Las Primeras Semanas

Lindsay and I just rounded out our third week here in BA. Now, if you have been keeping up with my Facebook or Instagram, you might be wondering if we have done anything but sightseeing thus far. This was supposed to be a mission trip, right? If you have been pondering these things, let me give you a broad overview of our first few weeks.

I approached this trip with the feeling that I was going in blind. I was given a short summary of what the trip would entail, but it wasn't until a few weeks before I departed that I understood the greater details. This to say that I did not have many expectations of what life would be for us here, or what we would be doing on a daily basis. This trip does not mirror any mission trip I have been on before. I have realized that a longer trip--like this one--has an entirely different feel to it, which I hope to explain as I continue. 

If you have read my post about the bus, then you will have a decent idea of what our first week and a half here looked like. One of our primary objectives while in BA is to be the mediators between the USA missions teams and the churches and communities that they are coming to partner with. That means that Lindsay and I will be their guides in transportation, communication (HA!), and tourist outings. So becoming familiar with the bus and its various routes was very important for us. And to satisfy that followup question: yes, we now have confidence to ride the bus without fear or ignorance. We have gotten much better at asking strangers for directions, and that has hardly failed us... And the subway is a piece of cake; therefore, it is my preferred method of travel, but we don't always get so fortunate. We know how to read maps and understand our bus route guide. This is all due to repeated failure, patience, our skilled teachers, and the mercy of God. 

Alongside our conquest of the transportation system, Lindsay and I have been attending church services, Bible studies, and discipleship groups across the city. Today is our 26th day on the ground, and we have now been to 16 of such gatherings. Each of the three missionary families has a different home church, so there have been many people to meet and connect with during our stay. The churches are all Evangelical Baptist churches, but each differs in size, preaching and worship style, length of service, type of building, and neighborhood. So if you were to ask me what a typical service looked like, I would ask you to be a tad more specific. Most of the churches or groups that we have been exposed to are the places/people with which a USA team will be partnering at some point in the coming weeks. The others are where Lindsay and I have a more specific outreach, such as teaching English, which is another story in itself. 

You don't realize how complex and nonsensical the English language is until you try to teach it. 

"Why do you spell it like that? Why is it pronounced that way?" / /  "Well. Because it just is!" 

The main group of people that we are teaching, knows almost nothing about English. The ABCs are complicated. There are sounds in our language that they never have used before which I think is kind of crazy to think about. Lindsay and I often feel unequipped to give them what they need and how they need it. We aren't teachers, and most of what we teach them in English needs to be explained in Castellano (the language that we still have yet to master). It's a bit of a mess. But, we are learning a lot after each lesson, and we pray that they are, too. Like everything else here--it is a process. 

And then there is the sightseeing. We have been all around this massive city and have hit the majority of the highlights. From parks, to museums, to bookstores, to monuments, to the water and back again. We know what costs money, the days and hours of operation, the distance from the subway stop, and where all the nearby Starbucks are located. I would consider us experts in tourism. :) We have even been able to do a few things with the natives! A handful of young people from the churches have been gracious enough to take us on the town. But not only to do the tourist stuff, but to be a part of their lives. That has been a great blessing. 

So as I said, it's a process. This is my life right now. I was slightly discouraged in the beginning because I felt we weren't given enough to do that produced any growth. We have spent the majority of our time in churches, talking to Christians. But we are going to be here for about seven more weeks. Seven. And I have been reminded that sometimes your job is to lay the groundwork, to form relationships, to build bridges. Our first team arrives this evening from Tennessee (A.K.A. God's country). Things will begin to take form, and the pace will quicken. Everything we have been doing these past few weeks was to prepare us for weeks like these. So pray for us, please. We are excited (and if I'm honest, maybe a bit nervous). Pray that God works through this team to reach the people of this city.

On a heavier note, almost a week ago my grandpa passed away unexpectedly. It was a major blow to the family, and it was difficult to be here and process everything that was going on while 5000+ miles away from home. It was truly amazing how much support my family and I received during that time, not only from family and friends in the States, but from the people I live and interact with here in BA. Right before we left for our summer away, Grandpa had given my brother and I encouragement cards which had the very specific instruction of "Open June 15."  The date didn't hold much significance to him when he wrote it--just seemed like a good day, which shows his sense of humor. He died on June 12, and after three days of anticipation, I opened his letter. It was a sweet note. One thing he wrote that stuck out to me was this: "Now you will get a taste of what that (life) job is like and whether or not you want to continue in that work." The separation from family is one of those things that gives me a taste of what this "life" is like.

A great thing about this trip is that we get to see the everyday lives of established missionaries. At this juncture, I think I have appreciated that the most. As my grandpa hinted, I have contemplated living full time on the mission field for some years now. Of course, every missionary family, location, and experience is unique. But events such as the passing of a loved one shows me that this is not just an amazing adventure, but reality. However, I am grateful for this opportunity, and for the movement of my Father in all of these events. I am anxious to see where He is leading me through this.