Pictures of Buenos Aires Argentina

The apartment building!

Kelly graciously shared her room with us Playing cards before dinner

Sarah and I at the artestry fair Houses

Colors of Boca...a barrio of Buenos Aires

My favorite sculpture, found in Boca

A moment in Boca

Tango!
It's a Jeep thing!

I loved the architecture and the streets
Plaza de Mayo
Kelly and I at Plaza de Mayo Birds, birds, and more birds...Sarah loved it :)!
Argentine Flag
Flower
Monument
Nueve de Julio...supposedly the widest street in Argentina or even South America. It has 8 plus lanes!
Markers on Nueve de Julio
Florida...a major shopping area
There was a lot of Italian influence, including this delicious cappuccino
Kelly, Sarah, and I on Florida...after we did a little shopping!
Mas flan por favor!...Gracias!
Ruth, Kelly, and I at Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta Cemetery
Rosary on Eva Peron's mausoleum
Holding the hand of Jesus
Que Rico Mate!
Botanical Gardens
Flowers
Sarah and I at the zoo

A camel kissing the camera!

Baby Giraffe

Albino Kangaroo

A baby elephant reaches for leaves!

mmm...dulce de leche and coffee flavored ice cream!

Sarah and I with our wonderful hosts...Maria and Carlos!

A great friend who I truly enjoyed traveling with!

Take a Walk WITH Me...

Well, I am back from Argentina, and I had an amazing time. Still trying to pull it all together and organize the photos I took, but it was just a wonderful opportunity to see a beautiful country with some good friends. Keep your eyes open for a future post on this experience and a bunch of pictures. But before I do that, I wanted to share something with you, something that I learned during my recent travels.

Story:

In Buenos Aires, we did a lot of walking. Sarah, Kelly, and I definitely got our exercise in. As we were walking, there were times where we had to walk in a single line and sometimes I would walk behind them, just looking around and taking pictures of course as they talked about Argentina or some people they knew back home. Most of the time I missed out on their conversations....the traffic was loud, there were distractions all around me, and I just didn't pay attention. It was difficult to hear what they were saying while I was behind them or even in front of them.

Scripture:

While reading Genesis, I came to the following verse, Genesis 6:9 which states, "This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God". Noah was a righteous man. He walked with God...with!!!...not in front or behind.

Thoughts:

I thought of the times in my life where I believed I was walking "with" God, but really I wasn't. There were those times were I was so comfortable with my life and became so confident, that I began to take charge and try to walk faster than God, trying to lead my own way and in my own time, and sometimes thinking, if I fall, He is there behind me to catch me. Other times in my life, I have been nervous about the next step in my life that instead of walking "with" God, I slowly let him walk ahead of me, hiding behind Him, not confident in His strength, wisdom, and faithfulness. Either way, I missed what He was trying to say to me. Have I ever really walked "with" God? Have I walked with Him as friends walk together, side by side, as I walk with someone I respect, side by side, as I walk with someone I love, side by side?

Have you?

I´m Here!

Hola....I made it to Argentina safe and sound and am having a great time with Sarah and Kelly. We are currently at an internet cafe catching up on emails and such. So I thought I would take the time to just post a simple blog...that I am here!....and loving it! Expect pictures and details when I return! Love ya lots...m.e.

Snapshot...

Last night was just a special night. First, my sister and my adorable niece came to visit while I packed. Just having them around makes everything fun...even packing! After I got as much done as I could last night, we went downstairs to spend time with my roommate. We ate dinner, watched some tv, and played with Grace. I decided that I should probably learn a little bit about how to use my new travel camera so that I don't come back with blurry pictures, which will inevitably happen anyway :). But I decided to give it a go. I took a snapshot here and there as the girls played and of misc. stuff around the house. And as I was downloading the pictures, I began to think about things. What would the snapshots of my life say about me? Do my actions or words show my love for and my relationship with Christ? Maybe it does if you take a snapshot of my life on a Sunday, or maybe when things are going well in my life. But what if a snapshot was taken when I am struggling, when I am upset, when I am discouraged, when I get lazy, or just those regular week days? Do my actions in all aspects of life show Christ's love? The answer would be...no. Should they? Shouldn't my life, my whole life show Christ's love? The answer should be...yes. So I strive to give Christ my whole life, not just parts of it, not just on some days, but all of me, always, so that He can use me and so that no matter when that snapshot of my life is taken, His love can be seen.

Enjoy the snapshots of last night...

broken clock

vases

state bound lady warriors

the "claw"...aka Dina's injured finger

bears mug

the beautiful girls! just my adorable niece she won...me and grace showing off our muscles :) shhhhh...she's sleeping not anymore!

Wishing Away...

Okay, so last night I found myself wishing away the week. In fact, I most likely have been wishing away the last couple of weeks. You see, I leave for Argentina on Friday and am completely excited. I am excited for this wonderful opportunity to travel with a great friend, meet new friends, and just explore the amazing world God created. But in all my excitement, I lost sight of the amazing opportunities that await me everyday! So I sit back and think about what I would have missed out on last week if it were truly wished away.

Monday: I would have missed the wonderful snowmobiling trip taken with some great friends.

Tuesday: I would have missed the opportunity to catch up with some friends I see only once a month.

Wednesday: I would have missed the pleasure of meeting some amazing youth in our community in the process of competing for a Lilly Scholarship.

Thursday: I would have missed out on the wonderful time I spent with Jess, Amos, and Grace...time that I truly enjoy!

Friday: I would have missed out on the time I worked on organizing my photos.

Saturday: I would have missed the time I spent with many friends playing in a poker tournament and just enjoying each other's company.

Sunday: I would have missed out on the time I spent with my roommate... though she was sick :(... and the great worship and praise service I attended.

And there is just so much more....

So I try to not wish my days away, but to appreciate each and every day. For each day, whether we are at work, at home, or just out and about, brings many opportunties and blessings.

You are not alone

Why do we try to act strong all the time? Why are we afraid sometimes to show our true emotions, our fears? Someone I know, and love very much, is facing something that is scarey to her and to the rest of us. Yet, she puts on the brave face as to not worry those around her, but in reality, closes off a part of her. When she lets that guard down, then is when we get a true glimpse of what she is feeling, what she is going through. She cried, and we wrapped our arms around her. We are not alone. God is with us and wants to take those fears and worries. He wants to hold us and comfort us. Just as I wrapped my arms around her, God wraps His arms around her. So I offer this prayer to her. I pray that she continue to lean on God. That He continue to hold her up and help her through this time of uncertainty. I pray that she find the strength in Him and let Him carry her worries and fears. And I pray that she know how much she is loved and that she can turn to us, her family and friends, for love, support, and prayers. I send her my snow angel as a reminder of God's love.


You are not alone!