Day 5 - Miercoles! (Wednesday)

For Wednesday's post, I wanted everyone to come on here and write about their own experiences because 1) we were not all together during the day and 2) we each had such unique and amazing experiences, we wanted you to to hear from everyone! So, here it goes.


Nolan: Today we went to an English Institute; which had many Spanish speakers that were studying to be English teachers. We were all split up into different groups -- that was really coollllllll if you ask me!!! It was a different experience for me; but it was a God given thing to happen in that way. I'm glad that we got to go and speak to Spanish speakers in English... I'd have to say that this trip is in God's hands everyday that we're here. Later in the night, we went to the English Time school that had kids that aged from either 12-23 and it was the coolest experience of all times. I didn't understand how things were going to go down while we were there. God really gave me, emily and amelia many doors to walk through to share the truth that God has in store for everyone... If you want to ask me about it, I will definitely tell you all about it ; )

Rebekah: I was placed in a classroom with 12 girls about my age, ranging from 18-27. We got to talk about all sorts of things like TV, movies, music, culture, and everything else you can think of. Out of no where some of the girls started talking about religion and what they believed and asked what I believed. I was able to share with them that I am a Christian and believe that Jesus is my Savior. They shortly after changed the subject. Connie came back into the room and a student asked about her evangelism bracelet. She was able to once again share with the girls our beliefs and what great things Jesus did for us. We didn't see any huge reactions to the story she told, but I know seeds were planted and I hope to keep in contact with them via email.


Matt: I was with Rebekah and Connie and it was kind of hard for me to relate to a bunch of collage girls but still we all had a good time but I also tried the best food ever here -- a ham and cheese empanada. It was delishioso and I highly recommend it to all Argentina travelers. For me, that keep it cool. Deal:Matt (>^-^)><(^-^<) Emily: This evening we visited an English institute to speak with young teenagers and try our best to share Christ with them. When we arrived they split us into groups of three and I was with Nolan and Amelia. Fortunately, the kids we were with seemed to be very interested in what we had to say about Jesus. It was obvious to see that they had never really thought about what this life was all about, and that opened a door for us to share our faith with them. Long story short, this night has been one of the greatest of my life and I have seen God work like never before. From all that the teacher shared about teenagers and how they are so apathetic about life, I can now say with all confidence that if Argentina is where the Lord wants me to be, I definitely want to minister to these struggling teens. Brice: This morning we went to an English speaking college to share our faith. Anyone who knows me well knows that this is what I struggle with and so I prayed that God would give me opportunities to share that were easy for me. Within about 20 minutes God opened a door for me. I told the class that I played football and that I was the quarterback and they immediately asked if I was popular in school. I said no because some of the "popular" things don't align with what the Bible says. Throughout the talk God just opened more and more doors and I took the opportunities to share my faith. It was awesome. God is just so awesome about answering prayers when you ask with a humble and honest heart. God changed my heart today about sharing my faith and now I will be more confident in telling people about what Christ has done for us all. Brendon: Like all of the us has said we went to the english institutes here in Trelew and to me it was an interesting experience because when we walked into the first institute and started talking to them they responded back with pretty good english which was pretty cool to me and then later in the day we went to the other institute and on our way there i was praying that there would be at least a little opening and when we started talking with them the doors just opened up all the way which was absolutely awesome. In the class i was in we met a 15yr old student that was a catholic and he started asking questions about how our religion differs from his and he asked if he could get the Lords prayer in english and if he could learn more about how we pray which was awesome. Chris: Today was great. We went to two schools today and spoke to the kids there. The first school went amazingly. We got to speak to a lot of college kids and they asked a whole lot of questions about our church and what the Bible says about a bunch of different things. We really got to share our lifestyles and how they differ from typical Americans that they have all seen in movies like "American Pie" I think we really showed them a different view of Americans. It was pretty chill. Teri: At the first school we went to, we had students who were 17 - 30 years old and I've never answered so many questions in my life. Everything from what type of food do we have in the US to what do we believe in our church about gay marriages and everything and anything in between! We stayed in the classes for about 2 hours and it was a small classroom (12 by 15 feet?) with 21 students, 1 teacher, and 4 of us. It was HOT! So we felt like we were really put on the "hot seat" in more ways than one. But God is so good ... He gave words for our mouths to answer in ways that could only be from Him. I have so enjoyed spending time with Ted and Connie in conversation of memories and their future plans as well as new friends that we've made while here (Claire and Grady). I know how to pray for them in their continued work in Argentina - I'm so thankful that I was blessed to be able to come on this trip! Amelia: This was definately my favorite day out of all of them! We went to two different schools, and in both of them, I was partners with Emily. The first, we were in a group with a lot of older women and one man, and they weren't very talkative to say the least. We were kind of disappointed by the way that things turned out because we were so ready for God to speak through us and give us the perfect openings for us to share why we're here. That was a fallback, but after that experience we were even more excited for the second school. It was so worth it, too! We went to the second school and God gave us EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY to share God's love with them. This was one of the best times of my life. I think that Emily, Nolan, and I really got to share the story of Christ's love for us at least five times! The teenagers were very interested in what we had to say and they really wanted to listen and enjoy the joy WE had to be there! I feel like the teacher especially really got to here why we were here and to experience just a taste of the joy that God has given us in our lives. I will never forget when I was talking about how important it is to share your faith and one girl who had been really quiet, raised her hand and said "I believe." It was a great moment. Wendy: Today we met a woman named Andrea. She was sitting outside as we were leaving the first school. Ted initially started talking to her and she asked what we had been doing at the school. When he explained our reason for being there, she immediately shared her story with us. In the past, she had attended church but her marriage ended in divorce because of a relationship her husband had with another church member. She was still very hurt by this, even though she has remarried. But, she asked if Ted and Connie would come and talk to her and her family at her home, and would they come this Saturday? She appeared so anxious for their visit and made arrangements with them on their first available day after we leave. Before we left, we exchanged e-mail addresses and the last words she said to me were to keep in touch with her. We need to keep her in our prayers. I feel confident that if she is saved she has a strong personality and will be a great witness. At the second school we visited, there were two girls who came in late during our visit. During our discussion, when we were asked why we had come, her and her sister got very excited to know that we are Christians. She immediately said we are too. And for the rest of our visit, any time we spoke about Christ, her face looked so joyful. I will never forget that. We felt an immediate connection with them. Matt: well i went with Eli Brendon and Ted and we were with a class that was around age 15-19 so i could kind of relate. So we started talking and one of the students asked Eli if he could write down the lords prayer and so Eli said yes even though Eli could'nt remember the prayer we still had a disscusion of why we didnt say the lords prayer daily we said we speak to god like he is a person and that we have a system to pray with but we dont say the same thing every time i thought this was the best memory of the day. so keep it cool in Texas and remember to comment (>^-^><(^-^<)


Krissi: I can't begin to describe to you how much fun I had today - the first class I got to visit was a Literature class! Brendon and Nolan were with me and we got to share a lot about our culture, about literature, and about why we were there. At the end of it, several of the girls came and gave me their email addresses and asked if they could write to me to practice their English -- YES, OF COURSE! What an opportunity! Then the second class we got to sit in was all teenagers and Carolina was their teacher - a girl I had met earlier this week and really connected with. I have to say that middle school-aged boys are the same in Argentina that they are in America! I was sooooo missing my students as I sat in there laughing with them, answering their questions, and watching them get hyped up on sugar. It was a lot of fun. There were two girls in there who were Christians and I have to say that I never get tired of the connection we have to other Christians - it is indescribable because it bridges language, culture, and social differences. What a blessing to get to meet them and encourage them to be bold in their faith! All in all, this was one of my favorite days and I was sooooo very sad when it was over.