En Buenos Aires
Hi Mom & everyone,
I am here in the house of Guadalupe, actually in Fernando´s parents house where I am using the internet. The flights went well, and I sat by some friendly people. I managed to sleep thru'out the flight and everything was smooth. Yesterday we did some sightseeing and shoe-shopping. Today we´ll probably do more of the same.
More later!
A Thankful rant...
so what am I thankful for.... I can think of a lot but this morning I was really thankful for my car.
my '99 jetta has nearly 90,000 miles and I am feeling kind of attached after my experience yesterday. I've been putting off getting a new catalytic converter for Ms. Jetta, and finally I broke down to do it before the car did. After leaving the car in the shop, I waited for the bus to go to work. Yesterday was definitely the coldest morning so far this year! I ended up waiting outside for over an hour. I decided they really should have the PAT phone number on the bus stop signs! No buses came past in that entire hour, even though 5 were listed on the sign. I could take partial blame for not doing my "Ride Gold" research before setting out to do this! However, being 9 AM, I thought and hoped there would be something going in to Downtown! Around 10 am, I spotted a Yellow Cab, got the phone number from their decals, (they are obviously smart enough to provide their phone number!) and resorted to call a cab!
After another 25 mins, the cab came and we were on our way. After another $25, I made it to my office. The cabbie proceeded to make fun of me, saying where I was is "the suburbs and there ain't no buses out here" Well! I guess those silly blue signs that say "bus stop" are really fake. I emailed PAT just to make sure and they are checking on it for me.
So I happily got in my car this morning, and drove to work! Forget about saving the environment and the ozone layer, isn't it just more convenient for me to drive myself around?
OK, I am
really an environmentally conscience person, but when it comes to physical discomfort (cold!) and long waiting times... I was really thankful to get to work in 20 mins & the warmth and convenience of my own car this morning! And if the buses ran on schedule.. I don't mind that either!
More traveling
It has been a very long time since posting!
I am going to try to find some time again to blog.
In August, I had the opportunity to go to Buenos Aires, Argentina with my church & dear friends Fernando and Guadalupe, who are from Bs. As, but are currently staying in Pittsburgh. I spent 2 weeks with the team and many people from the local church doing outreaches in the parks, school, & orphanage in the city. We spent afternoons doing kids ministry with puppets, skits, games, prizes. In the evening, we had special services at the church, where we invited many people who we passed by on the streets and in the parks. We were blessed by the new friends at the local church, and God was with the work that we were doing there. There was a special connection to begin with ... Ferni and Lupe - but having spent time there, we began to realize that our churches are similar, not only because our sanctuaries look nearly the same! Between the churches there is now a bond that unites us, even though we are a hemisphere apart. We bonded over tea time, ping pong, stomp, and everyone's favorite... huevos revueltos. After returning to Pittsburgh, we receive emails from our church family in Buenos Aires.
Shortly after returning from this trip, I had a meeting with my boss where she asked me if I would be available to travel to Patagonia for a job assignment. For the geography geeks, Patagonia is the southern part of Argentina & Chile... So in amazement I found out that within 6 months, I would have another opportunity to travel again, and back to a place I just had made some new friends! I am pretty amazed at this opportunity and how fast it really came together. God reveals plans for our lives in ways that we can't even imagine. I found out the dates for returning to Argentina for work, and this overlapped with Guadalupe also returning to Bs. As. for her medical school! Also I will get to attend the church where I spent 2 weeks! Following a short time in Bs. As., I will travel to Patagonia for work. We will be traveling between 4 towns with a group of researchers & doctors who study birth defects.
I look forward to traveling becasue it will be warm there!! August in Bs. As. was wintertime, and now with traveling further south, it's great to go in December. And the soon coming winter in Pittsburgh, I will get to escape for a few weeks!
