Yesterday was another busy, full day. It began with a 20 minute drive with Ruben to a poor pueblo to meet a family who started a church there. We got off the freeway onto a dirt road that eventually led us to a river where Javier and Natalia with their young children had built a church building. Once there, we were welcomed to a typical Argentine breakfast spread of bread, fried bread & cake bread. And of course, mate. The church building was small, but very beautiful in its own right. You could see the attention they had paid to every detail. We have been treated so hospitably and we have felt so loved and welcomed.
3 friends, Javier & his kids showing off the dulces they made - out of sweet potatoes and sugar. They were SO good!
Javier explained that the other side of the river lived in extreme poverty because the majority of the men were alcoholics and had both a wife and a "mujer". Many of the women resorted to prostitution in order to feed their babies. It would be a good place to begin an entrepreneurial training program to help these women use some of the gifts God has given them to provide a stable income for their family.
Some of the kids on the other side of the river... we crossed the river but had to leave when we realized that some men were watching our every move. Since they didn't know Ruben or Chris, we could be considered a threat and get the women "in trouble".
We spent about 3 hours there and then returned to La Gracia de Cristo to attend the Club de Abuelos (Elderly Club). A woman named Sylvia had a face that was full of the joy of the Lord. I loved watching her serve. She was always smiling and laughing and enjoying every minute. I'm towering over her (even though I was kneeling a little) in the picture below (she's on the left).
After this, we returned home for a short break and got to talk to our boys! It was so bittersweet. I miss them so much. It was great to hear their voices... even Johnny was willing to talk. Melinda is taking great care of them (of course) and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. I also got to talk to my mom. It was funny to be in Argentina talking English to my mom who is in France.
At around 4:30, German (pronounced Herman) and Karina, Ruben's son and daughter-in-law picked us up and we went to a church in a pueblo called Sachi. This was a dangerous place and one that left us very inspired by the pastor and his family. Pedro, Adrian, and their daughter Prisila, have worked to build a church in a community where there are no other Christians. They each have jobs in the city and they come to Sachi every free moment they have with every extra peso they can give and literally build the church. They are building a room for a doctor and/or a nurse to come and serve the community. They have no idea when that will be, but they have faith that someone will come.
We went to church at 7:00 and although we communicated in Spanish all day, we didn't understand much of the sermon. I resorted to reading my English/Spanish dictionary. One of the best parts of the day was when Miguel Angel, the VP from LAM, arrived. The 3 of us went out to dinner at Mariachi and enjoyed some great time together. He has so much wisdom and is a great listener and story teller. Having him here has been a huge blessing. He has helped us envision better what it would be like to live here and gave us some great ideas that make everything much more realistic for our family. We also got to watch the last 5 minutes of the Argentina vs. Peru game. They happened to be the best 5 minutes where Arentina scored, Peru scored and Argentina scored in the last minute to win the game.
We had a great day with Miguel Angel today that I'll write about later. I have to get ready for church that starts at 7:00 pm and ends around 10:00 pm and THEN we go to dinner. I need to go eat an apple.
Hasta pronto...
No comments:
Post a Comment