The Joyful Journey

Greetings, friends and family!

News from the South: I am recovering from the flu bug, but the Month of February and the beginning of March so far have been filled yet again with experiences of God growing, challenging and blessing me.

Here´s a recap:

-The joy of being nurtured by my fellow RADers in my faith...as we continue to study and discuss what it means to have a spirituality of service...as we share weekly how God is working in our lives...deeping friendships over ice cream in our favorite heladerìa

-I continue to feel more a part of the youth group here in Choele Choel, and more comfortable praying and sharing during our weekly meetings. We (RAD) participated in a day long youth retreat here, which included worship time, talks about staying pure in Christ and living different from the world, field games, and a talent show around the bonfire which helped strengthen relatioships.

-Getting to know people in the village of Belisle, which we visited on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago (and from now on will visit every 3rd sunday morning) has been a blessing. God continues to surprise me, and remind me that all I need to do is trust in Him. Before we went, I still had nervousness over how to talk and meet with people we hardly know, but we were warmly welcomed into homes and had chances to share our stories and God`s vision for the town over rounds of matè. We have an invitation to make Chilean empanadas with one lady, and to stop for matè any time we choose at various other houses.

-It isn`t easy to invite a stranger into your house for 8 months, and likewise it hasn`t always been easy for me to know how to be a part of the family. But, I`m at a point now where I feel truly cared for--my physical and spiritual needs taken in consideration too. I`m grateful that God shows me love in this way...helps make being far from my "real" family easier.

-A visit from Darrell Gauscho, the RAD director, was a joy. We showed him around the town, the different activities we do each day, and each had a chance to host him in our houses for matè or a meal. Also my first real time acting as a translator (he doesn`t really speak Spanish), which I really enjoyed. As usual, he asked us lots of questions that made me reflect on the ways God is at work in my life, here in Argentina, and on my future. And, as he is a foodie (has worked as a chef and has great appreciation for fine cuisine), we ate out for the first time in a lovely restaurant here in Choele, "La Aguada". Delicious food and great company!

-Between two cars, the four of us in RAD, along with Delbert and Frieda Erb, three young adults and one gentlemen from the Choele church (10 people in total) drove about 12 hours south, for a week of missions work. We took the highway (2-way paved roads, in decent condition) along the coast, stopping overnight on our way their in Puerto Madryn. The church in Choele has a church plant their, and we squeezed into the missionary couple`s house for the night (along with an unannounced family that was traveling back to Choele). I continue to be amazed my the hospitality of people here in Argentina, in opening up their homes to anyone who needs a place. Definitely has made me want to always keep my home open to those who need a place to stay!
The next morning, we took an hour or so detour on gravel roads that followed the coast, until we reached our destination...a penguin colony. It never crossed my mind that their could be penguins without ice, but these tiny Magellan penguins migrate to this refuge every year. There were marked paths for the turists to walk on, but the penguins who have their nests in the ground all around the area disregard the painted stones. They walked right in front of us, and when one of the guys in our group got too close to one, it pulled on his pant leg, as if saying, "Excuse me sir, could you please move out of my way?" Being so close to these incredibly creatures, watching them play on the waves, I was struck by the beauty of God in the creation.
Back into the cars, we continued south, with one quick visit in Comodoro Rivadavia. Working there as a teacher is a young single woman also from Choele Choel, 23 yrs old, who is the sole pastor of a small church in the city. Amazed by her bravery, but then again, why should I be surprised when God is at work?
An hour and a half later, we arrived in Caleta Olivia, province of Santa Cruz. We stayed a week in the farthest south mennonite church in the world (and certainly the farthest south I`ve ever been in my life), with the Choele missionary couple Andrés and Fabiola. They moved down to the large oil-mining-ocean town four years ago, without knowing a soul. Now, Andrès runs a house-painting buisness, and is the pastor of a small congregation (about 10 people). The task given to us for the week was to do a survey regarding the purpose of our lives, using the small questionnaire as a means of evangelizing and sharing the Gospel. We divided into pairs (one RADer with an Argentine youth) and hit the beach every afternoon. I`ve never particpated in anything like this before, and it wasn`t easy to get over my fears, especially with the language barrier. The questions asked: Have you ever been asked what the purpose of your life is? Do you know what is the purpose of your life? Are you interested in knowing more about the purpose of your life? We left alone people who showed no interest, but the majority of people we talked with seemed eager to share their beliefs, and hear what we had to say. I never have liked the practice of handing out tracts to passerbys, but we only handed a photocopy from the church after talking with people who showed interest. It was an experience that widened my perspective on evangelizing, and made me wonder why I don`t share my faith more, in all times. When God is at work, you don`t have to worry about words. I say God planting seeds of thirst for faith in the two young adolescent girls we chatted with, who wanted to know about the purpose of their life; the young man who was almost ready to commit his life to Christ, but still burdened by questions; an older man who had been sucked into a life of drinking and bad decisions but decided to come to our church service one night, hungering for the hope that we spoke of receiving through Christ.
As I felt the frustration of not being able to express myself fully in Spanish, and not fast enough to respond in the moment, I found much of my purpose that week in being a presence of prayer. My partner, Ramiro, did most of the talking, but I was encouraged by remembering that God is greater than any language barrier. I certainly know God was testing and refining me through this experience.
p.s. (for

-Most recently, we had a brief visit from a group from the Mennonite Mission Network (Lynda Hollinger-Janzen, Ryan Miller, Denver Steiner). Apart from video-interviewing us on how we have grown and what we will bring back to our home congregations from this time in Argentina, I was remined how small the world is. I feel connected to everyone back home, and the wider global church, because we are one body in Christ. That is a special, holy thing.

Looking forward:

- School has started up here, which means the church`s activities are also warming up. We will be teaching English again to children, after the summer break. I may be getting some odd painting jobs in the church, and will continue visiting people (particularly elderly) in the congregation. I have also signed up for a class that the Bible institute at the church offers---My Experience with God (in Spanish, so it will be double learning for me...language and spiritual). Still our monthly missions trips into the campo, Belisle, a week in another city teaching English, and two weeks of vacation.

As these 3 1/2 months will surely fly by, I am gearing more of my thoughts toward this summer, my return home and some sort of internship at Prairie Street. Not sure what form that will take still, but I hope in part to use my language skills in connecting with Spanish-speaking neighbors in our community. Also, trying out differernt ministry skills will be enriching learning. Not to mention introducing matè to all who are interested...

Thanks for taking the time to read, pray, and care for me.
My love is sent your way.
Andrea