The Argentine Life

        This week has been quite interesting to say the least! We have had loads of pastors on campus and the church staff from Woodstock Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia here all week and that team has been a blessing in itself!  I almost want to look at the Women's ministry at that church after I graduate from college!  One of the pastors in training came here with his wife of one month and she went all the way through seminary for Women's Ministry and I don't know if God is calling me into that but wow! What an incredible testimony!  Anyway, this week really encouraged me to have a better devotional life and now, for the past three days, I have been getting up a half hour earlier than I usually do to spend my time with the Lord.  Since I can't leave my room until breakfast, I sit on my top bunk with a flashlight to read.  That is the best way that I can be an early riser with my roommates that are sleeping.
This week was the first week that I had an emotional day.  With the mixture of missing home and still recovering from being ill, I had just let go of a lot of held up frustration because here, we are on the go a lot and don't always have time to just sit down and process things.  I love Argentina and I love it here at Word of Life, I guess it's hard sometimes to transfer to a new culture all at once!  Things are very different!  The people are different! What is rude at home may not be here, and I am totally okay with all of that!  It just takes some time to change and get used to it!  Thanks to my mom, I was able to let it all out for her and someones mom sent a package full of home made cookies (therefore I was cheered up quickly with just one!)
Speaking of packages!  I am thankful to know that I am going to be sent one soon!  Now, when I get it, I have no clue!  It may be all the way in January when I get it!  It's not the best process because I also I have to pay to receive it in Buenos Aires :/  I am hoping that God just has His hand over it the whole time and it gets here as soon as possible!  Another international issue, sending mail.  So if you know of anyone who is traveling down here, any time that I am down here, please let me know and I can ask them to bring things with them!  Now I understand why a ton of people asked me for things before I left!  I will definitely be bringing a huge suitcase of food and a suitcase of warmer clothes for the deadly winter awaiting me in May/June/July.  It is starting to get warm here....FINALLY!  I am a Floridian and its been colder here than it is in our winter and its now spring!  And also more days than its cold in the entire year!  No bueno!
So Monday marks a month since I left the United States.  Another huge thing that I have learned to appreciate is my country.  Yes, I get looked at intensely because of that, I am judged automatically because I am American, but at the same time, I am grateful.  Very fortunate for no, not my possessions, no not the food, but the culture.  However, there are downsides to the culture of Americans, absolutely, and I don't want any of you to think that I don't like it here, so understand....I LOVE IT HERE!  I am only missing home and its not like a normal girl leaving for college.  I surrendered my life gladly to a whole new country.  This includes different everything and the need to be willing to be to adapt to anything.  And so here I am.  Living the Argentine life. :)

Sick and Away From Home..

      Everyone here always would say when I first got here that I would really start missing home the first time that I got sick.  And I have now experienced that!  Friday was supposed to be a really good day.  I woke up and went to breakfast like normal, but didn't feel the greatest, and then shook it off and left for a day of evangelism in Buenos Aires.  All day, I was a mess.  I was getting really sick, congested, pressure behind my eyes and forehead, sore throat, uncontrollable sneezing, all the fun stuff.  I had no medication all day and was a few hours away from school.  So finally, we are on our way home, and by that time I am really ready to get back so I can go to the Centro Medico and of course, the bus breaks down!  We wait 45 minutes for the other bus to come get us.  It takes and hour and half to get home.  In that hour and a half, I am wanting to cry, wanting my mom, wanting medicine, and wanting to be in bed!  We finally make it to WOL and I get to the doctor and he gives me meds and tells me to get rest.  I went to go take a hot shower because of my body aching just from being sick and guess what!  There was no hot water :/  So I just went to bed and I slept through the night, woke up, feeling a bit better, but around 4 in the afternoon, after talking to mom and Micah to tell them that I am okay, I am walking back to my room and am not feeling that well again.  My dorm is right next to Centro Medico so I stop in and I had to use Google Translator with the doctor so I could tell him what was going on.  I got up to get some water and felt realllllly flushed.  My hearing was blocked and I quickly felt like I was going to fall over.  After releasing what was in my stomach, he realized that not only was I sick but I was dehydrated!  Lyndee, my counselor, was not there yet, and another nurse comes in with a liquid bag and points to her arm trying to explain what was going to happen and with my little bit of spanish, I asked to wait till she got there so I could figure out everything that was going on!  Lyndee gets there, I tell her what was happened and she explained to me that I was dehydrated and that they needed to put liquids in me through IV.  After three bags of liquid, that I soaked up within 2 hours (which is pretty fast), the concluded that I barely had any liquid in my system.  I felt much better after that, so I went to eat dinner so that I could take my meds and go to bed! Went to bed at 8:45 and didn't wake up till 7:30!  I feel much better today, definitely needed those liquids and now I am drinking lots of water!  Please keep praying so that I can get over this cold and that I regain the strength needed for class, sports, work, and to study!  Here, it's not as easy to get water like it is in the US so thats really why this happened but I am okay! Just keep praying! :)  I have a spanish and bible test over the next two days and need to focus to retain all this information!  But God has been with me the whole time so even though it was a bit scary, I knew that He would take care of me!
     Other than being sick, God has done a lot of other great things this week!  I am LOVING my bible class! It's crazy to see how much I would have loved to have that in high school!  But at the same time, I am thankful for the road He took me through (meaning public schooling).  We went through the book of Efesios (Ephesians) and my teacher titled it Vida de Cristian (Christian Life).  I highly suggest everyone going and reading through the book! It's only 6 chapters and full of information of how to be an imitator of Christ!
    Thank you to all who have been praying!

Reason to Sing

      I am loving Argentina! So much more than I thought I was going to!  These past few days have been wonderful!  On Friday, it was officially the end of Orientation Week so all of our leaders (Lucas, Gabby, Lyndee, and Kristina) took us into the gym until about 11 PM and we played what they called Mufa Pufa.  Now, Mufa Pufa is not just a tie of intense games....people get hurt, and get very competitive! But yes, it was all fun and games!  From running through a cage of string to playing dodgeball with just one ball, the night was a success!  Then Saturday, we had off.  I got to sleep in, run in the morning, eat lunch, take a nap, and then get ready for Bible Club which was girls night!  We were able to have a good reminder of waiting for God's man that He has in store!  So thankful for knowing who that is :)  That night, my roommate, Keila, who is quite famous in Mexico, sang one of the songs from her album which can be purchased on iTunes (search Keila).  She later translated it for us gringas (white girls) and it was a wonderful cansión about THE one.  She is such a blessing to have in my room and she definitely reached many girls last night!
     Today has been a pretty lax day after chapel!  It is a little frustrating to have to have a translater.  I want so badly to just understand this language already!  I have to remember that good things come to those who wait.  PLEASE! PRAYER REQUEST! Please pray for my ability to learn spanish! I begin class on Monday and am more than excited to start learning!  My schedule will be a little more normal this week, which means work will begin soon as well as sports and ministry.  I can't believe this is happening! I am actually at Word of Life.  I am actually in Argentina.  I am actually following God's will for me.
    As I meet more people at the institute, I am getting to tell my story of how I got here.  I keep telling people how I miss home, but I am so comfortable here because I KNOW that God called me here.  When God calls you somewhere and you follow Him, He takes care of you...and it's one of the greatest feelings ever.  Knowing that God is there all the way, putting a pillow under every step.  This is love.  While writing this, I am being encouraged by a song called "Reason to Sing" by All Sons & Daughters.  I truly have a reason to sing.  Even though I don't understand this language to its fullest and it already has been frustrating, God has given me a reason to sing.  He has given me more than enough reasons to sing.  So I will sing. I will sing because He is holding my world in His hands.  God is the reason to sing.

Come to Me

Today was a good day! God has really shown himself! I told Micah that it's like God has been putting a pillow under my feet every step of the way so far! The great thing is is that I KNOW that He will continue to do so until He is finished with me in Argentina.  I am so thankful for all the prayers because I can DEFINITELY feel Him working here and I'm watching Him right before me!  Joe Jordan, the founder of this ministry of Word of Life in Argentina, spoke to us a few days ago.  He said if you are going to be here, then you need to be all here.  I know that the Lord is taking care of everyone and everything at home and whatever his will is, will remain.  So for now, I need and want to be here, 110%!  In my devotional this morning, I was reading in Matthew 11 and the Lord was speaking and talking about coming to Him and finding rest.  Immediately, I remembered a song (uno cansion) that was written from this part of scripture.  "Come to me, I'm all you need, come to me, I'm your everything!  I am your anger in the wind and the rain and I am your steadfast so don't be afraid!.."  So I say to you all reading this back at home, remember that God is always there, WE are the ones who choose to walk away from Him, He is always there and He is all we need and HE is who I am relying on to get through Argentina!

El Primero Semana!

           I AM HERE! I AM FINALLY HERE!  The whole time I was traveling south, I couldn't believe that it was actually time to go!  I am missing home, but I know that will always be a factor in my day to day challenges.  I am starting to think of everything in spanish, even though I have only been here for three days!  God has definitely blessed me with four wonderful roommates!  Debi, who is 21 years old and bilingual (viente y uno años) and she is technically our room leader but definitely a good friend already!  She was born in Mexico and grew up in Argentina so she will help me the most when it comes to learning the Argentine spanish accent.  For all those reading that are not too familiar with the spanish language, just like our language, there are different dialects and accents.  (IE: English is spoken in Florida, Alabama, London, and Canada but they all sound different and are spoken differently---but still are the same language.)  In Argentina, there is a different dialect of spanish compared to Cuba, Puerto Rico y Mexico.  SO you understand. ANYWAY... another roommate of mine is named Keila (bilingual and 19 years old) and she is born and raised in Mexico!  She is a beautiful singer, plays guitar, has a CD on iTunes (so you should all go look her up, type in Keila) and she is absolutely hilarious!  Always bubbly, laughing, heckling the other girls in the room and just fun to have around!  Another girl is Bea (Beatriz) y dies y nuevo años,and she is from Perú! She understands english, speaks a little english, but definitely a sweetheart! And last but not least, Cathy (pronounced Caugh-tee) doesn't speak or understand english, es viente años, but is SO nice and always sweet to me, even though we both need a translator around!
        Last night, they threw a little Welcome party or Bienvenidos fiesta with matte y café para mi! They are so nice and it made me feel really welcome! God is already working here and it is definitely going to be great!

Something Beautiful...

           It's the night before I leave.  Just said goodbye, no scratch that, see you later to Micah.  Spent time with him, my grandma, uncle and his family today and said my farewells to them as well.  And the tears are just beginning.  And even though I know I will being seeing them in only a few short months, this is just the next journey of my life in which I can't directly share with them as I have all my life.  The tears come from the feeling I have because I know that they all love me very much and that they will always be who they are in my life.  I am so excited to see what He has for me this year! What He is going to to show me, what He is going to teach me, and most of all, how He is going to change my life.  Tomorrow is the day that I leave.  Tomorrow is the beginning of something beautiful.  
Prayer requests (as of now): safe travels, patience, safety in general, stability (missing people) and most of all: preparation of the heart.

3 Weeks from Tomorrow...

In 3 weeks from tomorrow, I will be heading to Miami to board a plane for Argentina.  I few stops from here to there but each will be held with Mom and Dave and oh how thankful I am for that!  I am anticipating the feeling that I will be experiencing that Sunday night, preparing to leave, but not just leave, but venture on to this wonderful opportunity that I have been given!  This is HIS plan for me! And I'm following HIM! and it feels GREAT!  It came to me that I am not just leaving my mom, dad, Dave, sister, boyfriend, and many friends and family behind, but I am leaving to grow, mature, and become the follower of Christ that I am called to be so that all those people can see Him work through me!  Yes! I will miss them all! No doubt! But just like when people pass away and get to be with the wondrous Yahweh, we are at peace with the knowledge of meeting again!  From September 3rd to December 3rd, I will be serving the Lord, one day at a time, in Argentina, and will be ready to take on all that He has for me!  I am so thankful for all he support and most importantly that LOVE that I know I have at home!  Definitely not taken for granted!

Preparation for Module 1...

 I am about a month away from leaving and have mixed feelings.  I am so incredibly excited for what is to come this September but also terribly afraid of missing home.  For all who don't know, I am going to be heading down to San Miguel de Monte, Argentina, an hour out of Buenos Aires, September 3rd, for a ten month bilingual bible program call Word of Life Argentina.  Fortunately, I will be home for the whole month of December to rest and recharge for the Module 2 (January through the end of March).  Module 3 starts and ends in April to July 6th!  Although, the best way to prepare for this is to take one section at a time.
        So starting September 3rd, I will be leaving my American life behind and will embrace the warm culture of Argentina.  Over this year, I will be immersed in bible and spanish courses that will set my foundation for the ministry that my Lord has called me to.  During this time, I will be working with different ministries around the area, studying His word intently, and expressing my desire for the spanish life.
       The way the Lord led me to this decision is incredible, involving complete surrender of my life to His will.  I had my "own" plans thinking that they were "His" to which I was soon proved wrong!  He asked me to give Him this year of my life to spend at Word of Life Argentina to study His word and the culture that He has layer upon my heart to use in my life.  While driving home from the Miami Airport after landing from Argentina, the miles of Alligator Alley allowed the Lord to reveal to me what He wanted me to do, just whether I would actually listen and surrender.
  So PLEASE! Continue to read my blog as I will be writing prior to leaving and all through out this year so that you can pray and be plugged in to what the Lord has for me each and every day! Thank you for reading! :)