"Little Gringitas"

The last couple of days have been packed full of activities and changes, and one thing God has really called me to is flexibility and patience. Last night was supposed to be our Pre-teen Lock-in, but it turned into more of a fellowship time with a handful of kids and a two-week postponement of the actual Lock-in. It is a long story, but what I seemed to have obtained from the occurrence was that sometimes you have to adapt to the culture and not try to adapt the culture to you. So....instead of having the Lock-in like we thought, Hannah and I got a chance to bond with a couple of the Pre-teen girls and get to know them really well. One of the girls, Ruth, was so sweet and ended up teaching Hannah and I extreme Ping-Pong in which you use all the surrounding walls and surfaces to bounce the ball off of. It was so much fun and gave us a chance to do something with Ruth that is universal....Laugh!

This morning was a funeral for one of the brothers at a local church. Hannah and I ended up staying home and being with the girls instead of going, but it was a somber morning because we new the heartache that was going on amidst our new church family. It was a precious reminder of life and how important it is to share with ones you love.

Later today was our weekly youth meeting with all the surrounding churches and it was so much fun to join with them and sing songs. One song that brightened our day was "Cristo es Amigo." Which, to all church goers out there is "Jesus is a friend."

It was so fun to sing that song and get to dance around and hug one another. Being that the Spanish culture is more for kissing and not hugging, it was almost overwhelming to get so many hugs at one time. I LOVED it!

cristo es amigo
es tu amigo
cristo es amigo y canta asi

Then after the youth meeting some of us went to play soccer at an indoor soccer place. It was so much fun to play, this was Hannah and I's second time, and spend time with the guys. Of course, like always, Hannah and I were the only girls who played. However, it was an improvement because we at least got a girl to show up and watch!! Unlike last time, the game seemed to be way more intense. But, Hannah made a goal again and I stepped in as goalie for a little bit, despite my hesitation, and made like 5 stops. I was so scared, but it was really fun!!

Then Pedro, Hannah and I went to have a "meeting" at McDonald's and just happened to eat a meal while we were there. I do not even think I should say how many times we have eaten at McD's since we have been here, but it is way more than we should have. Still, it was a lot of fun to spend time with Pedro and here about why he feels God has called him here. It is so great to have friends here, and to be blessed with relationships that share a love for Christ. I feel so very blessed.

Tomorrow Hannah and I are going to Mar del Plata which is a beach town in Argentina. We are really excited to go and spend a couple of days relaxing and seeing the coast-line. We are leaving tomorrow after church and will get back Tuesday afternoon in time for Spanish class. It should be a fun time and inevitably full of funny stories. So, stay tuned and I will fill you in when we get back. I wanna leave you with a cool poem that Hannah and I learned the other day. It really spoke to me and where I am in life right now.

Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino, y nada mas;
caminante, no hay camino,
se hace el camino al andar.
Al andar se hace camino,
y al volver la vista atras
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante, no hay camino,
Sino estelas en la mar.
-Antonio Machado

Translation:
Wanderer, the only way
is your footsteps, there is no other.
Wanderer, there is no way,
you make the way as you go.
As you go, you make the way
and stopping to look behind,
you see the path that your feet
will never travel again.
Wanderer, there is no way—
only foam trails in the sea.

Peace.Love.Quatro de Libras (Quarter Pounders at McDonalds)