Volunteering and traveling in Argentina to proclaim God's great love, and hopefully not getting sick along the way.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

More refreshment

Did you know that missionaries have bad days?

My recent go to on such days is this drink:
6 pesos of deliciousness. 

I mean, it's not the only thing. I have great family, friends, and a super great boyfriend who are there to listen to me get it all out. It's refreshing.

The other thing that refreshes me is Scripture and really awesomer missionaries who make surprise visits and remind us to pull up our bootstraps and keep going.

Let me explain..

In the morning, the girls at the institute were just plain confusing. I brought all sorts of things for them to do, but none of them were all that interested. Granted, only three were there in the moment (out of 7), but they were simply not enthusiastic. One chose to do another personal project, so I lingered over that and had her teach me how to do it. Which worked for about 5 minutes.

Another girl, one who is often very sad, started a bracelet but then stopped 10 minutes in, murmured to herself, "I GIVE UP!!" and left. She came at the end to sit next to me, show me some of her drawings, and then left again. I texted her after to see what was up, but she didn't respond (very rare).

One, the most recent to move into the institute, had 5 minutes with me in which I was able to teach her the basics. Then she was gone..

Another decided to color. Great, I have those materials. So she started, left for about half an hour and then came back. She was the only one who finished, and then she even gave me her drawing as a gift. So you know, there's always something positive to find I suppose.

Instead of working on the bracelet I had started, I just held one of the babies that was crying. "I know how you feel," I told her, glancing at the child's mom who does not hold her often.

When you come home expecting food on the table, and then it's not ready.. well, now I understand the men and their frustrations better. I just wanted food to comfort me and get the weirdness of the morning over with. The whole walk back I was thinking about how fun last week was teaching in them a new bracelet style, only to find they didn't want to keep going this week!

And yes, despite the morning and food situation, I did have a lovely afternoon teaching English and coming home to a heartwarming conversation with Cristian. Some things just take time to shake off, you know?

So first, read here. Then read below...

For our weekly prayer meeting (something I had to push myself to go to), Andrea had invited a woman who had been in Peru for the last 12 years (as of 3 DAYS ago she arrived back in Argentina) who is now on her way to another country for who knows how long. Her story is incredible. And humbling. It's the kind of story that gives you all sorts of ideas that you know you are capable of doing too, to serve the Father who first loved us.

When she got into the part about where she is going next (can't say, sorry), I was moved to tears. I kept thinking about how thankful I was to NOT listen to that small voice trying to tell me to just lay down instead.

I was also moved to give her a financial gift. She didn't ask for one, and I don't have all that much to give. This verse kept coming up in my head:

A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25

In a way, the giving was selfish, because I just wanted refreshment for everything that had happened in the day (I spared a couple of details). In the giving, I felt loads better. Such a trite way of putting it, but it is true.

Equally trite, I must close this conversation for now and get all the final preparations for camp week ready. Have a refreshed one! love and chau!

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