We made it to South America!! New continent, country, month, ministry, community, team, and friends. After ministry in the Philippines, R Squad took five flights to arrive in Argentina. We went from the Philippines to South Korea to Australia to New Zealand to Chile to Argentina. We walked through many security lines, ate airplane and airport food at random times of the day/night, watched airplane movies and attempted to sleep as much as we could, and made it through a 36 hour Friday on July 26th with a 12 hour time difference included from Asia to South America. Five flights, six countries, thirty-three people, three days (kind of) with over thirty hours in the air, AND probably a forty degree temperature difference from start to end! Woohoo, bring on the sweatshirts and sweaters- I’m ready for the cold!
Here we are, Month 8 in Argentina! This month I’m living with team Ohana outside of the city of Buenos Aires. We are in a town called Pontevedra with a wonderful ministry host. This month we are partnering with a children’s home, and I’m loving it!
This month has looked like living life with this community, playing with the children, spontaneous worship times, washing and drying dishes, volleyball and outdoor fun, painting walls and washing windows, and coming together for meals and devotion in the mornings. There is such a high value on family here, and my heart feels at home.
Each morning as I come into the main building for meals and time with this community, I enter into such a sweetness of home. The hospitality and generosity here is so full and evident. Each morning, you go up to each person and say buen día (good morning) and give a kiss on the cheek. Then, you’re free to get yourself a cup of coffee or tea and some pastries. Here in Argentina, they also drink a kind of tea called mate throughout the day. Throughout this year, I’ve become more of a coffee drinker and enjoy a warm cup in the midst of the cold breeze and lower temperatures. Overall, there is such beauty and goodness of the Lord here.
In addition to the transitions of a new month, we have the opportunity here to speak Spanish in connecting with our new community. It has been such a wonderful surprise and blessing from the Lord. I’m so grateful for the high school and college classes I took at home in being able to come and communicate with this community. It has been a true blessing from the Lord as I’ve been able to grow and practice speaking Spanish including translating at times for my team.
One of the nights last week, we joined the community in their home church or “reunion” time. Our team sang songs in English, and they shared worship songs in Spanish. My favorite moment that night was coming together to sing the song How Great is Our God. I couldn’t help but feel like this was such a sweet taste of the beauty of God in coming together to worship and praise His name. He deserves all the glory. All together we sang- how great is our God.
I’m praising God for the simplicity and renewal I feel in His presence here. I’m so grateful for the family here and that the Lord would choose me to be here. I’m so thankful for the prayers and support of all of you back home who made it possible for me to be here as well. The Lord is so good and worthy to be praised.
