TGI-S
Ah, the joys of Saturdays. I really do love these days. We had a going away party for our friend Birgit last night...she´s going back to Germany today and we needed to send her on her way with good food, fun peeps, and a nice big auf wiedersehen. I must say that I think the party was a success. So, this morning we´ve been passing the time by cleaning the apartment, and now I find myself here...sitting in front of my good friend the computer. Who, I must mention, is the cause of my recent decrease in communication. This computer is a bit "sketchy" and even though it had a quick trip to the doctor this week, it seems to be on it´s last leg. This morning though, it seems that we are getting along so I will try my best to finish this post with no problems.
Hmm..update...update...Well, this week was a pretty good one...busy, but not bad busy...good busy. I spent a couple of mornings at the Theological Library with Becka helping to catalog books (I´m such a master at data entry...it´s a good exercise in letting the mind wander.) I actually really love my time at the library. I love being surrounded by tons and tons of books...makes me feel like me,and even though I can´t read the majority of them because of the spanish (with the exception of a few children´s books), I can still just sit back and enjoy the strong felling of familiarity. Books, what would I do without them, without Lewis, Spurgeon, Don Miller, McLaren, etc...I´d have to come up with my own thoughts on subjects like theology..hehe...kidding. I must say though, I´d feel lost without them....before I came to Chile (and this might seem a bit borderline weird/overboard, but...eh...such is me) I actually took a picture of my book shelf and brought it with me(yes...absolute revelation of my nerdiness). Hey, what can I say...my bookshelf rocks.
Ok, love for books: established...moving on. My time at the school in Renca was great. I really love the kids, so cute. One little girl told me, "eres mi mejor amiga!" (you are my best friend!)...That made my day, seriously. All the kids have also started calling me Tia BonBon (tia literally means aunt, but that´s what they call their teachers...and bonbons, well they´re just candies, random, I know, but kids tend to exist in the world of randomness moreso than us "adults"...makes me feel like we should be taking lessons from them)So, yes, Tia BonBon...good name. Oh, and another thing that´s been happening at the school, and this MAY not seem like a big deal but to me...it is. There is a lady at the school, Tia Susie, and she cooks all the meals (from scratch...it´s pretty sweet). At the end of the day she also feeds all the Tias. It´s pretty great food too...I love homecooked meals. The only thing is that they don´t really fall into the vegetarian category. So this has been a good lesson for me. Ok, so I haven´t eaten like beig chunks of meat, like a fat steak (she doesn´t make things like that). It´s mainly stuff like soup that has been made in chicken broth and might have a few chunks of meat in them, but not much. So the first day, I was like "oh man...how am I going to do this?" But honestly it hasn´t been that bad. So yes, I´ve had some meat, and yes, I´m still alive. If you´re a vegatarian, you might be thinking "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT??? Just eat the salad!" I considered that, but the thing is that she cooked this meal for me, and she worked hard on it. Even though I´m a volunteer, I´m still a visitor. She told me the other day when we were eating breakfast together (if your there for breakfast she feeds you that too), she said "Esto es tu casa" (this is your house). I was so blessed simply by that attitude, because I was feeling a little like an outsider (language barriers can prove frustrating a veces)and kinda feeling bad because they had to literally speak to me in sign language at times. But she basically said that I was loved there and that I was with family...no necesitamos palabras..I´m learning that more and more each day. So, if I´m with family all day serving together, and they spend the whole day cooking a meal to bless me and others, I´m definitely going to sit down at the end of the day and break bread with them...together, like a family and not stressing about the food I´m consuming. It´s more than the food, and like I said, I´m still alive. No...I´m NOT going to leave my vegetarian lifestyle, well as far as I can see it (don´t get your hopes up), but I am really enjoying this lesson in chilling out about the meat. chill out and let someone love you...and in doing that you´re loving them back. Anyways, I feel a tangent coming on, so I´ll stop it now before I start losing my readers. Long story short: I ate meat..it was a good experience...and I´m going to try and eat just about whatever Tia Susie decides to put in front of me. And thank you once again for all your prayers for this school, it really is a wonderful thing for these kids and prayer is key in keeping it going. Thanks for the safety prayers too...all is well in that regard. No worries. :)
See, this is what happens when I don´t keep my posts up to date...I end up authoring a novel every time! I do it to myself, I know...but, at least I can pass some of the blame to the computer..and possibly the demon that lives inside of it (see blog:Something Clever?)...Yes, so, I saw Brian McLaren the other night..oh wait...not just saw, but HAD A CONVERSATION with Brian Mclaren the other night. Well, I guess you could call it a conversation, we talked more than five minutes, and not all of it consisted of, ¨"I...um...wow...I...um...really like your books. Your thoughts have been so refreshing to me and my relationshp with Jesus..your great...yada yada yada" no, it wasn´t all that. It was so great to meet him really, and not because I like his books, but simply because it´s wonderful to see just how normal and real these people are. It´s such a strange thing to know the thoughts of a person and to have never actually seen them or spoken to them, and when you actually meet them, it´s like "ok, cool. You are just a normal person, just like me,trying to love Jesus and others the best that you can" (yes, I should know that already, but honestly, I forget sometimes...we all do that with people we admire) It´s encouraging. He was a normal person, and I like that. The talk he gave was ok...it wasn´t blow you out of the water amazing, he just gave a short talk on economics and kinda tied it in with how to live in this world and deal with economics from a Christian point of view. IT was interesting....they had a translator so every few sentences Brian would stop and then the other guy would say it in Spanish, so it was a little hard to follow, ,but a good way to learn some more Spanish...always a good thing these days. After he spoke there were two other economists that spoke and they spoke in Spanish, so I couldn´t really follow. I got the gist, but that´s about it, and I definitely didn´t pick up on any of the humor, I only knew when it occurred because people laughed...oh well...it was still great anyways. The night wasn´t like AMAZING WOW LIFE CHANGING...etc...but it was good. Perhaps my favorite thing that he said was when he answered a question about what he thinks we as Christians should do when it comes to poverty...what steps can we take. He said just to go out and make friends with someone less fortunate than you. Don´t just give them something, or write them a check, but really make friends with them. Eat with them, in their homes or on the street with them if they don´t have homes, and then invite them to eat with you in your home. Having real relationships, loving them...that is real...that is important, that is truly loving your neighbor. I liked that...and I agree. Interacting with those in need is a valuable and much needed experience. SMALL example: There is this homeless guy that becka has told me about...he sits in front of this church and becka stops to talk to him once and while, and give him some food (i love her heart...she´s so wonderful). Well, Yesterday I was able to meet him. Becka and I just sat down on the sidewalk next to him while he held our hands. It´s very obvious that he´s not used to human touch (he´s not exactly the cleanest guy...probably hasn´t showered in a REALLY REALLY long time) and he just clung to our hands...he was asking for a bible the next time we came. It was so sweet, and even though I couldn´t understand him completely, it didn´t matter...he loved us in that moment and he was grateful to be noticed and loved back. When we left he gave me a big kiss on both my cheeks. I seriously almost cried. And yes the thoughts did come into my head, "oh my, this guy is really dirty, especially his teeth and face and I´m letting him kiss me?" But then I realized those thoughts were absolutely SILLY and STUPID and if he wants to hold my hand, or kiss my cheek, I want nothing more than that. I know it was only a moment, but it was so important and I learned so much...Jesus so often simply meets us in the moments. So, I ask you...go interact with someone in need...you will see Jesus in that person, and that person will experience Jesus through you, and who could want more than that? I pray that the Lord will help us all to notice, and to love (especially me) and love more openly with those around us neglected (whether it be physically OR emotionally).
Alright, time to actually leave the house today. Not sure exaclty what we´re doing today but I think it might involve some cosmic bowling...yes!!! flashbacks of highschool PE class!! Thank you for your prayers, and I pray that you´ll be blessed by mine. I love you!!!!!! Chao!
oh, and Dad...happy one more day until your birthday!!!! I wish so badly that I was there to celebrate. I love you and have been blessed to have you as my dad (and roommate..hehe)
Hmm..update...update...Well, this week was a pretty good one...busy, but not bad busy...good busy. I spent a couple of mornings at the Theological Library with Becka helping to catalog books (I´m such a master at data entry...it´s a good exercise in letting the mind wander.) I actually really love my time at the library. I love being surrounded by tons and tons of books...makes me feel like me,and even though I can´t read the majority of them because of the spanish (with the exception of a few children´s books), I can still just sit back and enjoy the strong felling of familiarity. Books, what would I do without them, without Lewis, Spurgeon, Don Miller, McLaren, etc...I´d have to come up with my own thoughts on subjects like theology..hehe...kidding. I must say though, I´d feel lost without them....before I came to Chile (and this might seem a bit borderline weird/overboard, but...eh...such is me) I actually took a picture of my book shelf and brought it with me(yes...absolute revelation of my nerdiness). Hey, what can I say...my bookshelf rocks.
Ok, love for books: established...moving on. My time at the school in Renca was great. I really love the kids, so cute. One little girl told me, "eres mi mejor amiga!" (you are my best friend!)...That made my day, seriously. All the kids have also started calling me Tia BonBon (tia literally means aunt, but that´s what they call their teachers...and bonbons, well they´re just candies, random, I know, but kids tend to exist in the world of randomness moreso than us "adults"...makes me feel like we should be taking lessons from them)So, yes, Tia BonBon...good name. Oh, and another thing that´s been happening at the school, and this MAY not seem like a big deal but to me...it is. There is a lady at the school, Tia Susie, and she cooks all the meals (from scratch...it´s pretty sweet). At the end of the day she also feeds all the Tias. It´s pretty great food too...I love homecooked meals. The only thing is that they don´t really fall into the vegetarian category. So this has been a good lesson for me. Ok, so I haven´t eaten like beig chunks of meat, like a fat steak (she doesn´t make things like that). It´s mainly stuff like soup that has been made in chicken broth and might have a few chunks of meat in them, but not much. So the first day, I was like "oh man...how am I going to do this?" But honestly it hasn´t been that bad. So yes, I´ve had some meat, and yes, I´m still alive. If you´re a vegatarian, you might be thinking "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT??? Just eat the salad!" I considered that, but the thing is that she cooked this meal for me, and she worked hard on it. Even though I´m a volunteer, I´m still a visitor. She told me the other day when we were eating breakfast together (if your there for breakfast she feeds you that too), she said "Esto es tu casa" (this is your house). I was so blessed simply by that attitude, because I was feeling a little like an outsider (language barriers can prove frustrating a veces)and kinda feeling bad because they had to literally speak to me in sign language at times. But she basically said that I was loved there and that I was with family...no necesitamos palabras..I´m learning that more and more each day. So, if I´m with family all day serving together, and they spend the whole day cooking a meal to bless me and others, I´m definitely going to sit down at the end of the day and break bread with them...together, like a family and not stressing about the food I´m consuming. It´s more than the food, and like I said, I´m still alive. No...I´m NOT going to leave my vegetarian lifestyle, well as far as I can see it (don´t get your hopes up), but I am really enjoying this lesson in chilling out about the meat. chill out and let someone love you...and in doing that you´re loving them back. Anyways, I feel a tangent coming on, so I´ll stop it now before I start losing my readers. Long story short: I ate meat..it was a good experience...and I´m going to try and eat just about whatever Tia Susie decides to put in front of me. And thank you once again for all your prayers for this school, it really is a wonderful thing for these kids and prayer is key in keeping it going. Thanks for the safety prayers too...all is well in that regard. No worries. :)
See, this is what happens when I don´t keep my posts up to date...I end up authoring a novel every time! I do it to myself, I know...but, at least I can pass some of the blame to the computer..and possibly the demon that lives inside of it (see blog:Something Clever?)...Yes, so, I saw Brian McLaren the other night..oh wait...not just saw, but HAD A CONVERSATION with Brian Mclaren the other night. Well, I guess you could call it a conversation, we talked more than five minutes, and not all of it consisted of, ¨"I...um...wow...I...um...really like your books. Your thoughts have been so refreshing to me and my relationshp with Jesus..your great...yada yada yada" no, it wasn´t all that. It was so great to meet him really, and not because I like his books, but simply because it´s wonderful to see just how normal and real these people are. It´s such a strange thing to know the thoughts of a person and to have never actually seen them or spoken to them, and when you actually meet them, it´s like "ok, cool. You are just a normal person, just like me,trying to love Jesus and others the best that you can" (yes, I should know that already, but honestly, I forget sometimes...we all do that with people we admire) It´s encouraging. He was a normal person, and I like that. The talk he gave was ok...it wasn´t blow you out of the water amazing, he just gave a short talk on economics and kinda tied it in with how to live in this world and deal with economics from a Christian point of view. IT was interesting....they had a translator so every few sentences Brian would stop and then the other guy would say it in Spanish, so it was a little hard to follow, ,but a good way to learn some more Spanish...always a good thing these days. After he spoke there were two other economists that spoke and they spoke in Spanish, so I couldn´t really follow. I got the gist, but that´s about it, and I definitely didn´t pick up on any of the humor, I only knew when it occurred because people laughed...oh well...it was still great anyways. The night wasn´t like AMAZING WOW LIFE CHANGING...etc...but it was good. Perhaps my favorite thing that he said was when he answered a question about what he thinks we as Christians should do when it comes to poverty...what steps can we take. He said just to go out and make friends with someone less fortunate than you. Don´t just give them something, or write them a check, but really make friends with them. Eat with them, in their homes or on the street with them if they don´t have homes, and then invite them to eat with you in your home. Having real relationships, loving them...that is real...that is important, that is truly loving your neighbor. I liked that...and I agree. Interacting with those in need is a valuable and much needed experience. SMALL example: There is this homeless guy that becka has told me about...he sits in front of this church and becka stops to talk to him once and while, and give him some food (i love her heart...she´s so wonderful). Well, Yesterday I was able to meet him. Becka and I just sat down on the sidewalk next to him while he held our hands. It´s very obvious that he´s not used to human touch (he´s not exactly the cleanest guy...probably hasn´t showered in a REALLY REALLY long time) and he just clung to our hands...he was asking for a bible the next time we came. It was so sweet, and even though I couldn´t understand him completely, it didn´t matter...he loved us in that moment and he was grateful to be noticed and loved back. When we left he gave me a big kiss on both my cheeks. I seriously almost cried. And yes the thoughts did come into my head, "oh my, this guy is really dirty, especially his teeth and face and I´m letting him kiss me?" But then I realized those thoughts were absolutely SILLY and STUPID and if he wants to hold my hand, or kiss my cheek, I want nothing more than that. I know it was only a moment, but it was so important and I learned so much...Jesus so often simply meets us in the moments. So, I ask you...go interact with someone in need...you will see Jesus in that person, and that person will experience Jesus through you, and who could want more than that? I pray that the Lord will help us all to notice, and to love (especially me) and love more openly with those around us neglected (whether it be physically OR emotionally).
Alright, time to actually leave the house today. Not sure exaclty what we´re doing today but I think it might involve some cosmic bowling...yes!!! flashbacks of highschool PE class!! Thank you for your prayers, and I pray that you´ll be blessed by mine. I love you!!!!!! Chao!
oh, and Dad...happy one more day until your birthday!!!! I wish so badly that I was there to celebrate. I love you and have been blessed to have you as my dad (and roommate..hehe)
posted by Rach @ 10:27 AM
1 Comments:
At 10:01 PM PDT,
Lara Nichols said…
what great reminders about life, poverty, food... sounds like you are hearing God speak to you there through the normal everyday things around you... so awesome to hear :)
Post a Comment
<< Home