Mission Trip to Salta 2005-Part l

I am a member of a Christian university student movement called “Vida Estudiantil”, which is the Spanish equivalent for Campus Crusade for Christ down here in Argentina (a Christian Organization worldwide). I have been collaborating with them since I became a Christian. Tons of times, I had the chance to go to Summer Camps and Mission Trips but I never took those chances till this past year. I don’t really know the reason for this decision but never mind at this point.
Summer Camp was an experience I am not ready to “think out loud “yet. I am cool though with the idea of sharing what happened three weeks ago in “Los Valles Calchaquies”…in Cachi (province of Salta) to be more accurate.
I don’t think it really matters when we left from La Plata (Bs As) and when we got up there. What really matters is my time in this small but stunning place called Cachi…
I’d like to say that even when I had never been to Cachi before I was really aware of the social situation this province and this small place located 2000 mts over the sea are going through. Now that I think about it, I should have kept a journal (like Nathan did), I am pretty sure many memories will vanish from my mind while writing this blog.
The first two days were pretty hard for me. Although I was with some guys from my same place, I got to know new faces. Extroverted as I may seem, let me tell you that getting to know a lot of new people all at once, makes me not shy, but it takes me a while to open, mainly when I think that I probably wont see most of those persons again…Once in Cachi, the whole group that was sent there, was divided into three smallest ones and I got to stay there with only one person I knew…I felt kind of lonely sometimes, but it was not a big deal…I tend to be a “whiner” sometimes. However, I had no time to think about me…I didn’t want to think about me this time….I was there not for me, but for the people…
…Its weird…I was there for them, I was focus on them…but at the same time, I was thinking about myself…something I don’t usually do because as I see it, it is a clear example of selfishness…not this time though. I followed Martin’s piece of advice: focus on your job and on the Lord…not on people I would be working with, and it worked.
Mariano (a guy from Tucuman) and I were in charge of the sports stuff, ironical if you know me…I am not much of a sports person…I like few of them though. Anyways, we used soccer as the “bait” for the new contacts. That was hilarious, I aint no clue how to play soccer…but I had to do it. I was in the goalie…needless to say…I suck! Mariano played like a real player or at least he tried to do so…seriously, he is good at playing soccer. We got to talk to a couple of guys that were kind of respected among all the “cachenses” that were there.We were part of many other activities, but soccer was our area.
Evangelism was the main point and that was what the whole group would do late at night…because most of the young people hang out in La Plaza after 10:00pm. There were many that accepted Jesus in their hearts during those nights.
Natalia, Lidia, Mariano, Hebe, Mel, Teo, Hernan , Leticia, The Miller’s, and me remained in town for the first week. What a team! We had a great time together, but apart form them there were Cecilia (the lady that cooked for us), Carlos her husband and Elias and Ezequiel their children.

Jon, Jason and me.

It's amazing when God places people like you guys in my life. Thanks for so many wonderful times. I will miss both of you.

D'you like my teeth? (this is Tincho) 

Coming up next...La Bande del Golden Rocket

Have you ever heard about " La Banda del Golden Rocket"? Probably you havent...
Well, I think Martin, Irina and Me in a sense are this Banda...pretty soon I will tell you why.

My roommates Part lV- John E. Meeker

Meeker es el apellido de este “grandote” como Martín lo llama.
Si lo conocen, saben de qué hablo, si no, es como el Hulk,
pero un poquito más chico.
Por alguna razón insistimos en utilizar “meeker” como si este fuera su
nombre aunque en realidad su verdadero nombre es Jonh Edward…
o simplemente “Yon”, nombre adaptado a la fonética del castellano
por los hispanos parlantes.
Conocí a John por primera vez hace tres años atrás. Yo hacía muy poco
que había tomando la decisión de cambiar mi vida y
como otra de las consecuencias ahora formaba parte de Vida Estudiantil
(Movimiento que explicaré más adelante en otro blog). En ese tiempo,
John estaba en Argentina como parte del Proyecto de Verano (proyecto
que también explicaré en otra oportunidad),
pero que sirvió para que tuviéramos la oportunidad de conocernos.
Bueno, conocernos en el sentido de…
_Hola, me llamo John
_Hola, encantado, mi nombre es Fabián
Había una particularidad que lo hacia resaltar del resto…el español. WOW!!
Cuando lo escuché hablar español por primera vez me quedé como resorprendido…
la tenía reclara…aunque “desafortunadamente” su español era más bien centro-americano. Pero aun así…increíble.
Lo más súper increíble es que por esas cosas que tiene Dios y que
como un buen ser humano que soy jamás voy a entender es que
terminé viviendo con él.
Hey, hay un par de cosas que me sacan la cabeza…pero eso no es
para escribir en este blog, eso es entre nosotros.
Lo que sí quiero escribir es que por las venas de ‘meeker’ corre sangre…
Latino-Americana. Y cuando digo esto lo que quiero decir es que la forma de demostrar cariño es muy argentina, por utilizar un país especifico.
Recuerdo que cuando decidí mudarme con él y el resto de los chicos,
estaba todo el tiempo tratando de que me sintiera lo mas cómodo posible...
NO me mal interpreten…con esto no quiero decir que el resto
era cualquier cosa. NO. Por el contrario, pero “meeker” parecía
tenerlo incorporado. Siempre preocupándose por mi,
haciendo lo que hace siempre…compartiendo todo lo que es suyo…
sin importar que…es muy argentino…primero esta la otra persona y
después nosotros.
Eso si, tiene algo que es contagioso…la risa. WOW! Jamás había escuchado a una persona ser tan “loud” cuando se ríe…pero no solo eso, sino que también, al escucharlo es como una epidemia…comenzas a reírte con él.
Un defecto que sí quiero compartir, pero que no se si tengo la autoridad para hacerlo ya que de fútbol no tengo la menor idea es que es hicha de “Boca Juniors”…oh, wait! Eso es otra cosa…sabe mas de fútbol que cualquier otro argentino que pretenda saber de fútbol.
Y en cuanto a los asados… se merece otro GUAU! Deberían probarlos alguna vez, son exquisitos.
Para terminar, quiero decir que si alguna vez necesitan estar despiertos, por cualquier motivo…pídanle que les haga un café…GUAU! Sé porque se los digo…
¡Les va a encantar!