3 Days, 2 Churches, 1 Transportation Dilemma

Hello again from Buenos Aires! The adventures here continue...on Friday, Cacho and Ana drove me to see the university, then we went to a park where there were lakes, running paths, palm trees, and small green parrots everywhere. It was beautiful! I think I'm going to have to go back there to take a million pictures and take a nice walk all the way around the lake. After we left there, we drove past the River Plate soccer stadium, which is one of the two rival teams here in Buenos Aires...but my family is a Boca Juniors family, so we just glared at the stadium as we drove past :)

Saturday, I started the day with at short run in the plaza - it was short for several reasons. First, the plaza is just a square with side lengths of one city block, so there's not too much space to run. Apparently, though, plenty of people run and walk laps around it and through it. I'll have to get used to that. It was also short because it is hot and humid here! And apparently it's only going to get hotter...but really I can't complain since in Indianapolis it was 2 degrees Fahrenheit when my parents woke up - I'll take 80s and 90s, thank you!

After lunch that day (which was some delicious beef and potatoes cooked in a white wine sauce!) I went over to the house where Victoria (one of my roommates at Grace) is staying. It was soo good to see a familiar face and to talk honestly about how we were feeling! We had both felt completely overwhelmed and isolated our first night here, so it was good to be able to talk and share. From Vic's house, we went to the youth group of one church here.

Before I talk about the youth group, let me explain two things: first, youth groups here are a little different. It's not just junior high and high school - the term "jovenes" (young people) includes people in their twenties, so those people still come to youth group. Some ease into more of a leadership role, but they're still there.

Second, I have to explain how we tried to get there. Here there is plenty of public transportation, and the one I will probably use most is the colectivo (what we would call a city bus). But, neither Vic nor I know how to use a city bus in the states, let alone here! So, Ricky (the son of the woman Vic lives with) came with us and we took the colectivo. But apparently, you have to know what bus line to take, where your stop is, what your stop looks like, and how much it will cost to get there - all before you get on the bus. Ricky even said some magic word to the bus driver to explain how much it would cost, but I have no idea what he said! To top it all off, you have to figure this all out in a language you don't know all that well and coins you've never seen in your life! So, along the way we have asked several people how to use a colectivo, but they all explain it as if we kind of already know how to use it! I think I will be searching the Internet for some help later tonight.

The most frustrating part of the transportation dilemma was that I had to get back to my house somehow...but I didn't know how to use the colectivo, and youth group didn't end until 1:30 or 2 in the morning, so it wasn't exactly the safest time to figure it out. I ended up going back to Vic's house (which was closer) and I slept there, thinking I could figure out how to take a colectivo in the morning. In the end, Vic's host mom called my host dad and he just came and picked me up in his car [he didn't pick me up the night before because he doesn't drive at night]. So, in the end, I got back safely, but I still have no idea how to use public transportation!

But let’s return to more interesting news. Saturday night, Vic and I went to youth group (as did Anne, another Grace student) and we had a blast! At first it was pretty awkward – just as it would be going to a new youth group in the States. We were “interviewed” in front of the youth group, but it only consisted of three questions: “What’s your name?”; “How old are you?”; and “Are you single?” When I said I had a boyfriend but Anne and Vic said they didn’t, the guy interviewing us said the equivalent of, “Well, boys, two out of three!!” and all the guys cheered. The evening continued with singing and some of the songs were ones I know in English. It’s always so amazing to me to worship God in another language – it gives me chills to think about how that is just a glimpse of heaven, when people from all nations will join to worship the King!

After singing, there was a short message, then they began a tournament of games as the night had been designated as a game night. Fortunately, with the game night, we got to mix it up with some of the youth, and we found that they are hilarious! I could talk about the night for a while, but I’ll just give a few highlights: playing SkipBo (which they love!) and realizing it’s much more complex than I remembered; playing “soccer tennis” with Vic and losing valiantly almost every time; poking fun at Felipe, the guy Vic and I decided is like the fun younger brother who likes to tease you; eating pigs in a blanket (and teaching them that name for the food); singing “Party in the U.S.A.” with one of the girls; and finding out that many of the girls absolutely LOVE Reik, one of our favorite Mexican bands!! Overall, it was a great night, and I’m excited to get to know the youth even better.

Sunday came fairly early after that late night, but I had the opportunity to go to a different church with Ana and Cacho. As soon as I walked in, I was introduced to “los jovenes” (the young people) and one of the young women had me come sit with them rather than with my host family. We sang a lot of songs I knew in English, and it was apparent that a lot of people at that church are on fire for the Lord!

In the middle of the service, though, I had a bit of an embarrassing moment. The pastor all of the first time visitors stand up, and I was the only one! He had me come up on stage in front of the whole church to introduce myself. When I got on stage, I didn’t realize he intended to give me the traditional kiss on the cheek, so he had to remind me in front of everyone! He then asked me what church I went to in the U.S., but I was rather flustered so I’m not sure what I said. Let me just say I was SO glad to return to my seat!
After the service, Sofia (the young woman I sat with) traded telephone numbers with me and told me she would give me a call if she and the other youth were going to meet up or go out. They seem extremely nice, but I would still be kind of nervous to go out with them without anybody I know! I suppose we’ll see what happens with that. The rest of the day consisted of two meals (one being meat, potatoes and ravioli, the other being pizza – both delicious!), more SkipBo (I won twice), and a nice long nap :) I think I could get used to taking a siesta!
In just the past few days, I’ve learned a lot about the language, the culture, and about faith. First, I’ve learned that generalizations are just that – generalizations. For example, even though most Argentines (and Latin Americans for that matter) are known for their perpetual lateness and lack of rigid schedule, my host family loves punctuality! Also, Ilse said that she wishes the youth groups here would do more planning and less spontaneous excursions!

The second major thing I learned was from the church I went to Sunday morning. Many of the songs they sang had lines such as “I will proclaim Your glory forever” and “my life is filled with Your love, Your presence, and praise for You.” For me, it was a little hard to sing those things because I know how weak I am and I know that I do not always proclaim God’s glory, demonstrate His love, or praise Him with my life. But as the others sang, I began to think that maybe they sing those songs because they believe wholly in the power of God to enable them to do these things. Maybe they are more fixated on His ability, power, and glory than on their own inability, weakness, and fallen nature. In the end, I realized that is something I desire in my own life, and I pray that God can continue to stretch me in that area throughout this trip and beyond.

Well, I could tell you all much more, but my fingers are getting tired and you’ve probably already fallen asleep at your computer! Entonces, hasta luego!