Hamburgers with Rice?

Hola!
Hamburgers in an interesting combination to be served as a meal during a retreat.

March 1st and 2nd Churches annual retreat. Everyone traveled to Aregua, a small town about 45 minuets away, to a beutiful camp site. I had the opportunity to be in charge of the food for the retreat. We bought all the food and took it up to the site and different members helped cook. The missionaries led class and service. Micah tought the children. The theme of the retreat was "La Batalla Es De Nuestro Señor", which translates to "The Battle Belongs to the Lord".

We have started an english program. I currently have 11 english students. Everyone who teaches english at the church has varying schedules. Most of my english students speak english very well, although none of them will agree with me. We use material from the book of John.

We had a vacation week. Its called "Semana Santa" which translates to "Holy Week". Its equivilent is Spring Break. Except we cant call it "Spring" here because we are currently in the fall season. We went to Pilar and spent 4 days there. We traveled to see a ruin and we had "asados", which translates to "Barbeque." Pilar is a very small town so there wasnt a lot of activities to do but the most fun and important thing we did was enjoy one anothers company. It was great seeing another part of the country. Pilar is about a 5 hour drive south.
Here is a link to some photos.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2484145&l=5789e&id=8369166

We still have our consistant weekly activities. Visiting orphanages, youth women and english meetings, womens tea are just to name a few.
Thanks for reading :)

A Month in Review

Saludos!

Well friends it has been a while since my last post. I will asure u this is the only time I will have this long an absence.

Camp in Argentina was fantastic. Groups from Cordoba, Buenos Aires and Asuncion came together and spent a week in a cabin in the moutains. It was a nice break from the hot weather. We had classes, devotionals, trecks throught the mountains and many other spiritual and fun adventures. There were 7 baptisms and number of other spiritual enlightenments. It was a great opportunity to meet the youth of Argentina but equally important and exciting was getting to our youth better. Our bus broke down and so that added 6 hours to a return time. So about 27 hours in return from Cordoba to Asuncion. The weeks that followed included english studies, womens tea, orphanage visits, team retreat, memeber visits, middle school girls sleep over, Doctor visit, university visits, event plannings, class teachings, movie night, yellow fever vaccinations, retreat plannings, womens bible study, many other events and many other miscellaneous tasks.

In the coming weeks, we will start an english program for 7 weeks. I have the great pleasure of being responsible in help forming a university group. I will go out into the universities and personally hand out flyers and get to know the College Students of Paraguay. Our hopes are that their interest in free enlgish classes will bring more people to the church and so bring more Paraguayans into Christ. Here are a few links to Photo Albums of my internship experiences, opportunities and events.
Enjoy!

Summer Camp, Argentina Style!
http://tamu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2457628&l=2478c&id=8369166

Day trip to Cordoba
http://tamu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2457634&l=66a6d&id=8369166

Mission Conference in Canela, Brazil
http://tamu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2450032&l=6f9fe&id=8369166

To the left of the screen there is a link to my co-interns blog. Here name is Micah Bayles. She and I met in the summer of 2005 when we traveled to South America with the Aggies for Christ.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, encouragements, words of wisdom, constructive criticisms or a simple hello ;)

Chau Chau :)

PS Hindi is cool. I would love to learn this language especially to write it! हिन्दी इस सुपर कूल!इ वौल्ड लव टू लीर्ण आईटी!

A Little Taste, throw in some Argentina

Hello All!

This week was my first official week as an intern. The Asuncion team really knows how to break in new interns. No, I joke, they are great!
A few of the things I've done and or participated in this week.
Team Devotional
Translate Songs
Visit a memeber in the hospital
Visit with a member at their home
Our house hosted Ladies Tea
Youth Group Devos
Begin preperation for pre-teens class
Attempted to make flyers for English classes
Womens Bible Class
Made cards for the memebers who are ill or in the hospital

Today I will be heading out to Cordoba, Argentina! We were scheduled to leave at 5 pm but in South America time that means about 6.30-7.
It's summer camp time! We will spend a week in the moutians getting to know God and each other better. There will be no internet or cell phone recpetion. Im sure our youth will survive a week with out it, although some suggestest they might not.
I am immensly excited to be able to travel again, all the more excited to be able to return to Argentina! Horray for more passport stamps!

I ask for you prayers in safe travel, campers experience Christ, patience and for the counsolers to be always remember there are learning eyes upon us.
Thanks for your prayers and keeping in touch!

Hasta Pronto!

Conference in Brazil

Hola! Hola!

We returned "home" back to Paraguay on the 12th.

To recap:
The missionary conference was nothing short of amazing, eye opening and priority readjusting. We had the privledge of listening to the wise words of John Willis , an elder at Highlands Church of Christ in Abilene and a professor at ACU. He taught about how God create and God sustains, among many other topics. The ladies class was taught by Dottie Schulz, a former missionary in the Netherlands. She was an amazing speaker how taught about loss, women in Gods work and re-entry to the states after your time serving abroad. It was a Brasilian missionary conference but other South American mission teams were invited. The team from Asuncion just happened to be the only non-Brazilian team. It was great to meet new people who were missionaries in other parts of Brazil and memebers of the Continent of Great Cities,who place teams in South America. It was also a immense joy so see some old friends!

When we were not in time of praise and gaining knowledge we all fellowshiped with one another. We saw some sights, ate chocolate fondue, learned interesting Brazilian games, ate at a CHURRASCARIA and many more awesome things. A nice surprise was to see Carlos Castilho. I didnt know he was attending but it was really good spending time with him.
For those of you who dont know, my home church in San Antonio helps support Carlos' ministry.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

A Recap And a New Start

OI! OI! OI!

A lot has happened since my last post. I returned home 6 days later from Thailand. The next summer (2007) i returned to South America and traveled to Chile Brasil Argentina Bolivia and Paraguay. This last semeseter I prepared for my semeseter long internship. Through much deliberation and prayer God has lead me and Micah (co-intern) to Asuncion, Paraguay. I arrived January 4th and God willing i will be here until August 11th. So about a little over 7 months.
The last few days have been a little crazy but awesome.
SATURDAY JAN 5th
Here is my schedule for the past 4 days
Micah and I fly out of Houston at 9 pm Friday night we had a lay over in Buenos Aires and then headed to Asuncion after about 5 hours.
A 3 hour plane ride we finally arrived in Asuncion at 5pm (2pm US central time).
2 hours later we had a youth activity. Burgers and fun.
11pm we returned home "unpacked" some and went to med at midnight.
SUNDAY JAN 6th
8.15 get ready for church
9.15-11.30 church
11.30 - 2 lunch
2-3 return home and pack for the trip to brazil the next day
3-4 take Asuncion team to airport and see them off
4-7-30 church in Capiata
8 - 10.30 picked up and spent a night at a friends house (to be taken to the airport the next morn) then sleep
MONDAY JAN 7th
4 am wake up and to the airport
5.15 fly out
9 am arrive in Sao Paulo - 3 pm lay over
3 fly out Porto Alegre
6pm bus ride to Canela
8.30 arrive to the hotel
9-12 dinner room situated saying hello to every one then sleep
TUESDAY
8 breakfast
allll day conference

And we find ourselves at this moment.
I am currently in Canela, Brasil for a Missionary Conference. The missionaries in Brasil plus us the Asuncion team is here for a week long conference with classes devotional and sight seeing.

Im pre-tty tired but am so HAPPY to be in Brasil again!!! I will return to Asuncion the 12th.
I will soak up every moment of familiar faces and brazilian food!

I will keep yall updated!

Since the internet was not working my recap of the last days in Chiang Mai were erased.
Last Thursday we did some last minute shoping at the Night Bazzar and I took some traditional Thai pictures.
I love going to the night bazzar. Its like walking around at the base of the Tower of Babel. So many different languages being spoken is like music to my ears. I have observed that all the spanish speakers i have met here are from Spain. I have not met some one from any other spanish speak country, Thailand is full of Spaniards. One time I met a young woman whos name is also Rocio. every where I go now I keep an ear our for Spaniards.
Friday night we had a going away party for the american interns who were continuing on their travels and leaving Chiang Mai.
Jennifer was sat in the middle of a balloon filled floor are was encouraged by the church. Then
Jenica, Johanna, Tim and me were encouraged together. There were thai snacks and games.
Saturday all the interns from Payap and Ma Cha gathered for an american breakfast and a missionaries house. We then took grou pictures at a grafitti decorated wall.

I leave Chiang Mai today for Bangkok. Please pray for Jennifer, Jenica, Tim, Johanna, Dalheen, P'Gade and me as we travel overnight by train.
The internet has not been working with me lately I will have a long entry next time with many pictures.
Kap Kun Maak Ka!

Our day of Solitude was more than I expected. It was hard at first I slept most of the all morning. After lunch the weather was soo perfect, so beautiful I decided to spend time in prayer outside. I visted the 4 chapels and wrote in my journal. The entire day went with out speaking a word. That night ended at 7:30 so Jenica, a fellow intern, and I enjoyed a coffee and spent time reflecting on our day of solitude. The following morning we all met at Kingdom Books. A Christian oriented book store. We had a huge breakfast with 5 inch thick pancakes. We discussed our solitude day, the things we found hard or easy, things the supreised us and things of that sort. Friday morning we have "experimental equipping", this takes us out of our usualy bible study lessons. We have been to a lake and hospital and other places. This last friday morning didnt go as planned. We went to an orphage home, but were turned away. We then thought to go to a home for the Aged but that didnt work out either. While the drivers drove through town figuring out what to do i just looked out the window of the van admiring Thailand and its many colorful temples. Then I notice we pulled into "School for the Deaf" I let out a sound of glee that scared some people in the van. I was so excited to go inside. I was able to communicate some with the deaf students. I was told they could understand me. Everyone was given a sign name which was a lot of fun. We went to two different classrooms. The second classroom had students that were a little younger than the first. In this classroom. I was able to address the class directly. Our group sang songs while I signed them. I had an incredible time at the deaf school. Yesterday a couple of us went with some Thai friends to a waterfall. We climbed up and down part of the waterfall. At one point while trying to beat the camera timer I slipped on the waterfall but was caught by friends.
Today AFCB (Aggies for Christ in Bangkok) are in Chiang Mai. They will be only be here for a couple of days but have many activites planned. Im looking forward to the next couple of days with the Aggies. Its so great to see some of my AFCO friends again!
Pictures to come :)

น้ำค้าง

My name in Thai

Pronounced "NamKaang"

Hello friends
Yesterday I had church services at Payap. It was nice, there were about 20 us compared to 800 person church that I usually attend back home. I knew almost everyone so it was like having church with my friends. Tim, an ACU intern, gave the sermon. After we all ate lunch together, we then went to a blind school. It was a neat experience. They all sang for us, sort of like a talent show. We played a tradtional thai game. A ball is passed around while music is playing and when the music stops who ever is left holding the ball is made to put baby powder and over their face. Kind of like "Hot Potato"
On Friday, A group of us went to Myanmar, a.k.a Burma, for passport renewals. Its about 3 and half hours to the border. It was nice to spend time with the ACU interns and with Russ and Rebecca. Russ and Rebecca they are 2 year aprentices, who have been here a year and a half. We took pictures, got our passport stamped and bought low priced DVDs.
On Friday we went to a hospital as part of our equipping time. I really didnt mind, one would think after the experience I had a few weeks earlier, I would steer clear of hospitals, but i was ok. We were free to go anywhere we wanted to go. We were to make observations and take in whatever we could and to answer some questions about what we saw, felt, heard, smelt. When our time was up we gathered and made one more stop before we headed back. A friend of Eddie , a thai intern, is diagnosed with leukemia. So to lift her spirits we all went to chat with her. There are about 15 of us. When I first walked in the hall, I looked to my left and I saw a young girl laying on her side. Instantly I thought "That must suck, lying there like that." I later realized that had bothered me so much beacuse when I was in the heigh of my pain or when the pain would came back severly i would lay on my side. We then got to her room and all gathered around her. I sat and just looked at her. Smiled when she turned to me. She spoke mostly to Eddie. All of a sudden i found myself unable to continue to be in the same room. All the memories of being scared, alone and in severe pain came back to me. I had to leave the room before i broke into tears. I sat outside and pulled myself together. I had no idea of how my time in the hospital had traumatized me so much.
We go back and had an open forum for anyone who would like to share anything. After a few interns shared about how being at the hospital reminded them of the last time they were there for sugery and what not. I then shared how terrified i was, how alone i felt with the group gone, my closest friends nor family was there and what an INCREDIBLE amount of pain i was in. I then said that I praise God for that experience, how greatful and more faithful becuase of it. How i am able to rejoice in my suffering. If it had not been for that Kidney Stone I would not be here having the best time of my life in Chiang Mai. The Kidney stone made everything fall into place for me to be able to come back and be an intern here. This trip has been very difficult BUT very rewarding. I then shared my very favorite verse of the bible. Romas 5: 3-5

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I wasnt able to finish that verse with out crying. I was so happy that God had given me the perfect opportunity to share what I hadnt yet but always wanted to.
That night we had an International Day Party. I,of course, represented Mexico. I made rice and because and I ran out of time I bought refried beans form a can. I made breakfast Tacos that everyone loved. It took me a while to find all the right incredients , we went to 2 different stores. I burned the first batch of rice. Which didnt help time wise. It was the first time I had made rice with out Moms help. :) It came out well. We played games then had a feast. There were many countries represented and everyone brought a little taste of their country. It was a very fun nonstop party. That day had been such a trying day. Nevertheless I really enjoyed it.
Today is our dat off but tonight we are going to have a day of solitude. From evening tonight to early evening tomorrow. I am looking forward to refocusing for my time left here.
Here are a couple of pictures.

Paeng and I. She represented India. Woot and I eating tasty fruit
Russ and Rebecca

Lets help Myanmar

Performance at the blind school

The past days have been great. Saturday we had sports day. We played ultimate frisbee and kickball. Kickball was a little difficult for the Thais to understand. I felt right at home though, i love baseball, kickball softbal ect.. Sunday I had my first church services at Cheung Doi. It was different but very enjoyable. That night we all gathered, Ma Cha and Payap and went to the walking street and played games at Starbucks. That night I spent a night at Payap to watch the World Cup Final with them. A couple of friends at Payap are soccer/football enthusiasts so i thought watching the game with them would be a little more exciting. The next day was the interns day off. Since the game was over at 4 am, I slept in till about 1 or so. The next evening we all went for dinner and a movie. I really enjoy fellowshiping and hanging out with the interns. There are 3 American and 4 Thais interns at Chueng Doi. Payap has 2 american and 4 thai inters. Today we had equiping lead by one of the interns. A couple of us then went to lunch, shopped for journals and visited a fellow intern as this painting studio. It was really nice. Later we are going to exercise at a gym. I am in charge of putting together the english class on thursday this week so i will be working on that.
Thanks for reading :)

Hello Friends
I am currently back in Chiang Mai. I started my intership yesterday. The last days of AFCO were just taking in as much of Thailand as much as one could. I felt a little under the weather at the time so i didnt join in with the shopping and movie watching. 2 days after AFCO ended i leaded back to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. The train ride back was very eventful. Something happened with the train so we were told to gather our things and get on a bus, we then rode to another train station and got on our cars and finished our way back. There were a lot more complications and confusion in that story but i am here. We have "equipping" every morning, which is bible studies at the start of everyday. Then we have different activites depending on the day.
Today was a little different we had a free time at our meeting time, then us girls at Cheung Doi, more commonly known as Ma Cha, cleaned the 4th floor and then we had girls night at a missionaries house. I moved into the room with Jennifer and Jenica, fellow interns, and so now im not all alone in a big room.
Tomorrow we have Sports Day, hopefully it will not rain like it has been the past 4 days. We have a couple of activites scheduled for the next 3 weeks. One of which is a trip to Burma, or Myanmar, to do visa renewals. Im looking forward to that. I will keep updates when those events come.
Kap Kun Ka

We are currently back in Bangkok. Sadly AFCO ended this morning when the group left back to the United States.
My prayers have been answered and will be able to stay in Chiang Mai for the remainer of my summer. Thank you to all of those who prayed for me. Thank you Jennifer.
My days in Chiang Mai while the rest of the group was in Chiang Rai was filled with Karaoke, movies, bible studies, devotionals, and coming down with cold like symptoms. Please pray that i feel better.
It was a lot more uneventful when the Aggies were gone. I was able to get to the know the Thais a little bet better.
I will be in Bangkok for another day or so then head back to Chiang Mai.
Please Pray for the Aggies safe travel back to the United States, my safe travel back to Chiang Mai and Garrett Bradfords safe travel to Guatemala this wednesday.
Kap Kun Ka

The past few days have been pretty laid back. Sunday we went to a church about 45 minuets from where we are staying. We had a sermon in thai and english, we performed and then had lunch. After lunch we headed back to our churches and had the rest of the afternoon free. Some people went bungee jumping. I stayed at the church building and learned some more thai, wrote im my journal and went to a coffee shop. We then had 3 hours to shop at the Walking Street. I didnt buy anything so i just walked around with my thai friends, that was a lot of fun.
The next day we went to the Umbrella Factory, where i got Manuels bible painted and my journal decorated.
The group traveled on to Chiang Rai yesterday I have decided to stay in Chiang Mai until they return, then head back to Bangkok. I have decided that staying near a hospital is a good idea. Chiang Rai is pretty primitive and most of the trip will be spenton a raft on a river.
Yesterday i spent the whole day at Payap Christian Zone. It was pretty quite and uneventful since it was the interns day off. Nonetheless it was great to just hang out Thais Thai interns ACU interns and Jeremy Hegi. He is leaving back to the states this friday. Please pray for him as he he prepares to return home and to have a safe flight.
There is a possibilty that i will get the privilege and opportunity to stay in Chiang Mai for the second part of the summer. I ask for your continual prayers that this all work out. The Lord has answered my prayers and that opportunity is becoming more and more of a reality.
Its amazing how the kidney stone lead into what has been and will be one of the best times in my life, learning thai, building relationships, learning so much about myself but most importantly builing and having a closer relationship with our Lord.
AFCO ends July 3rd. I have learned so much in these past few weeks and I have had so many incredible experiences that i would have not had if i had not come on this trip to Southeast Asia. I praise the Lord for that.
Thank you
Kap Kun Maak Ka Pra-ong!

PS
Please pray for the Thai that just had a motorcycle accident right outside the internet cafe.

We just finished a one day english camp at a school up in the mountains. It was such a beautiful sight. It was about 1 & 1/2 hours from Chiang Mai. It was an elementry type school. We played games, sang songs, ate some good cafeteria food. It was a fun day starting at 5 am and ending about midnight. The camp was from 9 am to 5 pm. It was great fellowshiping with the Thais at the church. Its a very small but growing church. My thai is getting better i can hold a conversation in thai. Its mainly introductory phrases and responces. I can say where Im from, what I study, how many brothers and sisters I have, where I study and a lot of things of that sort. I can also ask these questions.
The other day we went to the "Night Bazzar" a night street market. Its a big interesting cheap (at times) place to shop.
Its been great getting to know the thai young people and all the interns at Payap and Ma Cha Christian Zones. I am staying at Ma Cha. Its across from Chiang Mai university and right near the mountians.
Chan raak pra tet thai! I love Thailand!
Kap Kun Ka!

Brazil 4-1 Japan !!!!!!
The US is out of the running for the World Cup after their 2-1 loss against Ghana.

Sawatdee ka!

I realized that i used the word "weary" incorrectly so lets use "terrified"
Im having the best time in Chiang Mai. I am doing very well with speaking understanding remember and responding to Thai. It incredible! The people here are awesome and they are good teachers. We have done some performances at some universites and just been hanging out with the college students. We have been put into TAG teams which is 3 Aggies a Chrisitan Thai and a non christian Thai. They take us shopping and we get to know the thai people, its awesome. Not to much to report.
Chan raak pra tet thai!!!
Chan chop pood pasa thai!!
Kap Kun Ka!

I visited the doctor this morning and i have good news and bad news. The good news is its very very small. The bad news is its still there. The doctor said i could pass the stone without even noticing it OR i could have such severe pain that i would need to return to the hospital and only an injection of pain medication would relieve me of such anguish. So lets pray for the first option. I am fine now but am weary every time i used the bathroom.
Im currently in the airport on my way to Chiang Mai. Its great to be back with the group and am very excited to get to Chiang Mai. Ive heard so many good things about that place.
Kap Kun Ka!

Sawatdee Ka!
Nothing new to report. Today was nice, i got to sleep in til 10 am. Went to Central Festival, which is like a mall. Had lunch, bought stuff, went to the movies and wrote some notes at Starbucks. Taking it easy for the time being. Im ready to join the rest of the group tomorrow. We will fly out of Phuket to Chiang Mai at noon. I will see the doctor tomorrow morning to see how everything is. Please continue to pray for me concerning my current situation.
Kap Kun Ka!
Brasil 2-0 Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A friend of mine in Brasil told me about the celebrations that went on when they won, pretty crazy over there hehe
Thought i would post some pics or AFCO '06

Hello folks!
These past couple days have been rather....unplanned....i guess i could say. Friday morning I woke up as usual had breakfast and was ready to pay my bill for the time I spent at Ban Raya. I then realized i need to return to my room for more baht. On the way back to my room I felt a rather unusual and sharp pain radiate throughout the ride side of my stomach. A friend took me back to my room and called for help. Sara Davidson, which is the wife of Kelly Davidson, which is the leader of our trip, came to my aid. By this time the pain was hitting the right side of my body at full force. There was no way to console it, after vomiting some pain relievers. I asked for a doctor. I went to a clinic at a hotel on the otherside of the island. The nurse said I was showing signs of appendicitis. So we called the hospital to let them know I was coming. I then rode half an hour to land. The pain by then had decreased significantly. I got on an ambulance and arrived at the hopital. Soon after that i got into hopital clothes and got to my room. I had an ultrasound and X-ray to see what was going on. I was on an IV and pain medication. The pain was coming and going but less severely. Turns out my right kidney was swollen and I have a kidney stone. I spent the night in the hopital and was well taken care of. I have to return to the hospital for a check up early tuesday morning before my flight. I am at a hotel, currently the group is on a two day trip and I will join them when they get back to Phuket then were off to Chiang Mai. Right now I am doing very well. Please pray the pain will not return and the passing of the kidney stone wont be too unbearably painful.
Kap Kun Ka!

Hello folks!
These past couple days have been rather....unplanned....i guess i could say. Friday morning I woke up as usual had breakfast and was ready to pay my bill for the time I spent at Ban Raya. I then realized i need to return to my room for more baht. On the way back to my room I felt a rather unusual and sharp pain radiate throughout the ride side of my stomach. A friend took me back to my room and called for help. Sara Davidson, which is the wife of Kelly Davidson, which is the leader of our trip, came to my aid. By this time the pain was hitting the right side of my body at full force. There was no way to console it, after vomiting some pain relievers. I asked for a doctor. I went to a clinic at a hotel on the otherside of the island. The nurse said I was showing signs of appendicitis. So we called the hospital to let them know I was coming. I then rode half an hour to land. The pain by then had decreased significantly. I got on an ambulance and arrived at the hopital. Soon after that i got into hopital clothes and got to my room. I had an ultrasound and X-ray to see what was going on. I was on an IV and pain medication. The pain was coming and going but less severely. Turns out my right kidney was swollen and I have a kidney stone. I spent the night in the hopital and was well taken care of. I have to return to the hospital for a check up early tuesday morning before my flight. I am at a hotel, currently the group is on a two day trip and I will join them when they get back to Phuket then were off to Chiang Mai. Right now I am doing very well. Please pray the pain will not return and the passing of the kidney stone wont be too unbearably painful.
Kap Kun Ka!