Hello friends. Yes I know that it has been a long time since I have updated this blog so here is a quick update on what I've been up to these past few weeks and what is in store for the weeks to come.
The week after the Tigre trip is the week that classes officially ended in the universities and exams started (the week of November 19th). Henceforth that was my last full week on campus here until school starts back up again in late February. Because I will not be on campus for a while I am now working in our headquarters (called the sede) doing whatever needs to be done, and believe me there is plenty. Before I get to that, let me tell you about how we celebrated Thanksgiving down here.
Thanksgiving here in Argentina was great. We STINTers decided to invite a lot of our Argentine friends/contacts over to the girls apartment and cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Originally, we decided to buy chickens instead of turkey because we didn't think we would be able to find a turkey. However, we did end up finding a turkey the day before so we did chicken and turkey. We started cooking Wednesday night and cooked all day Thursday as well. We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on the internet as we cooked. We also had sweet potato casserole, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, dressing (or stuffing), baked apples, and brownies. We had about 25 people there and it was more than enough food. We are really building some great relationships with the Argentines and are learning how important relationships are to them. I feel like this Thanksgiving dinner was a great ministry. After celebrating in BA on Thanksgiving Day, we went to La Plata to celebrate with a fellow STINT team for the weekend. It was great to be with other "gringos" and share how the Lord has been working in each of our cities and all that we were Thankful for.
Since then, like I said, I have been working in our sede doing whatever needs to be done. This time of year is very busy because we are preparing things for our annual summer camp. This is not a camp for children, but it is a camp for college aged kids. Specifically for believers who want to learn how to have a better relationship with Christ, how to make disciples, how to make a difference in their area of influence, and/or how to share their faith. People from all over South America come and I am super excited for it. However, as you can imagine, there is plenty of work to be done to prepare for this so that is basically what I am doing now. This includes everything from going and speaking at churches to promote camp, to making the actual decorations for it. Basically anything our boss (Charly) tells us to do, is what we are doing right now. This will continue until we get off for Christmas (not sure exactly when that will be yet).
After Christmas, on Christmas night in fact, we are headed to Cordoba, Argentina for a staff retreat which begins on the 26th. This will include most all of the CCC staff in Argentina. That will last until the 31st and we will have 2 days off until camp starts on the 3rd. Camp is in Cordoba as well. Camp will last from the 3rd to the 9th. After camp we are off to the Patagonia region of Argentina for our yearly project with the Mapuche people. The Mapuche are an indigenous tribe of people in Argentina who inhabit about 46 communities. One of the communities has running water. We will be with them for 12 days doing miscellaneous things for them. This could include building things, bringing them donated clothes, etc. There will also be doctors and orthodontists with us to help them with their medical needs. Most importantly, we will be bringing the Gospel to them. I am very excited about this trip. After staff retreat, camp, and the Mapuche project, we will have a much needed vacation period.
Well that is basically what I've been up to and what I will be up to for the next few weeks. I hope I can post another update on the things that are going on down here before I leave for Cordoba, but if not, be on the lookout for updates on all that goes on after I return.
