Bitter Sweet

How can something that would seem so ridiculous to most be such a blessing to others. Bittersweet has been a popular word for my friends and I over the last few months. But I want to tell you how bittersweet still continues even after I have left home—which used to be the bitter part of this time.

So enough about plane rides and the food. Let me tell you a little about this place. WOL in a nutshell: We arrived and had a chance to get situated in our dorms. This little detail got jumbled up in the communication process but I was placed in a room with the Hispanic students who are enrolled in the actual Bible Institute down here. My room boss can speak a little English, but other than that it’s all Spanish. The cafeteria food is not like the 12 course lunch we had the first day—I am actually not sure what it is. I am planning on just eating without asking questions; but it really isn’t that bad and it is supposedly really good for you (bunch of vegetables and a meaty mystery type thingy). It is freezing and rainy all the time. Then once you get into the classroom it gets even colder. When it is not raining it is foggy and muddy, which adds a very gloomy effect to the campus.

BUT I LOVE THIS PLACE. I don’t even know where to start. It was easy talking about the stuff above simply because its not that big of a deal. I titled this Bitter Sweet, but not because it’s both to me. I see no bitterness here. This is where I am supposed to be, this is where God wants me to be. There is no cell phone, no distractions, just a great environment and an even better group of people. THE SHOWERS ARE HOT. The bathrooms are a little disgusting but THE SHOWERS ARE HOT. The coffee is good.. yes I just said that. It is sweet and not bitter like back home. Waking up at 6 15 every day urged me to the point of needing caffeine. I love the PBB group (my group). I can already tell that it’s going to be difficult saying goodbye in the end. We have only had a bunch of orientation classes to so far explaining everything to us—actual Spanish classes don’t start till next Friday. But the schedule is definitely doable. We have Mondays off, kinda, and plenty of breaks between classes. We had to pick a sport and a job to participate in. I chose basketball and I want to work on the farm—hard work but I heard we get to kill the cows. The argentine way of life is definitely friendlier and lenient/flexible. Its like rules about 3 second hugging and third party chaperones watching mixed groups don’t need to exist because a kiss or a hug is just saying “hey! I missed you, how have you been?” I am not saying this campus is perfect, there are rules placed to keep the standard of conduct at a certain level but its not like back home. I will explain all of this in detail later—I have too many thoughts coming to my mind at once to talk about each one in a deep, well-written essay type blog thing.

And God is here! Joe Jordan, the director of Word Of Life and the founder of WOL Argentina has been coming to speak to the PBB students (again, the 44 of us that are here). He is like our Bible teacher for the next few days. It is awesome. I am sitting in the classroom hearing him speaking and everyone is listening and taking notes not because we have to, or to merely prepare for an upcoming exam or test, because there will not be one. There is only life. He is there teaching us simply because we want to listen and learn. I have time to study Gods Word not just for a daily quiet time but a morning, nightly, mid day, just whenever quiet time. It is so amazing, nothing else taking my time but God. There is so much more that has already happened but this is already getting long so ill stop here. Again, this might seemed rushed and not very deep but I am not able to write down all of my thoughts in a well thought out post because there are so many thoughts and things I want to write down. And I had to do this in like ten minutes I have class more Bible time with JJ(you remember, the founder guy), who has been a missionary to Argentina, starting soon. But I can assure you that there is no bittersweet here.. Just sweet!! God Bless YOU..