Day of Rest

Today was a day of rest! No really, it was a real day of rest. We had no agenda and even though we did things around the house, it was true. We just talked and got to know each other and in a lot of situations, that is one of the most important things you can do! Not much more to say, except that I am so grateful for this opportunity and am excited to see what God has in store for me next!

What A Day!

My thoughts are scattered, but maybe they will give you a gist of what is going on.

Yesterday was pretty busy. It started off before sunrise heading to the trail head of Refugio Lopez. Oh, you may want to know that sunrise is around 8:00am, pretty nice! To get to Refugio Lopez, the way we went, the hike starts from the road and almost immediately goes up. The climb was steep for a large portion of the hike, but when we got to the Refugio, it was worth it. I can't say that I loved the straight up hike, but man, it was pretty awesome up there. The Refugio was a pale pink color with teal trim work. It was three stories high and around the side it had a small pool about two feet deep but perfect for cooling off after a hot hike. Because we began the hike early in the morning, as we got higher, it got a bit colder, but by the time we got to the top, it was fairly warm. Once we got to Refugio Lopez, we realized it was locked, but not too long after we got there, ate, and chilled out for a few minutes, a young lady came running to the top and opened up the Refugio. We went in, sat on the chairs that really were similar to church pews, and sat for a minute. It wasn't long after that, a group of Americans came hiking up. They came in talked about peanut butter and from that we started talking to them. We were able to share mate with them and by the end of the conversation invite them to dinner. We probably talked for over 30 minutes learning about them and reason they are there. The man had been there for four weeks and was going to be in the area for two more to make a total of six weeks. The two young girls were only here for a few days. We headed down a bit after they did, but because we were pretty much running down the mountain, we caught up to them! Once off the mountain, we headed in to have a mate with a friend in the area. While there, I pretty much hung out with a child acting like I was fixing a lawnmower. He would tell me where to fix something, and I would do it. We did this over and over on two different toys. After that, we headed home and began preparing for the guests. It wasn't too long and they arrived. We were having a barbecue, so we all pretty much hung out outside. There were five of them and a lot of conversation to be had. It was a pretty good dinner. Also, it was nice to talk to travelers that were American that had no language barrier. When they left, we cleaned up, decompressed and went to sleep. The day was long, but pretty fun.

Today

I'd say today was a bit unorthodox, but really it wasn't! Today we talked with a restaurant owner about using some kayaks, but found out that it isn't that easy. We then went to help another brother build a cabana for youth and young adults during camps and other functions they do there. I used a sander for a few hours and at the end of the work, I could see a difference.

Tonight was really nice though. I got to be a part of family Bible time and talk about the day time that carried into a celebration for one of the children here because she went to the potty each time she needed to go. It really is nice here and I am grateful for the opportunity!

My View

Not a long post today, but I wanted you to see the view from where I stood this morning. There is much more than this photo can show, but maybe you can get the idea of the beauty. It's not just the visual beauty, it's the other stuff too, it's the family, the noise, the awesome selection of music, the newness. All is well here.

In Argentina!

It's odd to think about, but just a few hours ago I was in Atlanta waving goodbye to my friends and family. Now, I'm laying in a hammock that's strung up by rope and carabiners on the front porch of my friends house that overlooks the lakes and mountains! As I lie here, the wind softly pushes the cool air through and in the distance I can hear the waves hit the small rock shore that's about 200 meters away. Needless to say, it is nice here! I am sure there will be more to share, but until then, keep praying! God bless you!

Driving Around

Waterfall Near Me

Waterfall by Brooks Gallman

The photo is far from perfect, but the place couldn't be more. Surrounded by nature, and the people you love. It really doesn't get much better. It took us about an hour to get to this spot, but for a small swimming hole equipped with a beautiful waterfall, it was worth it. Coming to this place got me thinking about all the places near to us we never visit. Often, we are surrounded by opportunities to visit places that people from around the world travel to, but take them for granted and never visit. This place is like that for me. I know it is there, but just don't take advantage of the blissful location created for us. Maybe the moral to the story for me is, maybe I should stop looking everywhere else and start looking around me. It is probably right here close by.