After an all night flight we finally arrived in Argentina. We were all very tired and we were happy to get settled in our hotel, have lunch and rest for a couple of hours. At about 5:30pm we left for the church to do ministry at Bible Clubs at the church in Haedo, Buenos Aires. We were able to participate in music, drama, share some testimonies and played games. A missionary name Rodrigo shared the message and we finished the evening with pizza at about 11:30pm!

On Sunday, we went back to the same church and two from our group got to share their testimonies and we sang a couple of songs in the morning service. The SCORE missionary that worked with us all week, Ryan, shared a presentation on the ministry he and his wife, Megan, are doing. One of the pastors preached and afterwards we had an amazing lunch prepared by one of the ladies in the church. We got to go back to our hotel and rest for about an hour and a half and then we were off to our next church for evening service. It was a small community about an hour and a half away called Marcos Paz. It was an offshoot of the first church we were at. We did our songs and testimonies there and Rodrigo preached again.

Monday we went back to that church in Marcos Paz and we painted the building and cleaned up the property. Marta, the lady in the church, cooked us another awesome lunch and afterwards we did what the Argentines do…We played soccer. We eventually got back to work and finished the painting. We went to a buffet for dinner then back to the hotel to get some sleep.

Tuesday was an early and long day, but we loved it. We left our hotel at 7:00am and went to a school and did two programs. Rodrigo preached after our program and several kids got saved. After the school we went to Florida Street. It was a wide long street that was just for walking on and it had a bunch of stores and restaurants. We passed out tracts, had lunch and did a little bit of shopping. When we were done there, we went to an orphanage. It was an amazing time! We enjoyed visiting with the kids, getting to know them, playing with them and then we exchanged some songs; us in English and Spanish and them in Spanish. We brought several bags of donation items that we collected from people at our school. We had school supplies, hygiene items, coloring books and crayons, toys, and clothes. We got several pictures with them and after a couple of hours we had to go.

Wednesday was the day that we left the city and headed to Word of Life’s property in San Miguel del Monte. We had the morning to rest at our hotel and we needed it. It rained the whole day, so it was a good day to travel. We stopped at the #6 steak restaurant in Argentina (who is world renown for their beef). It was called Siga La Vaca (follow the cow). It was an all you can eat salad and steak buffet. We ate like kings and queens and then piled back on the bus for the journey to WOL. We got settled in to our apartments in Monte and after dinner we went to the student led prayer bands. The students broke up in groups to pray for more than 30 countries that evening.

Thursday we went to a farm called an “Estancia” in Spanish. It is set up to show you what the life of a Gaucho (Argentine Cowboy) was like in the early days of Argentina’s history. We played games that the Gauchos came up with and occupied their time with. Some of us rode horses and we got to go in the animal pens and see the animals as well. Right before lunch we played a game called “taba”. It is another game that the Gauchos made up using the ankle bone of a cow. Then they taught us the history of brick and showed us how to make them. We then had an “asado” (Argentine bar-b-que) for lunch. It was really good and we got stuffed once again with food. In the afternoon we fed the animals, learned how to make bread, saw how the Gauchos pumped water, and saw the mud houses they made for themselves. Before we left they baked the bread that we made and we were able to take it with us. In the evening one of the WOL missionaries shared with us the ministry that WOL Argentina does not only here, but all over Latin America.

Friday we went back in to Buenos Aires to go shopping. We first went to an area in La Boca called “Caminito” (little walk way). It has several shops in it and we got lots of souvenirs. We got to see Boca Jrs. Soccer stadium also. The SCORE missionary Ryan said that it is the best team in Argentina. We also went by the Pink House (like our White House) on our way to lunch. We went to a really fancy restaurant for lunch called “La Estancia” (The Ranch). It was amazing. As you walked in to the restaurant there was glass cases on both side where you could watch them cook the steak, pork and chicken over coals the way the Gauchos used to do it. After lunch we stopped at some jersey stores (as Argentina is also known for its soccer). Then we went to an artesian market called “Recoleta” and bought more souvenirs before returning to Monte. After dinner we had a crazy gym activity that they call Mufa Pufa. They were amazing games that the students came up with and built and they use for camp all summer. We had a really great time.

Saturday was our last day in Argentina. They took us into Monte to let us get any more last minute souvenirs. We also got to experiment an Argentine grocery store. It was a lot different than in the US, but not too bad. We went back to WOL’s campus and had lunch, then played some soccer, volleyball and basketball. We had time to shower then pack up and leave. We really had a great time in Argentina. We loved the ministry of SCORE and the people we meet. We will never forget our experiences in Argentina.

Ryan Hansen

Last week those of us in GAP had the opportunity to spend about four days in Nicaragua. Our trip had several purposes in mind: to renew our visas in Costa, to do a missions trip partnering with Word of Life Nicaragua, and to see and experience another Latin-American culture. Here is a brief summary of what we did in Nicaragua.

* Tuesday we made the 8 1/2 hour bus ride to Nicaragua and spent the rest of the day getting unpacked and settled in our home for the next few days.

* Wednesday morning we all went door-to-door witnessing with “El Camino” church, located just outside of the capital of Managua. This was a very special time as each student was challenged to share their testimony and the Gospel in Spanish as well as see several people make decisions to place their faith in Christ.

In the afternoon we went to an orphanage where we sang some praise songs and did a couple skits for the children followed by a Gospel presentation by one of the WOL missionaries, Jader. We had a really fun time hanging out and playing with the kids which made it hard to leave when it was time

* We spent Thursday doing a little tourism. We visited the historic town of Granada, took a boat on the huge Lake of Nicaragua, and did some souvenir shopping.

* Friday we had the opportunity to help at a nearby Christian camp. There we helped paint and pick up the grounds. It was a great blessing to the missionaries there and to us as well as we fellowshipped and worked together.

In all, it was a very refreshing time for all of us as we look to finish strong these last 2 1/2 months of GAP.

April 12, 2008

The sunrise in Jamaica is gorgeous. It’s interesting to watch Jamaican culture unfold at the crack of dawn as fisherman head out to sea and tourists head out to scuba dive.

We woke up early, headed to the dock, and boarded a boat that took us out to a reef to snorkel. After seeing many colorful fish and swallowing several mouthfuls of salt water, we walked back to the villas to eat breakfast.

Once we had recuperated from our salty, early morning, the group decided to go back to James Bond Beach and squeeze as much fun as possible on our last day in Jamaica.

We took one last trip to Ocho Rios for last minute shopping in the afternoon. The rest of the day we watched a soccer game, packed, relaxed and enjoyed our last moments in beautiful Jamaica.

This has been an extraordinary trip that has opened my eyes to a different culture that I have come to respect and embrace. I can’t wait to share my experience with family and friends when I return home.

-Iain Braden King-Moore

April 11, 2008

Now that we’ve completed our primary goal of giving the children here
a loving, Christ-oriented experience, we decided to indulge in some more
tourist oriented activities.

After eating another delicious breakfast, we headed into the town of Ocho Rios where we explored the local market. Upon entering the market, we were thrust into the exhilarating experience of bartering. Never have I had so much fun as when my classmates and I were haggling down prices on our desired merchandise. While we may have been novices when we started, most of use were pro’s at getting good prices by the time we left.

I’m sad to say though that I was unsuccessful at bartering with the cashier at Burger King, they seem to be pretty firm in their set prices.

Needless to say, we found a practical use for our math skills when we had to convert American
dollars into Jamaican dollars. After catching some lunch, we compared our purchases and boasted of our skills as we headed to a local tourist hot spot known as Dunn’s River Falls.

Once we had changed into our swimsuits, slathered on sunscreen, and paid for our admission, we descended numerous flights of stairs until we reached a beautiful beach with a roaring waterfall. We proceeded to climb the falls as they wound up the mountain and
stopped only to admire the amazing beauty of our surroundings.

After several hours at the park, we drove back to our villas to eat dinner and prepare for our early morning the next day.

Braden