Lives changed in Palermo!

September 21, 2009

So, I figured I would dedicate this blog to my time spent in Palermo. This past week, I took a class on Evangelism and yesterday, I had to put it into practice at a place near Buenos Aires. Before going, we were warned about the potential conditions that we could face. These were a little daunting, but the Gospel needs to reach everywhere, right? Yesterday, was an official holiday where all the students have off, and they just spend their time outside, in celebration of their first day of Spring (yes, Spring!!). This park that we went to in Palermo is known for drugs and people that are drunk by the time the clock hits 2 in the afternoon. I seriously didn’t know what I was about to face, but I knew that God would do some miracles!

On the way there, I was thinking about how much I’ve changed in this past year. I remember last year when I had to do Open Air Evangelism in New York City... how different it was for me, just a year later. I was beyond freaked out in my mind, scared to even start a conversation for fear of rejection! This time I was much more confident. God really prepared me as I remembered that this had nothing to do with me. I had to keep in mind that all those people were destined for hell, having never heard the Gospel. Unlike last year, I was really able to grasp the concept that they just needed to hear and that God would do the rest. And clearly, that is what happened yesterday! I know that nothing I said was that spectacular that would actually “convince” the lost that they needed Jesus, it was all the work of God. It was amazing to see the faces of those that accepted, their expression changed as it just “clicked” and they knew they had found the answer.

When we first arrived, we split up into groups and set up painting boards that served as an illustration of what we wanted to talk about. For me, that really helped, even though in the beginning I wasn’t really sure. It served as an intro for me, and my conversation could flow right from what was seen. Those that I talked with already had prepared hearts and questions because of the painting presentation. Another aspect of the evangelism course that I was unsure about was using the Evangecube. It was new to me, and I just didn’t know how effective it would be. A class that I took required us to preach the gospel using the cube at least once. This pushed me into giving it a go, and that was a very good thing! The cube definitely kept me on track and helped me to be clear, remembering what I needed to say.

My first experience with sharing the Gospel was a great one! For me, this was actually the first time I shared, having someone trust Christ as their Savior! I was so excited about this, you have no idea! As the Gospel was being presented through the board painting, I stood back and watched as all the people gathered around. A little boy caught my eye, and I was watching to see that he stayed to the end. After the presentation was over, I went over and sat where he was, on the grass (with my wonderful translator). Of course, he was a little scared and nervous about these strange people who wanted to talk to him. We told him a little about ourselves and he became a little more comfortable around us. He was a little shy, but by the end he was answering questions. Up until this point, I knew that the Gospel was very simple, but I guess it never hit me HOW SIMPLE it is. It makes you think, could this really be it? Rest assured, that’s all there is to it! How amazing this gift really is, that even children can understand. I started out the conversation by asking him about what he thought the pictures represented on the cube. On one side there was a man that was to represent all of mankind and surrounding him was all black. This, I explained, was the sin in our lives that everyone has. This sin could range all the way from killing someone to even just thinking bad thoughts about someone. The little boy, after a little bit of time, agreed that he, in fact, had done bad things and that he was a sinner. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) On the other side of the cube was a picture of light and that was to represent God, who is perfect, merciful, and gracious (to name just a few.) I told him that there was no way that God could accept us into heaven because we are dirty, sinful people, while God is completely clean and sinless. That’s where the problem is. So many people think that because they are good people, or because they attend church on special occasions, that they will get to go to heaven. Unfortunately, while God does show mercy and is loving, He is still just. He can’t just accept sinful people into heaven. In other words, the good can never out-weight the bad, we can never pay for our sin on our own by the things we do. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

At this point, the boy understood everything that I was saying. The next picture on the cube was of Jesus on the cross. He, like everyone else, had seen this many times, whether it be on the tv or around someone’s neck. I explained that Jesus, who is God’s son, came to earth to die for everyone’s sin, once and for all. He took our punishment so that we might be able to live in heaven. It was here that God proved His unconditional love, by dying for us. It’s not like He was a sinner while He lived on Earth, He lived a perfect life, and yet was willing to die for a bunch of flawed people. That’s love; pure, unfailing, and sacrificial! “But God proves His own love or us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8) After Jesus died, He was placed in a tomb that was guarded and watched. Many people end with this, as though Jesus is still where they placed Him 2000 years ago.

But, that’s not the end of the story, praise the Lord! This is a part that many people leave out, and yet it has such significance. Three days later, Jesus rose again. This is so important, because it shows that Jesus conquered death and sin, the grave couldn’t hold Him! 1 Corinthians 15:3 says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Bible says that Christ is the only way that a person can get to God after his/her life on earth. It says that our good deeds are like filthy rags and that we can’t do anything to save ourselves. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The little boy agreed with all these things and he believed that Christ died for his sins. That was so great! We let him know that there was a party going on in heaven, the angels rejoicing as another soul was saved from hell! The choice was so easy, not only for him, but for everyone else that accepted God’s free gift that day. They believed that Christ died for their sins, that he was buried, and that on the third day He was raised from the dead.

Everyone has the decision to make as to where they will spend eternity. It’s they’re choice, heaven or hell. Are you going to pay for your sin by spending eternity in hell, or will you let Jesus pay it for you? It’s so easy to push off the decision, but the truth is that our days are numbered. It could happen in a split second, in the blink of an eye, you could be caught up in eternity and not get to make the choice that you wanted. No one is guaranteed another day, not even another minute! Do you know where you’ll go after you die? How do you know, are you sure? If it’s because you’re a good person, I would reconsider what I’ve written again. “For by grace are you saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift- not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Eternity is such a big deal, please don’t put the decision off... you don’t know how much time you have left on this earth. This is the biggest decision in life, why not make the right choice today? I would never want anyone going to hell and then asking me, “Why didn’t you share with me, you knew the truth.” I just want you to know that these things are true, and that everyone has an eternal destiny, whether it be spent in the tormenting lake of fire or on the streets of gold.

Seeing the little boy’s face after He accepted Christ was precious. After asking him a few questions to make sure he really understood, I found out he was only seven! How amazing that was to hear, and that he truly understood! After this first experience, I was ready to talk to anyone that wanted to listen! The day went by super-quick and was filled with decisions and seeds that were planted for the future. There was a woman that I met that was already a born-again Christian, which was an encouragement for both of us. It brought her to tears just knowing that there were other believers out there, and even from a different country! I’m glad that we were able to be an encouragement to her, it was something she really needed. The last person we talked to was an older woman. She came from a Roman-Catholic background, so she already knew a lot about what we were saying. The only difference was that she was held down by the fact that she thought good works would save her. It was so cool to be able to explain to her what the Bible says and really point her to the truth. God was really working in her life at that moment, and she trusted Christ to be her Savior! That was really cool to watch, especially because she came from a background that believed in salvation by works.

It became clear to me, that you don’t know what part you may have had in that person’s life. For me, I may never find out if that person reconsidered the message and accepted Christ later on that day. I can’t wait till I go to heaven and hear all the stories, and all the lives I may have been able to change just by a ten minute conversation. I thank God for all the incredible opportunities that He gave all of us yesterday. In that city alone, there were over 150 salvation decisions! Altogether, including the other places that the students were at, we had over 400 decisions yesterday for Christ!

Maybe some of what I wrote tugged at your heart or maybe have you have questions. Please let me know if you do as I’d love to be able to help!

Thanks for reading about my experiences (if you read this far!), I’m glad that I am able to share a little bit about what is going on here in Argentina while I’m away!

September 16, 2009

September 16, 2009

These past days have gone by so quick! It’s awesome reflecting on all that God is doing.

The Sunday services here are pretty special, and it’s awesome to see how different everything is run here. I really enjoy the time of worship that we have. It’s so cool hearing the songs that I already know sung in a different language. It’s a little bit of an adjustment, but by the end of the year, I’m hoping to have them memorized so that I don’t have to stare at the screen! I’m always amazed when we break into groups to pray for other countries or just pray for prayer requests. Sometimes, I sit back and think, wow, God really is incredible! He can hear each and every one of these people at the same time, with different accents and languages and circumstances...and then to know that He already knows and cares?! Sheesh! I don’t know why He would even want to listen to us..but I’m very happy He does!

Last Sunday night, we had a service for just “English-speakers.” It was so nice to worship in English together, singing, praying, and just fellowshipping without any pressure to understand what is going on. It was so powerful and enjoyable, it made me realize how important worship really is. God has really blessed this group as we work together to do our best and reach the same goal. I’m sure that this will be a great time of bonding for us.

The weather is getting warmer here which has been wonderful! The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous! We actually played volleyball the other day for like 5 hours. It was fun just having fun :) Believe it or not, the Argentines are quite the competition! They killed us! Yesterday, was the first time I started my job here. Tuesday afternoons will be devoted to gardening around the campus for me. I think I’m gonna like it, especially because I get to enjoy the outdoors while making the campus pretty. God blessed my Thursdays with a job doing tech. I was very excited about this, because it’s something I really love. This actually has a neat story behind it because the group was trying to find a girl that could do tech for them. Every Thursday, they have a woman’s meeting, but up until now, there were only guys that could run sound for it. I kinda feel bad for them, stuck in a room with all those women! It all worked out great when I found out that they wanted me to help!

Last night, there was a missionary that came to speak to us for devotions. I really like this time we get to spend. Every Tuesday, they come and tell us about their testimony and if we need to talk at all, they’re there. Sometimes the missionaries aren’t bilingual, so this gives me time to really try and understand what they’re saying, without help. I’m sure these nights will be a good measure of how I’m doing! Last night, I did pretty okay, I was satisfied with what I got out of it, though I know I missed a lot.

My schedule is filling up as the days pass by and I hope my knowledge is increasing as well! This is one of those situations where I can’t do anything without God. It’s not impossible, but I know it will be hard to reach my goal! Thank you for all your prayers! I can’t wait till I get home to tell you more!

September 12, 2009

September 12, 2009

Today, I spent a wonderful day in Buenos Aires! It started out with fruit loops for breakfast, I knew it would be a good day! What a blessing! It was about and hour and a half ride, that we got to spend getting to know each other better as well as catch up on some much needed sleep! It’s amazing all that you can learn about someone once you sit down and take the time to get to know them. Once we got to Buenos Aires, we started our “tour” around the city. Our first stop was at “the pink house.” This, though pink, is comparative to our white house in America. It’s interesting how it got it’s color, which was from mixing blood and milk...kinda gross, but true! It was here, that part of Evita was filmed. I thought that was really awesome, especially since I had seen the movie in Spanish class. We got to take many pictures with the guards and tried to make them smile.

After that, we went to Florida Street, this is where we did some shopping. As you can imagine, it was pretty much like any other tourist place. I got to practice holding my bag close and not looking anyone in the eyes :-p. The city really was beautiful, the architecture was detailed and some of the buildings were ancient. At the same time, some of the streets looked just like NYC which was pretty cool. It’s funny when you are able to forget that you’re in a different country. Sometimes, I need to be pinched to realize it is true!

Later on in the afternoon, we went to an authentic restaurant called “Siga la Vaca” (Follow the Cow). It was really good, I had steak, chicken, and salad. It was pretty delicious. Oh yes, and I can’t forget about the flan for dessert, muy bueno! I’m glad we got to eat at a restaurant that served genuine Argentine food, it was quite the experience.

We also took a much-needed trip to Wal-Mart. Seriously, we were in there for like 5 hours. I felt like I was right back home, minus everything being written in Spanish. You can always count on Wal-Mart to be there..wherever you are! As you know, check out was...interesting...to say the least. On our ride home, I got to have a really awesome chat with a good friend. God is teaching us so much, and it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who understands and has been there. I thank God for all the great people He has placed in my life these past few years. It’s amazing to know that I’ve only been here about a week in a half, I just can’t understand that! I’ve made so many bonds already, and with some of these people, I feel like I’ve known them a lifetime.

Proverbs 4:23-27

Guard your heart above all else,
for it is the source of life.

Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly,
and don't let your lips talk deviously.

Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze straight ahead.

Carefully consider the path for your feet,
and all your ways will be established.

Don't turn to the right or to the left;
keep your feet away from evil.

September 6, 2009

Day 6, September 9, 2009

I can’t believe all that has happened in just the six days that I have been here. It feels like I’ve spent a month here already! I can’t begin to explain all that I have learned, there is just so much. I had an exciting experience last night, there was a WOL Missionary from Argentina that came to our room and gave her testimony. With WOL, this is a normal experience, but, for me, it was a very new experience. This is solely because she only knew how to speak Castillano. Of course, there was a lot that I missed, but there was also a lot that I understood! That is a great encouragement to me. From deep within me, I long so badly to speak the language. I can’t wait to fit in and just be able to have a comfortable conversation. I see other Americans that have gone through the PBB program and it makes me so happy! Most of the time, you wouldn’t even know that English was their first language. As I spend more and more time here, I forget english! I wonder how I’ll be by the time I come home in December!

I’ve already started exploring the town with the rest of the group. The town of San Miguel del Monte is about a 25 minute walk away. It’s very cute, quaint, and a nice place to go when you just want to get away. The other day, I had amazing ice cream, best I’ve ever tasted! I also tried Mate the other afternoon, it tasted like really strong tea, but was delicious. Mate is a cultural drink here in Argentina, I’m so happy I got to try it! Some of the American students have been hanging out with us. I actually like that a lot. They can help us learn, but they already know where we’re coming from and can sympathize with everything we face, whether good or bad..or just different!

The food here is very strange. Argentina is known for it’s beef, and I’ve gotten to try little tastes of it. I’m pretty picky, so it’s been a little bit of an adjustment for me. At first, I really wasn’t eating (or drinking) much, but now I’m doing better. They have excellent Cafe con Leche that I absolutely love every morning. It’s so nice to drink something warm on those freezing mornings! One thing I didn’t expect when coming here was how cold it would be! I knew that it was winter, but I guess it didn’t really click in my mind how far south I was. Yesterday, it was a balmy 48! Even the native people were freezing! It was a bit of a shock coming here when we left 85 degree weather. Lucky for us, that is soon to come ;-)

The other night, the gringos got together and ordered food from a place called “Mama Rosas.” It was super delicious and very cheap. There were about 15 of us who ordered, and it cost about 340 pesos (around $100). There was so much food! People got sandwiches, pizza, fries, and soda. It was funny, because the other day at chapel, one of the speakers mentioned that the workers at “Mama Rosas” were praying for the Americans to come here! They knew that we would give them lots of business, and it’s true!

This past week, we’ve had so many classes about the whole program like standard of conduct and statement of faith, pretty much just everything. We also took a few english classes. That was hilarious and humbling at the same time. I found out that I really don’t know anything about my first language. Nothing! It was funny, because our teacher, Gabriel, knew more about english than we did, and it’s his second language! He knows so much more, very impressive!

My roommates have been very nice to me as I get settled. There’s one girl that speaks only spanish, but took a few classes in English a while ago. She remembers only a little in it. That has done both of us very well, I’m able to teach her english while she teaches me spanish. We both make on that deal!

It’s time to get ready now, I have something called UME (uh-meh) tonight. It’s a student led program where we get together and learn about a specific country of our choice. We also spend time together just praying for them and their ministry among the people. This will be my first time going to one of these meetings, so it will be a new experience for me. I’ll also get a chance to be mixed in with other students :) Can’t wait to see what I learn!

September 4, 2009

Well, it has been quite the day already. I’ve had MANY orientation meetings. I’m glad that I’m not getting overwhelmed like I would if I was here for 1st year. I guess there’s a lot that I can expect since it’s a Word of Life Organization. I went to breakfast this morning with a new “friend” across the hall. She speaks a little english, so we were able to get by between the two of us. It was the first time I drank cafe con leche! It wasn’t that bad, to be honest. I never really liked coffee, but I could definitely get used to it. I’m sure it tastes much better when it’s raining and freezing! It was sooo cold today. I would guess around 50. It was pouring too. It finally stopped a few minutes ago.

This morning, Joe Jordan did a little chapel with the PBB group, it was nice. He let us ask him any questions. I’m getting to know the group better too. I’ve memorized a lot of names! I got my internet today, it’s gonna cost $11 a month! I think that’s crazy, but it’s totally worth it. Tonight, they’re having a banquet, I guess it’s to welcome all the bilingual students. I thought that was nice as well, I wonder how we’ll be recognized! I’ve been trying to sit with some of the regular students during meals, just so I can learn quicker. Many of them don’t mind, they can teach me a little while improving on their English. You’d be surprised at how many people speak English here. To tell you the truth, sometimes I can’t even tell apart those that are Argentina from those that are American/Canadian. It’s crazy. The people that came here for the bilingual program and have stayed are really good at spanish. They really know the language so well, that (to me anyway) they sound like they’re from here! That’s both exciting and encouraging for me to see. Yesterday, I was feeling a little bit like I wasn’t going to be able to pull this off. Today, I’m feeling a little bit better as I listen to testimonies and such. It is such a huge thing to accomplish in so little time. All I keep hearing is that you gotta get out there and not care if you make a fool out of yourself. You just gotta be able to laugh at yourself...while everyone else is laughing. Practice is so important, that they place it above even learning in the classroom. Who knew?! I can’t wait till I can hold a decent conversation, only by God’s grace!

Let the Adventure Begin!

Day 1, September 3, 2009

It has been a crazy experience so far, I don’t even know where to start. I’m exhausted and excited at the same time, my emotions have hit the max today! I arrived this morning at Buenos Aires around 8 in the morning and have been going ever since. Today has been overwhelming, just because of the language barrier and not understanding a word they say!! They speak so fast! I was in the airport till one waiting for my classmates to arrive. It was actually a nice time to get to know each other. We all sat there in a circle and went around telling about ourselves and trying to remember all the names. It was good. There are four of us that went to WOL Schroon Lake last year. Even though we didn’t really know each other then, we do now! There’s a special bond just knowing that one fact..weird.

There’s not much room in the dorm where I can put my stuff, and as always, I brought way too much. Once I get to wal-mart, I can buy a crate or something that can provide “shelving” in my “box.” My roommates are nice, I have 4 of them. Two of them speak English (one is from NJ) and the other two don’t speak any. The food really isn’t terrible, it’s just as I expected. I’m so picky that I’m pretty hard to please. But, I am eating, and they ALWAYS have “pan” (bread)!! No doubt about it that at every meal there will be “pan.”

Last night, we had a little birthday/bienvenidos (welcome) party. It was really nice! We all sat around and just talked about things...in Spanish. I did my best to understand. The two girls that only speak Spanish we asking me questions while I did my best answer. I think I did okay. I’m learning so much already. There are just little bits of vocabulary that I hear and try to hold onto. By the end, I’ll have a lot of bits...which should make the language...maybe!