Oh So Forgetful.

I meant to include some of our stats from the summer in the previous post, so here ya go:

638 people heard the Gospel

26 new brothers and sisters in Christ:

Angelica

Eliana

Julia 

Milagros

Maria

Estela

Florencia

July

Pamela

Juan

Laura

Natalia

Carol

Laura

Estrella

Sofia 

Melena

Marcos

Sergio

Pablo

Cynthia

Valeria

Rocio

Marco

Natalia

Veronica

Praise the Lord!

Beam Me Up...

It's that time to say goodbye folks -  this past six weeks in Buenos Aires was filled with fun, dependence on the Lord, loving community, and seeing the Lord work in the nations... thanks for praying with me and following me each day in Argentina; until next time: chau!!!!

(lighthouse in Uruguay)

(law campus)

All Aboard!

We said our goodbyes at the going away party last night; now, we are making our way (sitting on the ferry as we speak) towards Uruguay for debriefing, making this my last update in the city of Buenos Aires - it was fun!
(I will write one final post when I return to the United States on Wednesday. Please hold back your tears.)

I Dun Got Robbed.

(Today's blog will be longer than one sentence... my apologies.)
Well, yesterday was a very eventful day... I got robbed. Let me see if I can paint a picture for you (what I actually saw and what I rewatched on the security camera after the fact):
I was sitting in an armchair in the lobby of our hotel; my purse was strapped across my person, phone and ipod in hand, and bookbag leaning against my legs on the floor. Almost all of our summer project team was gathered in the lobby with me (standing and sitting). As I was sitting there waiting to go to campus, a man, who looked like any other hotel guest, came up behind me on my left and pointed to something on the ground beside me. In that moment, I felt a "presence" beside me - I looked to my right, and there was a woman sitting there in the chair beside me (again, I thought she was any other hotel guest). After that, the man, again, gets my attention and points to something on the ground. I spotted a golden key lying there. I picked it up and asked Erica, one of our students stitting beside me talking to a lady, if it was hers. She responded with a no. As soon as she said no, Grayson said, "That lady just stole a stack of magazines off the table." In that moment, it all clicked that everything that just happend was quite shady. I looked down and my bookbag was gone and  replaced with an empty one. I stood up and shouted: they just stole my bookbag (this probably all happened in less than a minute, by the way)! At that point, all the guys on our team book it out the door in every direction to chase down the thieves (I found out later that it was a team of 4 people)! That experience definitely left me feeling flustered, distraught, helpless, and dumb. But praise the Lord that nothing really valuable was in there! After talking to the hotel staff, I decided to go to campus a little later and spent some time with Jesus. It was a really encouraging time in the Word (Psalm 41). God is good all the time!
(If you want more details, just ask me about it! Oh, and I am keeping the golden key that they left me on the ground. Haha.)

My "Wittery" Is Being Replaced With Imagery.

Two words that described tonight are first and last: we shall begin with the first - I had my very first traditional "asado" (an Argentine steak bbq) where we were served three different cuts of steak (good but very chewy), and the last that I experienced was English Club - we finished our last lesson and had to say goodbye to one of the students, Alejandra, tonight!

(some folks from English Club)

(traditional asado grill)

Happy Flag Day!

We celebrated the Argentine Flag Day by going to a nearby city, La Plata; we had some good time with the team laughing, eating, and exploring the largest cathedral in Argentina, check it out:

(taken for you, Mom)

(dinner with some of the team... I promised them that they would make it on the blog)

Friends In High Places.

For our last Sunday in Buenos Aires we went back to the "Cristo el Cambio" Church again to listen to the National Director of Campus Crusade in Argentina, Mario, speak about our sin and our need for forgiveness; here is a photo from today: (my apologies... I was not able to gather up a photo from church - just picture an Argentine man, medium height with dark brown hair wearing a greyish suit)

We're all gonna die!!!!

Let me share with you the adventure that was today: we hopped on a bus this morning to head towards an orphanage, and on the journey over the bus began sputtering and smoking on the outside and in (to which our response was a "slight" panic, all rushing to the nearest window to yank it open and stick our heads out for fresh air while screaming, "we're all gonna die!"); praise the Lord that we made it to be able to serve the children's home by painting and playing with the kids (although, our trip back was delayed due to issues with the bus, of course)!

(Michelle and Megan painting at the orphanage)

My Blah Equals Your Viewing Pleasure.

To be perfectly honest, I stayed in my room at the Hotel Bauen Suites today rather than going on campus due to a visit from a nice little stomach bug- that being said enjoy the third video update:

Psalm 34:1

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." - Yesterday was a (somewhat) tough day on campus... we have entered into exam week here in BA, which means less students on campus (and if they are there they all seem to be studying or don't speak English); after we combed the entire campus trying to find students to talk to, the girls in my campus group gathered for some time to pray for Argentina and praise God for who is and what He is doing here (the Lord did provide us with some good conversations with students that night)!
*Pray that over this next week we would continue to persevere and that the Lord would continue to provide students for us to share the Gospel with!

The Wooden Spoon.

We have been playing a projectwide game involving a small wooden spoon... the game: the "holder" of the spoon is to rid themselves of it by discreetly placing the spoon on someone's person (i.e. a jacket pocket, a hood, a boot, etc.) without that person seeing the act - if caught still holding the spoon at any of our group meetings that person must sing a solo (song of their choice); today one of the students dropped it into my hood which caused me to work quickly and slip it into our director's pocket right before praying for our campus (the second time I dodged the "singing bullet")!

All Things Argentine.

All things Argentine (or at least some)- that was the theme of our team's social this evening; we took the subway to the Women's Bridge where we ate steak sandwiches from a street vendor followed by some salsa dancing taught by some of our Argentine friends... such a "bueno" time!

"I Don't Speak Spanish."

Today was a day of accomplishment, because we actually got to do something touristy; we explored the Casa de Rosada where we were able to see where Madonna (as Evita) sang "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - below you can see some photos of the house at night and the garden inside:

(Today was also a day of defeat as Shelley and I went to the Farmacity to purchase some cookies; as the cashier asked Shelley a question she responded very softly [with her hands laying on the counter], "I don't speak Spanish.")

Uno Mas!

Last Saturday, we promoted an event in the villas for the kids - tonight, my group perfomed a little skit, which included a sheep, empanada, EMTs, and a human cellphone; the kids had a good time laughing at us as we used the little bit of Spanish that we know (they loved it so much that they kept yelling "UNO MAS!" after each act)!

FRIENDS.

It is amazing how you can become friends with someone who doesn't even speak the same language as you (much less, only knowing them for a short time); meet my friend, Carol, who is also now a sister in Christ:

(Brittany, Carol, Me)

Not At All Like An Imaginary Friend.

We have come across many a worldview here on the campuses of the University of Buenos Aires - yesterday, Mary Claire and I asked a student about her thoughts on God, to which she responded: there has to be a God (then a few minutes later) ... talking to God is like talking to an imaginary friend; I did not understand how she could believe that both of those statements could be true, so we talked through the fact that God exists, therefore He is nothing close to imaginary! (Pray that students here would really think through their beliefs about God and see the truth of the Gospel!)

I Farted. (Formal For: I Pooted.)

English club/dinner was filled with laughter tonight - somehow we ended up teaching the Argentine students the phrases: I farted (which they referred to as the "formal") and I pooted (this one was called the "cute" form); in return, they shared with us how to communicate that in Spanish: me tire un pedo (literally translates to: I threw gas - funny how some things are always hilarious no matter what language they are in)!

Just What I Needed.

(Internet out=2 blog posts in one day)
Yesterday was a great day on campus- at the end of a survey with an Argentine student, Noelia, told us: I really enjoyed our conversation. Students here really need to be thinking about these (spiritual) things... my thoughts exactly!

A Small Glimpse

We made a long trek to the "Cristo es el Cambio" - Christ is the Change church this morning (where one of the Argentine Campus Crusade staff goes and who we are partnering with for the event next weekend); it was so great to be there with Argentine believers worshiping the Lord together through prayer, singing, and the Word - it was a small glimpse into what Revelation 7:9 will be like!

You Are Cordially Invited...

Tonight, I, along with a third of the summer project, visited a village (villa in Spanish) outside the city center to help promote an event (we are partnering with a local church to do some skits, show a movie, and share testimonies) that is happening there next weekend to share Christ with the people that live there; we also enjoyed playing with the kids (bombarding us with tons of questions in Spanish) and praying with members of the Argentine church!
*Please pray for this event as 300 people were invited tonight!

G'day Maté! (pronounced ma-tay)

This afternoon we went to our campus' Vida meeting (a discussion group for students to come to talk about life and God - today's topic: do all religions lead to the same God?) where we passed around a very, very common beverage in Argentina called: maté; this is a hot, bitter(ish) drink that is shared with friends - perfect for the winter weather and while talking about Christ being the way, the truth, and the life!
(Check out wikipedia for some more details on maté: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage) )

Cheating A Bit

Check out our first two video updates that a student (Aaron) on our project put together with stories from the past three weeks and ways that you can be praying:
(*I said cheating because I am technically "writing" one sentence, but I am providing you with a plethora of sentences with spoken word through video. Haha.)

Shooting Stars...

Today, on the law campus, was both exhausting and exciting; Brittany, a student in my group, and I were able to talk to several students (whose views about God ranged from "there is no God" to "many roads lead to God")  and share the gospel with them- they were all interested in hearing about how they could know God in a personal way and have a relationship with Him ... we were able to see one girl, Estrella, put her faith in Christ!
(Title footnote: Brittany's last name is Starr and Estrella's name translates to Star)

Canons In The Night

Normal sounds outside of our window in Argentina include the following: canons shooting (not at us), fireworks exploding, annoying sirens squealing, buses and cars honking, nonviolent protestors drumming, and the every-so-often-car backfiring. (enjoy the following video of a typical protest in the middle of the street)

Breaking Down Barriers

Doing ministry in a country that speaks Spanish and being a person who does not would seem like a huge barrier to most, but God (I love those two little words: but God) being the sovereign God that He is can break down any barriers that we think we have in sharing the Gospel; today, I met with Carol, a girl who trusted Christ last week (and she understands some English if spoken slowly), to follow up with her and to talk about how she can grow in her walk with Jesus Christ - with no translator but with materials in English and Spanish we were able to comunicate with each other, and she is excited to begin growing more in her relationship with Him!
(That sentence is all kinds of wrong with its excessive use of commas and dashes, but it still falls under the category of one sentence - much like my other posts.)

Walking Among The Dead

Yesterday, we had a lovely team social, and I bet the first thing that came to your mind when I said "team social" was: graveyard; this graveyard was filled with tomb after tomb of wealthy Argentines who have died over the past years - it literally looked like a city for the dead (Evita is buried there by the way).

Good Food For The Body And Good Music For The Soul

Today was a fun-filled day: sleeping in, visiting the "mausoleum" graveyard (tell you more about that tomorrow), eating dinner at the vegetarian restaurant, and playing a kickin' game of mafia with the students; the vegetarian restaurant was a nice break for the 9 of us that went (our diets have consisted of mostly bread, cheese, and meat), so Portia (i.e. my stomach) was happy to have some lighter food, to listen to some soothing instramentals, and to laugh really hard throughout the dinner - thanks to those who joined me and Portia.
*Shout out to Ralphie, Darryl, Eugenia, and Daphne!

Some Things Never Change, But Some Do

After a day on campus with great conversations, we had the night free - which some of us took advantage of to hop a ride on a subway to see a movie at a nearby theater; we arrived 30 minutes early to find the line setup much like an amusement park - it took us 40 minutes to make it to the counter to order our tickets, but we still enjoyed Jack Sparrow with Spanish subtitles and a bucket of popcorn (and our first taxi ride in the city)!

Let's Paint The Town Red Or An Apartment White

Yesterday (Wednesday, May 25th), was one of Argentina's independence days (yes, they have more than one); that being said, the universities were closed... so, we were able to serve one of the national staff by helping to paint and fix things around his apartment (with many hands, we were able to get a lot done)!

Bootylicious At Burger King

Since being here in the Tina, my brain wants to think in the Slovak language rather than Spanish (i.e. while ordering my hamburger at Burger King today); the cashier asked me a question about my order, to which I responded "yes" in Slovak (ano)... not a good idea since our Spanish-speaking student staff, Nancy, just informed me that ano means anus in Spanish!
*Moral of the story: think and rethink before you speak while in another country

I Am The "Pan De Vida"

Praise Jesus that He is the true "bread of life" that does not perish (so that our spiritual longing to know God is satisfied)... unlike the physical bread here in Argentina - I have literally eaten bread at every meal.
*John 6:26-59 (what we are studying in Bible study this week)

The Police Are Downstairs

Yesterday, on the law campus, I did some spiritual interest surveys with one of our students, Brittany, and we were able to share the Gospel with Carol; she prayed to receive Christ right there in the hallway!
(Title explanation: When we asked Carol if we could do a survey with her and ask her a few questions, she told us that the police were downstairs. And she suggested that we ask them the questions. We clarified, and then she was more than happy to do the "photo" survey with us! Haha.)

When The Lights Go Down In The City

There's nothing like a rainy Sunday morning in Buenos Aires (especially when you thought the world was going to end the night before...haha)!
The view from our window:

Would You Take Our President Seriously If He Worked In A Pink House?

We explored the city today visiting many of the famous landmarks, including, but not limited to, La Casa de Rosa (The Pink House, the equivalent to our White House).

In The Words Of Bon Jovi: Whoa-Oh! Livin' On A Prayer.

Today, we spent the whole day praying over the five campuses our group is working on this summer by visiting each one (law, architecture, medical, economics, and agronomy), because we know that the Lord is who will truly be at work in the lives of the Argentine students. (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)

My Hands Go Up! And They Stay Thurr.

My hands were "lifted" for several reasons today: 1) I flagged down a bus for the first time today; 2) I hugged and "beso"ed (kissed) multiple Argentines today; and 3) I praised the Lord as I watched a law student trust Christ today (hince all the besos)!!!

Legally Blonde? No, Legally Brunette!

My campus group (made up of 5 students, and 1 other staff)was assigned to the law campus of the University of BA, where all of the students are required to speak English; praise the Lord because no one in my group speaks Spanish (except hola and feliz navidad)!

Don't Cry for Me Argentina

My first impression of Argentina goes like this: they love the 80s; they have stinkin' good empanadas; they are willing to chitchat with strange Americans; and they are a passionate people!