Be thankful

"Be thankful."  Those two words are nestled almost like an afterthought in the 17 verses of Colossians that we covered in the Ladies Bible Study this week.  They were the ones that jumped out at me the most....and I probably should have taken even more note of that than I did.  I had a pretty self focused weekend.  But, that is on the mend, partially because I finally started to take notice of those words, so, here are some things. :)

-Thursday night Bible study-- I was starting to get a sinking feeling of insecurity about Spanish, feeling like I had already left the honeymoon period of growing in my Spanish skills and was now hitting a plateau.  Then Letticia started talking to me.  I was immediately encouraged and warmed by her.  I hadn't even asked God to help, and He gave me her.

-I have the kind of family that I can miss!  Even when I don't love those feelings.

-Abigail and Eli

-I did NOT want to go to this picnic thing yesterday...and then it was a wonderful time of chatting with some people my own age.  The time flew, I made people laugh...they made me laugh (most often in these adult circles I sit on the edge of the conversation, participation is minimal)

-We didn't go to church yesterday and I really missed worship songs, which I told the Lord...at this picnic thing I didn't want to go to one of the guys randomly said he wanted to sing church songs.  So we had a super impressive guitar player that can accompany anyone just singing, and a chorus of 8 or so voices.

^This one is the kicker.  I have written all of my "woes" to the Lord in my journal.  I finished with "please help me know what to do for You with the rest of my day".  Alright, instead of Him asking me to wrangle my attitude or go out and be amazing despite how pitiful I felt on the inside, He gave me that easily enjoyable wonderful time with those people...and the opportunity to sing worship songs.  He was very gentle with me, unbelievably kind.

Food for thought

The title of this post is slightly oxymoronic.  I am purposefully not writing anything thought provoking, because I've been a little melancholy the past 3 days, so I don't really trust what would fly off of my fingertips at this time!  But, I have been wanting to mention a few foods, and there is no danger in that :)  So there you go food for thought.

Kinotos--tiny oranges about the size of a cherry tomato.  You pop the whole thing into your mouth, the orange peel and everything!

Choripan--amazingly delicious.  Chorizo sausage is a mix between a salt cured ham and a bratwurst.  You grill that up and put it inside a hollowed out piece of bread (like a french bread) and eat it with all sorts of toppings.  I prefer "american type" mustard and lettuce.  Yum!

Locro--this is a pumkpin based soup, there are a thousand variations but Bethany makes it with white beans and corn.  It is thick and chowdery.  I love it, especially on these cold days!

Lomito

Pizza--...yesterday for lunch we had this at Carlota's house..then we had it cold on the drive home at 10:00.  This pizza had a normal crust and sauce, then it had a layer of cream of corn, bologna/ham stuff called fiambre, then their version of mozzerlla cheese, and then...crumbled up boiled egg.

Asado--this is SO Argentina.  Basically it is a huge grill out of all kinds of meat.

Lomito--this is what Eli loves.  It is a thin strip of sirloin, a fried egg (they put egg on so much stuff here), fiambre ham, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, tomato and lettuce sandwiched between a thick white bread.

Medialunas--sweet bread croissants that they usually stuff with dulce de leche

Facturas--these will be the death of me.  Any time you go over to someone's house they have all kinds of cake, bread and facturas that they expect you to eat for the merienda, while you drink mate.  They are all sweet, some are filled with dulce de leche, other's with cream, the cara sucias (dirty faces) are like cinnamin rolls with black tops and brown sugar

Torta de Milhojas--"thousand pages" cake.  It tastes like baklava, that is what the pastry is like at least, instead of honey they use..of course...dulce de leche, then there are nuts.  This picture is topped with a crocante (crunchy meringue), and sweet cream, which is really typical too.  I think this cake should be called, "how many ways can we put sugar on this thing?!"

There are cake and sweets everywhere.  Anytime a group of more than one person is around there has to be some kind of desert.  It is insane, my sugar levels are off the chart.

That is actually a little tricky, because the Argentine eating schedule is breakfast, lunch, then merienda at 5 ish and dinner at 9.  We don't do it that way at Bethany and Roman's house, so when we go to other people's houses, usually about a 2 hour drive away each weekend, at 5 or 6 I am really hungry for food...and all that is there is a TON of sweets.  If I don't eat that I won't eat anything all the way from lunch until 10 or 11 when we get home.  So the question is:  how do I not sugar crash and/or gain a million pounds?

This family

I really like living with this family, there are so many moments to smile.

Today at lunch Roman was asking me how people talk in Kentucky.  I gave him a couple of examples and then he had me in STITCHES with his impersonation.  The only phrase he said he "knew" from the south was "thankee kindly"  Oh my goodness, if you could have heard the way it sounded coming from him.  A complete scream.

If you want to see what Abi, Eli and I did yesterday feel free to click on this link :)  A Princess Story

Tonight we are going to Deaf Club (I'm excited :) and then tomorrow we are going to Rio Tercero for the day to visit Roman's mom...and whoever else decides to come.  On Sunday we have a churchwide picnic.  What this really boils down to is a lot of time today baking sweets in the kitchen with Bethany...and two little helpers.  Its going to be a good day.  But first, I have to take a little siesta!





Here are two pictures from Eli's birthday celebration.  We had pizza relleno and her favorite cake.  When you ask Eli what she's going to do when she grows up she always answers "buy pizza and lomitos and icecream!"

Clockwise around the table starting with Eli....Eli, Bethany, Agustine (Tia Adriana's son), Giselle (his novia), Abi, Eutar and Tia Adriana, Bethany's best friend

Up next:  Most likely a blog about last night at the Ladies Bible study.  That post will surely have more substance.

I can't talk to you the way I've wanted to

Mari and Eric came over today to do translation work and Roman let me sit in on the meeting!  I LOVE this.  I love it.  Here are some reasons why :)

-Eric and Mari are not Christians, so watching them pour over the Bible and dissect it to discern the meaning and figure out how to interpret it into sign language just makes me feel glowy inside.  They may not know it, but they are part of a Bible study :)

-Sign language is so animated!  I love watching it, I think it is a beautiful language, and it is so interesting to me.  The ways you express differences with direction changes, facial expressions...its so complex and yet so simple.  I love it.

-When I am just listening to Spanish I can feel like "ah!  I don't speak this, I speak English!" but when the choice is between Spanish and sign language I feel like "Ah!  I don't speak sign!  I speak Spanish!" and that is a great feeling.  When I get lost in Spanish someone will explain in English, when I get lost in sign language, it gets explained in Spanish...which makes me feel closer and more kindred with that language...does that make sense?  I'm not sure I explained it well.

I am super glad that Roman and Bethany taught me the alphabet and numbers, because I could follow along so much better, Roman and Mari spell words to each other because Roman isn't 100% fluent yet.  And then, while we ate merienda I was able to talk to Mari and spell things to learn new vocab words :)  I love it.

I payed extra special close attention to Mari and Eric and I memorized 2 Timothy 3:16.  Here it is ...in what is most likely extremely silly Erin-Argentine sign language :)

"Gonna take a walk outside today...."

 

I have been inside many Catholic churches, but never in my life have I seen one so enormous and ornate!  It took them 200 years to build it!

 

Yesterday was a "let's show Erin around another part of downtown Cordoba.  I tried to take pictures of things that were not only pretty in and of themselves, but holistically representative...so that hopefully you can get as close to having walked there with me as possible.  Of course that is an impossible goal, and I have never been one to give good overviews or summaries, I get caught up in wanting to share delightful and specific details, however...I will try :)

Also, thank you for praying for me surrounding the topics in my last two posts.  Work in progress, but I am feeling lighter inside again.  

Cobble stone streets!  OLD cobble stone streets :)  And Eli wanted you all to know that this is her "rock-star hair" :)  I braided my hair wet one day and then took them out, so she wanted to try it.

The purple tree is a Jacaranda...I love them!

This city is so stacked on top of itself, and yet you can find in the middle of the buildings these hollowed out places where they have open air restaurants and fountains and all kinds of beautiful things.  You duck into these places, get all turned around and then end up somewhere completely new!  Alice in wonderland.

This, I just loved, Cordoba's hallway :)

Plaza...

...proof I was in the plaza.  Happy, Mom?

The picture below is of the most prestigious highschool in all of Cordoba.  Anyone can go, and it is free.  You have to take a test and only the top 200 students are admitted.

...And this is Bethany's dream car.

One of the things I am really wanted to get a picture of to show you all is the kind of cars you can see here.  It is adorable!  There are a lot of old Renault, Peugots and other small metal European cars that are just delightful to see driving around.  Very fitting for a "day dream about the past" kind of girl :)

So what did you think?  Do you like it as much as I do?

Paula

This is Paula, she's 13 and has endured more in those short 13 years than I have in my whole life.  I spent most of the wedding talking to her, she was patient enough to put up with me!  To be honest I think she was just drinking in the one on one attention...her mother is almost 60 and has had a string of live-in boyfriends, she is still living for herself, as if she has not children at all.  Paula, who is somehow still sweet despite her life experiences has been pretty much ignored, because she flies under the anger radar.  Talking to her I felt so convicted. 

I think everyone who has met someone from a third world situation has wondered "Why did You decide to give me the start that you did?  Why was I born into cleanliness, financial stability, a hope for a future, a loving two parent home, a place where I was taught about you and encouraged to grow?...when so many haven't been given that?"  I felt so unworthy and so thankful.  I think it is good to feel that way, to realize how blessed we are, how unjustly kind He is.  It made me hurt badly later in the day, when I reacted in prideful defense to the words of a friend.  With how much I have been given, how can He not look at me and be completely disgusted, or at least frustrated to the point of giving up on me, when my faith and obedience are still so small?  

Marcos cross-referenced the parable of the servants who where given the talents today in church.  I want to be one of those that takes what he has been given and invests it, being able to give even more back to the Lord.  I have been given so much.  My own self-focus this past week, viewing it through the lens of blessing that Paula's life reaffirmed for me, just about broke my heart.  I am not being melodramatic.  Church was hard today.  "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty."  That word hits me like a two-by-four.  Holy. 

It is probably good for me also, with my "haven't made any HUGE mistakes, grew up in a Christian home" life to get a good dose of perspective now and again on just how far I am from that standard of Holy.  Today I am trying to get back to the place where I can simply rejoice in His love and forgiveness, instead of being focused on myself and how worm-like I feel right now.

I now pronounce you....

This weekend was huge.  We had Eli's birthday Friday (I will throw a little blog blurb out there sometime soon) and then Dani and Alejandra's wedding on Saturday.

As an official wedding photographer I had no choice but to do
and "artsy" picture of the wedding invitation.

Yep, I put a kissy picture on my blog. 

For those of you who do not know, Dani and Ale, who have been living together for the last 2+ years became Christians within the last year and decided that the first step to getting their lives on a good track was to get married.  They are the only Christians in their families, and Ale has 3 children (remember Ezekiel who is 13?)  They have made a very public stand for Christ and Satan will certainly be attacking that with ferocity.  They could use your prayers.

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the hear, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."


I was very busy taking pictures, and not exactly paying attention to what was being said when all of the sudden something feel out of the sky right into my arms....the bouquet that Abi had made for Alejandra.  Some kind of metaphor about love coming along when you are not looking for it should make itself fairly present here.  I caught the bouquet, and I didn't have to knock down a hundred other flailing single ladies to do it.

These two were being so lovely all day :)

 At one point during the day Bethany came over to me and pointed at Roman, who was talking to a group of men.  "Sometimes," she said "I look at my husband and I just think, 'wow.'"  His willingness to push himself out of his comfort zone (he is not naturally inclined to talk to people he doesn't know or mingle in social situations) in order to reach people with the saving news of Christ made Bethany speechless....which doesn't happen often.  It was wonderful to see the respect and admiration in her eyes.

Dona Tere and baby Alejandro.  His parents don't know
Jesus yet.

 Two days ago we found out I had lice, which I most assuredly got from the kids at the campo.  I hate admitting this, but it made me a bit nervous about yesterday.  The girl in this picture, Julia, had them...so big I could see them.  I am happy to say that the Lord helped me see the need for her to feel loved as more important than my own desire to feel clean and be bug free.  Her tearful hug goodbye was worth whatever consequence may come.  Don't worry, I will do a full detox before I come home and hug you :)

This is Paula, I spent most of the wedding talking to her, and I started to write about it here...but I'm going to cut and paste it and put it on another post...it started getting long :)

     

It is an Argentine tradition to have the bride and groom pose with the cake for every single family to get a picture with them, so as to catalog everyone who was there.  I was not planning on being in a picture but after had everyone had gone Ale yelled "one more!  We have to get a picture with our American photographer"  I felt very accepted by both her and Dani (who teased me the whole day about being too young to be a photographer...he is 2 1/2 months older than me) 

Sometimes it IS a walk in the park

I have nothing deep or introspective to say today.  I just wanted to show you some pictures :)  They are not great quality, and they really don't do a good job of showing what my eyes saw, but, they are the best I can do, and as the song says "what if I gave all I had?"  Well, these pictures are all I have right now.

Yesterday was a lot warmer, and at dusk it was actually very pleasant, so Bethany, Abi, Eli and I went on a walk to a nearby park.

"knowing I'm on the street where you live..." :)

decorations we are making for Ale and Danny's wedding
..a picture that is not actually from our walk at all, but I
really have nowhere else to put it...

"Oh, #27."  (that quote was for you, Mom)

Eli with a fashionista  ;)

right after this picture was taken I hopped on behind Abi to even things out a bit :)

Does the thought ever sneak up on you that the world doesn't revolve around you?  I mean, I look at these houses like a visitor would. I am just walking by, and may even walk by for an extended period of time, say 3 months, eventually I will stop walking by, and this house will cease to exist for me.  But someone lives here.  Their whole life is here, and it is going to keep on going on, completely disconnected from me.

Hanging purple flowers, maybe lilacs, I don't know my flowers well at all.  this is one of the most disappointing pictures, it is so pretty in real life :)

Time to walk home :)

Downtown! 'where all the lights are bright...'

Today Bethany and I went major shopping.  Eli's birthday party is on Friday and Danny and Ale are getting married on Saturday....there is much to do!

The weather was still cold, Bethany was very kind to lend me a winter coat!  However, the sky was blue and the sun was shining and the flowering trees are just starting to bloom.  On the drive to town I had a bubble of giggles inside of me.  It was a beautiful day, and I am happy here.

I SO wish I could have pictures to accompany this blog, but the downtown area we were in was not a place where you should really carry things around that you wouldn't mind being relieved of.

I really liked the market district.  We went into a cookware store to buy a wedding present for Ale (a new pava, tea kettle...not to be confused with pavo, turkey)  ;)  It reminded me of an old General store.  There were floor to 20 foot-ceiling shelves of...everything, and no prices.  The clerk behind the desk had GIANT folders with pictures and prices of everything.  There were bright copper kettles (and warm woolen mittens? no) right behind the old cash register, which helped make it feel old timey.  It could have the potential to make you feel a little claustrophobic...but it was a fun experience.

Next we went to the food market, which is one huge building divided into isles and open air specialty shops.  If I had a camera it would have housed several pictures of the "everything but the normal part of the cow" shop.  I didn't' know that...stuff...was edible.  Very interesting.  Also, apparently the uglier a salami is the better quality, who knew?

We also went to Makro, a place where you can buy 50lbs of instant mashed potatoes....not that we did, but just so you know, if you ever have a need...Makro is your go to buy in bulk store, and then to the American Embassy...aka Walmart.  Because of the buy in bulk mentality Walmart put a 1 bag per family limit on flour.  Bethany snuck me a 5 peso bill and I bought a second bag!  shhh, don't tell anyone.

It was really nice to spend all of that time with Bethany.  I really enjoy her as a person, so it was a great day :)

"...and you know it don't come easy..."

Phew.  There were moments today when I didn't know if I was going to make it to 6:00!

Letti came into Cordoba (super early) today to go to the doctor (refer to Saludos y Besos...).  So I watched all the kids today.  (Letti calls me "La Ninera"..basically the babysitter.  I think it is partially because Erin is such a bad name to try and say if you only speak Spanish.)  I won't give you a play by play, however, I will say that I think Abi and I had a breakthrough.  I finally did something that made her very mad, something correctional.  She got very upset at me, but we came out on the other side.  I think it makes our relationship more real, I don't feel afraid that if I make her unhappy she won't want me here any more.  Probably shouldn't think like that in the first place(...and I guess I didn't, or we wouldn't have had that altercation in the first place!)  But I do feel very free now, and that my friends, is a very good feeling.

Even better than that is the news that Letti got from the doctor!  She will not be needing surgery, it is nothing fatal and he gave her some medicine that should get her right as rain in about 3 months.  We are all very very happy :D

Their impressive tower....and my secret weapon, we call it "Go juice"

Today Roman told Letti and Juan that I had the "don", the gift, when it came to Spanish.  My first thought was to say "pfft, I'm just a good faker and I know when to nod in the right places" but then I started thinking...Roman says it is a gift.  All good gifts come from the Father and should be used for His glory.  I got a little convicted, or a lot convicted, about my pride.  I tend to look at my Spanish and belittle it, because the fact is there are many many people who are far more fluent than me.  So?  So what?  Do I have to be the best in order to be used by God?  My pride says 'yes'.  Christ says 'no'.  So, I am going to try my very hardest to not talk down about my Spanish anymore (that is going to be so hard!), but instead ask God to grant me the humility to willingly use it, in whatever way, to please Him.  (hey...that sounds like something I could use prayer about ;)

From the desk of: A Worn Out Dishrag

Today was a hard day.  We got up very early and drove 2 hours to visit a cousin that Roman hasn't seen in many many many years.  I don't know how much liberty I have to explain things but it was a very difficult day from the standpoint of reopening a very tragic and sordid family past.  It was also difficult because the cousin and her husband were very closed to the gospel.  I can't explain in words how dark and oppressive it felt.  That conversation was hard partially because I was straining to understand them in Spanish and because it lasted 7 hours.  Which is a long time for anything, much less a very spiritual-battle-heavy-dredging-up-past-hurts-and-terrible-wrongs conversation.

I don't love people the way that He does.  Why was thinking about how terrible I felt so much more important and pressing on my mind than the eternal souls of Norma and Jose?

This was one of the moments when I snuck the girls out.  They didn't understand the gravity of the discussion...even though they did try their best to be quiet.  In this picture you can see Crazy Eli, and Abi's finger...we are working on photography skills.

After that I honestly didn't feel like I could handle anything else...especially not if it was in Spanish.  But, we were all the way out there, and Roman's brother Javier lived in the next town...so off we went.  [On a lighter note as soon as I walked in the door everyone in the family immediately said I must be Kerry's daughter because I looked just like him.  I get that from everyone who met my dad...should I be concerned?  Bethany constantly contends that I look like my mom.]

It made a huge difference to be in the presence of people who love the Lord.  HUGE.  The conversation however trended toward the downward spiral of Argentina, the Church and humanity in general.  I did not do an amazing job of grasping an eternal perspective toward the subject and so I had one of those terrified "I never want to bring children in to this terrible decaying world!" sick feelings.  Can't dwell there, but honestly I was...am exhausted and probably not...definitely not, doing the best job of guarding my mind from the Evil One.  I really appreciate your prayers.

Natalia, Roman, Eli, Javier, Mari, Brenda y Abi

Tomorrow I go to the church in Cordoba for the first time.  Hopefully by the a.m. I will feel less like a worn out dish rag.

Also, it has been in the high 40's here...I packed for 70's at the coolest....thanks be to Bethany for her open closet! (which you see me modeling in these pictures)

A Few Scattered Thoughts

The next door neighbor's dog has a death wish. Its nothing personal, really, its just that at 3:00am my usual dog-loving spirit gets replaced by viscous sleep-hungry-above-all else monster that could easily rip limb from limb.  Don't they ever sleep?

I've had the opportunity to pray in small groups a few times, and I always ask if I can pray in English.  There is something about praying in Spanish that feels a little phony to me still...like praying in a fake British accent or something.  I know that God doesn't only speak English, and there is that beautiful verse about the Spirit interceding for us with groaning too deep for words, so it isn't really about language at all...but still, I don't feel like me when I speak Spanish yet, not really.  Roman prays all in Spanish, so maybe its not just me.

Lemons fall like manna from heaven from the neighbor's yard here.  Manna that thumps on the roof at night and just might scare the living daylights out of you.  BUT it is so nice to have lemons for our water...especially since I don't like water by itself.  And to buy them is quite expensive.  Its the little things :)

"Blindness separates people from things, deafness separates people from people"--Hellen Keller.  Bethany shared this with me yesterday.  I'm still chewing on it.  All I know at this point is that it makes me very sad.

I really like being a "teacher"...though I had to beg Ami for help when it came to math.  Unfortunately it is neither Abi's nor my favorite subject.

Ah, this is something interesting.  I think that whenever I travel the country decides to shake things up a bit for me...physically.  There was an earthquake here two days ago!  Nothing like the ones in Costa Rica...but still...isn't that a little funny?

Speaking of Costa Rica, I can honestly say that living there has helped me here in many many ways.  Good to be able to say.

Today I got the chance to feel very useful!  Bethany and Roman got new closets in the bedrooms, and so they were very busy all day with the architect and moving things etc.  SO, Eli, Abi and I spent the whole day together.  We baked two cakes and made pizza for supper.  I am going to be honest, overall I would look back on the day and describe it as delightful...I really like these two little girls and they can be very funny, however, there were moments where I went to pull my hair out...which you shouldn't do when you are up to your elbows in dough!

Eli anecdote:  (She was playing with the apples I was chopping up for one of the cakes, she was making them talk to each other)

The chosen Apple: "I don't want Erin to chopp-ded me! Eli, don't choose me to go!"
apple friend 1: "Aww, we'll miss you"
apple friend 2: "Don't worry it won't hurt"

I am quite happy here.

Bible Study

First of all....it is freezing here!  There is no way I could have forseen this weather in order to be adequately prepared!  On Wed. it was 104 degrees and today?  51!  It is HALF as warm today as it was two days ago...fortunately Bethany has an open heart...and an open closet!  Hooray for turtlenecks :)

Second of all...lemons are falling from the neighbors tree into our yard like manna from heaven, que suerte! especially since they are so expensive at the market!

And now to the point....

Nope, I lied.  Third of all, I need to figure out how to survive in this "stay up till all hours of the night and wake with the sun" culture.  I have never been good at napping, my poor mom can attest to that and regale you with tales of a very difficult 5 year old with temper issues.  But yes, all that to say, any of these posts that come late at night should be read with grace toward my weary (and yet completely excited) state of mind!

NOW to the point:

Last night I went to the young adult's study.  I don't have much to say about that because it was mostly just a sermon, the pastor visited and spoke.  It was good, but I'm not going to recap an entire sermon for you here on this blog :)  Though, I will say it did strike me all of the sudden:

"I can't believe I'm here, listening to a sermon in Argentina...in Spanish...as though I belong here.  How did this happen?!  Is this really my life?"

I didn't talk to many people but one guy did make sure I had my FILL of mate...over and over again.  Bethany told me that if you say "gracias" when you hand the cup back that means you are done and don't want any more.  This guy apparently didn't get that.  And how can you say no to such an eager and cheerful face of generosity?  I don't even like mate yet.

Tonight we went to the women's bible study.  I sat beside Ana.  She is a Catholic but she doesn't know anything about the Church.  She says she believes in things, but she can't explain them.  She was astounded that I had a Bible in English, she didn't believe it could possibly be the same Word as a Spanish Bible.  Everything was new to her.  She didn't understand how Jesus could also be God and she said she had never heard of the Holy Spirit.  Could you pray that she will come back next Thursday?

Also, please pray for Letti.  She has had a condition for a while now and the doctor in Las Bajadas has washed his hands of her.  She is coming on Monday to see a doctor that is a close friend of Lucia, a close friend of Bethany's.  Apparently having someone push to get answers is a necessity here.  So, yes, please pray that she will get some answers when she comes.

[Acts 17:23-29...its incredible]

saludos y besos from the Campo

Alright, this post might be a little tricky, because the PVC team that went down in February (if any of them are reading this blog...maybe that assumption is presumptuous on my part) will already know about things.  Dona Teresa, Letti, Juan and Claudio all raved about you guys, and how much it meant to them.  They wanted to give you kisses and greetings from Las Bajadas.  They remembered you all and asked about you.  I am proud to be from the same church as you all!

So, for all of you who don't know....

Las Bajadas is an hour outside of Cordoba, way out in the country-- it reminds me of the way I would imagine a hacienda in a spaghetti western.  Every other Sunday Roman and Bethany host a house church out there.  Yesterday was the day :)  We got there in the morning at about 9am and left at 8pm.  Not a single word of English was spoken.  I. Was. Exhausted.  But, it was extremely rewarding on that front. 

[Argentine Spanish is very distinct, and quite hard to understand if all you are used to is academic professor speech.  They aspirate their "s", they have Italian influence in their inflection, and of course they use the "zsch" sound in place of every "y".]

There was a group of about 20 people who all gathered at Juan and Letti's house, which is actually Roman's, willed to him by his father.  Letti is Roman's niece and she lives there now.  We all talked and drank mate (one cup that gets passed around....broke down some of my barriers) and ate sweet breads until lunch, then we ate grilled chicken and salad, then we had church, then we drank more mate and talked some more.  I had one child or another on my lap almost all day, never mind the 80 degree weather.  I actually really appreciate this physically demonstrative culture.

Ezekiel in his Rural King hat :)

Ezekiel is a 13 soon to be 14 year old boy with a lot of reasons to be angry...and he is.   While Bethany was teaching the children's group and Roman was with the adults I took out a screaming baby to bounce around the yard on my hip for a while.  Ezekiel was also there, and I talked to him some...I also made him laugh because I claimed I could juggle and then proceeded to prove myself wrong with a few fallen oranges.  He is heavy on my heart.  If you wanted to pray for someone....He is Alejandra's son (Ale is getting married to Danny in about 2 weeks)

Side note:  I am going to be the photographer at Alejandra and Danny's wedding.  They joked about how fancy of an event it was to have flown a photographer in all the way from the US.

Everyone kept laughing about how my dad was the one that said when the baby was crying "give me the baby, I have experience" and then proceeded to walk for over an hour with no success....unfortunately I think I have the same luck with her...must be genetic.  I tried, Dad.

Elli took this picture of Brandon, Abbi and I.  'AT&T... more bars in more places.'

It hasn't rained since March

Letti and Juan...I snuck a picture.  I don't want anyone to feel like they are a bug collection with how many pictures I wanted to take.

This is the moment that I showed Allen a picture of my dad.  He ran over to his mom and hid his face in her apron...so I wouldn't see him cry at all.

Allen wanted me to take this picture, "your dad will like it" he said :)

At the end of the day we dropped off the 50 lbs of Bibles that filled Erin's suitcase #2.  Alejandra and Danny's house just made me think:  God is so big that He sees all of this, and everyone in the world all at the same time.  He hears their prayers for their needs and my prayers for mine.  By comparison, how big of a God He is that He still cares about mine.  Did that thought make sense?  Maybe not.  Point being, He is so far beyond my understanding, and I am SO thankful for His love, and that He meets each of us where we are at.  How kind.  How...just wow.  God is big.