Lazing in the sun

I can hardly believe it's October! However I must admit, it is a rather nice experience not having to endure a cold hard winter. The really obscure thing is there are already Christmas cards in the shops! And even weirder still: the cards have SNOW on!?!?! Slightly confusing in my view.

So, what am I doing this fine Sunday afternoon? Getting ready to laze in the sun! Just finished a hard morning of executing an exercise routine with the girls and cleaning my room, so now, whilst awaiting for my turn in the shower - 10 girls in a house with one shower means many a shower rota - I have got together my books and music and after writing this shall do a lil' lazy Sunday afternoon sun-bathing!

Yesterday I went to my first youth group since I've been here - for one reason or other either I've not been here or it's not been on. On arriving at the Church ready for the music practice beforehand I found out that the electricity in the whole 'barrio' had been cut off! So, into the garden I ventured where the rest of the band were, and there we sat around, talked, ate, drank mate, got bitten by many a mosquito and awaited the arrival of the rest of the youth group.

2-3 hours later, after a little sing-song, all the youth group had turned up, the electricity miraculously turned on, but we already had other plans - off to the plaza it was! (Town square) And off the 50-60 of us went!

Microphone and mini 'sound system' set up, and there begins the evening! A night full of spontaneous entertainment! To kick off 2 of the biggest clowns/comedic duo (the pastor's son and his uncle - who are the same age, so, we could basically say they're brothers, or cousins. One or the other) do 'their thing', i.e. just be themselves. Then I get dragged up to sing… ! Haha! (I need to get more songs I can sing! Seriously! I know none!) … After awhile, and more sillyness, we have some worship. Then, one of the guys in the youth group found in the plaza two local musicians and invited them to come and play for us. So after some short testimonies from the youth, the guys came and played for us.

We sat munching hot dogs and sandwiches listening to these guys and learning more about them - mini-ish interview style (very informal)- and the youth leader brings a little something. And we end with more songs from the two guys.

Now, there's just more silliness and 'comedic value'… up again I go to sing - I actually can't believe how much I get told to sing! And we just banter around, 'singing', trying to find songs we all know… eating popcorn, etc, etc, whilst everyone's socialising in between themselves.

It was such a good night! It is so informal, no actual structure, but really fun. It's all about the people, and having fun!

We got back to the home late, and stayed up even later. So like every Sunday, today's lie-in was well invited!

For you here is a snap shot of Buenos Aires. Very near the centre, and in a 'pooosh' place :) Not much to do with the content of this blog as it was taken a few weeks ago, on an excursion with a girl from the church, but it's sunny, and pretty so enjoy :)

Love to y'all :) xxx

Ask and you shall receive:

Such a biblical title today! But it has some very practical lessons that I've learnt.

I have learnt to speak. I have learnt that communication is more than important, it's necessary. I have learnt that if I want, I must ask; if I don't know, I must question; and before all this, you need to know specifically what you want because you'll receive much more than if you only have a vague idea of what you perhaps want.

In England I got accustomed to knowing how life ran (basically). I knew what people around me did, I knew that any information I would need would generally be self explanatory or available, and I knew (basically) what was available and where. Walking into a shop I could look, touch and feel what I perhaps, maybe, wanted to buy with no-one (to my best knowledge) looking at me.

When I arrived here many things which I thought would be explained, or maybe would like for someone to explain without me having at ask, were not. For example; meal times. I thought they were crazy not having food in the evening… 'Man, they're crazy! Do they not know I'm getting hungry now?' Until I realised that, Oh! They have tea at 9!

Another thing which at the beginning I was strangely quite uncomfortable with was shopping.

Here there are not many supermarkets or large large shops, but, especially where I am (in the capital it is different, and more like Manchester, or maybe London shopping ) there are lots of smaller more specific shops eg., Kiosks, butchers, bakers, sweet shops, bag shops, odd bits and bobs shops, stationary shops, artistic stationary shops, a cake decorating shop (!!!!! :) )… etc. But you generally speaking cannot see the majority of the stock, and you may definitely not touch it (generally) without permission.

At first I was completely dumbfounded by this. I mean, I walk into a shop and right away someone greets me, and asks me "What do you want?" …
1) I'm surprised that someone spoke to me… IN A SHOP!?! - Think about it, in England it's not that common that when you enter the shop the shop assistant or keeper will speak to you, or at least straight away ask what you want. Or at least I don't think they do :s -
2) I'm not exactly sure what I wanted, I just wanted to look what was available
3) I now feel pressured…' I'm English! And someone acknowledged my presence in a questioning was in a shop!' (Ha ha)
4) I loose the words to answer back with… and worry that they'll think I'm a strange foreigner who doesn't know anything about anything, about anything!

This meant that the first few times I was buying something, I could go into a shop wanting a savory snack and some.. And walk out with a pile of junk food that I just picked up blindly so that I could escape from the shop more quickly. But as I learnt how to 'behave' whilst shopping, I began to realise this one big lesson: ASK. And do not be afraid to keep on asking until you have exactly what you want.

Specifically. You go and ask for a notebook, you'll probably be shown the cheapest or most plain one. If you don't have something in mind you'll accept it. If you don't try to communicate the full idea of what you want, they won't know what you're looking for. If you don't try to express the dream of this most amazing notebook you have envisioned in your head, you won't know if it exists or not.

How will you learn if you don't ask a question? How will you know if you don't ask? How will you make something of your life if you do not communicate with others and begin to dream big and not be satisfied with the first thing that you may see.

It's time to dream big! God says: "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will de opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened." And (one of my favourite passages) "I tell you, even thogh he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need."

What are you asking for? (I'm not talking about greedily and selfishly asking God for every whim and want… nor would He give you every whim and want, as He is a good God, who gives good gifts and wants the best for us; which sometimes we don't understand.) Are you asking for 'a notebook' or are you asking for a leather bound notebook with a picture of an elephant on the cover, with golden pages and a heavenly scent?

God can give far above what you think or imagine because He is God; He is above our human reasoning and understanding.

So why not start to raise your expectations and requests of what you want God to do in your life? Learn to ask!

Deepest blog of my life, but it was to do with Argentina.
Amor xxxxx

...!

IT'S MONDAY! And even though you only have 2 hours left, I have 6... :) (This is the 'excuse' for updating so late.)

IMPORTANT NEWS! Really isn't that important, at all. But hey!

I've started my career as an internationally renowned singer songwriter!!!

A few weeks ago I sang a few of my songs at the youth group 'party'... and last week I wrote my first song in complete Spanish! Which we played this weekend at the party - the house Mum sang it :)

Woooooooooooooo! hehe

it was excitinnnnnng!

And may I wish all the Mothers Happy Mother's day for yesterday! (It was Mother's Day here yesterday)

So that meant I received a flower at Church... as I am (obviously) a mother. Haha.

The service yesterday at Church is like no other Mother's Day service I've been to... in which all the Mother's and their children in one moment were doing the conga! Classic times.

Short and sweet for today, for now I am going to rush home before it rains... it's been holding it off all day, and I don't know how much longer it will wait!

From an almost wet Argentina chau for now,

x x x x x

Are you ready ready to go go?!

Ok,

After having been accused of blog neglect (Ben, Ben, Ben) my half-way-through-the-month-of-October resolution is... TO REMEMBER TO BLOG! (And I'm even taking time out of work -when, yes I should be working, - in order to blog for you!!!)

I am going to give you some very important Argentine cultural knowledge, listen carefully! It's all about parties. because latino's know how to part-ay!

A girl's 15th birthday!

Let me explain:

It is a Big deal.
It signifies that they are no longer a child. (A guy's is their 18th)

And this weekend we have one of these parties! A few weeks ago one of the girls had her 15th birthday and now we're having the party.

Now, Argentine parties/gatherings are basically always amazing - lots of food, lots of people, lots of fun, music, dancing... etc But this one has it's own traditions. The girl will dress up in a prom dress/dress... there will be photos with every guest... there will be dancing... and usually a dance in which the girl dances with each of the guys... a video of pictures from when they were a child to now... speeches etc. So the party will carry on until about 2 in the morning.

I'm not exactly sure what this party will include, but it no doubt will be good. They've been preparing for ages, but just today the house has had a big clean and when I come back from the office I think all the room will be decorated! Tomorrow we'll be finishing the preparations... and then... celebrating!!!


And.. Guys... I have a very very very important piece of news for you all...

So important!!!!!

But I'm going to tell you on Monday so that you come back and check the blog!

Eee hehehe :)

x x x x x

Flies amongst other things

One thing I absolutely love about Argentina is that there are so many dopey flies! (If indeed they are flies :s, well, they fly, that's good enough for me.) You may be surprised at this supposedly 'random' statement, but if you knew how much flies can aggravate me (mainly the big buzzy ones which get 'stuck' in your room and who's sole aim is to keep you awake at night), you would be as excited as I am. You can literally just knock them out of the air! Joyous!

I spoke too soon!!! Just this second a massive flying bug has made me room it's home! Noooo! They're worse than flies! Haha, I'm going to have a fun night!
Ok, besides the fly situation a quick down load of Argentina- all in bite size chunks, easily digestible and hopefully tasty, just like Ferrera Rochers.

I'm beginning to really appreciate the privilege of being here, a new culture, a different language, a new experience of life. It's hard to know how exactly to communicate everything that's going on; there's so much and I do wish you were all here to experience it with me, because, despite the obvious struggles, I am learning so much - which is one of the things life is about, learning by living - and I'm also really enjoying myself! Many things are forcing me to step out of my comfort zones, even comfort zones I didn't realise I had; but I'm glad that I have this opportunity to step out a..

I have been getting to know more about Jesus Warriors and all the work in the Church in this past week, so besides from continuing in the Office I went to one of the "Granjas" (Rehab farms) that the Church is in affiliation with. Myself and Pastor Ale went. We were fed the most amazing cakes and, later on, lunch. We spent some time getting to know and talking with the two girls there, and then we did the devotional. So I sang a song with my dodgy guitar skills ( :D ) and Ale preached. One of the most amazing things is that every Sunday a packed bus full of all the guys from the two Granjas come to the Church -they're the really noisy ones (in a good way) in the middle front of the Church- so I actually knew some of them and could go and greet them (the normal big smile, hug and kiss on the cheek).

On Saturday the Youth had one of their parties, it was called 'One Friend 2'. They are extremely well done: special stage and room design/arrangements/paintings, lighting, lots of food, music, choreographs, bands, testimonies, etc., and an obscure English girl singing some songs! Hehe. This Youth are incredible! I don't know how else to describe them!

Now you have read this fairly disjointed 'blog' I will leave you to return to your own lives in your own countries as I prepare to face this big flying bug… warrior face at the readyyyyyy!

But, England, oh England, you shall always be in my heart. zzz

X x x x x