Day 7 (Wednesday):
Lauren and I woke up earlier than usual (6am!) to go with Bryan and Jacqueline to their old church near downtown Sao Paulo. Instead of driving and waiting in traffic, we took the subway and then a bus to the church. When we got there, there were 6 energetic Brazilian kids waiting for us. Lauren and I felt a little awkward considering the fact that we speak NO portuguese and we were supposed to teach the kids songs in english, but needed portuguese instructions to start off. Luckily, Jacqueline and Bryan took the reins and explained to the kids what we were doing. They seemed a little reluctant at first because, after all, we were two random Americans teaching them "Jesus loves me" in english and with sign language. After a few tries of learning the words, they warmed up to us and asked us to teach them more. So we whipped out that classic Church of Christ song, "Deep and Wide", and the kids loved it! Unfortunately, we only got to spend about 45 minutes with them before we had to leave but it was so much fun to be with them. Later that night, we had another one of our great discussions at the dinner table. Bryan and Jacqueline were asking us about what churches in the US were like and what people look for in a church. Since the haven't lived in the US for so long, they were sort of out of the loop with what American churches are like, so Lauren and I did our best to explain. Again, we talked a lot and for a long time and if I tried to type it all down, it just wouldn't make since. Nevertheless, it was another great night of talking.
Day 8 (Thursday):
We woke up to lots of rain but decided to go downtown to go to the top of the tallest building in the city. Jacqueline said the view was really cool, so we hopped on a subway and went to what I think is the prettiest part of Sao Paulo. Downtown is really beautiful. The buildings look very fancy and European and all around them are lots of green trees! We get to the building, which is the Banco do Sao Paulo (I think...) and we ask them if we can go to the top. The lady at the front desk said that because it was raining, that all the tours were closed. We were disappointed but decided to walk around a little bit so Lauren and I could find some Brasil t-shirts. While we were walking, the rain stopped so after a little shopping, we went back to the building to ask if the tours has resumed. The lady responded with, "The weather up there may be different from down here." I'm serious. It may be dry and sunny on the ground but it could very well be a hurricane on the 34th floor. Jacqueline laughed and said that was very typical of Brazilians to respond with an answer like that. We got a good laugh out of it too and then headed back home.
Today (Friday), Lauren and I left Sao Paulo and got back to BA this afternoon.
Bryan and Jacqueline, I cannot thank you enough for being so hospitable and teaching us so much. We not only got to see the sites of Brasil, but we learned so much about what it means to be a disciple of Christ and that was by far the greatest part of the trip. Lauren and I feel so blessed to know you and we know that you both will continue to do amazing things for the Kingdom. We love you!
2 DAYS until I'm on a plane to America and the blog posts end for 5 weeks! :)
Besos xoxo
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Brasil: Day 5 and 6
Day 5 (Monday)
On Monday morning, Jacqueline woke us up and said, “We’re going to the beach in Santos!” I was excited about this for two reasons: 1) It’s the beach, 2) My grandmother grew up in Santos and this was my chance to see where she lived! We drove about an hour and a half out of the city and the drive there was absolutely beautiful. Instead of the crowded and polluted city, we saw huge green mountains and tropical forest with clouds sweeping over the mountains. We got to Santos and parked near the beach and decided to take a walk on the sand. What I thought was going to be a nice stroll on the beach turned into an olympic-style walkathon! Let me tell you something: Jacqueline and Bryan may be in their sixties but they sure can walk fast. Coming from me, a naturally fast walker (thanks, Mom), that says a lot. Lauren decided to try to keep up with them while I opted to stroll and stay dry instead of sprint and perspire. Despite the gloomy weather, the beach was really nice and the city of Santos is actually quite charming. Although there aren’t any cute little beach cottages and little boutiques lined up, the tall buildings overlooking the water fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the city. After my stroll and their “walk”, we went to the local shopping center and ate Subway! In Brazil, it is pretty common for people to go to the food courts in malls for lunch but we didn’t complain; it was the first time we’d had true American food in months! Being able to go to Santos and see the area where my grandmother lived was a huge blessing for me and I know that if she were alive today, she would be so happy to know that I was there.
leaving the city
heading into the rainforest!
Santos!
The have leaning buildings.
Day 6 (Tuesday):
Tuesday morning we woke up, had breakfast, then went to the local street market. For those of you who have been to any type of farmers market, picture that plus dozens of Brazilians shouting things in portuguese. It was absolute madness! All of the vendors were shouting to each other and to customers and it was so frustrating not knowing what they were saying. Since Brazil is a tropical country, their fruit selection was incredible and they had some of the biggest melons I had ever seen. And instead of bananas coming in groups of 4 or 5, the bananas they had came in bunches of 10-12! Bryan brought 25 bananas for less than 50 cents! While we were walking around, I spotted a place where you could buy a giant coconut and they would cut the top off and stick a straw in it. Of course, I had to buy it and although the coconut milk didn’t taste at all how I had expected, I was holding a giant coconut and that was all I needed. With all the wonderful food we bought, we cooked up a wonderful lunch that even carried over into dinner. After dinner, Bryan continued with another lesson about churches and the mission strategy. This was a very interesting and important lesson/conversation but I can’t seem to type it all down in detail that would make sense to you all. If you would like to know more about what we talked about (*cough* Mom and Dad *cough), I would love to tell you about it in person... when I get back to the states :)
my coconut!
Besos xoxo
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Brasil: Day 4
The four of us drove about 45 minutes into an area of Sao Paulo that we hadn't seen yet to do a Sunday morning house worship. This area was a very run down and poverty stricken area and I wasn't expecting that many people to show up, but God surprised me and 10 people showed up for worship! Even though it was all in Portuguese, it was awesome to see these people who have so little worshipping the Lord with all that they have. At the end, they took up an offering and Brian told me later on that people gave over $100 and one of the guys in the group was going to give it to someone in the building who was having a hard time and needed the money. It was so great to see God working through them.
After we got home and had some lunch, Lauren and I went for a walk/run in this cool jungle type park nearby. When we finished with that, we came back, took a nap, then got started for the next house worship. About 8 people came tonight and among them was this adorable couple, Mary Jane and Romo. Mary Jean is from Wisconsin but graduated college and moved to Chile for a year where she met Romo, who is actually a Brazilian but was in Chile at the time with some friends. They fell in love and although it took her awhile to get her visa to come to Brazil, she finally did and they got married. Three months after they got married, when they were living in Mendoza, Argentina, she unexpectedly got pregnant and 10 months ago had a beautiful baby boy named Caleb. They were so sweet and invited me and Lauren to go to a juice bar and treated us to some amazing Acai and Passionfruit smoothies. It was awesome being able to talk with them and hear all about their incredible adventures.
I think one of the coolest things about today was being able to see God work in two different types of house churches. The first one this morning was with very poor people but they were so happy and were so willing to give their money to other people in need. Then the house worship tonight was wonderful too because even though the people there were more wealthy, they still had the same cheerful attitude and gave so much back to God. Lauren and I have loved seeing how God has worked through Jacqueline and Bryan and getting to meet all of the people whose lives they have impacted.
7 days until America :)
Besos xoxo
After we got home and had some lunch, Lauren and I went for a walk/run in this cool jungle type park nearby. When we finished with that, we came back, took a nap, then got started for the next house worship. About 8 people came tonight and among them was this adorable couple, Mary Jane and Romo. Mary Jean is from Wisconsin but graduated college and moved to Chile for a year where she met Romo, who is actually a Brazilian but was in Chile at the time with some friends. They fell in love and although it took her awhile to get her visa to come to Brazil, she finally did and they got married. Three months after they got married, when they were living in Mendoza, Argentina, she unexpectedly got pregnant and 10 months ago had a beautiful baby boy named Caleb. They were so sweet and invited me and Lauren to go to a juice bar and treated us to some amazing Acai and Passionfruit smoothies. It was awesome being able to talk with them and hear all about their incredible adventures.
Lauren tasting the acai smoothie.
I think one of the coolest things about today was being able to see God work in two different types of house churches. The first one this morning was with very poor people but they were so happy and were so willing to give their money to other people in need. Then the house worship tonight was wonderful too because even though the people there were more wealthy, they still had the same cheerful attitude and gave so much back to God. Lauren and I have loved seeing how God has worked through Jacqueline and Bryan and getting to meet all of the people whose lives they have impacted.
7 days until America :)
Besos xoxo
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Brasil: Day 2 and 3
Day 2 (Friday)
We started off the day by having another session with Bryan and Jacqueline about church and how church is all about the people in it, which was a great reminder for us to know that Jesus called the church not as an actual building, but a group of people coming together to worship him. After the session, we drove about 20 or 30 miles into the city, which took us about an hour and a half with some traffic, and saw their daughter in law, Ana, and her children. It was great to see them because I had known Ana when she and her husband, Brent, lived in Los Angeles but I never got to see her kids because we moved to Texas. After a nice lunch with them, we made our way back to Jacqueline and Bryan's apartment. Instead of the hour and a half drive that it took us to get there, 3 HOURS later, we finally arrived at the apartment. Oh, Sao Paulo.
Day 3 (Saturday)
This mornings session was all about "spiritual multiplication." I especially loved this lesson because it was all about how to share the gospel with other people and how it is impossible to do so without the help of Jesus. Jacqueline and Bryan shared some incredible stories about people they have come into contact with over the years and how they introduced them to the gospel. After that lesson, Jacqueline, Lauren, and I headed to a ladies luncheon with the group of women that Jacqueline usually does bible studies with. Surprisingly, a lot of the women spoke english and they were precious! It was so neat being able to see how God has impacted their lives through coming into contact with Jacqueline. That was a real inspiration for me and Lauren. We drove back to the apartment with no traffic (thankfully), but the power went off as soon as we got back and Lauren and I experienced first hand what it feels like to be without a fan to keep us cool! We've been used to having no air conditioning but no fan?! Luckily, that only lasted about 30 minutes. We then had a wonderful time sitting at the dinner table and talking with Bryan and Jacqueline for 2 hours about their time in Brasil and their marriage. They have been married for 42 years and are an amazing couple whose relationship is build completely around the Lord. Talking with them was so great for me and Lauren because we both learned so much about what we want our future marriages to look like.
*It may not seem like we are doing a lot of "mission" work and maybe we aren't, but we are learning so much on what it means to be followers of Christ and how we can teach others to do the same! :)
Besos xoxo
We started off the day by having another session with Bryan and Jacqueline about church and how church is all about the people in it, which was a great reminder for us to know that Jesus called the church not as an actual building, but a group of people coming together to worship him. After the session, we drove about 20 or 30 miles into the city, which took us about an hour and a half with some traffic, and saw their daughter in law, Ana, and her children. It was great to see them because I had known Ana when she and her husband, Brent, lived in Los Angeles but I never got to see her kids because we moved to Texas. After a nice lunch with them, we made our way back to Jacqueline and Bryan's apartment. Instead of the hour and a half drive that it took us to get there, 3 HOURS later, we finally arrived at the apartment. Oh, Sao Paulo.
Day 3 (Saturday)
This mornings session was all about "spiritual multiplication." I especially loved this lesson because it was all about how to share the gospel with other people and how it is impossible to do so without the help of Jesus. Jacqueline and Bryan shared some incredible stories about people they have come into contact with over the years and how they introduced them to the gospel. After that lesson, Jacqueline, Lauren, and I headed to a ladies luncheon with the group of women that Jacqueline usually does bible studies with. Surprisingly, a lot of the women spoke english and they were precious! It was so neat being able to see how God has impacted their lives through coming into contact with Jacqueline. That was a real inspiration for me and Lauren. We drove back to the apartment with no traffic (thankfully), but the power went off as soon as we got back and Lauren and I experienced first hand what it feels like to be without a fan to keep us cool! We've been used to having no air conditioning but no fan?! Luckily, that only lasted about 30 minutes. We then had a wonderful time sitting at the dinner table and talking with Bryan and Jacqueline for 2 hours about their time in Brasil and their marriage. They have been married for 42 years and are an amazing couple whose relationship is build completely around the Lord. Talking with them was so great for me and Lauren because we both learned so much about what we want our future marriages to look like.
*It may not seem like we are doing a lot of "mission" work and maybe we aren't, but we are learning so much on what it means to be followers of Christ and how we can teach others to do the same! :)
Besos xoxo
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Brasil: Day One
Lauren and I are in BRASIL! We met up at the casa at 7:45, got in a cab, told the driver to take us to Aeropuerto Jorge Newbury ( aka AEP, about 15 minutes away), and he told us it was closed. I told him that that was not possible, considering I had checked the flight status this morning and it said it was leaving out of AEP. He said he was certain that it was closed and that all flights were moved to EZE which is about 45 minutes away. Trying hard not to panic, I looked at Lauren and she told him to go to AEP anyway and check. He ended up rolling down the window and asking another taxi driver if it was open, and thankfully, he said it was! After that little scare, we got on a 30 minute flight to Montevideo, Uruguay, changed planes, and got to Sao Paulo at 3pm!
Jacqueline and Bryan were waiting for us and we drove to their apartment, got settled in and had some lunch. For those of you who don't know, Lauren and I are staying with some family friends, Jacqueline and Bryan Bost, who have been missionaries living in Brasil for almost 35 years, making disciples out of the Brasilian people that they come in contact with. We had absolutely not idea what we were coming here to do, but we are so excited to learn about discipleship and hopefully bring back what we learned to BA and eventually, back to the states. This is not your average mission trip. We probably won't be doing a lot of physical labor and we will only be working with needy children one of the days that we're here, so this trip is mostly about us learning about how to make followers of Christ. This is kind of scary for me, but I am totally confident that the Lord will be with us and teach us so much through Jacqueline and Bryan.
They had told us that they didn't have WiFi, but I somehow managed to find some so my posts may be regular or they may be whenever I can find internet. Please be praying for us this week!
Besos xoxo
Jacqueline and Bryan were waiting for us and we drove to their apartment, got settled in and had some lunch. For those of you who don't know, Lauren and I are staying with some family friends, Jacqueline and Bryan Bost, who have been missionaries living in Brasil for almost 35 years, making disciples out of the Brasilian people that they come in contact with. We had absolutely not idea what we were coming here to do, but we are so excited to learn about discipleship and hopefully bring back what we learned to BA and eventually, back to the states. This is not your average mission trip. We probably won't be doing a lot of physical labor and we will only be working with needy children one of the days that we're here, so this trip is mostly about us learning about how to make followers of Christ. This is kind of scary for me, but I am totally confident that the Lord will be with us and teach us so much through Jacqueline and Bryan.
They had told us that they didn't have WiFi, but I somehow managed to find some so my posts may be regular or they may be whenever I can find internet. Please be praying for us this week!
Besos xoxo
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
well, that was awkward...
This is for Randy and David, because they both think that I need more funny stories in my life.
I was at the gym today and I went to go do this triceps machine thingy and I was really struggling with figuring out how the thing worked. This super buff guy comes up to me and asks if he can help, and I try to formulate a sentence in spanish (haven't really spoken a lot of spanish in a few days so I'm a little rusty) telling him that I can't figure out how to work it. Then he starts speaking to me in perfect english, and I'm like, "Oh great, you speak english!" So then I realize that the machine is actually working the way it's supposed to, and I'm a little mortified. If that isn't bad enough, I had my headphones in and he started to say something to me but I kind of ignored him and started to work out again. As I'm using this machine thing, I notice that he is just chuckling and staring at me. Now I'm thinking that I'm using it wrong so I stop and he goes, "Can you move to the other machine (on the other side) so I can connect these two weights?" Basically, when he was talking to me and I wasn't listening, he was asking me to move to the same machine on the other side so he could finish his work out, but I was too stupid to realize that and continued to work out like a fool. I apologized profusely and started to walk away, while in the background he was saying, "No wait, you can use the other machine!" I was too embarrassed so I just said, "No, esta bien." And I booked it out of there...
Time flies.
I can't believe first semester is already over. It seems like yesterday that 63 of us hopped on a plane and headed down to South America. But that was 3 months ago!
taking over the BA airport in September
I have made many new friends and memories and I wouldn't trade this semester for anything. Although I sometimes miss being in Malibu, studying abroad has been the biggest blessing for me and I am so grateful for this opportunity. I am SO excited to come back to America for a few weeks, but I cannot wait to get back to BA and finish off this amazing year.
Here are some highlights from this semester:
second night in BA at Cafe Tortoni with the girls!
my beautiful Argentine sisters
Switchfoot in BA!
Adulam!
Iguazu Falls!
Fall EFT!
sunsets in Cordoba!
Convo dinners!
Asado Thursdays!
Boca v. River game!
For my BAer's: You all are incredible. Our group would not be complete without every single one of you. Each of you has contributed something to this experience and I would not have it any other way.
Te quiero mucho!
*Lauren and I are off to Brazil on Thursday, so please keep us in your prayers!
Besos xoxo
Thursday, December 2, 2010
There's no need to worry!
Ask anyone in the Casa and they will tell you that I have been a lunatic these past few weeks. I have lost my sanity constantly stressing about visas, papers, finals, money, you name it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've been voted "Most Likely To Stress Out About Anything." Believe me, I'm not proud of that title. Although my friends tell me all the time not to worry, it just doesn't seem to do the trick. In my mind, there is so much to worry about!
Hannah lent me the book, "Ragamuffin Gospel," and let me tell you, it has changed my life. I am normally a very fast reader but I started this book a few weeks ago and am not even half way through because I can't stop taking notes! Out of all the amazing quotes from the book that I have written down, this one has been the most applicable to my feelings lately:
Hannah lent me the book, "Ragamuffin Gospel," and let me tell you, it has changed my life. I am normally a very fast reader but I started this book a few weeks ago and am not even half way through because I can't stop taking notes! Out of all the amazing quotes from the book that I have written down, this one has been the most applicable to my feelings lately:
"Everything else will pass away,
but the love of Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever."
"Yesterday. Today. Forever." In the end, papers don't matter, tests don't matter, money doesn't matter, nothing else matters but Christ's love and sharing that love with those around us. "Everything else will pass away." Even though in the moment, we feel like the world will end if we don't pass this test or run out of money and are stuck on the streets of BA next semester, it isn't the end of the world! And frankly, it's an insult to God when we worry because that's us saying that we don't trust that God will take care of us. Trust me, I'm the queen of worrying so I know how hard it is not to worry. But the Lord always provides for those who love Him. Always. Christ's love is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and so are His blessings. He will always provide. Everything else will go away in time, but we need to give priority to the one thing we know will always be there. How comforting is that?
Besos xoxo
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Answered prayers!
Happy: I GOT MY VISA! Woo hoo! I went to the Brazilian consulate this afternoon and got approved with no problems. It's kind of a weird process; you go to the consulate, show them your paperwork, and then they write down the name of a bank close by so you can pay for the visa there. Hannah and I got lost on the way to the bank, but we finally got there, paid, and I go back to the consulate tomorrow to pick up my visa/passport. Thank you all for praying!
Also, I skyped with Whitney :) Love you, Whit!
Crappy: Studying for finals has started... and we are not happy about it. On the bright side, we're done on Monday! I can't believe this semester is already over. It's very bittersweet because I'm so happy to go home for awhile but it also makes me sad that time is flying by!
Laughy: About a week ago, right before leaving for Cordoba, I was walking from my apartment to the casa and I stopped at a street corner waiting for a car to pass. These guys sitting outside of a cafe in back of me started laughing and shouting, "Caca! Casa!" Feeling like they were talking to me, I looked down at my feet and noticed that I was stepping in a huge pile of dog poop (no one picks up poop on the streets...). Needless to say, I was very embarrassed and totally grossed out.
19 DAYS UNTIL AMERICA!
Besos xoxo
Also, I skyped with Whitney :) Love you, Whit!
Crappy: Studying for finals has started... and we are not happy about it. On the bright side, we're done on Monday! I can't believe this semester is already over. It's very bittersweet because I'm so happy to go home for awhile but it also makes me sad that time is flying by!
Laughy: About a week ago, right before leaving for Cordoba, I was walking from my apartment to the casa and I stopped at a street corner waiting for a car to pass. These guys sitting outside of a cafe in back of me started laughing and shouting, "Caca! Casa!" Feeling like they were talking to me, I looked down at my feet and noticed that I was stepping in a huge pile of dog poop (no one picks up poop on the streets...). Needless to say, I was very embarrassed and totally grossed out.
19 DAYS UNTIL AMERICA!
Besos xoxo
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Gauchos, sunsets, and delicious food.
For my second long weekend in Argentina, 14 of us went took an 11 hour bus ride to the province of Cordoba to spend three days at a beautiful estancia in the mountains.
Day Uno (Thursday):
We arrived to Cordoba at around 8am and drove 45 minutes into the mountains to get situated in our estancia. It was a beautiful little place owned by a sweet Australian couple who picked up their lives in Sydney five years ago and settled in this 400 year old estate and turned it into a bed and breakfast type place.
We ended day one with a wonderful asado made by the owner and chef of the estancia.
Day Dos (Friday):
We got to sleep in a little bit and then we all headed over to some local caves down the street. After that, we packed up into a van and drove 3 hours to the salt flats! This was something that I was really looking forward to because some of my friends who came to Cordoba last year said the flats were unbelievable at sunset. We got a little lost on the way but made it just in time to watch the sunset. These salt flats go on for miles! Way off towards the horizon, we saw water (all the water from the rain stays on the salt flats for awhile) so we all started running towards it, with about 10 minutes to spare before the sun was gone. That sunset was definitely the most amazing sunset I have ever seen in my life.
Day Uno (Thursday):
We arrived to Cordoba at around 8am and drove 45 minutes into the mountains to get situated in our estancia. It was a beautiful little place owned by a sweet Australian couple who picked up their lives in Sydney five years ago and settled in this 400 year old estate and turned it into a bed and breakfast type place.
where our rooms were
pub/dinning area
After getting settled, we drove down the road and got on some horses! We rode pretty deep into the mountains and eventually when it got too steep, we hopped off and hiked the rest ourselves. I was pretty nervous about scaling this insanely high peak, but my wonderful friend Alexx convinced me to keep going and I'm so glad I did because the view was amazing! We were out in the sun for over 5 hours and even though I had put on sunscreen, I managed to get one of the worst burns I've ever had. Ouch!
my horse!
incredible view
sunburn... even with sunscreen.
We ended day one with a wonderful asado made by the owner and chef of the estancia.
Day Dos (Friday):
We got to sleep in a little bit and then we all headed over to some local caves down the street. After that, we packed up into a van and drove 3 hours to the salt flats! This was something that I was really looking forward to because some of my friends who came to Cordoba last year said the flats were unbelievable at sunset. We got a little lost on the way but made it just in time to watch the sunset. These salt flats go on for miles! Way off towards the horizon, we saw water (all the water from the rain stays on the salt flats for awhile) so we all started running towards it, with about 10 minutes to spare before the sun was gone. That sunset was definitely the most amazing sunset I have ever seen in my life.
After the sun set, we built a fire and the John, the chef from the estancia, made a wonderful stew and chocolate cake. The stars were absolutely incredible that night. I literally felt like I was standing inside of a planetarium. We all went out by ourselves and just laid out under the sky. That was an amazing experience for me because in that moment by myself, I realized how BIG and incredible God is and how insignificant we are compared to Him and His creation.
Day Tres (Saturday):
We left the flats at 5am and didn't get back until 8am, so needless to say, we were all exhausted. Alexx and I climbed into bed and I passed out until 3pm! I missed out on another hike, but at least I caught up on sleep! We had a great pizza dinner, then packed our bags, and headed to the bus station for our 11 hour ride back to BA.
It was a great weekend filled with awesome friends, great food, and incredible scenery. God has truly blessed me this semester with the opportunity to see some amazing places in Argentina and I even though it was hard being away from family for Thanksgiving, I couldn't be more grateful for my life here in Argentina.
Besos xoxo
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Last night, we had our very own Thanksgiving dinner at the Casa! Everyone either made a dish or helped other people make stuff and it was delicious. It was so great having everyone together and being able to celebrate the best American holiday ever :)
FOOD!
num num! Thanks Claudio!
Tomorrow, I'm off to Cordoba for the long weekend!
Besos xoxo
Friday, November 19, 2010
Dan FINALLY surprises Hannah!
While we were in Iguazu, Blaire and I got a facebook message from Hannah's boyfriend, Dan, telling us that he was coming to BA to surprise Hannah in November and that he needed our help planning everything. Obviously, we were beyond excited and couldn't wait for the day to come. Dan and I kept in touch throughout October and throughout this month, just figuring out how he was going to surprise her. We decided on him coming to the Casa and waiting outside for her, while Blaire went and told her that there was a "package" outside that she needed to sign for. I've had this day on my calendar for a long time so when yesterday finally happened, I was SO happy/relieved! Everything went perfectly and she could not have been more surprised. David captured it all on video and it is just absolutely precious.
(Check it out on my facebook page)
Han, I am so happy for you and even though it was SO hard keeping everything a secret, it was so worth it! Dan is a keeper! :) Love you!
(Check it out on my facebook page)
Han, I am so happy for you and even though it was SO hard keeping everything a secret, it was so worth it! Dan is a keeper! :) Love you!
Cutest couple in Argentina.
Han: "How did you keep this a secret!?"
SO happy for you both!
:)
Besos xoxo
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Boca vs. River
It's late and I'm exhausted, but I have to write this all down while it's embedded in my memory because the Boca vs. River fútbol game was the most epic and insane sporting event that I have ever been to in my entire life.
*A little background on the two teams: Boca Junior and River Plate are the biggest rivalry teams in all of Argentina. When they play each other, the game is called the Superclásico and it's unreal. "The Observer newspaper said it's the number one sporting event that anyone should place on their sporting 'bucket list'" (bocariver.net). The rivalry is so intense that the Boca fans had to enter the River stadium before any of the River fans, and they were in their own little section with police and barbed wire fences. People have died at these games.
Now for the crazy details: (Bear with me because there's a lot to tell.)
A group of about 20 of us walked the couple miles to the stadium not really knowing what to expect. Rafa had told us not to bring any cameras and to not wear any Boca colors (blue and yellow) because we would more than likely be punched in the face. So we finally get to the stadium and it's PACKED. They had police (I would guess there were about 500 officers there in the whole stadium, but that may be an exaggeration) lined up pretty far away from the actual stadium and we all had to be patted down. We went through about 2 other security stations before actually being able to walk up to the top of the stadium where we would watch the game. After finally walking up the stairs to the top of the stadium, we all had assumed that there was assigned seating and that our whole group would be together. We soon realized that it was general admission and we had to squeeze our way in to find a place to stand. At first, we tried to move so we could find a place with more spots, but there was a massive crowd of people singing and jumping all around, so we had no way of moving. We all ended up splitting up, but a handful of us got some really great seats.
We stand in our spots and not only is it very crowded, but everyone starts throwing stacks of newspaper. We obviously had no idea what it was for until these guys in front of us start ripping all the paper into little pieces and putting them in stacks. They hand us a few and we catch some that were soaring in the air, and start doing the same. Then what we thought was the Boca and River players, but was really just a warm up team, came on the field and played a really short game. The crowd was still pretty rowdy but not enough to really be the epic game that we had all heard about. After about 10 minutes of them playing, we realized that they weren't actually the real teams and we got nervous about how the crowd was going to react when the real game happened.
The Boca team comes out and the crowd goes wild. Every single person around us was screaming cuss words and yelling at the team and their fans. When the River team came out, that's when we started throwing the newspaper. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Bits of newspaper were flying EVERYWHERE and then the fireworks started. Not professional ones, mind you. The kind that fans bring and blow up themselves. Imagine billions of pieces of paper and hundreds of fireworks filling the sky. That's right. We couldn't see a thing. The air was completely filled and we couldn't see the sky or the field in front of us. Then this MASSIVE flag thing comes over our heads and covers our entire section of the stadium. We have no idea what it said on the outside but we stayed under that flag for a good 5 minutes, just cheering along with everyone else.
The game started and we (River) didn't score until the second half. But when we scored, the crowd went absolutely insane. People were jumping, screaming, crying, you name it! We threw even more newspaper! Less than 5 minutes after the goal, the Boca fans start throwing fireworks (the flare type ones) at the River fans below them. They would catch on fire and all the people would stomp them out before it spread. This went on for a good 15 to 20 minutes and as far as I know, no one caught on fire. The huge flag came down again and this time, the guy standing next to my friend Taylor (who was standing in front of me) decided to roll up and light a joint. Me, being the naive drug expert that I am, was so confused as to what that horrible smell was and when Taylor told me the guy was smoking pot, I thought to myself, "Is that even allowed?" It's a Boca v. River game. Anything goes. It's a miracle we all didn't leave high because I swear I practically inhaled that joint myself.
The game starts coming to an end and when the final whistle blew, the crown went crazy, of course. We had to wait about half an hour or so before we could leave the stadium because the Boca fans had to be let out first, to avoid riots. It was madness trying to get out of that stadium, but we finally did and had to walk on the side of a freeway, through 2 sketchy parks, until we finally found our way back to the Casa. On the way back, my friend Bridget and I were talking about how weird it was that we weren't hit on or touched once while we were at the game. Taylor then told us that at River stadium, there's this unspoken "no touch"rule where no man is allowed to harass a woman (not that there were very many women there). It's funny how safe we felt at such a crazy event where people have actually died.
I'm sure I didn't even do a half decent job describing this experience because my mind is still blown. Even though I was skeptical about paying 290 pesos (around $70) for a game that I didn't know much about, it was SO worth it and was something I will never forget.
Pictures I stole from Uri Hong (you da best, girl).
smoke and newspapers
under the flag!
the flag coming down!
Besos xoxo
*A little background on the two teams: Boca Junior and River Plate are the biggest rivalry teams in all of Argentina. When they play each other, the game is called the Superclásico and it's unreal. "The Observer newspaper said it's the number one sporting event that anyone should place on their sporting 'bucket list'" (bocariver.net). The rivalry is so intense that the Boca fans had to enter the River stadium before any of the River fans, and they were in their own little section with police and barbed wire fences. People have died at these games.
Now for the crazy details: (Bear with me because there's a lot to tell.)
A group of about 20 of us walked the couple miles to the stadium not really knowing what to expect. Rafa had told us not to bring any cameras and to not wear any Boca colors (blue and yellow) because we would more than likely be punched in the face. So we finally get to the stadium and it's PACKED. They had police (I would guess there were about 500 officers there in the whole stadium, but that may be an exaggeration) lined up pretty far away from the actual stadium and we all had to be patted down. We went through about 2 other security stations before actually being able to walk up to the top of the stadium where we would watch the game. After finally walking up the stairs to the top of the stadium, we all had assumed that there was assigned seating and that our whole group would be together. We soon realized that it was general admission and we had to squeeze our way in to find a place to stand. At first, we tried to move so we could find a place with more spots, but there was a massive crowd of people singing and jumping all around, so we had no way of moving. We all ended up splitting up, but a handful of us got some really great seats.
We stand in our spots and not only is it very crowded, but everyone starts throwing stacks of newspaper. We obviously had no idea what it was for until these guys in front of us start ripping all the paper into little pieces and putting them in stacks. They hand us a few and we catch some that were soaring in the air, and start doing the same. Then what we thought was the Boca and River players, but was really just a warm up team, came on the field and played a really short game. The crowd was still pretty rowdy but not enough to really be the epic game that we had all heard about. After about 10 minutes of them playing, we realized that they weren't actually the real teams and we got nervous about how the crowd was going to react when the real game happened.
The Boca team comes out and the crowd goes wild. Every single person around us was screaming cuss words and yelling at the team and their fans. When the River team came out, that's when we started throwing the newspaper. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Bits of newspaper were flying EVERYWHERE and then the fireworks started. Not professional ones, mind you. The kind that fans bring and blow up themselves. Imagine billions of pieces of paper and hundreds of fireworks filling the sky. That's right. We couldn't see a thing. The air was completely filled and we couldn't see the sky or the field in front of us. Then this MASSIVE flag thing comes over our heads and covers our entire section of the stadium. We have no idea what it said on the outside but we stayed under that flag for a good 5 minutes, just cheering along with everyone else.
The game started and we (River) didn't score until the second half. But when we scored, the crowd went absolutely insane. People were jumping, screaming, crying, you name it! We threw even more newspaper! Less than 5 minutes after the goal, the Boca fans start throwing fireworks (the flare type ones) at the River fans below them. They would catch on fire and all the people would stomp them out before it spread. This went on for a good 15 to 20 minutes and as far as I know, no one caught on fire. The huge flag came down again and this time, the guy standing next to my friend Taylor (who was standing in front of me) decided to roll up and light a joint. Me, being the naive drug expert that I am, was so confused as to what that horrible smell was and when Taylor told me the guy was smoking pot, I thought to myself, "Is that even allowed?" It's a Boca v. River game. Anything goes. It's a miracle we all didn't leave high because I swear I practically inhaled that joint myself.
The game starts coming to an end and when the final whistle blew, the crown went crazy, of course. We had to wait about half an hour or so before we could leave the stadium because the Boca fans had to be let out first, to avoid riots. It was madness trying to get out of that stadium, but we finally did and had to walk on the side of a freeway, through 2 sketchy parks, until we finally found our way back to the Casa. On the way back, my friend Bridget and I were talking about how weird it was that we weren't hit on or touched once while we were at the game. Taylor then told us that at River stadium, there's this unspoken "no touch"rule where no man is allowed to harass a woman (not that there were very many women there). It's funny how safe we felt at such a crazy event where people have actually died.
I'm sure I didn't even do a half decent job describing this experience because my mind is still blown. Even though I was skeptical about paying 290 pesos (around $70) for a game that I didn't know much about, it was SO worth it and was something I will never forget.
Pictures I stole from Uri Hong (you da best, girl).
The River group before we had any idea what we were getting into.
GOALLLLL RIVERRRRRR!!!
Yeah, Boca starts fires.
SO many police officers!
Besos xoxo
Monday, November 15, 2010
"Be still and know that I am God."
A few days ago, David gave me some words of wisdom: "Do what you are capable of doing and trust that what you are capable of doing is enough." We have been bombarded with all different kinds of assignments, papers, and tests, and I have yet to take a step back and try to breathe. Along with that quote, there are two things that I have started to repeat in my head the moment I feel overwhelmed: "Be still and know that I am God," and "Lord, give me strength." These three simple statements are what's going to get me through this week and next and my prayer is that from now on, I can give my worries and anxieties over to God and trust that He will take care of me.
Lo siento for the depressing post. It's just the life of a stressed college student.
Besos xoxo
Lo siento for the depressing post. It's just the life of a stressed college student.
Besos xoxo
Friday, November 12, 2010
Last Saturday...oops.
I have been waiting on pictures until I made this post and I finally got them!
Last Saturday, my friend Alexx and I went to my youngest hermana, Brisa's, birthday party! We piled 13 people in a minivan and drove to a super sketch part of town, until we pulled up to a beautiful location that ended up being the military school where my padre works. We stayed for 6 hours, because that's how Argentines do it, and just ate nd hung out. Jesi and Eli (the oldest hermanas) and their friend Flor, introduced us to some Argentine boys. I know what you're thinking, Daddy. But no, I did not fall in love. They all ended up being around 16 years old, so they didn't even have a chance. One of the guys, Ramiro, told me that he really wants to learn english, so he and I are meeting up at a cafe next week so I can teach him and I can practice some spanish!
All in all, it was a wonderful day celebrating precious Brisa and I loved spending time with my familia.
Last Saturday, my friend Alexx and I went to my youngest hermana, Brisa's, birthday party! We piled 13 people in a minivan and drove to a super sketch part of town, until we pulled up to a beautiful location that ended up being the military school where my padre works. We stayed for 6 hours, because that's how Argentines do it, and just ate nd hung out. Jesi and Eli (the oldest hermanas) and their friend Flor, introduced us to some Argentine boys. I know what you're thinking, Daddy. But no, I did not fall in love. They all ended up being around 16 years old, so they didn't even have a chance. One of the guys, Ramiro, told me that he really wants to learn english, so he and I are meeting up at a cafe next week so I can teach him and I can practice some spanish!
All in all, it was a wonderful day celebrating precious Brisa and I loved spending time with my familia.
Thank you for coming with me! :)
my beautiful sisters! I wish my real sister was there too!
Awesome sparkler candles!
me and the birthday girl!
sweet girls
Sweet story: I came home from school today crying because I was really stressed and overwhelmed. Brisa and Jazmin came into my room and ask if I was okay, then both of my padres came in and asked the same thing, and then the grandparents who are visiting for the week (love them, by the way) came in and asked me too! When I told them I was stressed, my madre said, "Oh don't worry, we'll all help you with your spanish homework on Sunday when you get back!" They made me feel better right away :)
Off to a spiritual retreat for the weekend! Please be praying for our group and for sweet Blaire as she has her surgery! Love you!
Besos xoxo
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Martes y Miercoles
Happys:
1) I had an awesome bible study/prayer time with Hannah today. The last few weeks have been kind of stressful, so I've loved the time we've had together.
2) We had a wonderful "family time" tonight. Great worship and fellowship.
3) 10 more days of classes!
Crappys:
Hannah and I got denied our visas to go to Brazil in December. Long story short, we put "volunteer" instead of "tourist" for the reason why were are going to Brazil and apparently that's not allowed. Lauren got hers because she went about an hour before us and somehow convinced the lady that she made a mistake and meant to put "tourist." Hannah and I are going to try to apply again next week so PLEASE be praying that we get this visa, because we have less than a month before we leave for Brazil.
2) I have 2 tests, 2 papers, and 1 presentation coming my way next week. I'm a little overwhelmed, to say the least.
Laughys:
Unfortunately for y'all, nothing funny has happened to me recently. Maybe I'll trip and fall in front of a hot Argentine tomorrow and have a good story to tell :)
But here's a funny picture:
Besos xoxo
1) I had an awesome bible study/prayer time with Hannah today. The last few weeks have been kind of stressful, so I've loved the time we've had together.
2) We had a wonderful "family time" tonight. Great worship and fellowship.
3) 10 more days of classes!
Crappys:
Hannah and I got denied our visas to go to Brazil in December. Long story short, we put "volunteer" instead of "tourist" for the reason why were are going to Brazil and apparently that's not allowed. Lauren got hers because she went about an hour before us and somehow convinced the lady that she made a mistake and meant to put "tourist." Hannah and I are going to try to apply again next week so PLEASE be praying that we get this visa, because we have less than a month before we leave for Brazil.
2) I have 2 tests, 2 papers, and 1 presentation coming my way next week. I'm a little overwhelmed, to say the least.
Laughys:
Unfortunately for y'all, nothing funny has happened to me recently. Maybe I'll trip and fall in front of a hot Argentine tomorrow and have a good story to tell :)
But here's a funny picture:
Besos xoxo
Monday, November 8, 2010
I love my Argentine family!
I have a whole separate post about Saturday coming your way... as soon as my friend Alexx sends me pictures! For now, I'm going to talk about my Argentine family.
I got home from a really rough night at the club (just kidding, I was at a friends apartment) and when I came home, I was not feeling well at all. I told my madre and padre that I had a really bad headache (due to sinuses) and they proceeded to ask me if I had had a lot to drink the night before. I laughed and told them no, I just wasn't feeling well. My madre seemed pretty worried and told to me sleep and drink lots of water. At dinner, she asked if I was going to school in the morning and I told her that I wasn't sure, depending on how I was feeling in the morning. She, and the rest of the family, insisted that I stay home and "dormir!" I ended up taking their advice and stayed home this morning. I just loved that they were taking care of me, as a real family would.
Okay. This is the cutest story. I was doing my homework in my room, and my youngest hermanas (Jazmin and Brisa) knocked on my door. They asked me if I had time to teach them english! Even though I had a lot to do, I just couldn't resist. We all sat on my bed and they would say something in spanish and I would translate it in english. Some of the phrases they wanted translated were, "My mom is a green alien,"and, "My little dog is pink." We did this for about 20 minutes and it was one of the most precious moments that I've had with them. I promised them that we would do this everyday and I could not be more excited.
Se amo a mi familia Argentina mucho!
Besos xoxo
I got home from a really rough night at the club (just kidding, I was at a friends apartment) and when I came home, I was not feeling well at all. I told my madre and padre that I had a really bad headache (due to sinuses) and they proceeded to ask me if I had had a lot to drink the night before. I laughed and told them no, I just wasn't feeling well. My madre seemed pretty worried and told to me sleep and drink lots of water. At dinner, she asked if I was going to school in the morning and I told her that I wasn't sure, depending on how I was feeling in the morning. She, and the rest of the family, insisted that I stay home and "dormir!" I ended up taking their advice and stayed home this morning. I just loved that they were taking care of me, as a real family would.
Okay. This is the cutest story. I was doing my homework in my room, and my youngest hermanas (Jazmin and Brisa) knocked on my door. They asked me if I had time to teach them english! Even though I had a lot to do, I just couldn't resist. We all sat on my bed and they would say something in spanish and I would translate it in english. Some of the phrases they wanted translated were, "My mom is a green alien,"and, "My little dog is pink." We did this for about 20 minutes and it was one of the most precious moments that I've had with them. I promised them that we would do this everyday and I could not be more excited.
Se amo a mi familia Argentina mucho!
Besos xoxo
Friday, November 5, 2010
Uruguay!
On Thursday, our whole group went to Colonia, Uruguay. All of us students are on a 90 tourist visa, so we have to leave the country every 90 days to renew it. We're kind of cheating the system, but with a program director like Rafa, we can get away with it. We all had a great time walking around this adorable little town and enjoying the day!
Welcome to Colonia!
So pretty!
April, Hannah, and me by the river!
When we got back to BA, David, Taylor B., Taylor W., and I decided to cook dinner at the Casa. We went to Coto (our local grocery store) and cooked a delicious meal!
the supplies
We made an awesome team :)
The finished product: Steak and pasta. Yum!
** Also, please pray for my friend, Blaire. She fractured her ankle while we were in Uruguay and will be in a cast for 6 weeks unless she has surgery here in BA. Keep her in your prayers! We love you Blaire Bear :)
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Besos xoxo
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