Sorry that it has been so long since I have updated all of you.
Last week I experienced being sick for the first time in a foreign country away from home. 103 fever... the whole nine yards. For the first two days I braved feeling terrible to go to classes since you cannot retake exams here and the PBB (Bilingual Bible Program) has an exam every week. I was very happy when the weekend came around for some rest. God blessed me with many friends who brought me food, tapped me on the shoulder to make sure I was alive and just showed me they cared.
Your prayers were definitely felt and greatly appreciated on September 21st, when I along with roughly 100 or more other students stepped off our buses at Palermo and faded into the sea of faces. September 21st was the first day of Spring here (I know a funny thought) and therefore a holiday for all students in Buenos Aires. The park was filled with THOUSANDS of faces and on each one you could sense a desperate longing for something greater than themselves. A mixture of alcohol and various drugs hung in the air as people openly participated in all sorts of things even at the early hour of 12pm and small children begged on corners of the park. If someone does not feel the call to share the gospel I would challenge that person to spend just a few minutes in Palermo and see if God changes their mind. My heart broke for the thousands searching for fulfillment and finding only temporary satisfaction. When we hold in our hands a permanent solution how can we withhold it from them?
Because of the language barrier I talked through a translator but I was able to share several verses in Spanish, which is a huge praise! Three girls who were sitting amongst a rowdy group of guys accepted Christ against the taunts of their friends. I pray that I would have unashamed faith like those girls. These adorable gypsy children were selling flowers on the street. They would look up at you with their big brown eyes, lip puckered and hand extended even after you shook your head no. I told one of the small children that I could not buy a flower but if she wanted I would tell her a story. She gleefully clapped her hands and took a seat on the grass next to me. During the story she shyly inched closer and closer until she was sitting on my lap intently gazing at the colorful evangecube. When I finished the story the Katerina, the small beautiful 8 years old girl, asked Christ to come live on her heart. Katerina is an orphan and works with a band of gypsy children and their leader selling flowers for a living. Katerina cannot read but she told me with a huge smile that spread across her dirty little face that she was going to tell herself the story every night! She also made me retell the story to her friends and gave a track to the woman who is in charge of them. Please pray for everyone who made a decision at Palermo and for all of the seeds that were planted.
Yo estoy aprendiendo mucho español muy despacio. In other words... I am learning a lot of Spanish very slowly. I cannot wait until I can carry on a full conversation with mis amigos. My bilingual friends have been very helpful in the learning process...mostly helping me laugh at my pathetic accent... hahahaha. I was very excited when I went to UME this Wednesday and realized that I was understanding almost everything being said before it was translated! I am comprehending a lot more then I can reply to.
Please pray for the PBB choir this Wednesday as we will be performing before the student body for the first time and in Spanish!
This Sunday is mi companera de cuarto birthday. Arielle is so sweet!!!!
I miss and love all of you a ton <3
