More presents

My friend Erin quoted C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity last week: "Comfort is one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth -- only soft soap and wishful thinking to being with and, in the end, despair."

I've been really blessed this week. I don't think that's necessarily because I was looking for truth, but there it is. On Saturday I met a couple from the U.S., Steve and Beth. They were here with their young daughter for a medical conference. Steve is an internist with a masters in public health and Beth owns a fair trade business. Steve has been to a Training of Trainers (TOT1) and is really excited about the CHE vision. You know when you meet people and you really share a similar vision and hope, how exciting that is?

Last night I got together with them again along with their friend Amy, a linguist who works with Wycliffe in Peru. More fun! They treated us to an excellent steak dinner.

I've been reading Jesus' words more lately, and love these verses that Dr. Luke recorded (chapter 12): Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Now I'm really new at this "missionary" thing. Sometimes I'm hesitant to talk about its blessings because of that. I've been reading Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline recently (thanks, Matt!) and he says that we tend to talk too much because we self-justify rather than trusting God to take care of our reputation. Sometimes I am also too silent about God's blessings, out of not wanting to be accused of being naive, but I think that's also wrong. So, enough justifying, here goes!

I sold a bunch of my possessions last year -- not nearly all, as my Aunt Char will tell you who has boxes in her basement. I'm also really starting to learn, with great examples from my contemporary sister-missionaries, to be more generous with what I have. And while sometimes scary, it's mostly really really fun. I also appreciate what I have, which is another great gift. I still have my CDs (thanks again to my sister Lorena for putting them into well-organized books for easy traveling), and so am listening to Brahms' cello sonatas right now. I not only was able to bring everything I needed with me, but I'm currently in a really well-furnished apartment. One of my church's community groups sent me a gift certificate for books, so I have some great ones here. I even received a bunch of fun things from the American couple as they were leaving town: fun US foods (oatmeal, almonds, Trader Joe's rice dishes) and their guide to Buenos Aires. It feels like Christmas all the time!

Here's my "drive-by" the Casa Rosada in March

I've only seen the Casa Rosada (like the White House) once since my arrival, and that was just a drive-by. It was either too hot or I was too tired or not wanting to go alone on my days off, and so really haven't seen anything in this apparently gorgeous city. Well, more gifts today! I had to go downtown for steps in my visa process:

1. Leave before 7 am (still dark here!) to pick up "lack of Argentine criminal paperwork" by deadline of 9:30, (and I've experienced that between 8 and 9 it can be physically impossible to squeeze onto the train).
2. Copier at immigrations center doesn't open until "9 or 9:30, more like 9:30," so I go back to the train station to copy the "I am innocent" paper.
3. Return to the immigrations center for my first attempt at turning in my paperwork, most of which is wrong. The church papers have to be sent to the Ministry of Religion first, the translations with apostille that I had done in the US are invalid when requesting a visa from in-country. Thankfully, my FBI paperwork from the US is not expired, which I had thought it might be.
   
4. Got directions to the translation center -- back to station to get a bus.
5. Bus I was directed to isn't exactly right, but will take me close by and the driver is very helpful. Plus (present!) we go by the Casa Rosada and other beautiful downtown buildings.
6. Translation center only certifies the translation once it's done, and has a 4-inch thick binder with names of translators I have to call -- no directions, and a lot of the phone numbers are wrong. However, a Colombian woman is also looking, and she knows the city well and finds us a translator next door.
7. Go next door and pay for translation of two documents, to be picked up in a few weeks.
8. See subway stop nearby and take that (with one transfer) back to train station and then home.
9. Accomplish a few errands on the way home -- I finally have rubber boots for my work in the Delta!

Another drive-by the Casa Rosada, also in March. Although this isn't the greatest photo, you can see some of how alive the Plaza de Mayo is. It was even more colorful today since Argentine's national day was two days ago, celebrating the beginning of their independence from Spain.

HOUSE SALE

Here's one more posting, just because I'm so excited! Nadia handed over my keys to the new owner of my house just a few minutes ago. Yay! It's hard to believe it's really done -- it's been so long!

As I think back on the past few months, I am so grateful to all of the people that helped. I know I've said it before, but I couldn't have moved out of the house so quickly and thoroughly without my sister Lorena and then her husband Gregor coming to help me go through things, and Chrissy coordinating a massive garage sale. Chrissy even asked people to donate things to my garage sale, which they did which has really helped me financially.

THE HOUSE IS SOLD!!!!

Yippee! Yahoo! I am thrilled to announce that after 5 1/2 months in an ever-worsening market, I am no longer a home-owner!

The house had become a huge burden in terms of time and finances. Big thanks again to Erin for being my POA in September and October, Jeff for working long hours on my troublesome pool, Joe for continuing to groom my lawn to perfection while awaiting the sale, Ernie for the repairs he did in September, and Nadia for storing my things and letting me stay with her even though I still had a house of my own. Big shout out to God for the relief of the sale and for the amount that I still have in my savings account despite the loss I took. Thanks to everyone who was vigilant in prayer for this issue.

I'm also grateful to Cassie and J -- Kinko's internet was down two days ago and so I went to their house to print documents, then to J's work for him to notarize and explain my documents (since he's both a notary and a realtor) and FedEx them.

That night was great -- instead of completing the continuing medical education due next week by myself at a dial-up computer, I went to J's office with Cassie and Robyn and we worked together (which is legal, by the way!). It's much more fun to spend 4+ hours with others, and I was also glad to see Robyn for the first time since her wedding.

Yet Another Exciting Day

Ladies' card group (plus my sister) last September -- absolutely nothing to do with today's posting.

A snapshot of some of the things I did today:

• Stopped by the church office to fax some things about my upcoming move. I met lots of women from the church who were busy filling boxes for our food pantry. Go Cameo and her team!
• My realtor called to tell me the latest house deal fell through (see two postings back). Good news: I get the earnest money. I went to the house and cleaned the pool, weeded, changed smoke alarm batteries, lit the pilot to the fireplace, and swept. Joe (from church) is still mowing my lawn regularly and it looks beautiful. My wonderful neighbors, Bruce and Peachy, loaned me a broom, dustpan, and ladder. I didn't have time to stop by for coffee today, but I did two days ago.
  
• Went to Florence to get fingerprints required for my FBI clearance which is needed for a visa to Argentina. I got some money orders (no one trusts anyone these days!) and went to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office for the second time in two days. They had told me by phone I could come until 5 pm. I arrived at 3:24 and was told that they stop doing it at 3:30. The clock in the office was fast and the worker told me I would have to come back tomorrow. Shades of bureaucracy to come?
• Met a mover at Nadia's house who assessed the items I'm planning on moving to Minnesota. The government will pay for me to move back to my "home of record" and my Aunt Char is kind enough to offer to store some boxes for me. My friend Nadia in Arizona has offered to keep my things, but if something changes in her living arrangements it seems so silly to pay for storage when I can get free shipment to the land of basements.
  

Fun fact: on the application for a visa to Argentina, it requests: Two (5) color pictures. ¾ Right profile, 1 ½ inch by 1 ½ inch. Now, is that two or five pictures????? Tee-hee! I have yet to find a place to do the photos. Office Max, for example, can only do 2 x 2 photos, full-face.

Thanks

P.S. And a big shout out to:

• Erin, now my power of attorney for my house (of which the sale is in flux).
• My community group, especially Rachelle, for all of the help at the big garage sale.
• Valerie, for endlessly going through boxes.
  
• Bruce and Peachy, for being such great neighbors through it all.
• Melissa and Adam, for making a good home for Oreo and Pepa (my kitties).
  
• Joe and Nicole, for taking care of my yard while I'm gone.
• Jeff, for keeping my pool from going green while I'm gone.

I know I'll think of more people soon, so stay tuned! It is really remarkable how God chooses to work through all of us, and uses so many "senders" for the one person who "goes." We are truly a family.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1

I have recently been meditating on the above thought. My desire is to love God, and for everything I do to be done out of an ever-growing love for God – not to prove myself to other people, not to worry about my path in life, but rather to rest in God. This week I have been moving out of my house, and God provided strength in the heat (over 110 degrees), trust and faith to give up my possessions, and lots of generous people to help:

• My sister Lorena and brother-in-law Gregor (above) came to visit for over a week of assistance: Lorena was phenomenally helpful at going through boxes of things, letting me tell their story and then encouraging me as I let them go. Gregor brought computer accessories and did some intense work on my computer. He also brought the movie “Strictly Ballroom”!
  

• Chrissy and Jeff held a garage sale for me at their house and invited people to sell things there and give the proceeds to my missions fund. Chrissy tirelessly priced, greeted, hauled, and advised for over a week in preparation.

• The Rodgers’ community group is cleaning my house after I have moved out.

• Nadia is letting me stay at her house whenever I am in town (which includes much of October through December) and has a lot of room for me to store things.
  

Schedule

September 5 – 30 I will be in Argentina to assist with two trainings, look for housing, and get to know the Lopez family who will be providing on-the-job training for me next year. Then I return to the U.S. for a few months of support raising and other preparation before moving to Argentina in early January. Some highlights of the next few weeks are:

September 5 – 6

Nearly 24 hours of travel to get to Cordoba, Argentina -- I leave Queen Creek at 10:00 am on Wednesday and arrive in Cordoba at 7:30 am on Thursday (MST)! I will stay with Marcelo and Silva Lopez and their children Luz (18) and Felipe (16). Marcelo has been working with LifeWind International for some time and I look forward to learning from him.

September 11 – 14

“Training of Trainers 1” in the village of Burela, province of Salta. The Wichi Indians had a “Vision Seminar” a few months ago and are now ready to receive training to become trainers of community health evangelists (CHEs). The CHEs will go from home to home teaching their neighbors about basic healthcare, micro-enterprise, and the gospel.

The Wichi Indians are an indigenous people group in northern Argentina and Bolivia. The possession of their land has been disputed by the national government and much of it has been sold and de-forested. Portions of the Bible were recently translated into their language.

September 20

Bibiana MacLeod, Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean and South America, flies in to Buenos Aires to facilitate the next week’s training. She will be my supervisor while I am in South America, and I am looking forward to seeing her again in person – I last saw her in 2004 in the Dominican Republic.

September 24 – 28

“Urban Training of Trainers 1” near Buenos Aires. This training is specially designed for those working in inner city slums to discover local connections and help people work together for the community’s good: spiritually, emotionally, physically, and vocationally.

September 29 – 30

Only 17 hours travel from Buenos Aires to Phoenix, then I hop directly in my car to drive to San Diego.

September 30 – October 4

Continuing medical education conference in San Diego. I will stay with my stepsister Karina, attend the conference with my friend Jenny, and hang out with Jenny, her husband Ken, and her daughters Grace and Kate. Grace is my god-daughter, and while I think it’s a good example to her to follow God to the mission field, it is difficult to move further away from her.

October 5 – 9-ish

I will stay in San Diego, initially alone, to start to digest the previous month’s work and to pray. My stepsister Karina will then return from a conference and we hope to gather some of her friends together so that I can share my heart and vision for holistic ministry.

Extreme Home Makeover

Wow -- I am so impressed today! My community group (twelve people I see at least once during the week to "do life together," including sharing about our lives, studying the Bible, and praying) came over today to work on my house to get it ready to sell. I had been putting it off since it was so overwhelming to me. I had never really painted before, and I had not even considered the extreme yardwork exhibited today. I had planned for a day of mostly painting with a little bit of shrubbery-trimming, but what I got was far more than that. I am so thankful to my group and grateful for their wide-ranging skills.

• We painted the inside of the house including the garage (which had not been prepped and was rather scary). It looks beautiful!
• Replaced outlet covers, furniture, and blinds after painting
• Replaced sprinkler heads
• Adjusted and cleaned drip heads (term?)
• Thatched the grass
• Edged semicircles around the sprinkler heads to allow for proper watering
• Re-mounted birdfeeder
• Installed missing smoke detector
• Radically cut back the mesquite tree
• Moved the compost bins and killed the underlying cockroaches
• Cleaned all windows and screens inside and out
• Cleaned the entryway to the house
• Trimmed at least twelve bushes, including the two rosemary ones I was unable to do
• Vacuumed/blew away yard waste

I am so thrilled that everyone came from my community group (except two people who were out of town) and even some of their kids came and helped. It was also a beautiful experience, not just because it was on my house but because it was lots of people working together to accomplish a goal. Some of us talked about how in the past people gathered for barn-raisings and other farm activities that needed to happen together. Not only did we benefit by the company but we also each had different skills and tools. I'm not suggesting that we spend eight hours at our neighbors' houses every weekend, but on a modified scale it makes sense to do more things together.

I am also really beginning to understand that this new phase of my life is necessarily one of community. I am not going to Argentina on my own, and everything surrounding this journey is part of others' lives as well. Last week Chrissy (in my community group) wrote to me about what today's activities meant: "I do not want you to rebel against that high calling of needing us, of needing me. I cannot go to Argentina, though I might desire to. I desire that I could somehow be a part of the going. I do not want to be robbed of the gift of being a part of your going-- of our going. I get to come and be a part of it on Saturday. I hope that you can see this "need" of yours as more a high calling than a burden or an anxiety or something to apologize for. That way it can be beautiful for you, and me, and all of us who get to be a part of this grand thing that He is doing."

The high calling of needing others -- something to ponder.