Meat

Well, I´ve been in Argentina less than 48 hours and I´ve already eaten two pastries made with lard and five bites of chicken. My host is buying a special roast to grill today. That may seem yummy to some, not a big deal to others, but for someone who hasn´t eaten any of the above for 21 years it´s a little crazy! I´ve had in mind not only the terribly deep spirituality involved in sharing meals with others but also my friend Mike´s saying of being a ¨scavenge-tarian¨ instead of a ¨vegetarian.¨ Tee-hee!

I am so excited to be here! The Lopez family, with whom I am staying and who will start my on-the-job training, are lovely and very welcoming. Marcelo and Silvia are the parents and their children are Luz (18) and Felipe (16). When not working in micro-enterprise and development, Marcelo works in accounting and teaches economics at the university. Silvia is very gifted artistically and has taken courses on indigneous Argentinean art.

On Monday, 9/10, we will start our travel to the village of Burela, in Salta province. We stay overnight in Tucuman, and then arrive in Burela on Tuesday. We will meet a couple who currently work with LifeWind in Bolivia, Develt and Estela. They will be facilitating the majority of the training there. After reading Isaiah 61 & 62 this morning, Marcelo, Silvia, and I were praying for the Wichi Indians (who live in Salta Province) and the training. Apparently some of the problems with the Wichi include a lack of clean water, issues of abuse and violence, and extreme poverty. Many politicians have come in to the area with small gifts and promises of development but no follow-through. However, the Wichi are hungry for teaching, training, and change. One of the pastors there, Don Sixto, has been praying for justice for his people.

The training next week is called, ¨Training of Trainers 1,¨and the purpose is to teach those who will be teaching the individual ¨CHEs.¨ The CHEs will go house to house in their villages, teaching their neighbors about health promotion, disease prevention, small business opportunities, and the love of God. The training will go from Tuesday night, 9/11, to Saturday, 9/15. The sessions are on such topics as: the resources within the community, learning techniques, development, how to experience the love and forgiveness of God, and the role of the training team. I will teach a session on the Holy Spirit on Thursday morning. I´m glad that my session isn´t until later in the week, as I want to experience more of the learner-centered, participatory style Lifewind uses.