A Gringa Headed for Home

I don’t know how I should even start this. How do I wrap up more than a year of my life in just a few paragraphs? This time has been the most challenging, exciting, and growth-encouraging year of my life. I give thanks to God for the people He has put in my life and for all the experiences that I will remember for the rest of it. I know that He has used this year to really shape my character, thoughts, views, and dependence on Him. I learned what it means to be stretched beyond what you think you are capable of both mentally, emotionally, and physically. I was given responsibility that at times seemed unbearable and impossible to accomplish. But God is faithful, showing me that what may seem inconceivable based on my own opinion will never change the reality of His sovereign will. (1 Cor 1:27-28) His purpose will be carried out whether I think I am capable or not.

I have also found out the great importance of the heart. Solomon’s words couldn’t be more true when he says in Proverbs 4 that the heart is the wellspring of life. Out of our hearts come our thoughts, words, and actions- it is essentially who we are, our being. Lots of times it is a great battle for me because my heart has been “deceitful” and “desperately wicked” since the day I was born (Jer. 17:9) and that will follow me the rest of my days. Jealousy, along with the need to be the best and making sure everyone knows it, is a battle with the other part of me that wants to do what I know is right, doing things for the total glory of the Lord and not for myself. Another thing I have learned along this same line is the importance of giving my best because that’s what the Lord would want from me. He deserves all that I’ve got, each and every day of my life. A struggle for me is the need to be and do everything perfect. A great lesson for me this year was that God doesn’t ask for perfection from us, that standard is too high and it is impossible. But, what God does ask is that we give Him our best, using our abilities not to impress or wow others, but to do things out of a sincere heart, giving all for Him.

Here at Word of Life, it’s very easy to get caught up in a routine and schedule. It’s easy to get lost in it all, as day in and day out things are always the same. At the same time, there’s always something new to be involved with whether it be ministry needs or slots to be filled. At times it’s hard for me to get involved as it’s another thing on the schedule, while at other times it’s hard for me to say no to the constant opportunities that come my way. I’ve learned the importance of being balanced this year, finding time not only for ministry, but for my time with the Lord as well. Life can make it hard when trying to find the median between being the super “I can do it all” ministry person in comparison to the one that “sits at Jesus’” feet to learn and put into action these truths.

Life here has been very interesting, challenging, and well worth it, but it’s time for me to move on to the new things God has planned for the future. I have had some great years of solid preparation, and now it’s time to start life and use them. When I get back home, I would love to start using this new language. I’m hoping that there are some great jobs available that allow me to keep it fresh. Also, when I get back, I’m going to start taking classes at a seminary for Biblical Counseling. I’m excited to take this new step, and my mom is excited that I’ll be spending more time at home as many of the classes can be taken online! So, as this chapter of my life closes and a new one begins, I will look back and remember the growth that this amazing year has brought. Thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers, I greatly appreciate it.

Bendiciones, Alyssa

One Last Hoorah!

Campana en Scasso

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Today I left around 7 p.m. on my last campaign in Argentina. A group of Americans from North Carolina came down to do some evangelism and to meet with some of the churches that they have been able to support. After our 2 hour drive the bus driver literally kicked us to the curb saying, “This is it!” I was fortunate enough to be placed in a house with a very nice family having two children. By the time we made it to their house, we arrived just in time for dinner- even though it was just about 11:30 p.m.. While back at the church they had served us hot dogs, so we felt badly saying no to the food that they were offering at the house. I stayed in the house with another girl from Canada named Kristina. We were in the same PBB group together... she’s really sweet and a great roommate. The daughter of the family was very nice and easy to talk to. She was willing to give up her room and bed so we could stay in there. Everything was great as they had running water, a bathroom, and heat, but I started having some asthma problems and I couldn’t put my finger on it as to why. Fortunately, I brought with me some Benadryl that did me very well.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Today was the Lord’s day and so I did my best to rejoice, knowing that He gave me this great opportunity to share. It was an early morning for us all as we were up and out for the morning church service. It’s interesting because where I’m staying is a very poor neighborhood and so the roads are made of dirt and the family that I’m staying with doesn’t have a car. To get to the church we had to walk 15 blocks. It was good exercise for me, especially with all that we would be eating for the week. We got to meet the Americans today. They’re a really nice group of people, and very easy to get along with. They’re all older, I would say around 35+, and very sweet. I got to translate for one of the pastors, Pastor Jim, who I would say is around 75. He was pretty much like the grandpa I never had. Today was a special day for the church because it was their 11th anniversary and so all the congregation (around 40 people) stayed and ate lunch and played some games outside. Some of the women brought face paint so they were able to paint the kids’ faces and they also had beads with lanyards to make salvation bracelets. The weather was about 90 degrees and very hot, but a beautiful day. Around 3 o’clock we went to another church which was about 20 minutes away. Apparently the Americans had some connections and so they wanted to visit them. When we arrived, we still had a good amount of time so we all went out and the pastor bought us ice cream. After our treat a few of us went on a little adventure in search for a phone card. One of the women brought an Argentine phone so the whole team pitched in to be able to call their loved ones. Once we got back after a little bit of a search, the service was about to start. It was nice because one of the American guys preached, which meant that I didn’t have to translate the whole message. After his sermon, we had a little break and then it was time to go. Once we made it back, the bus driver kicked us to the curb again and we were hoping that the church was open, which it was. A few minutes later, the pastor showed up and from there we walked a bunch of blocks to get to his house. Once there, he fed us fideos till about 9 p.m.. I was so ready to just take a shower and go to bed as you can imagine. It was a good hope, but it didn’t come to pass. The family we were staying with still had not eaten and they were at someone’s house. The husband ended up getting us and we walked to to where they were eating. It had to be around 10 p.m. at this point and we still had to wait for them to eat and then we could go back to their house. We couldn’t just walk back ourselves because it was a dangerous neighborhood. This house that we went to was like nothing I have ever seen. These people are poor and you could clearly tell that before even walking into the house. It was actually kinda sad to see that there are people that live in these conditions. They didn’t have any doors so they used sheets and the walls of their house were like crumbling bricks. No joke, I’m pretty sure my room in the States is bigger than their entire house. I just can’t even fathom living like this. What a blessing it is to live in the United States, in a house that is fully furnished with electric and painted walls and a kitchen that’s bigger than a small bathroom. It’s hard to see poverty when you know that when you go home it’s the complete opposite. “Thank you, Lord, for all that you have blessed me with.” Around 10:45 that night we finally left the house to head “home.” The highlight of the night for me was that I got to take a warm shower and wash my really dirty hair, body, and feet. I now understand the sacrifice Jesus made and portrayed when He washed the disciples’ feet.

Monday, November 8, 2010

What an awesome day God has blessed me with! This was definitely the best day yet. I was a little nervous going into it because I wasn’t sure what it would entail. Even though I’m pretty confident in the language at this point, I still have those times when I doubt myself and my abilities. What is good about this is that it really helps me to rely on the Lord, knowing that He will be with me each step of the way as He performs His work through the Holy Spirit. The day started out pretty early once again as we had to be at the church at 8:30 am. Unfortunately, it had already started to rain and wouldn’t stop until late that night. It put a little bit of a damper on things, but that wasn’t going to stop us from preaching the Gospel! Once we got to the church, we had bread with dulce along with coffee that was served in tea bags. After the Americans arrived around 10 am, we all split up into groups and were given assigned blocks. It was actually pretty neat to be able to go house to house sharing with the families. I’m sure it helped stir up the curiosity as to what we were doing. To get the people to come out of their houses, we had to clap because many of the houses didn’t have doorbells. The morning wasn’t all too special, we visit about 5 people, but no one made a decision for Christ. We still moved forward though, knowing that the seeds were planted. After that, we went back to the church and ate some spaghetti and meatloaf which was pretty good. We had about an hour off for those who wanted to take a nap or something and then around 3 we headed out until about 7 p.m.. This is where the day began to get exciting! We still had to finish off our block and so we visited about eight more houses. We went up to one house and right near the fence there was a shrine with Mary in it, so we put a tract in the shrine! As we turned the corner, there was a tiny kiosco with a 16 year old girl named Soledad who was running it. We decided that we should talk to her. She had piercings in her lip and her eye brow, and she seemed interested and really open to what we were saying. She was listening very intently to what we were saying and she said that she wanted to accept Christ as her Savior, praise the Lord! Another “translator” who came with us was there as well and was able to answer her questions and give her assurance of her salvation. While Pablo was still talking to Soledad, another girl, Annaleah came up to buy something and so Dawn (the woman I was translating for) and I decided we were gonna share the cube with her as well. To our great joy, she also trusted Christ as her Savior! This was awesome for me, because it was the first time that I shared the gospel in Spanish and had someone accept Christ! This was such a blessing for me, and it just showed how awesome God is. What really amazed me was the fact that the whole day we mostly spoke with adults who had a million excuses and yet when we talked to these girls we were like, “So what do you think? Do you want to make a decision?” ...and they said “Yeah, sure.” It just reminded me of child-like faith. These girls didn’t have a bunch of excuses, they were so easy to believe and trust. They were so ready to accept, you could see that God had been working on their hearts. For me, Annaleah was an answer to prayer. As soon as I heard I was able to go on the trip, I was asking God to give me the opportunity of bringing at least one soul to Him. It was super exciting for us because these two girls who were already friends now had each other for accountability and were motivated to start attending the church together. After talking to them, we witnessed to a few others that were pretty hard and didn’t want to listen to what we were saying. It reminded me of the States... as they were living for the here and now and saw eternity as just a game. But, God granted us the privilege of talking to one more woman who in the end also accepted Christ. It gets interesting here as we realize that the woman we talked to was Annaleah’s mom! She told us that she had heard the gospel before, but that with the cube she was really able to understand and believe what Jesus did for her. She also mentioned to us that Annaleah came home just a little before that and that she was very content. Annaleah told her that she had accepted Christ and then she showed her the New Testament Bible that we had given her. I know that up to this point it’s great, but it gets even better! There was a gamily member in the house that wasn’t able to walk. When he had seen the Bible of Annaleah, he wanted to be able to have it. The only problem was that Annaleah didn’t want to give it up! As God would have it, although I had run out of all the Bibles I had, Pablo still had an extra one and so we were able to give it to the man. Everyone arrived back to the church content, and we knew that everyone had had a good day. After eating dinner, we had a little sharing time where we were able to tell about the blessings of the day. All in all, there were 26 declarations of faith! It was cool because I got to translate into Spanish for Dawn about her day and then into English for Kristina as she shared. This was interesting for me because usually I get really nervous in front of a large crowd and my voice stops working. The difference about this night was that that didn’t happen this time, and I’m not sure why. I think it may have been the joy of the Lord as I knew that what I said would be an encouragement to others. So, we had very good experiences this day that really showed me how great God is and that He continues to work in the lives of people today. While things don’t always go perfectly or the way you would expect them to go, we can still rejoice knowing the greater plan and how the little problems don’t really matter in the grand scheme of it all.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Today we visited a kindergarten (ages 2-5) as well as do some discipleship with the people that were saved form the day before. We set out around 9:30 am, walking the 10 blocks to the school. It was cool to see how prepared the group was to do some kids‘ ministry. They brought along with them a bunch of candy, balloons that they could make animals with, and face painting sets. We were given one hour with the kids and they allowed us to take pictures and even share the gospel. We started out by teaching them some songs like, “Who’s the king of the jungle?,” “ Jesus loves Me,” and “Inside Outside.” The kids really enjoyed learning the songs and some hand motions. After this, we had a small drama where we showed them the Gospel through different characters. The kids were really cute, but by the end it got harder for them to concentrate. I helped out with the face painting and translating. Before lunch, the woman that I stayed with asked if I wanted to go with her to pick up the kids from school. We took a bus over there and found them right away. The ride home in the collectivo was a little different than our trip there though. The bus driver kept allowing more and more people on the bus and it was as full as it could possibly be. When the bus was ready to go, it was so full and it kept stalling. Talk about crazy. The engine was roaring, but we weren’t moving anywhere. Soon after this, one of the tires could no longer take the amount of weight and it popped! So much for that! We ended up taking another bus and arrived safely back to church. After lunch we had a little more relaxing time and then we headed out to the kindergarten again. We still had quite a bit of time and we decided to go out and do some discipleship and more evangelism. We were able to talk with Soledad and tell her about the meeting the following night. When we went to the house of Annaleah and Florencia (her mom) to disciple them but they weren’t home. There was one person that was home though, and that was the son/brother. We were able to talk to him and he accepted Christ! It’s awesome to see one by one the whole family getting saved. After this, we went back to the church and had a sharing time. I can see the importance of having this special time. Each group really has their own story to tell, the way that God worked during the day... and it’s really neat to see.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The last day came faster than I could’ve ever imagined. This week has been a huge blessing in my life. God has taught me so much and it will never cease to amaze me, knowing that He uses stained people to carry out His will. Today we started out with evangelism and discipleship. The difference for me was that I was placed in a different group to translate. It was a little harder for me today because I wasn’t used to the new explanations that the woman gave. Everything worked out though and the woman actually ended up getting saved, which was very exciting! We had to go over the gospel a few times to make sure she understood it. While they were doing that, I was trying to share the gospel with her two children of 4 years old. Unfortunately, they didn’t understand and believe, but it was a good, unique experience for me. After lunch, we went out around four o’clock to invite those that had gotten saved to the meetings. At five we would have a women’s meeting and at seven a church service. We got to speak to a few people that ended up coming. We also decided to do some more discipleship with three of them, assuring them of their salvation and also making sure that they really understood. I got to speak with two sisters, one who was 9 and the other 12. Also, a great opportunity for me, not just because they were younger, but because I had never done discipleship of that kind before. Both meetings went very well, and a lot of the people that we had been witnessing to showed up. After the service, they recognized all the translators and everyone who helped out, giving us all little gifts. They were SO sweet. Dawn was so generous to me as she included in my little bad peanut butter, Kool-Aid, candy, shampoo, conditioner... just things that are hard to buy in Argentina and things I needed as well! Honestly, I wasn’t sure if my shampoo and conditioner would last for the next week, but now I have enough to get me through! Our God is definitely a God of details! After this, we enjoyed some great pizza and empanadas and then we had to say our goodbyes. This group was really special to me and truly touched my heart. I’m blessed to have met them!

Una Vida Marcada por la Fidelidad de Dios

A Life Marked by the Faithfulness of God

It’s so awesome to step back and see God’s hand at work in my life and that of those around me. Right now life is going so well and I don’t want to lose this place of reliance that I have on Him. I’m afraid that one of these days I’m going to subconsciously think that my life is what it is because of something that I did, when it was really His doing! He is so good! I don’t want that pride of thinking that I made my life this way to creep in, because I know that as soon as that happens, it will start crumbling to pieces. May it not be that things are going so well that I forget that all I am and live for is because of Jesus. These past few weeks, I’ve been reading through the Exodus and while it drives me crazy to see the constant cycle of the Israelites as they mess up and cry out to God for help, I know that’s me. It makes me upset to realize that I’m a modern-day Israelite! God in His great mercy and faithfulness is so patient with us that it’s almost unfathomable to me. I don’t know why He reached out to me, or gave me this great gift, but I am wholeheartedly grateful for Him that He would make me His child.

There’s this song that we sing here that describes my thoughts pretty well...

What would I be if you had not forgiven me?

There would be a void in my heart,

I would be wandering without a way or direction,

If it were not for your grace and love.

What a great reminder this song is to me each time I sing it. It is so incredibly true for me to say, “I don’t know where I would be without Jesus.” The other day as I was walking around Buenos AIres, enjoying this big city, I was able to see a whole bunch of different types of people, with different walks of life ranging from the homeless to the thriving businessman. It just makes me wonder, “Don’t they ever ask themselves what the true meaning of life is?” Seeing these poor, dirty children begging for money, I think, “That could have been me... God why have you given me such a blessed life?” On the other end of the spectrum, I see the success and wealth and I say, “Is this life not more than money and possessions?” These things will never satisfy. The thing is, that both of these people have the same exact need, whether they know it or not. They’re both longing to fill a void that will just not be satisfied by anything on this earth. With complete confidence, I can assure you that they won’t find what they’re looking for until they have a personal encounter with Jesus. It saddens me to think that these kids probably feel like there’s no hope or even a future. Even just walking around Buenos Aires, I was faced by a great conviction, and longing, especially for those begging on the street. Who knows how many times I have just walked by and looked on them with pity, but pity that brings no action. I think to myself, “Why have I never shared the love of Christ with them? Here I possess the greatest gift, I have the answer to the question the whole world is asking, and yet I walk by, staring blankly and silently, unmoved with compassion.” It’s so completely shameful. I could have been in their situation physically if it were not by God’s grace, and before trusting Christ as my Savior, I was in their position spiritually- I was on my way to hell. This great reality of the world has been hitting me lately because life is not bad and it’s time to count my blessings. For those of you reading this, I think it’s time for you to make some decisions as well. For those who have been saved through the precious blood of Jesus, it’s time to show the love of Christ and the awesome gift of Salvation to others that have never heard. This is my encouragement for you... lots of times actions speak more loudly and more clearly than words. For those who have not yet trusted Christ, this is your time. Stop running from the greatest decision of your life. You are not promised your next breath, don’t hold off because you may not be here tomorrow.

Philippians 2:5-11

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Choices

In the past I have heard parents telling their kids that giving one year of their life to the Lord is a waste of time. It saddens me when I see their skewed view of God in their life and also knowing that they have influenced their children to have this same attitude as well. If this next generation takes on this vision, where does this leave us as a people of God in the years to come? We need to ask ourselves what we make priority in our life and decide what truly matters. What do we place above everything else? Is it to get ahead at work? Is it to make tons of money to spend for pleasure? Is it vanity and looking better than the rest? What is your focus?

There is no longer a passion and yearning to live as God’s children, and I think it’s because our view of God is painfully off. Above all things, He is supposed to be our priority. While God is a God of compassion, mercy, and grace, we have to remember that He is also jealous, righteous, and just. He wants our desire to be for Him and He wants that we place nothing before Him in our lives. I think that the way we are living is dangerous, we are Christians who are lukewarm, and know how to live double lives without even blinking an eye. The sad truth is that we look more like the world than followers of Christ. How are we supposed to be salt and light in this world when there’s nothing different between us and them? It’s time we wake up and really get to know God and His living Word. If we really loved God with a pure, undivided heart, we would yearn to obey Him, and never cause Him pain from our sin. We need to have hearts that are open, willing, and teachable to what He wants us to change and learn. Would our God look down on that kind of attitude? I think not! God is looking earnestly for people like this who are willing to put away their old life, with all the things of this world, and reach for holiness through a transformed mind. (Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 12:1-2)

This change in all of us starts with the mind. We need to have the mind of Christ, looking out for the interests of others (Phil. 4:2) and loving them the way Chris loves us. We need to see sin the way God sees it, detesting all wrong things, and our actions will change. Being conscious of sin, we will be careful to do what is right in God’s eyes. When you love someone, you choose to do what please that person, and it is the same with God. Do you yearn to please your heavenly Father? If not, you might want to look back on what He did on the cross for you, it is then that you will realize the true reason for living.

A huge problem I feel we have is pride. It is woven into every part of our lives as it seeps into our thinking and changes our attitudes and actions. Pride is what caused Satan to fall, and unfortunately it sneaks into our lives, without us realizing how truly dangerous and demonic it is. Satan is working overtime to deceive God’s people, and we unknowingly follow Him because we don’t think! This pride that has been influencing our thoughts soon turns into selfishness, which then turns into the inconsideration of others.

Let’s change who we are as a people, detesting the things of the world with all its vain glory and superficial thoughts, and set our minds to think on things eternal (Col. 3:1-4). This life will soon pass, but the life after this one includes an eternity with Jesus- for those who have put their trust in Him as Savior. Compared to eternity, this life is like a vapor, it’s gone in a flash. Thinking about this, we need to set our minds on things above, for these are the things that truly matter.

Las Cataratas del Iguazú

March 25, 2010

Right now I’m on a bus to Iguazu Falls in Argentina! I never thought this would happen--ever! Things seemed to fall into place perfectly, it was most-definitely a God-thing. The other night, Niki came into our room saying that her and her parents were going to Iguazu! I wasn’t really listening to the details, even after she was inviting people to go with her. Truly, I never thought this would happen, I never expected to get an opportunity or have enough money to go. After praying about it and seeking out wise advise, I mentioned it to my parents. In seemed like a perfect time to go, we just finished our Spanish finals, our ministry trip to Cordoba was cancelled, and it would be safer for us with a family. My parents completely agreed and thought that it was a once in a lifetime experience. This was SO exciting! The time was drawing near for us to leave. Niki gave us the news on Monday night and we were to leave on Thursday! In the meantime, while I was awaiting a reply from my parents, Kate and I went to town to do a few things. Along with all that was going on, I had to remember that my mom would be arriving on Monday, and I in no way wanted to neglect her because of the trip. As Kate and I were walking past a store, I was able to get a wireless signal along with an email from my parents telling me to do it. So, from there, we took a trip over to the travel agent. This was a bit of a challenge because she only spoke in Spanish. It was a great confidence booster for me when I found out that I could communicate and understand! We booked everything that day and even found a mistake in the Malone’s itinerary. God was definitely planning everything, we would have never seen this if the Malone’s weren’t late and if we didn’t receive the email on time. I’m not gonna lie, the whole process was a little sketch, but we found out that she had formally worked with Word of Life, so I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. As luck would have it, the next day, Wednesday, was a national holiday and the whole country had the day off. This was also remarkable because we were just going to go to the travel place the next day, which would make us too late. Because everyone was off, we had another day of waiting until we could get our vouchers for the trip. Daniella, our travel agent, told us that at 10 on Thursday she would call and everything would work out.

Today, we went to get our tickets, but they weren’t ready yet. She promised to have them at the Centro Medico at 1 from a nurse that was there. Sure enough, we went to go get them, but there was no one at the Centro Medico and no one had any idea of what we were talking about. So, there was noting we could do, we just decided to wait, go to lunch, and hope that they were brought over in the meantime. After lunch, we went back, but there was nothing there, and no one to talk to. We were running around and didn’t know what to do, the time was getting closer, and we had nothing to verify that we paid! We called Daniella from the pay phone, but she didn’t answer. Uh oh. We didn’t know if she was on her lunch break or what, but we were getting a little nervous and stressed for that matter! We decided to try one of the missionary apartments to see if by chance they had any idea. They didn’t, but one of the nurses was there and was able to open up the Centro Medico. We checked for envelopes, but there was nothing. Praise God, Daniella called while we were in there! After talking to her, we found out that she couldn’t put the transaction through for the Malone’s until they approved it. This was just craziness! Now we were rushing, good thing our stuff was all ready to go. We ran back to call two taxis and out were out and ready to go in no time. We made it to Daniella’s and solved the problem. Kate and I were completely okay and ready, but I was worried about the Malone’s for a little bit there. Everything went great, we got our tickets for the bus and caught it right in time. It was actually a pretty nice bus over to Buenos Aires, exactly like the one we took to Pichi. We were to arrive at the station at 5:30, which we did, and then we had an hour to catch our next bus ride to Iguazu. We went by the gate numbers that Daniella had given us, but Kate and I decided that maybe we should check in with the bus company to make sure it was still the same. This was a huge bus station, there were around 75 spots that that buses were pulling in and out of. It kinda reminded me of an airport with the intercom and just the stressful, fast-paced atmosphere. Kate and I found out that the platform had actually changed and that we needed to check-in to get our tickets, not what Daniella had given us. Could you imagine if we hadn’t done anything, bus just stood there waiting?!

We got to the platform after confirming with only 5 minutes to spare! It’s amazing that it has been such an adventure thus far! I can’t tell you how much more complicated it has been with it all in Spanish. It’s quite a challenge, but it’s not overwhelming. I’ve been prepared enough to take it. Between the stress, time restraints, and the language, I’m pretty sure I should’ve had a meltdown by now! But, God always gives us grace in times like these, and I am so grateful to him for that! Maybe this is the kind of experience I needed all along. It’s not only a time away, but it’s a challenge and a time to test what I’ve learned.

God has taught me that I can’t just sit back and watch things happen. I need to be assertive, open-minded, and willing! If you allow God to work, He’s gonna do it! These past few weeks, I’ve really seen God’s hand in things. He truly is working all around me. If I open my eyes to more than just focusing on me, I see it. God is constantly revealing himself and the still-small voice is still there. The more I obey in following that voice, the more responsibility He will give me. I don’t want to sit back, I want to be a part of the action! My life will never be boring if it’s surrendered to God. The life of mediocrity just won’t exist. I don’t know what God is preparing right now, but these days, I just don’t feel like it’s going to be the “work 9-5, 5 days a week” kind of life. I think God is going to do great, out of the ordinary things, and I just hope that I am rendered and privileged enough for Him to do this.

March 26, 2010

Well, we finally made it to our hotel around 1:00 in the afternoon after an 18-hour bus ride! It was a good trip, leaving us quite tired, but that wasn’t about to stop us! We had about five minutes to decided if we were going to do an excursion zip lining and repelling. Although it had been a very long time since we had sleep, we decided to do it. First, we picked up all the other people from different hotels, and then we would proceed. We met a mom and daughter from CO and they were believers as well! It’s amazing how small the world is! We drove down this very narrow road in an open truck. We were completely surrounded by trees, except for the few times when we saw reserves with native people. It always surprises me how they live, we are just so affluent in America that you lose touch with reality. After about half an hour of driving, they dropped us off and we walked about 900m through some pretty intense jungle. I was a bit worried because I haven’t had my yellow fever shot, but thanks be to God there weren’t that many mosquitos , just a lot of flies. Once we made it to our first excursion, we suited up in our harnesses and helmets and climbed up a whole bunch of stairs to start our first zip line. In all, there were only 3 zip lines. The 1st was 400m long which was really cool! All the zip lines went straight through the canopy. This was really cool because my last zip line experience I went over a great canyon. I had a little knot in my stomach while I was going, you just never know if some freak accident could happen and you fall to your death! After this, we went to another part where there was a huge waterfall cascading down and we repelled down to where the river was. This was a first for me and I really liked it! We were supposed to repel down a waterfall, but they said that a platform got destroyed when it rained the week before. This was still a fun experience though, it definitely wasn’t like when I did it on a cruise! By the time we finished, we were exhausted! We came back to the hotel and finally got to take showers! This was seriously one of the best showers I have ever taken, not because of the accommodations so much, but because we were so gross! We ate at the hotel for dinner and then spent some time in the town. It’s a pretty touristy place here. I’m excited for tomorrow because we get to see Iguazu! We finally made it!

March 27, 2010

Today was an amazing day! It started out early this morning when we left around 7:30 for the falls. After about a 30-minute drive, we arrived and met our instructor Victoria. She started out by explaining the map and what we would be doing for the next 8 hours. We walked for a little bit and then took a train through the jungle. From there, we started our trek! There was a bridge that we crossed over a huge river to get to the “Devil’s Throat.” I never seen such a huge river! It kept going and going! As we got closer, we started hear this loud crashing sound that almost sounded like thunder. When we started to feel the mist, we knew we were getting close! I was not prepared for the sight I about to see, it was just incredible! I could not believe how much water there really was and just how magnificent they were. It was here that all the rivers connected and dropped from a great height. From here, we got to see Brazil and take tons of pictures. Unfortunately, they will never compare to actually being there. We had to break out our panchos as we were just getting drenched by the water coming up. I was a little worried about my camera, but it seemed to do okay. It was amazing to see the mist and how it poofed out from below. You would think the ground was right below, but it was about 70 km down! The water was hitting the bottom so powerfully, kinda scary! After spending a good amount of time there, we got back on the train and began exploring the top part of the falls. There were so many great sights and the magnificence of God’s creation was so astounding. I have no idea how the amount of water keeps coming and not run out! From the upper part of the falls, we also got to see an excursion that we would be doing that afternoon. We saw a boat that was down underneath the falls. The boat looked like it was going full-ahead into where all the waterfalls met. After a few seconds, you couldn’t even see them anymore because of all the mist. Just incredible! There were so many waterfalls along the Argentine side. Someone mentioned that there was a lot more water in the falls because of all the rain, and this was definitely true when we looked back at postcards. It was almost as if some didn’t exist before and that in some parts everything was dry. It was a great time of year to go, and the weather was wonderful. It started out really overcast where I almost thought it was going to rain, but by the afternoon, it was only partly cloudy. After viewing the falls from above, we went to eat lunch, I had empanadas which were pretty good. It was nice to relax for a little bit, but we were getting excited about our excursion! We started the excursion by taking a tour of the jungle. We all sat in these huge trucks that didn’t have a roof and we listened as the tour guide told us all about the history and special facts of the forrest. We went down the tiniest dirt road, we were right in with the wildlife, although all we really saw were birds, butterflies, and spiders. This was actually pretty fun because it was more than just a boat excursion as you got to be in the thick of the forrest. When we were going down to where the boat was, there were tons of butterflies, more than I have ever seen in my lifetime. They were all over the ground and some even landed on me! The time finally came and we all piled into the boat and fastened our lifejackets. The boat took off flying as we headed for the two falls that we would go near. They let us take pictures from the boat before getting wet. This was pretty exciting because we were so close! After getting all the shots in, we put everything in our waterproof bags and off we went. We were zooming around the falls and were getting absolutely soaked! It was a lot of fun! Everyone was having a great time and I just couldn’t believe how close we were! One time, we were seriously like one foot from being under the fall. I had no idea what would happen if all the water came into the boat, the electronics would definitely be ruined! One of the last times we went in, the boat went flying into where all the falls were hitting. There was so much mist that you couldn’t see a thing! The water just pelted your body and you couldn’t look up. This excursion was so great, and I really feel like it completed the day! I still can’t get over how close we actually were to the falls, it was pretty amazing! After our great adventure, we got out of the boats completely drenched, but very happy. We got to see the falls from a different vantage point after this, at about the middle height. The last falls that we saw had a platform that jutted out a little further, and we were right in front of it. Once again, we got soaked for the last time! I’m glad that it was such great weather, being around 90 degrees, that you weren’t ever cold. All in all, it was a wonderful, fun-filled day. God is such a marvelous God, and He definitely reveals this through His creation! Iguazu Falls is one of the most, if not the most gorgeous sights I have ever seen. I don’t know how any atheist could go there and yet still believe that there is no creator. My experience, though very short, was great. It may have been a whirlwind, but we made the most of it without a doubt. I hope that there are many other experiences just like it. God is so good to me that He would allow me such an experience and opportunity to see the world. I see so much suffering and poverty and I wonder why not me? Why am I so incredibly blessed? I praise God for who He is and know that no matter what my actions and no matter how undeserving I am, He still would be there offering forgiveness and wanting to give me these good things. I’m always having to remind myself that it’s not about how I act or the things I do that make me “deserving,” but it’s who God is, it has absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m His child, and He really takes care of me daily. I can’t wait to see where God leads, I now that life with Him isn’t normal, it’s exciting and predictable. I thank Him because He knows the future and He knows what is best for me. I’m so happy to know that He can take better care of me than I can myself, and I hope that I will always remember this in my days to come!

Gallivantin' through the Andes

Saturday, February 13, 2010 - Sunday, February 14, 2010

Today, we started our trek to the southern part of Argentina. On a double-decker coach bus, it took us about 24 hours. We all managed to keep ourselves occupied by watching many movies, catching up on much-needed sleep after Summer ministry, and talking to each other. I watched an incredible amount, including Taken, Slumdog Millionaire, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and an episode of Glee. During the trip, we only stopped twice for a bathroom break and a quick “dinner,” which we picked up at the gas station. The trip was pretty uneventful until I was watching one of the movies with Kate, my seating buddy, and I saw something move on the fall. I almost threw my computer and then proceeded to see what it was with Kate’s book light. Unfortunately, with the revealing light, I found out that it was a cockroach...yuck. From that point on I was paranoid. After a few lines of “I can’t do this anymore” and “I’m never gonna be a missionary,” Kate was able to console me by saying that they were harmless, and only a little dirty. Nonetheless, the image didn’t leave my mind, and would haunt me for the rest of the trip. Upon doing some further exploring, we found another item that was shoved into my seat. Mind you, it was not mine, and I still don’t know what it was. Gross! But, I made it through and everything was okay. It ended up that I prayed every time I thought of the cockroach and I had enough peace to take another 40-minute nap. A part of the trip that was scary was when all the lights went off and a slow rock of the bus would turn into more of a swerving action. I was hoping and praying that it wasn’t the driver falling asleep, but in fact, just a strong wind. We left school Saturday at 1:30 and and didn’t arrive at Pichi till around 2:00. At one point when we reached San Miguel de Los Andes, we stopped so that we could switch buses. There were about 15 to a van as we made the last leg of our trip up the mountain. Although we were all very tired at this point, we still took in the amazing views of winding rivers, sparkling lakes, and humungous mountains. It really was a beautiful sight, and so worth the 24 hours! One we got to Pichi, we had lunch and then got settled in our rooms. I was determined to not take a nap until the appropriate time, so a few of us did a little exploring and just hung out. That night, we had a little service and welcoming time.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Today was a fabulous day! We started out with a delicious breakfast that included toast, yogurt, cereal, and, of course, cafe con leche. After breakfast, we had a little devotional time together. Around 11, a group of us went with someone from Word of Life to a river close to the camp. This was my first experience with the freezing cold, yet crystal clear water. The rocks were pretty tough on the feet and the water made the bottom half of your body numb, but it was a fun experience. The mountains are beautiful and huge here, nothing like NY. They tower over everything and make you feel so small. We pretty much just chilled there for a few hours, took some pictures, and skipped rocks. By the time we got back, it was lunch. It was a traditional Argentine meal, including milonesa as the main course. Around 2:30 is when the real journey began as we made our way to the “Cinco Saltas” (Five Jumps.) A pretty large group came with us as we made the trek up to the water falls. Looking back, I realize that what we were doing was pretty dangerous. At some points, we had to use a rope to pull us up. Thank God, none of us got hurt and we all had a blast! We followed the trails, walking close to 5 miles. My crocs did me very well as we crossed over slippery rocks and dirt paths. The only nerve-racking part, other than the obvious “you could break your leg doing this,” was that I had my camera on me the whole time. One wrong move or one misstep, and it would be ruined. Even though I got some great pictures, I almost want to go back without my camera and experience it without the “stress.” There were points when we were wading in water up to my thighs. And this water was not warm! I’m hoping not to get sick from this! About an hour later, we made it to our last waterfall. This one just happened to be the best! At one part, the water was so deep that people were diving into a hole at the bottom. I got to stand under the waterfall as well which was pretty fun. It was almost unbearable cold to get to that part though! This water must’ve just melted or something, cause it was crazy. All in all, it was a great day. I’m very impressed that no one got hurt, there was more than one time where I was a little worried if I was even gonna make. Mr. Colombo, who’s about 60 made it up, so he gave me the hope to make it as well. It was great to see all the beauty that Argentina has to offer and just see all of God’s creation. There are so many natural wonders out there that I have get to discover. I’m so blessed to be able to see this country right now, in all its untouched beauty!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Today was a more relaxing day than the past few. We had breakfast and then did our morning devotional. After that, I watched the guys as they played soccer on the outdoor field. A few of us girls had fun just watching and hanging out together. After lunch, we went on a little hike down the road to a local beach. We walked about 2 miles before we got there. When we arrived, we saw a lake that was surrounded by gorgeous mountains. For most of us, it was too cold to swim, but Alex and Gabe decided they would go in anyway. If it was sunny out, I probably would’ve given it a try! The water was a really pretty blue and you could see the different shades. We had the boys experiment, and it dropped really quick, just a few feet from the shore. While we were there, we met this guy from Canada. He took the whole trip down to Argentina just on his motorcycle. He said that he had been gone since February of last year and that this is where he ended up. He seemed like a pretty free spirit, and we could tell that being dirty didn’t really bother him. Kate and Alex ended up witnessing to him which was really cool. Although he didn’t accept Christ, he seemed open. I’m sure that one of these days he will be desperate and lonely enough to hear God’s voice. He admitted to being an atheist and proceeded to tell them that God had never reached out to him. My favorite part was when Kate said, “well, I think He might be doing that now!” All in all, it was a good day, and it was cool to see my classmates have the boldness to share Christ anywhere, at any time, with anyone!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Today we took a trip to Bariloche! Bariloche is a town in the province of Patagonia, which is the southern region of Argentina. Bariloche is known for it’s chocolate and so it’s called the “Switzerland” of South America. If you are a chocolate lover, than I’m sure you’d love it! Each place that sold chocolate gave us little “samplers” which was a nice treat. It was a cool place to visit, but at the same time very touristy. The chocolate was great, and I’m glad I went even for just this once. On the ride there (which took about 2.5 hours) we saw some gorgeous scenery which unfortunately could never be captured in a picture. There were mountains upon mountains and lakes. We went through an area that is famous for its “7 Lagos.” It was cool to see God’s handiwork, His beautiful creation. On the trip, we also stopped at an orphanage that has relations with Word of Life. I brought a few things for the kids that I hope they will enjoy. We took a tour of the orphanage and also got to spend about 15 minutes with the kids. I was hoping that we would have more time with them, but it was good just to see them at all. By this time, we were all exhausted and not so ready for the 2.5 hour drive back. After getting back, we had dinner and then went back to our cabin (which we like to call our PBB home.) Although I was on my last leg, I got to enjoy some time singing with everyone as we hung out in the “living room.”

Thursday, February 18, 2010- Friday, February 19, 2010

We got to relax on these two days. It was raining outside, so we decided to have a Sandra Bullock/Movie Marathon which included Miss Congeniality, While You Were Sleeping, Vantage Point, the Notebook, and Blind Side.

Saturday, February, 20, 2010

Today was the first sunny day in the past three days, so we decided to enjoy ourselves! I ate breakfast around 7 and was on the road right after that. We traveled about 2.5 hours until we finally reached our destination. We truly were in the middle of nowhere and were getting just a little bit nervous about our whereabouts. That was, until we saw an SUV pull up alongside with two big rafts hitched to the back. We continued driving up a mountain as we followed the river. After getting all geared up in our really cool helmets and retro jackets, we went down a dirt pathway to get to the river. It ended up that all of us in the PBB class were able to go in the same raft. The water was gorgeous, so crystal cearl that you could see straight down to where the rocks were at the bottom. This experience was really exciting, not just because it was my first time rafting, but because it was in the Andes! There were a few rough spots where I almost fell out, but it was a great rush! In the middle of the course, the instructor let us jump out and drift downstream. The water was so cold that it hurt to move! It felt like I was swimming in just melted snow. This part definitely made the adventure complete, and I‘m really glad he let us do it! It was a gorgeous last day in Patagonia for all of us PBB’rs.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

So, here I am sitting on a coach bus as I make my way back to campus. It truly was an awesome week, and I would love to go back to that part of Argentina real soon! Even though it rained a few days and I didn’t get to do all the excursionsas I was hoping, it was still a wonderful trip! It was just the right amount of relaxation and fun. Everyone stayed safe and it was great to take a week and not have to worry about anything. For me, I took this week to just forget about all the pressure of school and learning the language. After the crazy Summer, it was much needed for all of us! I know that this will be a time that I remember for many years. Today we actually got to make up for some lost time by spending about an hour and a half in San Martin de Los Andes. We were a little pressed, but I was still able to get a cute bag and goodies for the long ride home. We only have about 18 hours left, I’m sure it will be quite the trip!

Todo lo que soy, todo lo que tengo, todo lo que espero ser

So, it has been a while since I’ve written, and to be honest, I’m not sure where to even start on this crazy adventure thus far. It’s amazing for me to know that I’ve only been here for 2 weeks since Christmas break ...it feels like months! The emotions that I’ve felt here have been on a great spectrum, ranging down from discouragement to sheer joy. I’m learning to be content in everything and just cherish the precious moments that God has granted me. This is something that I’m so blessed to have, and I wouldn’t quench anything that God is doing in my life.

Although it’s hard to believe, right now it is Summer here. Every week we have about 500 teens that attend camp and learn about Jesus. The job that I’m placed in is called servicio, and I get to serve food to everyone at the meal times. I’m very happy to be doing this, especially because I get to see everyone. It’s pretty taxing on the body as we work long hours, but I would say it’s just as much rewarding in the end. I have learned an incredible amount in Spanish already and it’s just great to be surrounded by those that love the Lord.

I didn’t think that when coming back here I’d have another “culture shock,” but it has happened...again! I just think that it’s so interesting to witness life in a different place, it amuses me as I stand back and watch. I find I’m learning more than just a language right now, I’m learning how to get along with God’s people as we strive for a common goal. It makes me think of the body of Christ all over the world, all different, yet learning and praying for the world’s salvation. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

As for prayer requests here, there is a lot going on. God has completely showed us His hand on this special place. Each week, people are trusting Christ as their Savior and decisions are being made to give God everything. Your prayers are coveted as kids are coming from all over the place, some that don’t even have a place to call home. As for the selfish part of me, you can be praying that I conquer this language! Sometimes it becomes very frustrating when you can’t just say what you want to. I know that God is with me every step of the way, I can’t do this without Him. Also, for good health..and enough sleep.. for all the staff who are trying their best with just a minimal amount of people. Thank you so much for your prayers and I will do my best to keep in touch!

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of Your hands" Psalm 138:8

You are the Hand that catches my fall

You are the friend that answers my call

You are my day, You are my night

You are my love and all of my life

You are the love I need

You are the air I breathe

You are my love, my life

Always Forever

I would lay down my life

Just to be by your side

You are my love, my life

Always Forever, Always Forever

Phil Wickham