Hodge Podge

Ok, I'm going to be real here:  I have 7 full days left in Argentina.  This means that the blog posts, should they continue to come are going to be of the "ahhh!  I lived so much and I can't space it out and make it neat an organized!" variety.  That being said.  Ima throw these pictures out and 'splain 'em...and that's about it.

There are five women, including Bethany, who all have birthdays within a week of each other.  This is the third or fourth year that they all decided to celebrate together.  This year it was hosted at the Caceres household.  The party was on Saturday, and so we spent much time friday getting the house ready.  Eli decided "one person shouldn't work alone" so I had the most fun helper ever...who doesn't mind the gross jobs.  She talked to me, made me laugh, told me knock knock jokes (I really need to teach her how to tell those before I go....) and cleaned out the drains.  Couldn't ask for more.

Abi was kinda bummed about having to work, she wanted to play.  So we decided to pretend we were servants doing work for the Mistress.  We spoke in British accents the whole time and when it was finished I pretended that I had saved a scrap of flour and sugar from the cake we made for her party...just enough to make a cake in a mug (which we actually did....raving success)

And here we have a completely unrelated picture.  This past Thursday was the last small group GNC (Bible Study)  Even though this wasn't exactly my age group, it was my favorite of the Bible studies.  I am so thankful for how willing these women were to care about me.  It meant, means, a lot to me.  Not all of them were there for this picture, which is a shame.

Caro :)

Candid 

Lucia y Leti :)

I learned so much from this Bible study, I often came away encouraged, and my eyes were opened to a lot of truth.  I am really grateful.  

The following are pictures from the birthday party :)  By the time this day rolled around to the party I had already been to one and was preparing to go to another at 9:00...of course this all fell on a day when Erin's small talk skills decided to take a hike.  I was struggling with that awkward "just sitting here" and "whoa, that conversation just flopped" paradigm for about the first hour and a half of this party, and then...God gave me some really good conversations.  It is kind of Him to do that.

All in all there were around 40 women packed into the patio!

When you give a Norweigen the camera...this is Andrea and I...and this is the best picture we have together...

Said Norweigen (Kris) and I.  She is the type of person that thrives in a foreign culture.  She isn't afraid of anything.  I wish I was more like that.

The Birthday Girls:  Malen (Bible study co-leader who God used to teach me a lot), Celeste, Bethany, Lucia, Ceci (the other co-leader who made me feel so welcome), Lorena

And this picture, because it is such a happy smile from my friend Lucia.  She has made me feel SO loved.  I know I have only been here a short time, and our conversations really have been few, but I love her too.  She has a special place in my heart that I cannot explain.  On thursday she and I went to a cafe and shared a merienda, and had "the real talk".  Meaningful conversation of the "sharing of the mutual faith of both you and I" variety.  God is the Giver of good gifts, and one of those for me has been this woman.