The Argentina Chronicles take 2

So it´s now Friday the 13th and I finally have time to take a break. It´s been very busy here and the weather has been kinda cold.. too bad I didn´t bring a winter coat. The first two days of our trip we went out into the city and gave out books in English and Spanish that Pastor Enrique wrote which was stretching and fun. Yesterday we embraced our roles as tourists and traveled to La Boca, a very big tourist area full of artisans, shops, and tango dancers. Doing a bit of early Christmas shopping I had fun in some of the stores, but quickly learned that they were way overpriced... silly Americans will buy anything. Around the corner was a bazaar style artisans flea market almost... all with jewelry and leather, crafts, shawls, scarves, etc... all made by local artists selling their own crafts. The prices were better and the quality was immensely superior. A lot of the jewelry was in a beautiful pink stone called the Rodachristos, which is the national stone. Also, mates, or gourd tea brewers were ornately decorated by hand and sold. Mate is an Argentinean tradition... it is a strong tea that is scooped into a gourd called a mate and hot water is poured over it to make the tea. They use filtered silver straws to drink it and you pass it around and drink it with friends as a sign of community. As a tea fan and a fan of community and friendship, I had to get one. I´ll teach you all how to drink mate when I return.

Last night we set up for the open house, where locals could come and hang out and practice their English. We had been inviting people to this when we would hand out the books. Though only a few people came, I think it was amazing. We really have been making connections and loving the Argentinean people, which is exactly what we came here to do.

This morning we went to La Carcova... one of the poorest and most dangerous places in Buenos Aires. It is a villa (ghetto) that holds about 15000 people. Andres and Luciana (soon to be married) run a ministry in La Carcova that works with families, young people, and adults. Conditions in La Carcova are squalid... the back of it is actually a dump and the children have skin diseases where their skin peals off from the dirt. Dogs and cats wander around, there is no real running water or sewage disposal in La Carcova, and there is only intermittent electricity. At the front there are some muddy fields where every Sabado (Saturday) children gather to play soccer with Andres and learn about the Bible with Luciana. They manage many teams and have tournaments... the teams waiting to play learn about health, sex education, and Jesus. The ministry focuses on motivating the people to clean up and trust God bit by bit to bring salvation and wholeness to La Carcova. It will be a lot of work, but it´s a real blessing to be able to help.

Tomorrow we´re going back to La Carcova to help with Sabada Soccer. We are bringing toys and snacks for the children and the Iglesia Comunidad y Gracia (Grace Communiuty Church) is bringing in a speaker for the parents while we have a program for the children. This will probably be a long, cold, and tiring day, with a lot of potential dangers. La Carcova is rampant with prostitution, abuse, and drugs, but God is working there. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated as we move there tomorrow.

Tonight we´re hosting a coffee house with music, food, singing, and video... I think a time of worshipping God will help us prepare for tomorrow.

Overall ít´s been a tiring but beautiful time and I´m really glad I´m here.