First Contact

After 2 unsuccessful attempts to make contact with Maranata (my internship site), I finally went today and actually had a meeting. It was short, but productive.. the best kind (though I have to admit, I did not much expect that!). As it turns out, we decided it wouldn't be a good idea to teach English and nothing was mentioned of Spanish literacy, but we did decide firstly, that I would go with Pipi on Thursdays for the women's Bible study. Cool. That'll be a few hours a week. Also, I'll probably lead a devotional of my own on Monday mornings to free Elvira (one of the directors) up to do administrative work. Also, on another day, I'll be leading some "workshops." Elvira was saying these women have a tough exterior shell due to the kinds of lives they've had. She said they don't even really know how to loosen up and have fun. So maybe I'll play games with them every other week. The idea was thrown out that we could watch a movie and discuss certain themes that go along with it, so it isn't just mindless entertainment. One of my favorite ideas (besides the games) was lessons in femininity. At first they were talking about life skills workshops, but i can't cook or sew .. or pretty much anything necessary for life. So I was a bit discouraged. But then she mentioned femininity. There are women in the program who don't know to to approach beauty. Some have worked the streets, others have been involved in drug trafficking and ganglife. So needless to say, ideas of beauty have been distorted. What I can do is teach them about how God sees them. Help them find their own beauty. They mentioned teaching them how to use makeup, paint their nails, wash their faces, do their hair. I feel like this would be a big sleepover drawn out over months. It'd be so much fun. I really need to think of a plan though. At first they were saying I should do 6 hours a week to get it all in before the end of my 3 months, but I need to do more than that so I can also focus solely on writing for the last two weeks, which is where the second devotional came in. I'm hoping to squeeze in 9-10 hours each week, otherwise I feel like I'm pushing it with trying to research and interview and everything with the Toba.

That's all I got so far, pray for the planning stages and that God will reveal to me my gifts and how I can be of use to Maranata.

Week 1: done.

So it's been a week, and today I found the blog of a fellow GLT-er in Nepal. Reading her blog really encouraged me to make this time count. I realized that for the most part, I've been holed up in my room, on facebook. Or wasting time on lame websites. Reading her blog opened up my eyes. The way she is experiencing Nepal and REALLY living inspires me to do the same. I don't want this to just be a study abroad where I learn some stuff. I want this to become home to me. I want to really know this place in a way no tourist can. I don't just want to get through it and go home. I'm here. And I want to be present in every single moment. I kinda wish I didn't have wifi in this house. It makes it so much more easy to waste time inside. Mackenzie talked about all the walking she's doing in Nepal. I have only walked a few blocks. This is my goal. Walk everyday. Know my surroundings. Know my neighborhood. Make friends with a neighbor. Or the man that owns the tiny store around the corner. Find a local cafe that I like. Learn to love the rain. I'm looking at a bird sitting one the telephone wire outside. It's pouring rain, and there he sits. I have an umbrella. Rain should not keep me indoors. And when I am indoors. Read. Spend time in the word. Read all the materials I have for school. Don't get behind. Don't procrastinate. Set deadlines. Achieve them. Get off of Facebook. From now on, three days a week. That's still a lot. But I'll ween myself down.



Father, forgive me for taking this experience for granted so far. Help me to really learn to live here. Heal me of my lame addiction to the internet. Give me motivation and discipline to follow through with all I've said.

Aquí

Pues, estoy aquí. After a very long couple of flights, I arrived Friday morning safely. Dan was not in the airport, so I followed his instructions to change my money, and then called him. He said he'd be there in half an hour. Not a problem. However, after reading up on Argentina, I learned that time is relative. So after an hour or so, I still wait. I arrived around 9 something, and it was about 11:30 when I decided if he didn't arrive before 12, I would call.

He finally came, but only after he had spent an hour looking for me in the airport. It turns out that most international flights arrive in a different terminal, but he had no way to get a hold of me. And I just expected him to be late, so woops on that. I'm already learning. Then we had a 4.5 hour drive to Rosario in what Dan says is pretty heavy traffic, due to the holiday on the 25th. Christina (la presidente) made it a 4 day weekend, so that folks would do some traveling. And traveling they are.

It was a loooong day after that. I arrived at their house and hung out with his daughters all day until we went to the high school group that Dan and Pipi help lead. Then I started fading fast. It became increasingly difficult to understand what was being said, though for the most part, I think I got it. In Argentine fashion, we left around midnight, and I went to bed as soon as I could. I slept for close to 13 hours. Never have I done that, but like I said long flights + long day+ time change+ new language = a very very VERY exhausted Tracy.

But Saturday was more relaxed. I ate, bathed, went to the supermarket, then hung out for a while. Then I was taken to my host family. I didn't realize how much English I had been around until then. It's gonna take a while to get it, but I'm doing okay, although sometimes it takes up to 3 repetitions for me to understand a question. And sometimes after all that, my response is simply sí. And I can't elaborate more.   Last night I went to the grupo de jóvenes, which is really the young adult group. It started at 10, I think. I don't know time anymore. I didn't think to pack a watch, and I don't use my phone anymore. I need to get a new one. Or a watch. But back to the story! The message (I think) was about dying to the flesh to be closer and more reliant on God. He used examples of Abraham, Ruth, Rahab, Dinah, and David. After that, we had pizza at the church, hung out, and then like we do at home, moved the party elsewhere. So at 1 am, we went to cafe guatemala for an hour or so. Then we came home and crashed. Except I woke up several times. At one point I was wide awake, but I don't know what time it was. I decided to go to the bathroom, but didn't know how to use it. Dang it. Oh well, I found out today.

We woke around noon, had coffee and bread, then I helped make the sauce for the spaghetti and then breaded/whatever it's coated in, the milanesa. Then we ate the spaghetti. But I was not very hungry. But I ate it all. Huy. I gotta learn to do some situps or pushups or something before then to get my metabolism going. It's raining. And lightening-ing. And thundering. I always like this weather, but only from indoors. Later we are going to church. And then probably going to eat late again. This is the eating schedule I must adapt to.


On a different note, I should start reading the assignments I need to be doing, because as of this moment, I have no idea.

Prayers? For communication, for clarity in my assignments, fooor learning the city, and adjusting to all this newness. Yup. That's it.

Chau!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'm all packed. I have just about everything I need. I leave in 12 hours for the airport.

And yet, it all seems strangely unreal to me.

I'm about to have one of the hardest summers of my life, and I feel almost nothing. Maybe it'll hit tomorrow. Maybe then I'll freak out. But I'm not really the freak out type. Who knows.




Prayers are not required; however, they are appreciated greatly.

Whom Then Shall I Fear?

So I should tell you. I know what God wants to do in me this summer. He wants to heal me from my fears. Fears of failure. Fears of rejection. Fears that are debilitating. Ones that keep me from trying.

And to do that, I will be put in all kinds of uncomfortable situations. Over and over again, I'm going to want to run away, shut down, cry, etc. But God is stronger. And because I learned this year that it's better not to shoulder everything alone, I am eliciting your prayers. Whenever you think of me, send up a prayer. Ask my Daddy to protect me and comfort me in whatever it is I am doing. Ask that he gives me peace. Ask that he do whatever he need to in order to change my life.

This is going to be a hell of a summer/winter. It will hurt, and I know it. But it will be good. Hey! It's kinda like a winter/summer metaphor. There will be times of brightness and warmth, where everything is wonderful. And there will be times of darkness and isolation, where I feel cold and alone.


It's a winter of a summer. But I know that God will give me the strength I need to push through. Easier said than done though, right?

But it's okay. It's always okay. I have a big God.