A few weeks ago I went to a summer camp with one of the local churches. It was for "Jovenes" which includes kids from 13 years of age- adults who are in their late 20's. This is a very wide range of Youth! There were kids in attendance from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brasil, Columbia, and the United States. We were a very diverse group! The camp was located 2 hours away from Buenos Aires, in the country. At the camp we worshipped and had classes, played sports and games, and just spent a lot of time with one another. I absolutely loved it!!! To me camp is one of the most important activities for a youth group to participate in. Camp is a place where people can refresh and reunite with brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a great place to be still and to be reminded of who God is. At this camp, I met a lot of new friends and got to know my old friends even better. Through that week at camp God opened my heart to love my friends in this church in a more real way. He helped me to relax and to be my Really Goofy self. These two things are difficult for me to a lot of times because of the language barrier. Obviously if you can’t understand and communicate, it is much more difficult to have deeper and more meaningful relationships. Not knowing the language can put walls between you and people. But during this week, God began tearing down those walls. I now feel so much more open and close to the youth. The kids in this group are really neat. I really admire the ways in which they are inviting and inclusive. It was an honor to witness some of the amazing ways in which they ministered to each other. God is definitely at work in their hearts.
A week after camp, Rhea and Sam Hill from my hometown came to see me! I cannot even begin to explain to you how meaningful this was to me. I loved being able to show and share with them my life in Buenos Aires. They went with me to one of the local churches, met some of my friends, saw some of my favorite spots, and ate some awesome Argentine food. We talked and laughed together, I got them lost, and they helped me move into my new apartment. It was such a FANTASTIC time!!! Gracias a Dios! The Lord certainly knows what we need and when we need it.
Last week I helped at a camp for children. The camp was in Buenos Aires and was great! In the States I am usually either volunteering or working with children. Here in Buenos Aires I haven't been spending time with very many children. I miss working with children SOOOOOO much! I really do believe that that God has called me to work with children. The kids at camp were fun, it was neat to sing, "kid songs" in Spanish and to play with them all week. Speaking Spanish to little kids is like taking a test. They tell you bluntly when you say something wrong, and ask why you are so bad! Ha ☺! Every day we went to a pool and swam. At the beginning of the week a bunch of the kids didn’t know how to swim. By the end of the week most of them were paddling and doing well. Kids are so brave and can learn things really quickly! The only frustrating part of the week was when they pretended not to understand me. I would talk to the kids a lot and they understood me. But, when I had to discipline them or stop them for doing something, they magically couldn't understand my Spanish! Isn't that funny how that works?!
Thanks be to God for all of these wonderful experiences He is providing for me in Argentina! Everyday He is present and faithful. He is teaching me things that I am sure I will be processing for the next few years.
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:18
