Venezuela - just the beginning...
(If you´re reading this please copy it and email it to my friends because I´m having problems with the internet here in Venezuela. Thanks!)
Hola Chamos!
(Chamos is a slang word for friends here - just one of the many words and phrases that I´m learning.)
Let me just say, it is GORGEOUS here! Carorita is pretty high in the mountains and it can get foggy and cloudy, but when it´s clear the view is incredible. I´ve already taken some beautiful pictures and I´m sure there will be many more. Carorita is really just a road through the mountains that is dotted with houses and fields. The closest town that has shops and restaurants is La Puerta and is about 15 minutes away by car.
There are 4 volunteers and Francisco living in the mission house - Mary Allison, Claire, Rob and myself. We have a happy little family. We work together cooking and cleaning and eating together. But, like any family, there can be tensions and conflicts, so pplease pray that we would be able to resolve anything that comes up and be united as the body of Christ.
I´m trying to get to know the local people because it´s easier to do the kind of work we are doing when there are already relationships established. The people are all very friendly with us and the Methodist mission. I even got to take a picture of a mother and her 4 day old baby! And they´re really helpful with my Spanish - it´s improving a lot!
Speaking of improving Spanish, we had a little face-off girls vs. guys the other night with some of our friends. Every night after dinner some neighborhood boys come over to hang out. Somehow an insult war started between Rob and Claire in new Spanish phrases that they had learned. Then it turned into the 4 guys against the 3 girls and Fracisco helping us. That went on for a while, but after we exhausted those options we had to say nice things to make up for it so we started writing romantic poetry and competing that way. The things we said were so hilarious and the guys are really sweet so it was pretty much the funniest night ever!
The other really funny thing that happened recently was when we went to La Puerta with our friend Alejandro. As we were walking along we saw Alejandro´s dad stalled in his truck in the street. So we had to push the truck through the middle of town while Claire and I were eating ice-cream cones! Pretty much EVERYONE was staring at us because it´s not every day that you see 4 gringos pushing a truck through the middle of your town.
Enough with stories, ther is some mission work to be done also. Francisco takes patients at his clinic throughout the day. Every Thursday night we have a youth meeting at the mission house. Francisco also wants to start a primary health care program within the community so that the community members help themselves. The 4 volunteers are reading a book on community health work now so that we can help set up the program. We´re also going to start some English classes. Francisco wants to be laying the groundwork for a specifically Methodist worship time. Even though the community is mostly Catholic because that is the only church here, the Catholics and the Methodists get along really well.
Ok, so I had a lot to tell you, but now you know the foundatuion for the rest of the summer. I´ve been having a great time, but there are things like missing some friends and family that bother me alittle bit. Please pray for the 5 of us here that we would clearly see where Christ is working in this community and join in God´s work here. Thank you for your prayers and emails - they make we smile! Ciao!
lovemuch,
Sarita
Hola Chamos!
(Chamos is a slang word for friends here - just one of the many words and phrases that I´m learning.)
Let me just say, it is GORGEOUS here! Carorita is pretty high in the mountains and it can get foggy and cloudy, but when it´s clear the view is incredible. I´ve already taken some beautiful pictures and I´m sure there will be many more. Carorita is really just a road through the mountains that is dotted with houses and fields. The closest town that has shops and restaurants is La Puerta and is about 15 minutes away by car.
There are 4 volunteers and Francisco living in the mission house - Mary Allison, Claire, Rob and myself. We have a happy little family. We work together cooking and cleaning and eating together. But, like any family, there can be tensions and conflicts, so pplease pray that we would be able to resolve anything that comes up and be united as the body of Christ.
I´m trying to get to know the local people because it´s easier to do the kind of work we are doing when there are already relationships established. The people are all very friendly with us and the Methodist mission. I even got to take a picture of a mother and her 4 day old baby! And they´re really helpful with my Spanish - it´s improving a lot!
Speaking of improving Spanish, we had a little face-off girls vs. guys the other night with some of our friends. Every night after dinner some neighborhood boys come over to hang out. Somehow an insult war started between Rob and Claire in new Spanish phrases that they had learned. Then it turned into the 4 guys against the 3 girls and Fracisco helping us. That went on for a while, but after we exhausted those options we had to say nice things to make up for it so we started writing romantic poetry and competing that way. The things we said were so hilarious and the guys are really sweet so it was pretty much the funniest night ever!
The other really funny thing that happened recently was when we went to La Puerta with our friend Alejandro. As we were walking along we saw Alejandro´s dad stalled in his truck in the street. So we had to push the truck through the middle of town while Claire and I were eating ice-cream cones! Pretty much EVERYONE was staring at us because it´s not every day that you see 4 gringos pushing a truck through the middle of your town.
Enough with stories, ther is some mission work to be done also. Francisco takes patients at his clinic throughout the day. Every Thursday night we have a youth meeting at the mission house. Francisco also wants to start a primary health care program within the community so that the community members help themselves. The 4 volunteers are reading a book on community health work now so that we can help set up the program. We´re also going to start some English classes. Francisco wants to be laying the groundwork for a specifically Methodist worship time. Even though the community is mostly Catholic because that is the only church here, the Catholics and the Methodists get along really well.
Ok, so I had a lot to tell you, but now you know the foundatuion for the rest of the summer. I´ve been having a great time, but there are things like missing some friends and family that bother me alittle bit. Please pray for the 5 of us here that we would clearly see where Christ is working in this community and join in God´s work here. Thank you for your prayers and emails - they make we smile! Ciao!
lovemuch,
Sarita