la gente

With so much still to process I wanted to dedicate some time to at least give you all as much of a glimpse as I can of the people I have been in interaction with in Buenos Aires. We have met a lot of people in just these past couple weeks, strangers turned into friends. I have been amazed with such warm welcomings we have received. The church community has been excited to meet those of us on the servant team and quickly include us in activities. After church last Sunday we had lunch with the jovenes (young adult) group. Though many of us could not communicate with each other because of the language barrier we were still able to interact well together. I walked to the store with a couple guys to get drinks and while they tried to ask me questions the only thing I was able to clearly say was how difficult it is NOT to be able to communicate because I so want to get to know people. But with a few translators conversation was present even if only minimal. We had a beautiful time sharing a meal of hamburgers and talents through song.
Of course we´ve spent alot of time with the WMF staff here. We are so blessed to have such dedicated and caring staff. I am truly blessed to witness their hearts for the people of Buenos Aires, especially those who are overlooked by the rest of society. I am so looking forward to spending more time with them in the next four months. And there will be more time to write about these individuals later, thoguh I could already share so much.
I really want to talk about our new friends from the street. Unfortunately but understandably we are unable to post pictures of these individuals on the internet so for now I will do my best to convey my initial interactions with these amazing individuals. WMF Argentina has been befriending street youth/ young adults from the transportation hub of Retiro, a barrio of Buenos Aires, for many years now. The servant team went to Retiro for the first time on Monday to meet friends. Most of the time was spent sitting around sharing mate (a popular hot drink consisting of very strong and somewhat bitter earthy leaves. it has taken a while to get used to and is better dulce- sweet)outside of the train/ subway station where some of our friends sell used newspapers. I am surprised at how open the Argentines are to helping the poor. There were many regulars, young and old, who buy the papers or give spare change to our friends that find their profession in begging at the station. On Wednesday we saw many of those we had met on Monday that came for Encuentros, an event where friends from Retiro come to the church to participate in a Bible study, eat lunch, play video games, and simply spend time together. Many of them have young children with whom I enjoyed playing with, a simple action such as kicking a ping pong ball on the terrace outside while the little girl laughed with glee.
On Thursday we went to Bajo Flores where pastor Pablo and his wife Sarah (WMF friends) minister. After eating a lunch of empanadas and discussing possiblities with helping them they walked us around the villa. The villa is basically a community, a little more than primitive, where families throw together places to live among concrete slabs, making walls out of metals and cardboard and sometimes more sturdy materials. The spaces are not very big and they live with very little. I can´t remember exactly the number of people that was said to be living there but it aws in the thousands. We walked through the maze of homes, stacked story upon story, dodging stray dogs and hearing the chatter of family life . We stopped into a few homes of people the pastor knew; everyone was so gracious and anxious to few us or offer us a drnk and place to sit down. At one home we all sat around the table drinking Coca Cola and sat with a lady who told us of her loneliness and worries about her son. One of her sons had died and her other had been in the hospital and was now missing. I had no idea what she was saying exactly but the sadness was so evident on her face and in her voice that my heart was so burdened for her and still is. I gave her a warm embrace when leaving.
Yesterday we went back to Retiro. The boys played soccer in a plaza (park) outside of the station and I along with Jen and Amanda (with WMF) sat with the women and played with the kids. It broke my heart to see some of the people there sniffing glue out of plastic bags. We also sat in the station with ¨the girls¨, a number of girls who are sisters, most with children of their own.
Beyond the hindrance of the language barrier, I am trying to figure out what my role is in being in relationship with these individuals. Alot of the time when being there I am constantly trying to figure out how to relate with these individuals with them and simply offer up my prayers to the God of love for His strength and guidance. And He has responded by placing this overwhelming since of love for each one of them, a love that I cannot explain but only hope that I might be able to convey (as I type with tears in my eyes). That is what I will hang onto day by day.
I have been so amazed by the strength of the poor around us. Many of them have come such a long way from where they were before being in relationship with the Word Made Flesh friends. They live their lives couped up in small places or on the street working as beggars, collecting recyclable trash, or selling used newspapers, raising children, and eatin and bathing when they can.
I´m learning to put aside the reactions of my senses to sight, smell, taste, hunger, sleep, etc and allowing my heart and mind to experience sensations more.

Jason from our team has created a website that has links to other team members´blogs (that include pictures):
argentinaservantteam.org

Hopefully I will bust out my camera soon so you can see my Buenos Aires from my point of view.

Your continued prayers are appreciated. Your support is a blessing to my weary soul.