I have begun heading out tuesday nights to the street of Cordoba to spend time with the men that live on the street. A Catholic group called Manos Abiertos (Open Hands) has many different missions and one is giving out food and a listening ear to the homeless. I have meet so many interesting people and and made many new friends among the people that I go out with. I hope to visit the children´s home soon too. I have really taken an interest in looking at all the social issues here and what people are doing to help things improve. My experience with Un Techo and now with Manos Abiertos and in the preschool that I visit I am getting a better sense of how corupt and in trouble this country is. I know every country has it´s problems but I am seeing this one´s firts hand. One thing that is breaking my heart is seeing the education system here. The teachers go on strike almost two days everyweek…it is no wonder their illiteracy rate is so high. I hear story after story of kids that drop out of school to work or because they are pregnent and kids in high school that cannot read. the gocernement is not helping in anyway. It is hard for an education major like me to see that.

Other than that I have been going to lots of Bible studies and activities with my house church group. They are a great group of friends and I am growing so much with them in faith. It has been a great joy getting to know all of them. They have all been taking tests recently and therefore have been studying instead of hanging out and so I have been missing them a lot. Tests are over now so hopefully we can do some fun things this weekend. I have officaially finished my class in the university so now I just have my three classes ´for foreign students´ as I call them. I have less than two months and I have a feeling it is going to fly by. I do know that I will be ready to go back to Colorado for the cooler temeratures. Last night and midnight it was still 80 degrees. I don´t know if I can be this hot for two more months!

I hope this update finds you all well and that you are enjoying the cool weather! Hope to hear from you soon!

This weekend was one of my favorites so far! This organization is kind of similar to Habitat for Humanity in the US but it goes a few steps further than Habitat does. There are three steps that they follow: 1. build emergency shelters, 2. implement programs to aid comunity development, 3. in the hopes that the final resut is a sustainable community/neighborhood. I really like this plan because it does more than just give houses to families (which is great thing to do) but it goes a few steps further and really tries to get to the root of the community’s problems whether they be related to education, recreaction for youth, health care, etc.

I helped with the first step: build emergency shelters. And when they say emergency shelters they really mean it. The frst day we dug 15 holes in the ground (probably 6-7 feet deep), put a log inside each one, and filled in the holes with the dirt we had taken out. The second day we nailed down pre-built floor boards, put up pre-built wall panels, and installed the rafters for the roof. The third day we put on the tin roof. The houses are probably smaller than your bedroom or your kitchen but for the 15 families that recieved houses this weekend they are new homes (not just houses) and are a dream come true. All of the houses where built in various barrios (neighborhoods) of Cordoba (mine was about 40 minutes from downtown) but I felt like I was hours and hours from Cordoba because the conditions where so different from those of the city. The barrio where I was was actually built on top of an old landfill. Everything was garbage. We dug holes 7 feet deep and it was just trash and a little dirt. The groud is covered in broken glass and the ground is so contaminated that the city refuses to put in water pipes so a truck comes once a week to fill huge water jugs that are on every street corner. This just broke my heart. I have been exposed to poverty before but this was a very extreme case. I am so glad Un Techo is at work in this place bringing hope and love because it is in desperate need of care and attention.

One woman (Virginia) will be living in the house I helped build but she has a daughter who also lives in Cordoba and is studying to be an architect. Virginia’s ex-husband also came to help build the house with us. The two of them get aong very well now and it was great to see them with their daughter working together to build this house that is so special for them. And necessary. The house where Virginia was living was not really a house at all…not even a shack really. You could see through the walls of the house and the piece of plywood that served as a roof hardly covered 1/3 of the house. She had to go to a neighbor’s house every time it rained. Now at least she has a roof that won’t leak. She was so very greatful for all that we did for her but she did a lot for us to. She showed us that you can be joyful in life even if you have absolutely nothing. She taught us that even when it is hot and windy and you just want to escape from it all you have to keep digging the hole that you are already waist deep in. We all leared that in three days you really can form a new family. Those who helped build our house: 11 college age kids, two site directors, three family members. On monday when we finished the house we had a welcome home celebration where Virginia cut a ribbon in front of the door and said a blessing over her new home. I don’t think there was one person there who was not crying…even the tough boys! We were crying for joy that Virginia had a new life but I know at least I was also crying because there where kids out in the street who didn’t have new houses and didn’t get the chance to start a new life. But there is still hope. Un Techo is not going to leave this community. It is going to work very hard to keep improving life for all the residents. I am so hopeful for this community and hope you will join me in praying for its continued growth and improvement.

I am still trying to figure out how I want to apply what I learned from this weekend to my daily life. For starters I am just constantly reminded of how lucky I am to live the life I do: I have a roof and a bed and food to eat, I have the oppportunity to go to school, I am here in another country meeting people and learning tons, I have a family and group of friends that love me very much and whom I love very much as well. And I thank God every day for all of this.

Clsses are going well. I continue going to various Bible Studies and youth groups at various churches. My host mom and I have been getting alot very well. The kids of the house have been going to the mountains a lot recently with their dad so the mom and I have had lots of time to talk and get to know eachother more and reflect on problems of the world! I have a few friends that I have become very close with and am trying not to think about the end of december when i have to tell them good bye. I know i have many more adventures to come so thining of leaving is not necessary right now (although when the time comes I will be very glad to return home and see everyone back there)!! Hope this post finds you in good health and humor! Chau!

We headed out Saturday in bus and arrived in Puerto Madryn Sunday morning. We headed to the hostel and to find out that the lady who runs the place is one of the sweetest ladies ever. Sheshowed us all the different tours offered and helped us decide which ones we wanted to do and on which days, etc. Sunday we just wandered around town, walked the beach, and explored some local restaurants. Monday we were up early to go get our wet suits on as we went snorkling with sea lions. We got to touch them and hug them and swim with them. After that we went scubba diving with the oxygen tank and everything. It was amazingly beautiful at the bottom of the ocean. I was only down for a few minutes but loved every minute of it and wished I could have just sat there and watched the fish for hours…eventhough I would have been a little cold after awhile. we had suits but we could still feel the cold a little. Tuesday we went on a tour of Peninsula Veldes where we got to see penguins up close, elephant seals and there new born pups (I actually saw one with the embilical cord still attached that’s how young it was), and of course whales! We weren’t going to go on the whale watching boat because we could see whales from the shore and we were trying to save money where we could but in the end decided to go because why would you go to Puerto Madryn and NOT go whale watching? I am glad we did. One whale kept her tale up in the air for a good 5 minutes so we could take pictures…actually I learned that only female whales that are pregnant or nursing hold their tales in the air. It is not known why this is but I guess it is according to our guide. We also saw many other whales very very close to the boat. We leaft that night for Bariloche.

We arrived in Bariloche on Wednesday and when we got to our hostel a group of some of our friends who had stayed the same hostel where just heading out so we had lunch with them and they gave us the run down of things to do in our time there. The chocolate is a must…we just walked around to different stores and sampled the chocolate of the day. It was quite yummy! Our hostel had a great commons room and kitchen so to save money we cooked in the hostel everynight and just hung out with the people there. We met folks from Australia, Germany, England, Austria, and other places I am sure. We didn’t get to practice our Spanish as much there since everyone spoke English but it was great meeting so many people with interesting stories and lives. Some of them are traveling from between 2 weeks and 12 months! Thursday we went hiking in a nearby park. I ate lunch and took a nap on a mountain in the Andes with a beautiful view. It was one of the most relaxing, refreshing, worry-free days I have had in a long time! Friday we vsited a hill/mountain with a great view. It has a ski lift chair type system to take you up and down but again to save money we decided to hike up on the trail…needless to say we payed to get back down. It was practically a straight shot up the mountain and I was hurting by the end that is for sure! BUT the view was worth it! It was SSSOOO beautiful…I can’t even describe it. I could not stop thinking about my Colorado mountains and home. I was not sad but I just felt closer to home and comfortable. I would have to say that if I could live anywhere or at least return to any place in Argentina, Baroliche would be my top choice at this point. The town is located on the shore of this HUGE lake and there are mountains in every direction. I just love it!

And now I am back in Cordoba. I need to get started on the homework and all that jazz but thought I would update you all on my most recent traveling. I am half way done with my time here which is good and bad. I love it here but miss everyone back home too. I know that the first 3 months went ery fast so I won’t wish the last three away too quickly. There are still many adventures to come I am sure! I’m sending love and hugs to you all!

I had my first quiz (práctico) in my class that I am taking in the university here. I studied so much this week for it and I think it payed off to some extent. It went ok I suppose. I am learning lots of new studying skills because studying in Spanish is kind of different. I know that in my head I understand the concepts but I think I understand it half in English and half in Spanish and then when it comes to the test I have to put everything into Spanish and that is the hard part!

I have continued to meet lots of new people and develop closer friendships with some people. I spend lots of time hanging out and just chatting and drinking mate (a popular tea here) with them. I am learning the skill of going with the flow of scheduals here in Argentina…I can wake up one day not having any idea what I am going to do that day and then I end up being so buisy by the end of the day that I just need to sit down and breath a bit. It is kind of refreshing to not be tied down to my agenda and strict time restraints.

I have been going to church a lot and trying to figure out my bigger calling here. We are starting to do a lot of reachout to the community here and I am excited to be a part of that. I have also been noticing that there is so much distinction in social classes here. Lots of people really look down upon the poorer people in the community and I am trying to find out why that is and how I can do my part to reach out to those people. Another thing that has been bothering me is that there is no recycling here. People here are more worried about how they are going to feed their kids and survive than recycle things. I miss that there are no tree huggers here!

It is also amazing some of the political discussions I have this week. Many people ask me about Obama and my veiws on him and the truth is that I am not following the new on the US that well so I really can’t answer any questions very well. Something that is a big issue right now here is salaries. There are many protests asking for higher salaries for teachers, taxi drivers, and geovernment workers. There are many days that kids don’t have to go to school because the teachers don’t go to work. There is always someone who is unhappy!

My guitar lesons have been going well. I am learning lots from my teacher who is really the cousin of my host mom here. She is really nice and fun to work with. I have definitly found things to keep me buisy these days! I really do love this country and the time I amd spending here. I feel blessed to be here and to be growing and learning and meeting such great people! Thanks for the prayers and thoughts you all are sending my way and I am sending them back to you as well!! chau!

It has been hard for me to adjust to my class schedual here. I only have class monday and wednesday and at night on thursday so I have almost three days where I don´t have any class. I am trying to find things to occupy my time like starting guitar lessons hopefully and going to the preschool near my house to volunteer but I am still searching for the right ministry or service project to get invlolved in. I feel like I have a bigger purpose to fulfill here but I am not sure what is it is yet!

I am also working on the whole making friends thing. I really don´t have a problem with introducing myself to people and making aquaintances but getting beyond that is proving hard with the language barrier and such. It makes it really hard that I am living in a house that is really not close to any of my friends houses. I have to really plan ahead on order to arrive places on time and all of that. It has a lot to do with the fact that the city is so big. I will get over this in time too once I can work the bus system better but until then I feel like I have to try really hard to ´be social´ and leave at night and such.

These are just some reflections I have been having. In all I am really enjoying my expereince. I am growing closer to my host family everyday and me and ´my little sister´ (first time ever I´v had a sister!) are close. She is 5 and loves to hang out in my room. We read stories together, practice our animal sounds, and color pictures. It is a blast! Hope all of you are doing well in your perspective places in the world as well! Chau!

This weekend was a long weekend as there was no school Monday in celebration of San Martin, the father and liberator of Argentina. I went to a church camp/retreat with the youth group from the church that my host mom attends. We left Friday night and arrived in Entre Rios (a neighbooring state) the next morning. It was a great experience. I was the only ‘foreigner’ as you might say so I got to practice a lot of Spanish and could cheat by asking how to say something in English. We shared all our meals together, sang camp sogs, played group games, and had workshops just like at all camps. I loved it so much. It really gave me a taste of how things work in a different country. Lots of similarites and differences. I had a hard time contributing to large group discusions because I got too nervous and couldn’t formulate my ideas but when we did small group things people were very pacient with me and helped me say what I was trying to. The camp was for people anywhere between 14 and 26 years old. I ended up hanging out with lots of the younger ones which reminded me of being a counselor last year at Sky Ranch except that now the kids where the ne teaching me a lot (of Spanish)! Many of them are taking basic introductory classes of English so I helped them learn some new words too! I really enjoyed myself and was glad I didn’t sit around the house all weekend doing nothing.

What else is new? Not much. I have started visiting the preschool that the kids in my house go to. I have really enjoyed going so far. The teachers are wonderful and I love seeing how they interact with the kids. I’m learning so much vocabulary too! The teachers have been good about explaining the education system in Argentina and we compair that with the US. It has been so interesting. The kids really seem to enjoy having me too. They all ask me questions about my home and how to say things in English. I am surprised that they have so much interest in things like this for being 4 and 5. I have also visited many different churches and hope to get involved with their youth groups and serice activities! All in all, things are going very well and I am enjoying every moment of it!

This weekend I went to my first Argentinian boliche (a type of dance club). They don’t even open until 2 in the morning! It was an ok eperience but not something I would want to do often because it was very smoky, the music was way too loud for my liking and the lights where constantly strobing. I stayed for about an hour and my ears rang for an hour afterwards. I’m sure I will return sometime but it is not something I could do everyday like many locals do on the weekends.

This past Sunday was Children’s Day (like we have Mother/Father’s Day). During church they had a cute puppet show for the kids with many popular kid’s stories! It was interesting to see this celebration since we don’t have it in the US. We alwasys say that everyday is Children’s Day but I think it would be a nice tradition to start!

I have been having a great time attending a house church and meeting the students that attend there. I think this is the place where I will meet some of my closest friends for my stay. I will keep you updated on all my adventures in school and out. Hope this post finds you all well as well!

I start my ‘real’ classes next monday and am excited to get a fixed routine that I will have for the rest of the semester. The weather seems to maybe be warming up a little which I am thankful for! My roommate Anna leaves this week so soon I will be all on my own and have my room to myself. This means I will have to start making more friends outside of my house! I’have been very lusky to have such a great roommate to help me get adjusted to life here. Hope life is going well for you where ever you may be reading this from! Chau!

On Saturday we got up early (as in 6:30!) to catch a bus to the falls. It was SOOO cold. We had bought tickets to go on a boat ride close to the falls and were worried that we would freeze, but it warmed up and we switched our boat ride time to later in the day. It turned out to be a beutiful day in a very beautiful place. The falls are breath taking. There are various paths to walk on. One abover the falls, another below, and another to a specific area called the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). You can also take a boat to and island and walk through the jungle type area. It was a great day over all! That night we went to a local restaurant and I had the best ravioli with pesto sauce. I’m so glad Argentinians appreciate pasta almost as much as they do meat otherwise this would be a long 6 months!

Sunday we had to leave at 1 so we had a slow morning spent in a coffee shop eating media-lunas (breakfast pastries) We ran into another person from our program that we didn’t know was in Iguazu and talked with her for a while. Then the long bis ride home began!

Other than traveling my time spent here has been great. Classes are interesting and helpful and my home stay family is so great. My two roommates head out at the end of the month so soon I will be all alone in my room. Whatever will I do!? Hope all is going well in your lives as well!

PS…I added some new photos so you should check them out too…on the link below this post.