Nov 2006

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I am very filled with thanks, and even though I won´t be getting stuffed with turkey and pumpkin pie today, I think I will be okay. I can´t believe this is my first holiday away from home. Makes me really feel like an adult when I begin celebrating holidays away from home. Before I list my thanks, here´s what I did this morning:

Each Thursday morning, the four of us, along with Delbert Erb (our coordinator here) meet with Juan Sieber, who is one of the pastors at the Choele Choel church here. He is Argentine, but born of American missionary parents Floyd and Alicia Sieber. He speaks fluent English, and this morning we worshiped for the first time in English, singing worship songs in English. I hadn´t realized how much I missed singing and worshipping in English. I like the prayer times at the church in Spanish, but it is hard at times to both enter into worship and focus on understanding the language. Praying in my own tongue is most natural, but I pray that with time, praying in Spanish will become natural too. I will need the power of the Holy Spirit for that.
Juan is sharing with us the story of the church here in Argentina, and explaining the partenership that exists between the Choele Choel church and churches in Illinois. This partnership, called Arm in Arm by the churches in IL, has been around for about 10 years, and is bearing fruit. His vision is for a new definition of mission, one that makes mission a two-way road--not only missionaries from the U.S. to Argentina, but also missionaries going from Argentina to the U.S. We have been discussing the need for spiritual revival in the U.S. church. For so many years, the U.S. has been a great mother country in sending out missionaries, but over the years, we have lost the ability to be as mission-focused in our own communities. Part of the challenge the Argentine church has given the Illinois churches is starting church plants. This is a challenge that the Argentine church has taken on, and every month sends groups out from the church to visit new contacts, house churches, established churches, and missionaries who are working in the Patagonia region. A small church plant in Illinois has also started through this partnership, I believe. Talking about mission work, and the need for it in the U.S. excites me. I´ve often thought of mission only as work that you go to a new country to do. What would it mean for the churches in Northern Indiana to make plans to send missionaries to other cities that don´t have any Mennonite churches? I´m not sure what that would look like, and I´m not sure if that is something I may be called to, but it is something to pray over. It excites me to think about what God has in store for my future. I know now that I am called to be a servant for Christ, but how that will be played out in a job or vocation, or where I live, is such a mystery. But, I trust God.

Back to Thanksgiving, and my many reasons for thanks...

I´m thankful for the warm welcome from the youth in the church. Inviting me over to a sleepover, pizza, walks in the plaza, dips in the river, asados (barbeques), and sharing maté. They take interest in my well being, and one lovely girl even gave me an encouraging card that said something about her being grateful I´m here and that she is praying for me. The way the Holy Spirit is moving in and among the youth is so visible in their prayers and their actions.

I´m thankful for the way my RAD group is bonding and supporting one another. We have almost daily contact with each other (classes, church reúniones, visiting each other´s houses for meals), and once a week we meet to talk about how life is going, and pray for each other. We are able to share honestly with each other, and I have found good frienship in each of them. It is so good to be able share this experience with three other people.

I´m thankful for good food. We´ve heard from the two RAD boys in Brazil that they have rice and beans for every meal. I like rice and beans, but appreciate the variety of food here.

I´m thankful for the amazingly big, beautiful night sky. It is so filled with stars it makes me just stare in awe. Wow. Can´t see that in Elkhart, especially not the Southern Cross (constellation).

I´m thankful for God´s call on my life that I have felt tangibly this year, in bringing me to RAD. For feeling secure in the love of Christ this year, secure in the love of friends and family, and learning to love myself as Christ loves me. For the ways God has provided when I have need (I think for example of the financing of this year being provided for abundantly).

And finally, I´m thankful for all the quirks and funny things I´ve experienced so far in Choele...

- the fish seller that goes around in a truck with a loud
speaker. the first time I heard him, I thought it was
political propoganda, or announcements. I still can´t
understand what he says...

-the dusty dogs of all types and sizes that roam the streets
(or sleep in them) like squirrels do in Goshen. They did
amuse me until one really scary German-shephard-like dog
nipped at my behind and scared me half to death.

-learning how to work the toilets, that each seem to have a
different flusher--a pull on the top of one, a button in the
wall, a string you pull down, lever at the back of the toilet---
not understanding them caused some confusion and embarrassment
the first week or so

My list could go on forever (of thanks, and funny things). Thank you to whoever reads this. Thanks for your care, and interest in my life, in me. ¡Díos te bendiga!

my snail mail address here:

c/o J. Delbert Erb
De la Libertad 150
8360 Choele Choel Rio Negro, Argentina

Mail takes about 8 days or so to get here I believe.

Hola, everyone! I'm in the little cyber-byte internet cafe right now with the rest of RAD, taking some time to try to describe life here. Today has been a gorgeous clear day, which is what most are like. I haven't figured out how to place photos on the net yet, so I will just paint you a mental image: Choele is a dusty town, surrounded on one side by a small platue that turns into desert-like wildnerness. On the south side of the city is "el rio" where apparently in the summer, all the youth are down there swimming. The buildings are mostly unpainted cement, with wood or tile roofs. The main street in the city is Avellaneda, where I have enjoyed strolling along during the afternoons. I have become readily acustomed to siestas, the time in the afternoon when every store closes, and it gets very hot. It is not summer yet, but already we have had some blistering hot days--dry, windy climate, with no humidity, and no rain.
The longer I've been here, I'm realizing how different Argentina is from the rest of Latin America, and all the stereotypes of Central and South America. No rice and beans, tortillas, and unfortunately, no coffee, or dark chocolate. But, the food is still wonderful. Much more European, with lots of beef stews, potatoes, rice, noodles, carrots, facturas (the sweet pasteries we eat for our light evening snack between 5-7pm). And, people here actually do follow clocks--while time isn't as regimented as in the States, you can't expect meetings to start 2 hours later than originally stated.
I am over the "honeymoon" phase of being here I think, and the reality of actually living here for 8 months is starting to sink in. I realize as I learn more Spanish and more about the culture, how little I know. We are having Spanish classes for about 2 1/2 hours each day, and are now teaching English to kids and young adults 2 times a week. I think Kevin has started helping with tiling the new kitchen in the church, but other than that, we don't have much responsibilities. I usually end up following my mother, Clara, around in the mornings: cleaning the house, shopping for the meal, cooking, attending church meetings.
The church worship times are becoming increasingly meaningful (and they are the times when I have more contact with youth here my age). However, when Marcos (my host father)put on a worship CD in English yesterday in our house, I started crying. I realized how much I love home--Prairie Street, my family, friends, even Elkhart And it just hit me how amazing it is that I am actually in South America. So far away, and yet I feel God close to me, and the Dios here is the same God all around the world. My faith, and the faith we share, is the bond that keeps us close, that lets us support one another, and share the joy of living in the knowledge of Christ.
I would ask for patience for myself right now, as I wait for the language to come more easily, as I wait to make more friends and be able to communicate with them; as we wait for more of a sense of purpose down here. I'm not sure how much serving we really are doing now--it is hard to see how we are helping be God's hands here when we are the helpless babies who need to be guided through much of the new culture and language. But I know God has a reason for all of this. Maybe just learning how to live here and practice language is all that we will be doing for a while. But, I'm sure God has bigger plans for me, and for us all too. Just got to be patient.

Sorry for writing such a long letter. I'll try to keep them short, and they probably will be as life becomes more natural to me here. I keep you all in my prayers. Love, hugs, smiles, and tears from Choele Choel...
Andi

One week down...31 to go? I must say, this has been one of the longest weeks of my life. It feels like I´ve been in Choele for over a month. So much has happened, so much learning, so many new, amazing experiences.
I am surprised that I haven´t felt homesick at all--(sorry folks, that doesn´t mean I don´t love you all!). God has just been so present in everything that is happening here. I think I´ve been placed in the perfect family here--we are able to communicate pretty much everything, Clara is a great cook and makes lots of vegetable dishes which makes me happy, Marcos is more quiet but loving dad, and Prisi my hermanita is the joy of my life here, always copying whatever I do, and making me laugh. This past week, us RADers haven´t had much work, per se, but it has been a good time to get aquainted with the town, our families, the culture.
Everyone in the church seems to play the guitar here (I hope to learn in these 8 months...if I can), and Clara spent about 1 1/2 hours for 4 days teaching us some of the church songs. It is wonderful to know at least a few of the worship songs during the services.
I have greatly appreciated the church ¨reunions¨ here--different ones seem to take place every other day. Their dedication to their church is amazing. On Saturday the youth in my zone held a service(the church is divided into 4 geographic zones in the city). About 20 of us gathered in benches in a circle, and two of the young men began playing the guitar, and we began singing. Starting out with louder, faster songs, and then moving into more reflective songs, they intersperse prayers between each song. I´ve never prayer quite like this. Everyone prays at the same time--repeating words of thanks--¨gracias, Senor¨--and taking turns leading longer prayers of petition or praise. Even though I don´t understand all that is said, those prayer and singing times are moments when I am able to let down my guard, not focus on espanol as much, and just come before God. There is so much of God´s presence here in this church, and I thank God for that everyday.
Being able to worship with fellow believers has been one of the most important things that is sustaining me here. I feel strong in Christ right now--with the love of my family here, the welcome of the church and new friends, and the prayers of my family and Prairie Street back home. I can already foresee how hard it will be to leave this place in June.
Please pray for the rest of my team, as some of them are struggling more with the language barrier (I know the most out of my group, so that is probably one reason it isn´t phasing me as much). We just started language classes yesterday, so that should help them. I´m going to have to ask for a bit harder work, seeing that we started our class practicing the days of the week, and I´m quite a bit past that.

Dios les bendiga!

Con amor, Andrea

Buenos dias!

After about 32 hours of traveling and 24 hours spent in Miami, due to cancled flights, I have safely arrived here in Choele Choel. We flew into Buenos Aires, and then started a 13 hour bus ride to Choele Choel. What a beautiful country! I haven´t experienced the culture shock that I thought I might (but it may still come). I am living with a very warm family: Clara, the mama, Marcos, the papa, and their two year old daughter Prisila. It is fun to have a younger sister for once in my life.
The language is a challenge, but doesn´t scare me too much. I understand more spanish than I thought I did, and when people talk to me slowly, I can usually communicate coherently with them. It is encouraging to know I have 8 months to learn, and this is only the first week.
I am excited to meet and get involved witht the church here. They seem to be very dedicated to their church family, to mission work, and to each other. My RAD team will probably spend most of our time with our host families, attending church meetings, youth events, and constructing a new building for their church extension.
Choele Choel is a small town---dusty streets, cement houses, and a wide open sky. About 10,000 people maybe.
I must go right now, but will write more in a bit. Chao! and blessings to you all.