It's warm, the air is heavy with humidity and yet the steady breeze rushes off the ocean and rustles through the leaves, dodges around buildings, buses and cars to somehow finds its way to gently press against my face, the coolness passes giving just a moment of relief. My skin is sticky from perspiration, especially noted as I lean over to greet friends with a kiss on the cheek. The kiss lingers longer than usual for when we meet our skin melds together and we must peel it apart before moving on to the next sticky candidate. The basement of the church smells like jasmine, everything smells like jasmine. People are slowly arriving for the Christmas eve service, on the 23rd of December. It begins at 7:30, it's 7:40 and we are still gathering. The familiar tune of angels we have heard on high is being played in the background. Alvaro, Wilma's husband looks around and greets people while his fingers continue to float across the keys of the piano, producing gentle melodies of the Christmas hymns I know and love. The music that lingers in the air surrounding the wooden nativity scene placed at the front of the church is a stark contrast with everything around me telling me it is summer time. This contradiction between my idea of what Christmas should feel like, and what it is actually like today, right now, is not easy to adjust to. But for now it actually helps me to focus my thoughts on the small child in the center of the manger. It doesn't matter if it is 100 degrees outside or 32 degrees and snowing. The Christ child came. And in that coming, the whole world is given the gift of life, the gift of hope, the gift of peace. So whether you are all bundled up and watching the still white snowflakes silently cover your world or if you find yourself sitting on a beach somewhere soaking up the rays of the blazing summer sun, may you take a moment, wherever you are, to remember the true meaning of Christmas. May you share and celebrate with those you love the gift of life and all of the blessings in you have this holiday season.
Peace, Love and Holiday Blessings to all of my friends and family!

Navidad!

Today was the christmas program and church service for the Valdesian Church. Lots of people gathered in the basement of the church to sing christmas songs and hear the christmas story told by the kids as they sang and gave a living representation of the nativity scene. It was fun to see and experience the Christmas story in a different language and in a different season. Before tonight, I haven´t really felt like it is December, let alone Christmas time! But when the congregation busted out into angels we have heard on high (in spanish of course) and the little kids came out dressed like angels with wings, halos and all, then I felt a little more in the Christmas spirit.
The choir also sang a few songs that we have been working on, including silent night, which I, together with the other volunteer Beth, had the opportunity to sing a verse in english. Maike, the volunteer from Germany also sang a verse in german. It was only slightly terrifying to sing an almost solo at the biggest or most attended church service of the year! But it was fun and the people were really excited about it afterwards.
Now I´m back at the hogar just trying to send out a little update and check my email but one of the kids is talking my ear off, so it looks like I am going to have to leave this where it is for now.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad!

December Already..

I just got back to Montevideo after spending the thanksgiving holiday with the other volunteers and our program coordinator at Centro Emmanuel, an eccumenical center and organic farm in a little pueblo called Colonia Valdense. It was a nice escape from our busy routines and the constant motion of city life, both in Montevideo and Buenos Aires. It was really a wonderful time to reunite with all of the volunteers and share with one another our stories, thoughts and experiences of our individual journeys thus far. We sang songs together, played games and focused in our devotions and bible studies on the ideas of abundance and scarcity, which was quite fitting with the general theme of Thanksgiving itself. We shared a meal of chicken (they don´t have turkeys readily available here in Uruguay), green bean casserole, stuffing, jello salad, homemade bread, and a peach crisp. We all helped with the cooking process and made a delicious thanksgiving dinner Uruguyan style. I am thankful for the community we have together as volunteers and I am thankful for our families and friends back home who celebrated this day without us there. I have much to be thankful for this holiday season!

On a completely different note, I will try to briefly bring my blog up to date... Currently at la obra with the kids club we are making musical instruments from things you could find around the house and preparing songs, dances, a traditional murga performance (costumes, masks and all!) and stories all for the end of the year holiday celebrations. The study center in the mornings is a different story! The students are in the midst of their end of the year exams, which means getting down to business. Not many of them have english exams though, and it is exactly for that reason that I have this moment available to write.

With summer vacations just around the corner, things at the Hogar are, lets just say, full of energy! I am exhausted after a full day of work with those kids, but it is fun to be the one who gets to play games and run around with them. I find myself constantly working on bettering individual relationships with the kids as well as the adults that work in the house. In general developing trust and respect has been a longer and more difficult process than I had imagined. But all I can do is continue to love each one of them for who they are and where they are and those things will come.


The choir is preparing christmas songs and getting ready for holiday performances. I am learning new songs and melodies that, often times, make more sense for a summer christmas than our traditional, ¨let it snow¨ ¨white christmas¨ and so many others... Lots of fun!

For now I have to go work!

Cocinando

What better time is there than a sunny Sunday afternoon to eat warm gooey chocolate chip cookies? For me any time is a good time, and it seems the kids and staff at the hogar are in agreement now that they have tried them for the first time. Since it is practically impossible to find light brown sugar in this country, I had mom and dad send me brown sugar and chocolate chips in the mail. I received the package yesterday and I figured I better put it to good use. I whipped up a double batch of chocolate chip cookies to share with all the kids and it was more of a success than I thought possible. With all the sweet treats that exist in this place, I thought my cookies would just be another one on the list. But all day long I have had people asking me to make more, to write down the recipe and to ask for more ingredients in the mail! I had fun cooking and it was another step towards integrating myself into the house. Just a few minutes ago I was sharing a cup of tea and some chocolate chip cookies with one of the women who comes later in the evening and we got a chance to talk and share a little bit more, all thanks to the cookies. One thing she said to me was that it seemed to her like I was feeling much more comfortable in the house. This is true. I have taken a certain ownership in this place and feel like I can finally call it home... one of the many places I call home. I don´t think I could survive a year if I didn´t at some point feel like I had a home here. It takes time and energy to create that kind of space and feeling, especially when you are thrown into a house where 30+ people are already living and moving in their own routine. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity I have been given to jump into their world, and I am especially grateful that they have opened their hearts and their home to me in such a way I feel welcomed and loved.

FOOD: Hopefully this update will give you an idea as to what I have been eating since I arrived here in Uruguay!

Yerba Mate: I don't even know where to start when it comes to explaining Mate. First of all, yerba mate is a green leafy tea that is very common in South America. The people here drink it out of a fancy hollowed out gourd (which they call a mate) with a metal straw that has a filter at the bottom (bombilla) to keep the leaves from coming up. There is a whole tradition around drinking mate, it is more than just having a cup of tea. Mate can be consumed alone, but it is much more common to drink mate together in a group. Usually there is one person who serves the mate. this person has the mate and the thermos full of hot water, which is normally carried under one arm with the mate in hand or in one of the many fancy carrying cases that you can purchase to hold all of the things necessary to prepare a good mate. There is a correct way in which mate is prepared and served, and there are certain unspoken rules as to how the mate is shared among the group as well. I never thought I would really enjoy drinking mate since I am not a huge fan of green tea, but the taste has grown on me in the last couple of months. Now I find myself really looking forward to my mornings at La Obra because I know that there will be mate shared among those who are working in the tutoring center with me. The most important rules that I have learned about mate drinking are as follows: 1) you must drink all of the hot tea out of the gourd when you are served. It is inpolite to leave it half empty. 2) Do not move the bombilla or straw. If you move it you could offend the server who has arranged the yerba and placed the straw for you. 3) If you say gracias or thank you when you hand the mate back to the server, it isn't very likely that you will receive the mate again. Thank you means that you have had enough. 4) Do not hold on to the mate for more than a few minutes or the server and the other people in the circle will get antsy! People need their mate here. It is a way of life, the same way some people just can't function without a cup of coffee in the morning! What I like most about mate is the fact that it is something shared among groups. At meetings, hanging out with friends and even at church services you will see mates being passed around among the people. It brings people together in a tangible way to share something in community. It can really change the mood of a setting when the mate is brought out!

Asado: This Uruguyan BBQ is the traditional, most common and most desired meal among the Uruguayns that I know. They BBQ just about any kind of meat that you can think of over the coals of a wood fire. It is a great excuse to get together with friends and family on the weekends or any day of the week for that matter. The one thing that I am certain of is that I have eaten many different cuts of meat, mostly cow, but surely other things as well. I know the first week I was here I ate either stomach or intestines that they cooked and put into a soup. I just had to close my eyes and chew. The texture was the worst part; it was kind of like chewing on a rubberband. But I guess that is besides the point. Anyway, these BBQ's are fun, but I feel like i need a dictionary just for all the different kinds of meat and the way they are prepared. For now I will just have to go on trying new things and finding out later what it was that I ate...

Pizza: Okay, so I was really excited when I frst got here because everywhere you went there were resteraunts called Pizzarias. But the pizza here isn't quite how I know pizza at home. It is common to serve just crust and sauce... yes, that is what they call pizza. You are getting really fancy if it comes with mozzarella, and you are probably eating in a nicer restaurant if it comes with ham or green olives on top. I think they are truly missing out when it comes to toppings like pepperoni, but who am I to judge!?

Pollenta: This is my least favorite meal that I have eaten here in Uruguay, and the best way I know to describe it is corn meal mush with red sauce. I can hardly stand the texture and the flavor is nothing special. I am getting pretty good at predicting when it is coming and then finding alternatives on those days!

Fideos: These are noodles or ravioles that are served with many different sauces just like we eat pasta at home. Pasta is pretty much a staple in the diet here and they do it up right. It's hard to go wrong ordering pasta in a restaurant. Some people like pasta, some say it's alright. Thank God for our uniqueness, for God made us right!

Pan Frito: Ooooooh this fried bread makes for a great snack any time of the day! There are street venders that make it fresh right before your eyes and you walk away with something similar to what I would call an elephant ear, but without all of the sugar. It is tradition to make pan frito on rainy days, and the venders always do better when the weather isn't so great!

Dulce de Leche: This caramel like sweet treat can be found just about anywhere and is put on and in just about everything here. At first I wasn't the biggest fan, but it has become a nice addition to cookies, an interesting flavor of icecream and it makes for a great apple dip. When I tell the kids that dulce de leche isn't really common at home, they just can't believe it. What else would we use for frosting cakes or to put inbetween alfojores?

Alfajores: I wish I could send one of these cookies to each of you so that you could try one. They are two or three layers of cookie tradiitionally filled with dulce de leche. Now a days you can find them packaged in just about any flavor, dipped in chocolate, white chocolate or whatever your little heart desires! Mmmm Mmmmm good!

Biscochos: These are little baby croissants that you can find at any panaderia, or bakery, for just a few pesos a piece. They come sweet or salty... you can get them filled with dulce de leche (surprise surprise), dulce de membrilla, ham and cheese, or just plain. They make for a great quick breakfast or a snack any time during the day. They are addiciting though, so you have to be careful.

Panchos y Hamburguesas: Hamburgers and hotdogs... Instead of finding taco trucks on random street corners, here you find hamburger and hotdog trucks. The first time I realized thats what they were I couldn't help but smile. I do miss the giant burritos from home, but I guess a hamburger will have to do for this year. Mexican food or really anything spicy is hard to come by.

Noquis: On the 29th of every month people all over the country make noquis for dinner. It is ususally some kind of potatoe noodle from what I understand. I liked them when I had them, but wasn't around to pay attention to how they were made. I just thought it was interesting to have a food to eat on a certain day of the month!

Vegetables: Well, the truth is that they just don't consume a large amount of vegetables here. Meat and pasta really are the main dishes. If you get a salad, most often it includes lettuce and tomatoes. The dressing is oil and vinegar. It is kind of boring if you ask me, but I try to make an deffort to get some greens in me once in a while anyway!

I'm sure I am forgetting something, but these are some of the foods that have stood out to me the most so far. I have probably gained about 10 pounds since I have been here because the sweet treats are too good to refuse and I just want to try everything! Good thing I just found a volleyball team that practices three days a week! I am going to join them and hopefully stay healthy doing something I love.

Fiesta de Canto

I spent this past weekend getting to know a new part of the country! The choir I am singing with at the Valdense church in Montevideo was part of a choral festival that was held in Miguelete, a tiny town about 2.5 hours from Montevideo. I left a day early because I was invited by Lucia, one of the girls who sings in the choir with me, to spend Saturday with her and her family in their home town Colonia. Colonia is the oldest town in Uruguay and is full of history. I got a quick tour and history lesson, but I am anxious to go back with more time to explore and take photos. It was truly a beautiful place! However, my main objective for the weekend was the choir festival on Sunday... We met in Miguelete with 8 other choirs from different parishes of the valdense church from Argentina and Urguguay. There was a church service in the morning followed by lunch and then the festival began. Each choir performed between 2 and 6 songs and then we all sang 3 different songs together for the grand finale. It was the longest choir concert I have ever been to. One of the churches did quite the rendition of "Oh when the Saints go Marching in" :) Any time they sing in english it makes me smile because of their accent... Overall it was really great to see so many people involved and excited about music and the church. At times it felt like I was at a giant family reunion because everyone seemed to know everyone. It was an exciting weekend and I am thankful for the hospitality that Lucia and her family offered me as well as the opportunity to meet new people, see new places and to continue learning new things!
I have a busy week ahead, but I am hoping to get some more photos posted soon!

The elections in Uruguay are going to take place on the 25th of October. This giant flag was made by political party called the Frente Amplio. I have been getting lessons on Uruguyan politics from Claudio, one of the teachers I work with in the tutoring center at La Obra and from some of the students in the young adult group. It is an exciting time to be in Uruguay.

 

This weekend Uruguay celebrated el dia del Patrimonio, which is a cultural celebration that recognizes many historical events and people that have contributed to the development of the country, its people, and their traditions. People come from all over the country to the capital, Montevideo, to visit museums, theatres, government buildings and other historical places that are all open to the public for free. Luckily this weekend happened to be my weekend off and I had the opportunity to go and explore the city with a couple of the other volunteers.

We toured some of the older buildings, went down to the Mercado del Puerto, or the Port Market and watched a very colorful and musical parade that was a sort of preview for the month of Carnival to come. It was exciting to get a better grasp on the city and learn a little bit more about the beautiful place where I am living.

I can’t believe a week has already gone by since my last post! I have been staying busy with work and the continual challenge of creating a home and life here in this place. In general it has been a good week…

On Tuesday I went to my first choir rehearsal at the Valdense church and I loved it! I got thrown into the alto section because of how small it is, but the women in that section were really nice and helped me figure everything out. Right now they are preparing for a big competition in October and they were pretty excited to have some extra voices joining them for that too.

On Wednesday I went with the kids from La Obra to a kid’s theatre show at one of the main stages in downtown Montevideo, Teatro Solis near Plaza Independencia. This was the first time I had been to the main tourist center and it was fun to be able to be there and experience it with the locals. The show itself wasn’t that exciting for me, but it was interesting to see how they mixed in political influences in with the music and the overall message. From a really young age they are encouraged to develop a sort of patriotism and sense of pride for their country and nationality. It could have something to do with the fact that the big presidential election is coming up here the first weekend in October, but I have noticed that in general, people from Uruguay are very proud to be Uruguayan. I wish I had brought my camera with me! It was beautiful and I could see the ocean from the plaza. Oh well, there’s always next time.

Yesterday, Sunday, I went with the kids from El Hogar to learn about el trato buen trato… or a campaign against violence towards kids and adolescents. The kids learned about the campaign and then we went out into the park with cards or the contracts, stickers and candies. The kids went up to different people asking them to sign an agreement to promote positive and healthy interactions with kids. Once the people signed the agreement, the kids handed them a sticker and a candy as a sign of commitment to the contract. After that we spent some time just enjoying the beautiful weather in the park. The boys found a soccer ball and jumped right into a game and Lucia and I sent the girls on a scavenger hunt.

That brings me to the ideas around gender roles here which have really become evident to me in the past couple of days. Friday, for example, was the meeting of all the staff members here at the hogar. They get together every couple of weeks to update how things are going in the house and talk about specific issues with specific kids. As they were discussing certain objectives for Maria, one of the girls, who is becoming a young lady, they talked about how they needed to try and get her to play less like a boy and less with the boys. Her tomboy-like habits are something that they hope to change and are trying to change. It was hard not to say anything in that moment about how good physical activity can be for the development of young girls. I wrote my final research paper for my recreation degree on the physiological and psychological benefits of physical activity and sport for young women. Needless to say, I have my opinions about the idea that girls shouldn’t play soccer because soccer is for boys. I wonder what they think when I go out to the soccer field in the morning to run!

It’s not like that in the whole country though… there are people and places who different ideas regarding gender roles in this society and are doing things to try and reinforce new ways of thinking. For example, at the La Obra, they have a workshop where they teach hair cutting and styling, cosmetology and doing nails. Boys and girls participate in this workshop and I was told that it is set up that way with the intention of breaking some of the gender stereotypes that are so ingrained in the culture and society here.

Well, that brings me to today, the 21st of September, which just so happens to be the first day of spring here. It is a holiday from school for the kids and a good reason to celebrate, so I have been invited to a BBQ tonight with some of the kids from the young adult group. Should be fun!

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotion! Everyday I am learning something new about this place, the people here and even myself. I wish I had more time to tell you everything. I´ve been at my new home for just over a week now and am getting used to the new faces and names of the people I will be surrounded with for the coming year. There are 30 kids living in this home with me... thank goodness I have my own room! It can get pretty crazy around here, especially when its rainy and around meal times when all the kids are crammed into the dining room. Most of them have some pretty tough stories of their lives before coming to live in this place. I have had quite a bit of experience working with kids, but this is something completely different. Thank goodness there are such wonderful "educadores" or educators that are here loving these kids day in and day out. There are about 12 folks that rotate on a regular basis through the house and there are always at least 3 of them around at a time. Right now I am working on establishing myself in the house as a person of authority, but also a person of fun. It is a tough balance to achieve with these kids, but I think with time things will get better. Once I feel more comfortable being able to discipline and instrucut in spanish, then I will be helping to lead different workshops with the kids to provide an alternitive to the television and computers! I will live here all the time, but I only am technically working 3 days a week.
I also work 2 days a week at La obra ecumenica Barrio Borro, which is a project of the state that functions kind of like and all day afterschool program with different workshops for the kids that come, including the tutoring center where I will be helping teach english to high school aged kids as well as music and physical education sessions that I will be helping with too. My first two days there went really well. Since the kids don´t live at this place, it has a little bit different feel to it than the hogar where I live. I think it will be fun to experience them both and perhaps I will be able to share new ideas between the two places. The idea of me working in these two places was intentional. The program wanted to build a bridge between the two organizations and their first step is me!
On my two days off, which happen to be monday and tuesday, I haven´t figured out exactly what I want to do yet, but there is a choir at one of the churches in town that practices on tuesdays that I might join and I am looking to see if I can´t find some kind of dance lesson on mondays. Other than that there is a group of young adults that get together on thursday eveinings and I plan on trying to integrate myself into that group as well. And I still have plenty of exploring to do in and around the city. After all, I have only been here a little over a week!

Oh my dear friends! I can’t say it’s not what I had expected it to be so far because I didn’t come into this program with a whole lot of expectations. The reasons behind why I made the decision to apply for this opportunity are disjointed and jumbled, yet it all seems to make perfect sense. Since arriving here in Argentina I feel welcomed, safe, and at peace with the idea that I am going to be here for a year. I was greeted at the airport by Kate and David. They are the country coordinators for the young adult program. In addition to taking on the responsibility of our individual projects, they are also the permanent missionaries for the Lutheran Church in South America, so they do a fair amount of traveling between Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. They also spend a portion of the year in the US on home assignment where they report in with the global mission office in Chicago and share their stories with different congregations and synods across the states. Basically what I am trying to say is that they are amazing, wonderful people who are taking very good care of me and the four other volunteers here. They make us feel at home! They have two kids, Emily and Matthew and it has been fun getting to know their family.
Much of our orientation in Chicago and here in Buenos Aires has been focused on preparing us emotionally and spiritually for some of the things we are going to encounter over the next year. We have spent quite a bit of time learning about some of the recent history of Argentina, specifically the dirty war which took place from 1976-1983. There was a military take over of the democratic government and over 30,000 people were disappeared during that time period. We had the opportunity to visit one of the government buildings that once served as a concentration camp. We also met with the mothers of the disappeared. This is a group of the mothers who began to march during the time around the plaza de mayo in search of justice. They are an organization that exists and is still today fighting for justice and for the memories of their children to live. I only share this because I feel like already my perspectives and my world view is being opened up to the daily struggles that are the realities of people in this place.
We have also learned a little bit about the tradition of the Lutheran Church here in Argentina and Uruguay which has an important connection with the history of these two countries as well. Knowing that we are going to meet and work with people, young and old, in the midst of this story, so it is important that we have an idea of what that story is before we can walk with them and meet them where they are.
I am excited to say that we have had plenty of fun during our orientation as well. We have eaten good food, great ice cream and tasted some fine wine! Last night we had the chance to go see a tango show in downtown Buenos Aires which was an experience in itself. It was fun to take a night to relax and see how people have fun here in Argentina. It really is a beautiful place!
Again I am going to leave this open ended… I have so much more to share and a week hasn’t even passed yet! But an open end only means the story will continue. Until next time, take care! Oh, and if you have any questions please do ask… I would love to share everything but I just have to pick and choose.

I just wanted to say hello and let you all know that I am very excited to share my stories and experiences with you over the next year! Thanks for taking interest and investing your time in me and my adventures.

Currently I am in Chicago for a week of orientation and preparation before leaving for Uruguay. There are 50 of us here and at the end of the week we will be headed out to nine different countries across the globe to serve. So far they are keeping us plenty busy with devotions, sessions about international service, culture shock and lots of other fun things. So far there has been a lot of questioning and thinking, listening and wondering about what the next year will hold. Many of us know very little about what we are doing when we get to our destination and that uncertainty brings questions about how this year will change us and if we will actually have the opportunity to make change in the place we are called. However, there is as much excitement around here as there are nerves! And, we do get some free time this week too, so I am planning to see a White Sox game and eat some Chicago style deep dish pizza while I'm here.

I have so much more that I could share right now, but I am going to hold off until later...