Final Thoughts

We are all so excited about our return. Tomorrow we will be back in the wonderful US of A! Jane & Chase have told me that they look forward to "familiarity" once again -- being with people who have known them for years, not repeating the initial conversations we have when we first meet people, having a history. I know lots of folks who'd like to get away from that! But once you've been without, you find yourself wanting.

Don't be misled if our family comes back to Orinda and heads in five separate directions. We still love each other, but can't wait to go our own way a little. Imagine being together for three meals a day, everyday, for 10 months.

I kept a few notes along the way of tidbits I learned or just thought about. Here are a handful:

The past is done, tomorrow may not come, but do for today what will bless someone and all will end well.

Everyone is busy, but those who take time for others can touch lives.

The getting’s in the giving.

We are human beings, not human doings (what matters is who we are, not what we do).

To live without good lighting and mirrors is to appreciate your aging face with more grace.

Often the big ideas of servanthood are greatest in the smallest moments of everyday life.

Bidets are indispensable . . . where else would one put their toilet kit?

People think their routine lives are boring, but we find happiness in the reminder of it.

Our world (and myself as part of it) is suffering from selfishness. We’ll only know moments of freedom from the consequences when we follow in the steps of the only one who ever overcame it – Jesus. To do as He would do, even with seemingly great sacrifice to ourselves, is to experience joy & peace as God planned.

Never again will we have so many photos of us taken in one year.

Parting is easier when we remember that saying goodbye means we have said hello.

The prayers of God’s people have carried us through ten months without so much as a cold, a transportation accident, or any unseen tragedy.

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or find it not . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ecuador

We are back in Quito -- exactly on the equator ('qui' = center, 'to' = earth) after 10 days in the Galapagos islands. Sorry for the long delay in posting a blog, but there wasn't an internet signal strong enough to post photos out there.

Being on the equator we were able to see star constellations from both the Northern AND Southern hemispheres in the same sky! So we looked south to see our beloved Southern Cross and then a turn to the north and there was our long lost Big Dipper (although empty because it was upside down).

What a treasure! We visited six islands and saw an incredible amount of remarkable flora and fauna including land iguanas, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and frigate birds with their big red mating balloon. The five of us have decided that this was a fantastic way to wind up our year abroad as it is a once-in-a-lifetime destination. Each island is so different and we learned all of the geological reasons why. The volcanic terrain is indescribable and fascinating.

We snorkeled nearly every day -- maybe the best I've ever seen. At different times we swam with sea lions (they are so playful), white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles and penguins. Each one is such a thrill. And the beaches were absolutely gorgeous.

You do wish you were here! :)

Amazon Rainforest

We just came out of the Peruvian jungle (we made it!) and what a fantastic adventure. If thoughts of snakes and hidden spiders and foraging wild pigs comes to mind -- you've imagined it well. Add humidity, heat, and mud and your idea is better. Throw in swamp, mosquitos, cayman (crocodile things) and ants and you're almost perfect. But round it out with macaws, rainbows, monkeys, tropical flowers, parrots, weasels, and butterflies and you've got the photographic feast! Located in southwestern Peru, we travelled 3 hours up river from the nearest arrival town in a long wooden boat to find the Tambopata refuge. Our first night was glorious -- nestled in beds, covered by mosquito nets, in a thatched wood lodge with no walls, we experienced the most torrential downpour, thunder and lightning. These are the sights and sounds that one cannot convey. With all the water came special appearances of various creatures like the coral snake and a variety of frogs. The next day we tromped back to the boat in our wellington boots for a further 5 hours into the jungle. Our accomodations were slightly less luxurious there and suffice it to say that nothing dried past damp, everything grew damper and our camera suffered the worst of it. Although it doesn't work now, we trust that we caught many of the images and will be able to gather them from the memory card at a later date.
It really was remarkable how many things we saw. Our guides were essential in finding the camouflaged creatures. We learned to listen for birds in the canopy, the rustling of leaves, the grunting of the pecary pigs or the distant roar of red howler monkeys. We learned to respect the small things -- bullet ants, so named because of how it feels when they bite, or the white scorpian, whose sting Mary felt firsthand! We trudged through thick mud swamps and swung from vines (OK, we didn't really, but it was fun to imagine).
The river is brown and houses sting rays, pirahanas and the lurking cayman crocodiles. During a fun "fishing" expedition, we arrived at a tributary by boat when the guides said "Okay, we have to get out and cross over there". Get out of the boat? You mean, get in the water? Yep. Chase told me later that one of the guides told him there were mini pirahana fish that swim into your swim trunks and... , so he wasn't thinking about his feet at that point. Some of us didn't have water sandals on, so we had to go barefoot. There were so many rocks on the bottom that it was quite painful. We split up the sandals we had, so everyone had at least one. But I got to a point when we walked over a stretch of land, and I said, "You all go ahead, I'll wait here." So they continued and I enjoyed the rushing creek as the sun was setting. Then I looked closely at a "rock" and realized that it was the peering eyes of a cayman. I got this on the camera!! It wasn't too close, but I stood up and grabbed a little rock just to be safe. Then I looked up river at the group. They had just crossed the creek where this guy was lurking! They say that some of the locals swim in the river, but never would at night, because of the cayman. It was really getting late, so I waved my arms for them to come back. Miguel came first with Jane. He had a machete, so I decided he would be the one to know about the cayman. He grinned when I showed him my photo of the beast. Most of the group caught up to us and I thought it was best if they knew nothing. Miguel tossed a few large stones into the river before we all held hands and began to cross. My heart was racing and I think I was pulling a little frantically, but I tried to to simply encourage everyone to step lively. One guide and a friend of ours were a bit further behind. They decided to save their aching arches and swam across the shallow stretch. I'm glad I didn't have to apologize for not warning them. We all made it safely back to the boat and a sliver moon was low in the sky.
Wonderful to be in Lima for one night -- dry air and a laundrymat. We miss the crickets, but we won't forget.

Photos from Cusco and Machu Picchu

My ladies in el mercado

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Ollantaytambo (see if you can find the bearded man's face between Chase & Jane)

We're not in Kansas Anymore

Cusco, Peru -- a montage of incredible visual pleasures in a city! Spanish tiles roofs, marketstalls in every block, and fantastic native women with dark, wrinkled skin, full skirts, thick alpaca stockings, cardigan sweaters, white top hats and long black braids. Another destination where I almost need to put the camera away and enjoy the sights instead of trying unsuccessfully to capture them. As you may know, Cusco is situated at over 11,000 feet elevation, so arriving from sea level can be quite difficult on people. We advised the kids to drink lots of water and our first evening was spent resting at the hotel. Jane, Chase & Mary have a room with three single beds in a row and they described watching television with a 3-way trip to the john at each commercial break.

First day out was markets and museums. We still have much to learn about the Inca history, but on first glance we remain incredulous at the architectural intelligence which is much intact today. The walls and stones almost don't appear old becuase of their perfect state and cut after 1000 years. Then Jane and I split off for some shopping fun. We were deep in the main covered marketplace, which is a combination Peruvian food court, butcher shop, and clothing extravaganza when an overwhelming smell of bad meat overcame us. We decided to head in another direction, but in our attempt to exit quickly we were caught in a nightmare of chicken feet, pig's heads, flies, ribs, blood, flies and finally, just about to reach the main aisle, a cart filled with whole decapitated pig bodies. Hear the shower sound effects from "Psycho" with those images and you'll share our experience.

Day 2 we hired a tour & van to experience the Sacred Valley en route to Machu Picchu. To know the details of the Inca civilization is only to begin to understand their hugely advanced methods of arquitecture, engineering, agriculture, seismology, artistry, conservation, and astrology. We see the massive stones, we ponder the maneuvering of ONE and we are astounded. To build an entire temple, incredible, and to erect an entire city ... astounding. You truly do have to see it to believe it and still it is jaw-dropping.

Day 3 . . . Machu Picchu. I'm not going to attempt to describe it. We took an obscene number of photos, but all agree that you wouldn't feel the awesome energy and beauty by looking at our photo album. It was definitely one of the best days of our trip and we understand why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the world. There was actually a moment (or two) when I was overcome with gratitude for God´s creation. Not only the surrounding lush, green mountains, but the ever changing sky and fog, the animals, the flowers and the birds had us filled to the brim, no, overflowing.

We can't access our photos on the laptop and we are heading into the Peruvian jungle tomorrow morning, so we won`t be able to blog for another week. Please check back!!

Spring Vacation

Easter in autumn . . . can you imagine? Just like Christmas in summer, we have decided that those would be hard pills to swallow living in the Southern Hemisphere. I found myself thinking about all the different ways that Easter was being celebrated elsewhere – brunch with friends and relatives, Holy Week (Semana Santa) processions in Spain, Hawaiian vacations, “The Life of Christ” drama at Oak Park, a Polish Catholic service inside a crowded onion-domed church in Sczeczin, a Passover meal, or a Cathedral mass in Berlin. But we had a glorious weekend camping on the beach with three other families. They all know each other from their English-speaking church in Santiago and what an international crowd we had. One family from Australia, one from Canada (although the dad is Chilean) and the Reifenbergs from the States. I have always had an ill-founded aversion to English-speaking people when I’m attempting to immerse myself in a Latin culture, but the truth is we are often extremely blessed by these travelers. Yesterday, we were atop a hill that houses a museum, café, lookout, etc. in Santiago. A gentleman passing us saw Chase and said “That one’s got some Irish in him!” We then spoke to him for a few minutes and left fuller for it. Mary was slightly confused, as he seemed kind, but she wondered why he commented on Charlie being such a “fet man”. Charlie isn’t fat at all, but she understood when we realized the Irishman meant he was a very FIT man.

Camping held all the right elements – beautiful weather, shower facilities, and conversational walks, hikes and campfires. Steve led a stretching/yoga session for the whole gang one morning on the beach. Wonderful to work out the lumpy-ground-sleep while looking out at the ocean. And we played a few innings of whiffle baseball, which gave the Australian girls a proper sports education! These are our last days in Santiago as we head to Peru on Friday morning. We’ve had a great stay and even enjoyed the frequent bus & metro transportation. It’s empowering to figure out a city’s system and the kids are excellent at it. The crowds are often part of the experience, but even that has taught us that if you’re going to have company you must be willing to scoot over and accommodate other people (and the baggage they bring). Good life lesson, don’t you think? The bus drivers are unique in their talent to speed up quickly and screech to a halt at the next stop. This makes for a very entertaining workout, clinging to a pole or swinging from a ceiling strap. Yesterday, we came to our stop on a crowded bus and the kids were closer to the back door, so they hopped off. But Charlie and I got stuck behind people in the aisle and reached the steps slightly late. I would give anything to have seen it from the outside. Jane said she turned around and saw Charlie’s leg sticking out of the doors as the bus began to pull away. Lots of shouting and lurching and we calmly disembarked.

As the Chinese proverb says “Blessed are they that laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be entertained.”

Week 3 in Santiago

On an uneventful day Charlie and I usually get up about 7:30am and have a couple hours before we wake the kids. Two days ago I was reading on our bed and I felt the familiar yet slightly altered sensation of an earthquake. Different, due to the fact that I was 16 stories high so it was more of a sway that a rumble. Life in an apartment has shown us all kinds of idiosyncratic amusements. Call me sick, but I do enjoy a good session of balcony-watching-the-neighbors’-lives-through-windows. Jimmy Stewart had nothing on me -- okay, yes he did. I'm not using a zoom lens to get details. And there don’t seem to be any bugs here, so we delightedly have the windows wide open all day & night. That brings the sounds of sirens or raucous reaction to the soccer matches and smells of other kitchenettes or cigarette smoke from below us. That is to say nothing of all we’ve gained from elevator rides and doormen . . . apartment living has been a big part of our world abroad!
Jane and I are thrilled to be able to shop for our own ingredients and cook healthy meals. She has accused me in the past of not teaching her how to do laundry or cook before she leaves for college, so look what a year stuck with Mom can bring! We've found that Argentine or Chilean women don't have large recipe boxes. They learn how to make the typical foods, such as empanadas or tomato salad, and that is what they cook...forever. A trip to the grocery store takes longer than usual because we need to figure out what things are in translation. It’s never exactly like Trader Joe’s or Safeway, but we have fun finding close seconds. The farmer’s market on Wednesdays and Saturdays don’t even set up their stalls until 9:30am, so it works perfectly for the Latin sleep-in-eat-later routine. We always have to gauge every shopping trip with the amount that we can carry home. The supermarket is only a block away, but a couple bottles of water and a melon and your arms are falling off.
We had a short week at the school due to Good Friday, but we also did a little painting work at another of VE Global’s institutions, which is a “baby house” or Casa de Guagua (pronounced wa-wa :). Upon arrival we were introduced to several of the ladies who work there and it took some time to get through all the kissing-the-cheek-hellos before we got down to business. Can you indulge us when we get back and do the same? It’s such a nice custom. Nobody in Argentina or Chile would ever walk in to an office and wave hello to the gang – no, everyday they greet each person with a kiss on the cheek as if they’ve never met them before. And they do the same upon leaving! I like it. But again, it takes time…
Well, Mary won March Madness. She was thrilled with the 10,000 peso pot. The zeros just make you feel rich. We don’t have to remember that it only means $17.

Santiago's Children (Charlie)

Can you say “fut-bol” ?!? The excitement is quite palpable here and continues to build, as national soccer teams globally enter the final stages of their qualifier matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Chile currently holds 3rd place in the South America division standings and only the top four teams will advance to next year’s big event. The national soccer stadium is less than a mile from our apartment and the roar of the crowd (as well as from our neighbors in nearby apartment buildings) can be easily heard with our windows open. With all the rich history of soccer success in Brazil and Argentina, it would be welcome news indeed to give Chile a taste from the cup.

But even without the soccer triumphs, this country scores higher than their peers in several categories. The economic growth story in Chile continues to impress – sure, this year will probably be a downer like everywhere else, but at least its severity will be tempered by support from the government’s Copper and Social Stabilization Funds. The planning and foresight in investment and infrastructure in Chile has been exemplary (private pension funds, decent health care, world class metro transportation, etc) and should keep this country in the lead for years to come.

Yesterday I had the good fortune of meeting Steve Reifenberg, who is the Director of the Regional Office of Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. In addition to managing Harvard’s study abroad and work internship programs in Chile and neighboring countries, Steve is very involved in many of the community organizations (schools, orphanages, after-school centers, etc) which strive to bring hope and opportunity to the city’s underprivileged and at-risk youth. Steve’s altruistic relationship with Chile began in the early 1980’s working at a small orphanage in one of Santiago’s poorer neighborhoods (“poblaciones”). His story is an interesting one, especially given the timing which coincided with a severe economic crisis and the consequent political uprising against Pinochet’s military dictatorship in Chile. I’m currently reading and very much enjoying Steve’s captivating book, Santiago’s Children, which he published just last year.

Santiago, Chile ! ! ! (By: Mary)

Look how far we've come!!! That picture was from the flight to Dublin (Before I barfed all over the aisle)

Soooo, as you know, right now, we are in Santiago, Chile! It is like the whole city is "city looking," there isnt a neighboorhood that we've been to yet without feeling like we're in a huge city. (You're probably thinking, "Of course it all looks like a big city, You're in a big city!")

We have met some people from the VE Global organization. We will be here for about 3 more weeks working at a school on the other side of town, with 4 and 5 year olds who have learning disabilities.

I, for the first time, am trying to arrange one part of the trip. I picked the Amazon. It's HUGE! To have to find a hotel, where the hotel should be, well, there aren't many options for the Amazon River. But, it's hard work!

A few blocks down the road, we found a American sports bar/restaurant so Chase and Dad are watching March Madness. (Also, they have the BEST mexican food!)

Chase is taking Driver's Ed Online. I don't know if I should be excited about that or not, but at least Mom will make him drive me around everywhere. =)

I am having alot of fun speaking Spanish and being able to communicate with foreign people. I don't conjugate all the verbs but they get the idea.

Well done. You guys have been very good lately with your commenting. =) Keep it Up!!!

Chile

We’re in Chile now, after coming across the Andes to the small lake town of Puerto Varas (south of Osorno) and then taking an overnight bus up to Santiago. Charlie found an apartment for us with two bedrooms, so we can stay comfortably, albeit closely-knit, and begin another chapter of volunteer work. We have met with the directors of VE Global (http://www.voluntariosesperanza.org/joomla/) and they are willing to work us into their organization for the next few weeks. Normally, young adult volunteers who come to work with VE make a commitment of no less than six months, which is understandable when thinking about consistency in the lives of orphans or at-risk children. Our family will be helping out at an elementary school through a variety of workshops – everything from teaching games to cooking classes to songs. Next week we anticipate a couple days of orientation with VE Global before getting started with the actual work opportunity.

As we’ve seen time and time again, a mere acquaintance has helped get us connected beyond anything we could have asked for. A former Merrill Lynch colleague of Charlie’s has introduced us to not only the staff of VE Global, but to another Chilean friend who instituted some of the first pro-bono legal services in Chile. After only meeting him for lunch, he graciously handed over the keys to his beach house near Zapallar, two hours north of Santiago.

Slightly more than two months remain of our time abroad. Now we see it flying by, but each of us has a bit of homesickness, as well. Jane, Chase & Mary continue to get along really well, unless Jane is annoyed by Chase, who is annoyed with Mary, who is frustrated by Chase (but he lives between two girls, so he has an excuse). All of us continue to think that Charlie spends too much time on the computer, nobody appreciates my bouts of grumpiness, Mary still won’t pick up a book to read and sharing bathrooms may be the bain (sic) of our entire existence. We do, however, spend a lot of time recounting the things we’ve learned along the way and rejoicing in the friendships that God has given us with people all over the world. We have bets on who will be the first to land on our doorstep for a California adventure.

Yesterday was Jane’s 18th birthday. Our best attempt at a major celebration included streamers, balloons, pointy party hats, and dancing around to ABBA songs at full volume. Gifts this year come in the form of “vale por” certificates. “This coupon is good for (vale por) _________." Those gifts travel well – lightweight and don’t take up room in your suitcase. Jane is two inches taller than I am now and Chase is one, but he’s still growing! His voice is a little crackly and my guess is that he’ll shave within the year, but don’t tell him I told you.

Our Journey in Argentina

Bariloche (Jane)

Currently we are in Bariloche, aka the Swiss Alps of Argentina. We are staying at a hosteria located right on Lago Guieirrez, which reminds us of Lake Tahoe, though not as big. Here we have been playing tennis (there is hope that one day I will beat Chase), playing big stakes poker (with rocks from the beach), swimming in the lake, and playing frisbee (ouch). We are spending a lot of time with the Makek family--Sofia is 16 and Tomas is 14. Now to explain who they are: their father, Andres, was an exchange student in my dad's house for a year in high school. Now, my dad's brother John, my aunt Brigid, my grandpa Bud, and Ritsy are all here for a small family reunion. Last night we ordered a couple boxes of empanadas (cheese and grilled onion empanadas might be my new favorite food) and ate them on the grass in front of the lake on a warm summer's night. Good times!!

I can't believe we have been in Argentina for over two months, it has flown by! Before coming here I had no idea that Argentina was so interesting and beautiful… I love it!! There are so many different parts of this country; we've now been in the big city of BA, the Patagonian desert of Gaiman, the beaches in Pinamar, the glaciers in El Calafate, the open wilderness of the estancia (ranch), and now the mountains of Bariloche. We really should put up a map of Argentina on this blog.

World's End

Charlie: El Calafate, which sits on the south shore of Argentina’s biggest lake (Lago Argentino), is a small tourist town of only 7000 locals, but swells to over 200k during the busy summer season. It is said that 95% of all tourists who come here are foreigners, the big attraction being the Los Glaciares National Park. The park is named for the glaciers on the Ice Caps - the largest continental ice extension after Anctartica- which occupies almost half its area. There are 47 big glaciers, the most famous of which is the Perito Moreno glaciar (above). There are also more than 200 smaller glaciers, unconnected to the Ice Caps
Elsewhere in the world, glaciers form higher than 8000 feet above sea level but here, because of the Ice Caps, at only 5000 feet above sea level and huge pressure of the ancient snowfall on top, they flow down to lake level, allowing the amazing view and ability to approach so closely.

Colleen: Words cannot describe (at least not mine) our last week of seeing God's creation. We have seen these incredible glaciers, by land and by boat, and we remain speechless in their enormity. The sound of a crashing pieces off the face were unbelievable. From El Calafate we booked a ride in a Land Rover with a great local guide to an estancia, or ranch, 120 miles away. Thinking that would be a smooth go for a couple of hours was not to remember where we were. Yes, an easy flight for a crow, but the roads for automobiles are far inferior. One could call it bumpy, but you'd miss the images of rocks, ditches, desert, rivers across the way, and as the day became night, rabbits scurrying out of our path like rats leaving a lit kitchen. Five hours later, in the dark, with sore bums, we arrived at El Condor. We woke up the next morning and saw the lakes and surrounding mountains that we'd unknowingly passed the night before.

Our first horseback ride took us into those mountains up to the Condorera -- cliffs where the great condors roost and fly. Day two brought iffy weather, but our wranglers decided we should chance the five hour adventure in order to arrive at La Nana for an overnight stay. No electricity, no refrigeration, no telephones, and the most awesome landscape I may have ever seen. Heaven. We lodged in a little house they've built there devoting an entire day to fishing, reading, and hiking. Heaven. So far from civilization, stars that fill the sky to a milky white in their abundance...Heaven. The next day we headed back to El Condor, galloping through trails and across meadows at breakneck speed. Heaven. The ranchers welcomed us home with a barbecued lamb dinner and we met new guests from Slovenia and Mexico.




All of the lakes have this milky green color because of a calcium mineral that comes from the glacier ice.








On our return trek to the Calafate airport, we saw more guanacos (llamas), a black eagle, choiques (ostriches), an armadillo, and lots of sheep. Legend has it that whoever eats the berries from a Calafate bush will return to the area, so we loaded up on fresh jam! Heaven.

Heading South

A month has flown by and we are leaving our wonderful friends at the Bible Institute this evening. We learned so much here -- practical things of construction, how to greet people with a one-cheek kiss, how to serve and sip mate, how penguins migrate, the history of Welsh pioneers, the difference between 'parrilla' and 'asado' barbecues, the use of Ud., fishing in Argentine waters, what is involved on the other side of a missions trip, and more about friendships established through sharing time together, however brief.



Two days ago we went about an hour & a half south of here to see the largest colony of Magellan penguins. It was fascinating to see how they burrow into the ground to make their nests. Many of the feeding and incubating habits are similar to the Emperor penguins, which most of us became acquainted with in "March of the Penguins". In the same habitat we saw Argentine camels, called guanaco, and we even caught a glimpse of some gauchos herding sheep on the way there.

We will catch an 18-hour bus south to Rios Gallegos (are you looking at a map?) and after we arrive on Monday morning, we will get on another bus for four hours to reach El Calafate. That is where the most incredible glacier formations are and we're excited about seeing them. We aren't expecting to have much access to the Internet, but one never knows. Appreciating the differences of life outside the U.S., we continue on our journey.

Thoughts about Missions

I’ve been thinking about the work of missionaries a lot lately and I remember not so long ago having a very different idea of their purpose. Maybe it was from films I’ve seen or novels I’ve read, but the general image was often negative. Especially for those who don’t attend church or even those who do, but aren’t blessed with a priest or pastor that has a heart for missions, the idea can be one of imposition on a culture where it may not even be welcome. Certainly, man has not always done it well. Historically, westerners often went to change a society – attempting to make it ¨better¨ or imposing their beliefs as the ‘right’ way. We’ve seen examples of missionaries who saw it as their task to stamp out local cultures, which they regarded as the work of the devil, and replace them with a religion in which Christianity and the cultural values of Western Europe were inextricably intertwined. I’m struck by the new perspective I have now.
When approached with a heart like Jesus, missionaries come alongside people of different countries appreciating their language, customs, and culture. We often refer to these places as the ‘developing world’ or ‘third world’ countries. It would be more aptly put to call them the ‘majority world’ and recognize that we have much to learn from them. Only after learning from the local people and establishing relationships with them do missionaries offer any services and later still any hope of a life forgiven by Jesus. But it is this idea of supporting and serving them that is predominantly the goal.
Our missionary here in Argentina, Martin Jacobson, said ‘’I believe the greatest need in missions today, whether for short-term or longer-term, is to approach any culture with Christ-like humility, affirming the fact that every person on this planet was created in God's image. That humility is reflected in respecting their language and culture while not imposing our "culturally-conditioned" Christianity on them and yet not compromising the essential truth of Christ's life, death, and resurrection.’’ He sees that as only being a possibility after ‘first listening to their life "story"’.

The work being done here at the Patagonia Bible Institute is a wonderful example of meeting the needs of the people and equipping them to accomplish their mission, ultimately without any help from the outside.

We have loved getting to know the Jacobsons and the Echevarrias (in photos). In effect, they are building generations by their efforts in Patagonia as part of the answer to the prayer of one of the first Protestant missionaries to South America, Commander Allen Gardiner. He and his team of six men died of thirst and starvation on the southernmost shores of the Patagonia in Tierra del Fuego. His diary was found near his body -- on July 4, 1851, he wrote:
“My prayer is, that the Lord my God may be glorified in me, whether it be by life or by death, and that He will, should we fall, vouchsafe to raise up and send forth other labourers into this harvest, that His name may be magnified, and His kingdom enlarged, in the salvation of multitudes.” I guess we're kinda part of that, too!

Week 3 near Gaiman

We miss our friends from the Bluegrass State! Here's a shot of Chase with his Kentucky Boys . . . Mark, Randy, Derrick and Bo who, BTW, is only 18. He and Chase are both in high school! I had a great experience last week presenting "A New Heart" ministry to eight Argentine pastors and the Bible College Directors. New Heart is the Wednesday evening class we have at Oak Park Christian Center. I believe so much in the power of these one-on-one meetings. Everyone seemed enthused about the possibility of integrating the pre-discipleship lessons into their own churches, so I'll do a formal training for them and their church volunteers next weekend.

Charlie and I had another wonderful opportunity yesterday. The Echevarrias invited us to an "asado" (BBQ) in Puerto Madryn where they get together every month with a group of married couples. After the meal, Charlie and I shared our testimonies and a little encouragement as God has blessed us in our marriage. As usual, Charlie was funny and eloquent and I think everyone understood us even though they teased us about our Spain-Spanish accent!

We feel so honored that the Argentine missionaries are entrusting some of this ministry to us.

Instituto Biblico Patagonico

We are workin' hard! And we're working alongside a group from Kentucky, so it is a fun thang. Seriously, getting to know this group has been so neat, because many are BIG guys with BIG drawls, but they have BIG hearts. They have shared such funny stories with us and, truth be told, we are awed by many things that are very commonplace for them. For example, one of our new pals raised fleas for years (and sells them to universities who did testing for Hertz flea collars, etc), three couples got married when they were seventeen, one 42-yr old has a 30-yr old stepson and they call themselves rednecks. But the whole lot of 'em are very talented in construction expertise.

Mary has learned how to weld,

Chase knows how to lay bricks,

and Jane is ready to paint any room! These are valuable gifts. I'm just happy knowing the three of them can build a nice house for us one day. :)

Yesterday, Jane & Mary entertained little children from a nearby pueblo. A few churches had a "happy hour" for the kids with skits, music, and dancing. (Mary is the clown in front . . . )

Even the BIG guys dressed up and were so cute sitting amongst the local children. Once again, it's about the people. When we had plans to go to South America and work with missionaries, we certainly didn't expect to be blessed by a group of folks from Kentucky . . . who'd a thunk?

Biblico Instituto de Pantigonico (by Mary)

We are in the middle of NOWHERE! We took a bus here through Patogonia with literally NO scenery at all. They played three movies on the bus ride before we went to sleep. They were all war and shooting movies. When we went to bed there was a really bad movie on. As we were all falling asleep, we could here shooting and banging sounds from the t.v even without our headphones on. It was a very nice bedtime lullaby.

When we arrived in Trelew, we got picked up in a big white van. There were three argetnine college students in the car as well as the three missionaries. They showed us around the town of Gaiman which is the closest town to the bible college. The college is very cool. It already has about 5 buildings that are finished. We are staying in an apartment where the professors stay when they come to teachduring the school year. We have the only apartment in the whole building with a bathroom. Thank goodness.

The first missionary couple lives on campus. Their names are Charolette and Martin. They are really great and have a million things to do. So, we are always busy with building, painting, cleaning out storage or helping Charolette do things around her house. The three students here are helping Charolette with whatever needs to be done. That's how they are getting money to attend the college. They also cook all of the meals and clean up everything. They don't speak any English but we communicate with them as well as possible.

The second family has a girl Chase's age and a boy my age. (Felicia and Jeremy) The dad is Eddie but the people here call him Joel but that's really his middle name; The mom is Diana and she is very nice (she let us bake and eat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie even though there wasn't running water that day) They tasted just like at home because she had all of the same things from California. (AMAZING!)They live in California when they aren't here. We went to there house for dinner and had lasagna. mmm. They also had a snowcone machine which was cool because it was so hot that day.

There is a group from Kentucky coming for a week. There's 21 people coming to help with the construction. We're all very excited to meet them. We get to go to the Casa de Te. (House of Tea) I've already tried "mate" with extra sugar. It was actually very good to my suprise. Thanks for reading the blog and hope to hear from you in our comments!

Eastern Argentina

Now we are 2/3 down the eastern coast of Argentina in a small town called Gaiman, but first let me tell you about our past few days . . . we journeyed south from Buenos Aires to a group of beach towns called Pinamar, Ostende, Valeria and Carilo. We stayed at the Old Hotel in Ostende, built in 1914. Nothing fancy, but I loved seeing old photographs of guests from the earliest years, in all their fancy clothes in the dining room and bathing costumes in the dressing tents at the beach. We, too, had an assigned tent and from my shady place I watched the kids spend hours body surfing and laughing. People sat around in groups of family or friends, shared their mate (mah-te), and surrounded me with the sing-song sounds of the Argentine dialect. Mate is an interesting custom. A bitter herb concoction in a shell cup often trimmed in silver, they pass it around while they chat, each sipping from the same silver, filtered spoon straw. Everyone has a thermos of hot water from which they continue to add to the cup all afternoon.
After dinner, the five of us returned to a moonlit beach and saw the southern hemisphere’s version of a starry night. No Big Dipper! And Orion’s Belt is upside down! Chase and I have also been thrilled to see a whole variety of new birds down here. Green parakeets fly around as commonly as blue jays in California. We haven’t identified any, of course (no room in the suitcase for the Audubon book), but we get a new surprise every day.
Our trip to Trelew, named for Welsh founder & pioneer Lewis Jones, was by BUS. Picture the bus depot in Oakland or Sacramento or Tijuana and you’ll have some idea. But inside the coach was very comfortable and relatively clean. It was an 18 hour journey and we were glad to sleep away most of the “scenery” en route. AG missionaries Charlotte and Martin Jacobsen, Eddie and Diana Echevarria are our very kind hosts and they picked us up in a big van to take us to our lodging at the Instituto Biblico Patagonico. They warned us, but I’m here to tell you, it is WINDY in the Patagonia! The picturesque mountains, lakes or glaciers that typify other parts of the region are not near here. We are in a small town in the dessert, I mean desert. We got to take showers and settle in before going to the Jacobsen’s home for dinner. The Echevarrias have a daughter, 14, and a son, 11, who are wonderful and we all attended their local church for a Saturday evening service. Today we had lunch with the Jacobsens and discussed our upcoming days -- I'm bubbling with ministry opportunity excitement. More to come . . .

Last Day in BA

The Spanish language here really caught me off guard. During the past two weeks we have met people from all walks of life and I realize that I can understand many of them, but it is certainly a difference from castillian Spanish in Spain. The Italian influence in Argentina is huge. And on Saturday we’ll arrive in Trelew which is a Welsh community!

Have I mentioned the word “parilla”? Can you say “MEAT”? That is the staple meal here – and not just steak, but sausage, sweetbreads, ribs, and more beef. I feel far away from Berkeley! Thankfully, beautiful fruits and vegetables are also in full array.

Today we leave Buenos Aires and drive down to a beach town about 4 hours south. Charlie was commenting that although he has been here several times on business, it has been a treat to know the city thoroughly over the course of two weeks. Yesterday we had lunch with the missionaries who run the Patagonia Bible Institute in Trelew, so we’re eager to get our hammer, nails, and cement-mixing shovels ready for some work. We’ll be joining a group from Kentucky who has organized a Vacation Bible School during the first week of February. Our kids are looking forward to working with the local children.

Buenos Aires

We’re onto the next chapter. We’ve gone from plug o o to plug \ /, from yo to zsho, from a church of 60 attendees to 25,000, and from winter to summer. We are fortunate to have an apartment located in a great area of Buenos Aires thanks to a workmate of Charlie’s. I’ve noticed that our kids are much more comfortable with big cities after their European experiences. We’ve hit the Eva Peron museum, the fancy flea market in San Telmo, the colorful barrio of La Boca, visited the zoo and walked in La Recoleta. Generously blessed by family friends, we had dinner at the gorgeous home of Gisa & Carlos, Ella & Andres, reminding us of the sweet advantages that multi-generational living conditions can provide. I’ve always loved that idea, but it would certainly be easier if you had a four story home with an elevator as they do! The grandma is 94 and the youngest children are 4-year old twins. Can you imagine?
Our plans for South America are evolving slowly as we gather information and figure out how best to proceed. Quite a difference from the well-laid plans of Europe! It seems that traveling by overnight sleeper bus is cost-effective and comfortable, so we’ll give it a shot when we head south. It is peak season, so while we're trying to be spontaneous, it isn't always possible to find lodging along the way.

We took a vacation from our vacation in Colonia, Uruguay, which was fantastic. A classic historic centro and great beaches. Always nice to take the winter white glow off these bodies. We climbed the old lighthouse for a birdseye view of this former Portuguese colony. When we left our posada to catch the last ferry back to Argentina I turned to Charlie and said "Well, back to the grind. Oh yeah, there is no grind! :)"

Yesterday, Carlos took us to the Delta in his boat, which gave us a wonderful view of Buenos Aires that very few enjoy. We were windswept, sunburned and happy when we disembarked at 9:30 (the sun just about to go down).

We continue to pray for all of you at home as we've been reminded how life can change in an instant based on a couple of scares that you've told us about.