EXPRESION VERBAL: September 2006

A BUNCH OF PICTURES

Here I am in Spanish class at the boys apt. usually about an hour a day.....next week starts 4hrs a day in class then the rest of the day practicing what we have learned. It's not easy hitting the books again....I guess you never stop studing!!!!!haha

Here is Fabbie and Kathyrn helping Landry with his dreads.....hmm...maybe I will grow some dreads. Landry's only lasted two weeks. Now he has shaved his head. Landry is a member of last years stint team. He was on the team for two years and now plans on staying in Argentina but not in La Plata!!!!

Here is Seth studing up on La Plata history.....he loves that stuff...he was a history major in College!!!

Here is Fabbie, Me, Flor, Natile, Kathyrn, Jennifer and Melissa eating out at Casablancas a awsome pizza place in the city. Oh yeah everytime you get water it cost 3.50 in pesos ridiculous amount for water. You have to make it last other wise another 3.50 for a full one.

Here is our first actually team photo...left to right Jessica, Jenna, behind her Natile, Me, Kyle and Jennifer, Seth, Kathyrn, Annaleia and Maurico(married)...Maurico is our director in La Plata....he is one heck of a man we love him!!!!

Here are the girls with us at lunch...we are missing two from the old team....but pretty much most of the team is here.... Good times at the cafe. Natatile, Jennifer, Kathyrn.

First time eating out as almost the full team in La Plata. We just randomly picked a place to eat and sat down....that is Kyle(team leader), Me, and Seth. Kyle and Jennifer are married and leading the team. They do a great job!!!!

Me and Seth. Here is a pic of the massive Catholic Cathedral in La Plat it is in the center of town directly across from the government buildings....kinda interesting....but we went in this yesterday...it was ginormous.....I will post those pics soon.....cathedrals are awsome!!!

Here is a pic of the girls again there is a bunch, b/c that is where all these pictures came from. They are standing on the balcony of the boys (old stint teams apt.) 7th floor georgous view and pretty weather!!!!

In this picture we are having a little get together at Courtney's home. All the food was pretty health except for the chips and proably the dip. Left to Right Kathryn, Flor (on leadership in La Plata) Courtney, and Justin (team leader last year) Sitting in there small living room and thats the kitcken behind it!!!!

Kathyrn and Natalie at their first Salsa lesson...I didn't go to this lession, but don't worry I will be in salsa pictures to come!!!!!

Here is Kathyrn and Jennifer helping fix our meal at the girls apt.....

This is a picture of Jenna and Jess enjoying some fresh danishes from the bakery.....this is our first team meeting at Marico's apt!!! What a fun time we had!

Here is Jenna and Jessica preparing to eat at the girls apt. Let me tell you it was delicious!!!

Left to right Jennifer, Jenna, Jessica, and Melissa..the first three girls are on my team Melissa is a student leader in the movement!!!

Here is a pic of Jennifer (co-team leader) and Kathryn

Here is pic of Kathryn (right) and Natalie (left) two of my teamates
Sorry if anything is mispelled....spelling is not my stongest point!!!!

Spanish Tuttor

Here is a picture of Fabbie our spanish tuttor and a girl that attends college in La Plata

FIRST PICTURE

This is a picture of some children playing "soccer" or futbal in one of the large park areas!!

The Trip from TN to Argentina

Hello Everyone, I hope all can view and begin to use this blog as a way of keeping up with me in Argentina. I have already found that it is hard to keep up with each person individually. I have also found that time is limited for me to post blogs and even use the Internet. Let me start from the begining..... On the 7th of Sept. it all began. I took a flight from good ole Knoxville, TN to Washington and from there to Argentina. Wow what a shock. Never in my life have i experinced such a varity of feelings. When I made my first steps to get on the plane in Knoxville my stomach hit the floor. I thought to myself I am leaving my family and friends for the next year of my life...what in the world am I thinking. Another feeling was I am so excited to go and fulfill what God has placed in me. I will have to say that the loss of the family was more overwhelming than anything else but I still had an anxious feeling. Once I had said my good byes to the family I made my last few steps through the gates where they had to search my bags.....who knows why but I was nervous. Once they saw I was not carry any fingernail clippers or liquids or who knows what else...they let me pass through. As I was sitting down at the gate my mind was filled with so many thoughts but the most overwhelming thought was I am now on my own for the next year. They called me to get on the plane and I tried not to cry while handing the lady my ticket becuase I knew this would be my last time on American sole for more than a year....it really hit me hard. As i got on the smallest plane of my life i had a single seat all to my self....ex. of how small...I could not stand up straight in this small plane. I sat down in the seat and started thinking.....when I was in SC for Christmas conference with Campus Crusdae I told God that yes I am willing to do anything for you...if that means give up my mom, dad, brother, friends, family everything I know to serve God I would do it....this was the first time I realized that God took me seriously...I just gave up my family, friends everything I had ever leaned on or relyed on....now I must rely on what is most important GOD!!!!!! So as I sat in the plane i took an my hour flight to Washington to thank God for answering prayers, thank him for taking me out of my comfort zone, thank him for placing me where I can be used, thank him for his love that he will give me the next year, thank him for the provison of today and everyday, thank him for the people in La Plata that I was going to wittnessing to, thank him for my team....It was the perfect plane ride for giving the next year to him. Okay now back to the airport. Now I am at the airport at Washington. It was huge very huge...but i found my to the gate just fine...it took about 45 min but i got it. At Dulles you have to ride these huge buses that are like as big as planes from one terminal to the next. That part was kinda fun. I just got to my gate and my first thought was I wonder how long i have to sit here by myself...sure as the world God blessed me b/c my team passed by the gate. It was great at the point I felt wonderful. Let me speed things up a little bit. The plane ride to Argentina was great. I got to move up a class and have more leg room b/c of avaiable seats. I slept for 6 of the 10 hr. flight and watched a movie and ate the other 4 hrs. Once I stepped off the plane the smell hit me hard I was like dang!!!! Lucky for me it went away in about 2 seconds....haha. Next we were off to pick up luggage.....this part kinda freaked me out. We were gettting our luggage and all of a sudden I saw a man step over to the side and kinda squated down.....come to find out a couple of mins. later he vometed all over the floor...sorry I had to say that ladies but that was my first cultural experience. Oh and wait for it....they didn't clean it up.....nasty nasty....those were my thoughts. Moving on, all the luggage came through customs was a breeze and the rest of our team was waiting for us at the door. From there we took a hour bus ride to the city of La Plata. On our way out of the city I began to see what poverty was really like in this city for about 10 -15 min all you could see was houses made out of tin and wood it was really ruff for me to go through this area and realize the extreme poverty of a thrid world country. As we traveled from B.A. to La Plata the landscape went from poverty to farm land back to poverty as we entered La PLata. It was a great bus ride for seeing all what was around La Plata. Seeing some of the buildings comming in I was really worried about the place I was going to be staying. All the buildings here on the outside are made of concrete and they are mostly stained by rust or have spraypaint on them or just mold going down the walls. But once we pulled up to the apt. and saw that it was a pretty nice place....it is no Ritz Carlton but it will do for the time between now and our apt.. From there on out it has been one heck of experience......More to come on the adventures in La Plata!!!!!!God Bless