos. The price changed on Sunday from 1.20 pesos to 1.50 pesos. 1 dollar equals about 3 pesos. You have to buy cospeles at kiosks located all around the city. I got a card that I just put a certain amount of money on, which is the alternate to paying with cospeles. I have to ride the bus at least 3 times per day Monday-Thursday. Home to work, work to class, class to home. I will never take for granted free bus transportation in Austin!!

Nightlife...
I get tired really early - about 11ish, so it's really hard for me to see nightlife in Argentina. So in Austin, you might go out 11ish and come back 2 or 3ish. 2am is when Argentinans start going out, and they don't get back until like 7am!

I did go to a jazz concert downtown and had a wonderful time. The saxophonist and clarinist were amazing. "The Small Jazz Band" also had someone playing the banjo! Oh- one day I was on the bus, and I heard "With or Without You" by U2 playing on the radio, which reminded me of ISA Talent show rehearsals. Also, when I went to a rock cafe, some of my fav. songs were played, like Hero by Enrique Iglesias and Unchained Melody by Righteous Brothers...Mmmm, I love music.

My Host Family and Food!
I love my host mom! She is 29 years old and very caring. I have found myself having long, and actually meaningful conversations (in Spanish!) with her on different occasions. She is an amazing cook, and I we eat a healthy variety of food. So my mom sent different Indian spices, like tumeric, etc with me. One day, I came home, and my host mom had made masoor daal - one of my favorites!! She didn't even realize that she cooked it almost exactly like ma does at home. The funny part was when she asked if I wanted cheese with it. Well, I decided to do something different, and I ate it with cheese! It was actually really good.

My host mom's housemate is also extremely sweet. She worked abroad in Colorado, so she knows the challenges that one faces when you're living abroad and not fluent in the language. She's really helped me with my Spanish.

She has a dog, named Vicente, who looks like a black lab. He always stays outside the house because I'm allergic to dogs. The strange thing is, I've started to like him! He's a cute dog and very enthusiastic.

Nature...
Me encanta nature! When it's sunset here, the sky is absolutely gorgeous - una mezcla de azul y rosado (a mixture of blue and pink). I know we see this in America, but I have noticed the brilliance of the pink streaks blended into the blue sky so much more here.

Last weekend, our group went to the Jesuit Missions, which were nice to see. Then we travelled through the mountains until we got to a really nice restaurant in the middle of nowhere. There was a fire going, so we warmed ourselves up by the fireplace before sitting down.
So, I'm not sure the concept of vegetarian really exists. Argentina is the biggest meat-eating country in the world. About 5 of us told the waiters that we are vegetarians. They said, "ok!" But then they brought us ravioli with something that looked like ham. When I asked if it had meat, the waiter said, "No, no. Solamente tiene un poquito jamon!" (Which means, "It only has a a little ham.") So, they brought us something else. Guess what? This time it had chicken in it!! We had a laugh and then just ended up eating desserts.

There were also beautiful llamas right near the restaurant that you can see in my pictures.

There is so much more that I could write, but I should actually sleep now. Tomorrow I'm going to Iguazu Falls, and Monday I have an exam. I just started my internship and have a lot to write about that too.

The sun has gone to bed and so must I -from "So Long, Farewell"