Wind in Patagonia

Part 3 of 3

El Chaltén. My first impression of this windy town was that I wanted to go back to Buenos Aires. All it took was a night of sleep and a long trek to completely change my mind.

Journal excerpt:
"My body is whipped. Today was a beautiful day. Brittny and I did our longest hike today, we were gone for about 8.5 hours! My legs wanted to fall off...they still kinda do. We hiked to Tres Lagos to see the Fitz Roy mountain peak better. The last bit was never ending...steep, switchbacks, up. The view from the top was worth it. The lake was deep blue and the mountains were spectacular."

We continued to have a great time in Chaltén, made friends with our roommates at the hostel and hung out with them in the evenings. We spent the other 2 days in Chaltén on less strenuous but equally beautiful hikes and views. At times it felt like we were walking through Middle Earth or Narnia. Fantastic.

It was sad to say goodbye to our friends on our last day in Chaltén, but after 12 days of traveling and living out of a backpack, it was nice to know that home was almost in sight.

At the airport in Calafate on the way home Brittny forgot to take her pocket knife out of her carry-on bag and they made her go through her bag at security. They only way to keep the knife was to go back and check the carry-on in at the check-in desk. We shuffled some things into my carry-on and then she ran back to check the bag. Thankfully it all worked out and we got all of our bags in Buenos Aires.

God sightings:
He made a way for me to get my debit card back the night before our trip.
He had a space for me on the plane when my reservation had not been finalized.
He blessed us with good roommates in Ushuaia.
He blew us away with his beautiful creation.
He gave us extra leg room for free on our trip to Calafate and Buenos Aires.
He gave us good weather on the glacier (it rained a little when we had finished our tour)
He provided cheaper rates into the parks because we have residency here (we had budgeted the foreigner price).
He gave us beautiful days to hike in El Chaltén.
He gave us opportunities to be real with our roommates and share a bit about our "religion".
He got Brittny's things through at the Calafate airport without much hassle.
When I think on these things I remember that I am loved by my King. Thanks Vera for planting this idea in my mind. .

Thankful.
kait

Zapatos de Muertos (Shoes of Death)

Post 2 of 3...


El Calafate. Brittny and I got exit row seats for our 1 hour flight between Ushuaia and El Calafate. (Extra leg room!)When we arrived and got settled into our room at the new hostel we went for a walk around town. Turns out they have flamingos in this town. I don't think I've ever seen flamingos in real life before - maybe at the zoo? The sky, water and mountains here are brilliant shades of blue in the sunshine.

Day 2 in Calafate: woke up really early...to WALK ON A GLACIER! It was massive and incredible. It reflects the deepest shades of blue. When we got off the boat we heard a thunderous cracking sound and turned to watch a large chunk of the glacier plummet into the icy water. We saw this happen two more times, talk about exciting! =) We had to put on crampons (shoes of death) to walk on the ice, well actually a glacier is just a lot of really compacted snow. We hiked up the side of the glacier and spent an hour and a half walking around with our guide, inspecting cracks filled with frozen water. We saw peaks, valleys, holes, and streams and lots of blue. This trip too was definitely worth it. The massiveness of the glacier was impressive and beautiful - God is a creative God!

Chau
kait

1 more on the way... =)

Vacation Almost Cancelled

As many of you know, I just got back from a twelve day trip though southern Argentina with my roommate Brittny. We visited Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego and El Calafate and El Chaltén in the Argentine Patagonia. My plan is to blog about each of our 3 destinations separately. So here is the start:

The excitement of our journey began the night before we left. Brittny and I went to get money for our trip from the ATM. My card got stuck and wouldn't come out of the machine, then it got sucked inside. The bank was closed and the woman at the desk inside that I could see wouldn't help me. The solution was to come back the next morning when the bank opened to collect the card. My problem: our flight for Ushuaia was leaving at 5 AM. In the end, another woman came and helped me by pleading my case through the glass door to the woman inside saying that I am a foreigner leaving on a trip and I needed my card so I could get money for the trip. Finally she told me I could come back in an hour and a half and they would give it back to me. I was able to get my card but later found out that this just doesn't happen here. Thank you God!

As it turns out, God was watching out for us because when we got to the airport at 2 AM they did not have my flight reservation. WORST feeling EVER! I had to call my dad to look up some things for me (thanks Dad!). As it turned out, my card had never gone through and I didn't realize it. The ticket sales counter opened at 4 AM and by 4:15 I had my ticket for real and at 5 AM we were on the plane and setting off for Ushuaia. Nothing like last minute flight reservations. Never want to do that again. Thanks Britt for keeping me going through that super stressful hour!

Ushuaia is magnificent. I loved the beautiful mountain peaks with patches of snow. The clouds too had character. Ushuaia is a port city at the most southern tip of Argentina in the area called, Tierra del Fuego. One day Brittny and I went to the National Park and hiked to the boarder between Chile and Argentina, stepped foot in Chile, ate lunch and returned to our hostel.

! The next day we woke up early to go visit the penguins. This tour was AMAZING! We had to take a bus and a boat to get there, but when we arrived on Martillo Island, we were greeted by hundreds of penguins on the beach. We walked through the island with our guide and learned about the penguins there. We saw where they nest, and the baby penguins and penguins swimming close to shore. I would not have traded this experience for anything


The rest of our time in this quaint little town where it is always winter was very enjoyable. If anyone finds themselves there and needs a hostel recommendation, the people at Freestyle were great!

Stay posted for our glacier and hiking adventures!
kait

The TOMS Way...shoes for everyone

In a matter of 24 hours I went from a very hot summer to a very cold winter. The Argentine summer is turning me into a winter wimp! The past month at school flew by, but not without its share of challenges. The proverb to "train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is old he will not depart from it" - well that has been filling my thoughts as of late. It is a difficult task to train up children. I find myself wanting to see immediate results in my students but then realizing that life is a process and just because we learn about something this week doesn't mean that it will take effect tomorrow. I have to remember my own life and how it is a journey and it builds upon itself. What my students are learning now I pray will sink into their hearts as they continue to search for God and follow His ways. My job is only to lay some of the brick - I may never see the end result - until we are all in heaven. However, right now it gets discouraging when there are little steps taken backwards when you had seen progress being made. Mad props to all you parents out there - I have a new appreciation for everything you do!

I'm also very excited to report that through the fund-raising of all the students at my school we were able to purchase brand new flip flops for all the children at La Puerta del Cielo Children's Home! The owner of the shop were we bought the sandals even gave us a special deal on them! It was very exciting for Donna, Claudio and I to go and give each child their own pair of flip flops. They were excited to receive them. And not only that, but we were able to get the materials to put up a net-like shade to provide some respite from the intense sun in the back play area and also to keep their balls in the yard. Every time we go to play within 5 minutes the balls we bring have gone over the wall usually never to be seen again. God is so good in his provision and allowing us to be able to help in this way. I am so excited to be able to be His hands and feet. Friends of ours are putting up the shade while I'm here in the States - I can't wait to go back and see the finished product! Our next project for the kids is to purchase brand new shoes for when they start school in mid-February. The shoes they have right now have holes or don't properly fit their feet. We are hoping to be able to buy shoes for each child that fits their feet. If anyone is interested in helping us with this, send me a message and I can let you know how. Some of you have already given money for the shoes and I am extremely grateful. THANK YOU!

Well, tomorrow is Christmas - I can't believe it! A year ago I was anticipating an email from my current boss with information on coming to Argentina. Now I have an entire year under my belt and I'm loving my current place in life. God is so good! I can't wait to see family tomorrow that I haven't seen in quite some time because of traveling.

Peace to you from the God of all Peace. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Feliz Navidad
kait

Summertime Thanksgiving

Crisp night air after a cool evening shower.
Smooth jazz fills the patio.
An occasional breeze whisps through the garden.
Does tonight have to end?

The jazz takes me away and chases every thought of returning to work in the morning out of my mind. Could today be any more perfect? Oh yeah, the beach trip on Thursday. It is very difficult to imagine that Thanksgiving is in a few days. We are in the midst of an ever approaching summer here. All I can see in front of me are long summer days, not chilled winter nights. As I reflect on today, it seems more like a dream than anything else. Now I am counting down the days until the beach.

The trip to Iguazu was suddenly postponed so that more of our friends could join us. As a result an even more spontaneous trip to the coast was planned and I find myself 2 long days away from hearing the waves lap at the sand. I am beyond excited. My camera is already in hand. What am I thankful for this year?

-my super supportive family
-my equally supportive home church family
-an amazing group of students that I have the opportunity to mentor every day
-a school unlike any other. Right now, I wouldn't trade you for the world!
-awesome roommates - I love you girls so much!
-my camera
-Argentina and everything that goes with this unique country
-The One who has been with me from day 1 and never leaves my side even when I try to run.
-jazz.....wait for it because I'm gone again in the music....

"When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrow like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot
Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul."

-kait

November's Not So Cold

Life at school has been a whirlwind. October was filled with preparations for our accreditation visit and then the actual visit (now we have to wait until February for the official word on the outcome of the visit). After the team left, the following week we enjoyed 2 days off school due to the Argentine Census. We had to wait in our house for a whole day until someone came to ask us questions or collect our already prepared paperwork. We waited all day and no one came, so we were never counted that we are aware of. The next day was given to use by the education board in Argentina because so many teachers across the country volunteered with the census. During census day, we received news that the former president (and husband of the current president) had died suddenly. I believe it was due to on going heart problems. The country was in mourning for 3 days following his death.


Directly following the 2 days off, was my birthday. The girls helped me celebrate my 24 years beautifully. They made our traditional house "birthday breakfast" and then in the evening we invited friends from school over to help us celebrate with burgers on our built-in charcoal grill, called a Parilla (par-ee-jah). It was also the birthday of 2 co-workers, so we all partied together. =)


The day after my birthday was the Spring Fling at school, a type of Fall Festival, only in the spring, as a Halloween substitute. I was the organizer of this event and we had games, candy, face painting, an inflatable bouncy thing and candy. It was a successful and very enjoyable night for all that attended. I was grateful for all the helpers I had from high school students working for community service hours to teachers and staff who came to support the event. Way to go all! It was a lot of fun.

Now we are settling into November. The air is getting hotter, and the kids are getting antsier, but life is going well in the classroom. There are 4 new children at the children's home since I've last written. None of them are related, 2 babies, an 11 year old boy and 12 year old girl. We are working on organizing practical ways to help the home more than just visits every other week. Donna and I are excited about what we are hoping to do.

Some of my roommates and I are planning a trip to Iguazu Falls for Thanksgiving, I'm getting excited about that, and then before you know it, I'll be back in the States visiting for the Winter Holidays. Time is flying so quickly. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you when I am home. Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

chau!
kait

When September Showers Bring October Flowers

1 de Octubre 2010. I love October.
I'm going to be 24 in 28 days...maybe that's why I love October so much.
This year I get to share my birthday with 2 co-workers. Never had to share before, but I'm kinda excited.

Life is beautiful. Difficult. Beautiful. It is so beautiful because God is forever faithful. He is faithful in the little things. This week at school I was having a hard time concentrating and getting focused for the day. Before raising the flag I asked a co-worker to pray for me for peace. In that moment she stopped, put her hand on my shoulder and prayed. The presence of our Father was there. "When peace like a river attendeth my way..." the peace came. It was a very good day with my students.


About 2 weeks ago we had Spirit Week at school. We had special chapels and different dress-up themes each day. School spirit was boosted and I pray that hearts were ministered to. It was that week that the ownership of my class was sealed. We competed with each of the other classes for points for a pizza party. We didn't win, but my kids participated well and I was so proud of them. I wanted us to win so badly. That week I found myself very upset inside over a small competition that we may have unfairly lost. Later I was defeated because of another competition we would inevitably lose (and we did) and since then I have been concentrating those feelings on care for my students. We are learning so much together. I love my students.

Next weekend I'll be going back to the children's home. We are hoping to make these visits bi-weekly because they are so special to all of us. I miss the kids when I don't get to see them. The last time we went I had a blast playing with my sunglasses with several of them. We modeled them in the mirror and took funny pictures. I have several requests for pictures to print and bring for them next week.

I've been listening to the podcasts by Mars Hill Church in Chicago. They have been powerfully speaking to my life. If anyone wants to understand the life of an ex-patriate(someone living in a country other than their own) like myself, check out the podcast "Clay Hearts" by Shane Hipps. He explains living as an exile very well.

God is faithful. Even when life is most difficult.

September was a bit rainy, hoping that October is full of flowers and sunshine.

Clay-hearted-exile,
kait