We are in Ushuaia. It is most definitely the most beautiful city I have ever been to. Mountains and ocean and wonderful people.
It´s usually around high 40s or lower 50s I would guess, and if the sun´s out, it really gets nice. Yesterday was our day off from ministry times, and as a group we went down to the ¨Fin Del Mundo¨ or the End of the World - the very, very tip of South America. Unfortunately the path to the very tip of it was closed for some reason, but we were about a 10 minute hike away from it.
We´ve been working with specifically 3 different churches here in Ushuaia and have done services for them and have hung out with the youth and we did a program on the main walking strip and a TON of people stopped to watch. It was really cool. Because there´s so many people (tourists and locals) walking there everyday.
This week should be really good. We have lots of cool things planned, and we´re really getting to know the people here, especially the youth around our age. It´s incredible how well you can connect with people and get to know them even with a language barrier.
We have an awesome opportunity this week too. We will get to personally meet and even do a service with Loren and Darlene Cunningham who are here this week for something. They are THE original founders of YWAM; they started it all up in 1960. It´s pretty exciting.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
outreach update
Hey, so things have been pretty busy the past couple weeks here in Argentina. We spent 5 days up in Chaco, in northern Argentina. It gets pretty hot up there. It was consistently over 100 degrees everyday, and I wouldn´t be surprised if it hit 110 or 120 a few days when we were there. We wouldn´t do any ministry in the afternoons just because it was so ridiculously hot, nobody was out in public. We had siesta time, which are good for naps.... unless you´re in Chaco. I´d fall asleep and 10 minutes later wake up in a pool of sweat. So instead of napping, we just sat and talked with each other and the neighborhood kids. It was fun.
The people in Chaco were so cool. The pastor and his wife were so hospitable and made us great food. We did our drama called Forgiveness to the song ¨Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape¨by the band Underoath for the first time there. It´s a powerful drama. The first time we did it there, the pastor said to everyone that he never cries in front of other people, but during that drama we made him cry in front of his entire congregation.
We did a lot of work with the youth of the church, and they were so fun to talk and work and hang out with. One night we went down to the main plaza where a lot of people hang out at night and did a program, and a ton of people from the church came with us. It was a lot of fun. They were all about taking photos with us too. I swear one kid took about 6,388,298 photos that one night.
After the 5 days we headed to the bus stop where we would head out to Compana and when we showed up, the whole crew from the church was there waiting and they had made big signs for us and even gave us all gifts. One sign had all our names on it and another said ¨Thank you for come to Chaco!¨ Awesome.
The past 3 days we spent in Compana and it was a similar story. We spent a lot of time with the young kids and youth there. We did a night out at the plaza there too, and earlier in the day we had even taught the kids from the church some of our dramas and they performed one.
We had 3 services in 3 days while we were there and performed dramas and taught at every one. The first night I gave the message. I talked about finding true, lasting joy that comes only through Christ. Later on, I´d like to post a blog on just that message, and the whole idea of it. Last night I played electric guitar in the worship band. Like I said in my last blog, the worship is so laid back and spontaneous compared to back home. About 5 or 10 minutes before the service started, they told me they wanted me to play guitar. Then I (hopefully) find out the key of the song and from there we play. No chords, nothing but the guitar and wing it. Fun stuff. Then they wanted Rosie and I to play a worship song, and that was another just ¨Ok, come up and play¨deal. No practice or prep or anything. So we went up and played Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. It went well, though, I think.
Now we´re back in Quillmes (Buenos Aires) till 4 AM this next morning and we head out on our 50 hour bus trip down to Ushaiua.
Please pray for me and the team that we don´t just go through the motions but that we really seize the opportunity we have here and give it everything we´ve got, because when we do step out and do that we´ve seen that huge things come out of it, and it´s totally worth it.
Until next time, chau!
The people in Chaco were so cool. The pastor and his wife were so hospitable and made us great food. We did our drama called Forgiveness to the song ¨Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape¨by the band Underoath for the first time there. It´s a powerful drama. The first time we did it there, the pastor said to everyone that he never cries in front of other people, but during that drama we made him cry in front of his entire congregation.
We did a lot of work with the youth of the church, and they were so fun to talk and work and hang out with. One night we went down to the main plaza where a lot of people hang out at night and did a program, and a ton of people from the church came with us. It was a lot of fun. They were all about taking photos with us too. I swear one kid took about 6,388,298 photos that one night.
After the 5 days we headed to the bus stop where we would head out to Compana and when we showed up, the whole crew from the church was there waiting and they had made big signs for us and even gave us all gifts. One sign had all our names on it and another said ¨Thank you for come to Chaco!¨ Awesome.
The past 3 days we spent in Compana and it was a similar story. We spent a lot of time with the young kids and youth there. We did a night out at the plaza there too, and earlier in the day we had even taught the kids from the church some of our dramas and they performed one.
We had 3 services in 3 days while we were there and performed dramas and taught at every one. The first night I gave the message. I talked about finding true, lasting joy that comes only through Christ. Later on, I´d like to post a blog on just that message, and the whole idea of it. Last night I played electric guitar in the worship band. Like I said in my last blog, the worship is so laid back and spontaneous compared to back home. About 5 or 10 minutes before the service started, they told me they wanted me to play guitar. Then I (hopefully) find out the key of the song and from there we play. No chords, nothing but the guitar and wing it. Fun stuff. Then they wanted Rosie and I to play a worship song, and that was another just ¨Ok, come up and play¨deal. No practice or prep or anything. So we went up and played Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. It went well, though, I think.
Now we´re back in Quillmes (Buenos Aires) till 4 AM this next morning and we head out on our 50 hour bus trip down to Ushaiua.
Please pray for me and the team that we don´t just go through the motions but that we really seize the opportunity we have here and give it everything we´ve got, because when we do step out and do that we´ve seen that huge things come out of it, and it´s totally worth it.
Until next time, chau!
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