From Dreams to Reality

The Countdown...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:01:28 -0400

I cannot believe we are in our final days of this journey. When I left Maui on January 30, I thought 3 months sounded like forever and I was so hesitant to commit to it. Now I can honestly say “3 months is not enough time!” Since my last post, we have been all over Argentina. I mean literally all over. We spent time in Ushuaia, the end of the world, because it is literally at the end of the world. A beautiful town which I would love to see in wintertime when everything is covered with snow. The people were so polite, like you would imagine any quaint town to be. I don’t know what it is was but it didn’t seem real, like we all props in a movie. I can’t explain why, maybe you just need to visit yourself.

We went to Buenos Aires, where we stayed 4 nights in Bethel. My perspective and idea of what Bethel life would be like completely changed after this experience. The friends we made while staying there will be ones I never forget. The most generous and genuine brothers I have met in a really long time. They made the time so enjoyable. It is just a taste of what it will be like in Paradise. It was really good for me.

Next we traveled north to Entre Rios, another province in Argentina, which meant another loooong bus ride. We visited a congregation in a very rural town that needs help in the worst way with their ministry. So many studies, so few teachers. The friends were again so hospitable and kind, but I have to say 2 days there and I was ready to go! I like the small town ambiance but this was population of 40—no not really but it felt like it. We headed a little further north to Missiones, to see Iguazu Falls. Another adorable town and the park was really cool. I think a different time of year would have been better, as many of the falls were quite dry. However, I am spoiled from living in Hawaii and having some amazing waterfalls pretty much out my back door :) This ended our trip to the north and we hopped back on the bus— THE LAST ONE— for another 18 hours! If our calculations are correct, we spent total of 170 hours on a bus in 3 months. I will be happy to not have to get on any kind of bus for a really long time.

We made it back to the city, where we found a SWEET apartment to rent in San Telmo, a suburb of Buenos Aires. We rented it for 8 nights and I was so excited to be in one place for that amount of time, to have a kitchen to buy food/cook, to watch some tv, to unpack our stupid backpacks, to have somewhere you are excited to come home to! It feels great! San Telmo is a neat area as well. It’s mostly known for antiques and the Tango. Free shows happening often, I could watch for hours. It has a very old feel here and we are close to Puerto Madero which is beautiful at night. Tonight is our last in our awesome apartment and I will miss it. We have 3 nights left in Argentina, and because we are fortunate to have met the right people, we will be spending them in Bethel. So it will be a great send-off.

I can’t even begin to count all the ways this journey has affected me. People kept telling me: you will never be the same after this. I finally get it. How could I be the same? Leaving my little bubble, my comforts of home, and personally seeing and experiencing how people from all over the world live with or without. It has opened my eyes to so many new ideas and opportunities. I only have Jehovah to thank. I feel like I have taken his invitation to “taste and see that he is good” and it has exceeded any expectation I may have had. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance. And to especially have had the chance to experience everything with such an amazing friend! Thank you Crystal! You have been an inspiration and to you I am very grateful. We will be sisters at heart always. Who knows, maybe one day we will be living together in one of the countries we visited :)

I have learned so much about myself, but my biggest surprise was how much I can ENDURE! Endurance was a must on this journey and I did It! There were moments when I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to go one more day, hour, or even step but I did it and it’s a really empowering feeling! I survived A LOT: extreme heat, sweating profusely, no water, no electricity, mosquito bites, fire ant bites, sand fly bites, spider bites, dust and dirt in every inch of your body, sleeping on airport floors, TIREDNESS, sleeping on buses, getting no sleep for days, crying due to lack of sleep, diarrhea for weeks, headaches, disgusting living conditions, language barriers, mini emotional-meltdowns, motion sickness, running with 50 lbs of luggage on your body to make the bus, horribly stinky buses, almost robbed, and of course feeling lost every time we entered a new country! And despite all of that, I would do it over again tomorrow! Ok, maybe not right away but I would definitely do it again! Because no matter how bad things seemed, we always laughed hard! Laughter can get you through anything.

I hope all of you who were reading this enjoyed coming along for the adventure. I loved doing it and I hope to keep writing. It may be the end of our central and south america trip for now, but who knows what will happen in my life next. Stay tuned.

This has been a dream come true.

Ciao

i hadn’t met another person with my name the entire trip,...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:40:35 -0400

i hadn’t met another person with my name the entire trip, then i meet this pup whose name is Jenny…isn’t she adorable?

this strawberry pie was good, but it was definitely not monkeypod good!

waiting for the subway (which gave me anxiety every time) with our house key as my weapon. a few days earlier i was almost robbed! thankfully i felt the woman bump me and i turned around and found her hand inside my purse!!! it shook me up a little bit, but after that i made sure to always have that key in my hand :) it doesn’t look like much but it made me feel better!

Photo

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:26:19 -0400

breakfast and morning worship in bethel

iguazu falls

the tango--staple in argentina

i want a golf cart in maui--perfecto

This is Ushuaia, Argentina aka “the end of the...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:14:00 -0400

This is Ushuaia, Argentina aka “the end of the world” where I was introduced to MATE and got to cross something off my bucket list: FLY-FISHING. I loved it there

just a few of my favorite friends i have met along the way

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:05:08 -0400

just a few of my favorite friends i have met along the way

I CANNOT WAIT TO LOSE THIS LUGGAGE FROM MY BACK!!!

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:57:22 -0400

I CANNOT WAIT TO LOSE THIS LUGGAGE FROM MY BACK!!!

"You are worthy, Jehovah, even our god, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you..."

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:25:00 -0400

“You are worthy, Jehovah, even our god, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created”

- Revelation 4:11

Crystal has a horrible fear of heights, I would say she...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:01:42 -0400

Crystal has a horrible fear of heights, I would say she conquered it :) I am very proud of her!!! WE DID IT!!!

The tall pointy mountain is what we climbed to the top of! It...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:52:00 -0400

machu picchu

at the top of waynapicchu

literally on top of the world!

The tall pointy mountain is what we climbed to the top of! It took us about 45 minutes. Totally breathtaking.

Loving Cusco, Peru

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:34:37 -0400

Looking back in my calendar I realized we have only been in Cusco one week. That seems impossible because we have done and seen SO much in such a short time. Lets play catch up…

Like the pictures below, it took us a very very long time to reach our destination! It was pretty miserable & tested every quality of a Christian I have. We arrived in Cusco at midnight so we didn’t see where we actually were until the morning. But what a pleasant surprise! It is a darling little city with lively people bustling around, bright colors everywhere, and crisp cooler air. Now I know I am a tough midwest girl who has endured 35 years of harsh, bitter, winters. But being in Maui for 1 year has made me such a wuss!!! It is cold here, and by that I mean lows in the 40’s highs in the 60’s! During the day it’s been sunny & beautiful, at night we have needed to bundle up in our wool socks, mittens, hats, scarves & down coats (thank you mommy for sending my coat before I left!). I can’t believe that’s what I wore to meeting (picture below)! Our 1st room in the hostel was FREEZING! We wore most of that to bed, I think Crystal might have even wore her coat to bed once or twice?! We switched to another room a few nights ago with more sunlight (and a cute balcony over the street) and it feels much warmer :) I was starting to get a little disappointed with the food here but that is now on the upside. We had a great meal with a family from the spanish congregation that we are attending. They are so hospitable, at our 1st meeting she invited us over for the following night! It has made me want to be more welcoming towards visitors in my congregation. They recommended a pizza place nearby called La Bodega 138, so we went & fell in love! The best salad & pizza We have had in long time. It’s all organic ingredients so I haven’t gotten sick in probably 4-5 days! That’s really big news because I have had diarrhea the majority of this trip. Sorry if that is too much info but it’s the sad truth! We want tot eat there every day until we leave (which is Sunday). The owner of it gave us another recommendation for breakfast, we tried it this morning & it was awesome! On Friday in one of the millions of markets, we found juice ladies!!! Fresh juice with no water added so totally healthy! I get my usual beet, apple, carrot, ginger DELICIOUS. It makes me happy to go there every day! (Linda, it is almost as good as the one you make me) (oh, and Shayla I love beets now..I don’t know why really but I do).

We started the invitation work on our own informally. The cong had hall cleanup scheduled so there was no meeting for service. We joined the groups on Sunday though, and guess what? With the help of a sister, she gave me a simple presentation in spanish to present the invitations!!! I have to say, I am a little proud of myself. It was an anxious but fun service morning! We are doing more of the tract work tomorrow & Saturday. The cong is kind, but really huge. That is the most noticeable change for me. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact there isn’t ONE english group or cong in the entire country! There are so many foreigners, especially in the area we stay in, I feel like English could explode here… I guess time will tell :) I really have loved Cusco, then to top it all off I saw the most breathtaking sight ever!! We went to MAUCHU PICCHU!! The pictures don’t do justice! It literally took my breath away. Mountains so massive I felt like an ant. The ruins were amazing, we saw snow capped mountains that were incredible. For an extra $10 we decided to hike WAIYNAPICCHU—i think i butchered that—the HUGE mountain behind Machu Picchu. I had my doubts because I had gotten sick the day before with bad head cold, couldn’t breathe well, and my monthly friend came the morning before (I was a mess). It was physically the hardest thing I have ever done but worth EVERY painful step!!!!! The view was incredible! It felt like literally being on top of the world! It made everything else we saw up to that point kind of lame! I can see why people travel the world to see it! I feel very privileged. I can’t believe we climbed the mountain!!!!!! I’m so proud of us!

We have a few days left in Cusco, I will miss it but hope to return again one day. I look forward to our next destination..ARGENTINA! However, I don’t look forward getting there. More buses, more stinky bathrooms. We don’t really know how long it will take, 3 days approximately BUT you never know on the bus! I can’t believe we’re entering our last part of the journey :( I feel some sadness but there is so much activity that awaits us, including the memorial, attending the 1st english special assembly day, and tasting some of the best meat & wine in the entire WORLD! Still so much ahead.

I love and miss you all with all my heart!

Asta Luego (see you later)

Photo

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:32:15 -0400

leg-warmers, mittens, hat

1 of many spanish congs in cusco

doing cleanup after great hospitality

kfc goes international--yep i did!

Photo

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:21:11 -0400

the rooftops of cusco

some of our fun purchases

our favorite daily spot--fresh juice!!!

plaza de armes--muy bonita

This is why our bus trip from Lima to Cusco took THIRTY-TWO...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:59:21 -0400

This is why our bus trip from Lima to Cusco took THIRTY-TWO hours, not the expected 18!!! We have found out that many of the tribes throughout central & south america are still fighting for their mining rights. They block the roads & the police don’t get involved because the anticipated violence. It tested my patience for sure!

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time"

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:51:30 -0400

“Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time”

Photo

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:37:16 -0400

in fitting room at outdoor market

haunchako beach with the famous boats

me on the boat!!!

sunset + cotton candy =good day

Photo

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:20:55 -0400

3rd world conditions i was talking about

the wonderful family we got to enjoy

people live in these home!!

makes me thankful everyday

Photo

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:53:13 -0400

outside the bethel branch

thick wall of clouds on the horizon

homes in the hills of Lima--crazy!

in Barranco KH with new friends

Peru has beautiful sunsets too, this is at Love Park…...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:22:33 -0400

Peru has beautiful sunsets too, this is at Love Park… don’t we look in love???

Life on the bus

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:29:00 -0400

Wow! It’s been a while! I will catch you all up. We said goodbye to Panama, as we headed out by bus to Peru. Little did I know that 8 hour ride would be first of many! We have been all over the country & have seen so much in a short time. We spent time in an area outside of Lima, called Barranco, which I loved! The area was old colonial and very romantic. Best yet, it was on the water! Being near the water is a must for me. Maui has spoiled me with that :) We discovered another area, MiraFlores, in the city that is known for it’s parks. We spent the afternoon there & it was quite unexpected in a good way. The main park had plenty of sitting areas (stress the word SITTING.. you cannot lay down! I got in trouble for laying on a bench in the park!!!) and even had free wi-fi if you can believe that!!! At one point, Crystal was on her phone skyping her sister & getting her shoes polished at the same time! How crazy!! Her shoes look brand spanking new by the way :) Another highlight in Lima was getting to tour the Bethel branch there. Amidst this smelly, dirty, city we pulled up to the gate & entered in, it was like entering into a mini paradise. Everything so clean & beautiful! The difference was night and day. After a few days we headed north to Trujillo, an 8 hour bus ride that actually ended up being 11..yes 11! I have to say though, this isn’t any bus. It’s like being on a plane but on the ground. You have everything you could want! Wi-fi, meals, blanket/pillow, reclining cushy seats, and endless movies! Can you tell I love the bus??? We got to stay with a very nice family & their hospitality was much appreciated! What I saw in Trujillo itself wasn’t anything great but the last day we discovered Huanchako, an adorable beach town that I wish we could’ve spent more time in. But like Crystal says “it’s better to leave a place loving it” to which I must agree. Except for maybe 2-3 other people, we were the only American’s, and it was PACKED with people that day. I love that. It was a founded treasure and seemed to be a really happy town. I rode in the boats that are woven out straw (sorry I can’t remember the spanish name), they are famous for the area. I’m happy I got to do that! The ministry was memorable for me their, not because of the interest, but because of where we preached. I had wanted to see 3rd world conditions on this trip, see how people really live with very very little. I saw that in Trujillo! Words can’t really describe it, hopefully the pictures will help. I feel like a spoiled brat living where I do!! After the few days we spent there, we said goodbye yesterday to get on another bus to head back to Lima. We had a yummy peruvian dinner in Barranco, Love Park to be exact. ‘Love Park’ says it all, all the couples hand-holding, kissing, cuddling…it was torture for me actually…how I miss that :( O’well, having a great friend to share it with is a close runner-up!

I know I have left many things out, but Peru isn’t over! We are on the bus right now (awesome right?) heading to Cusco!!!! I’m so excited! We will be there for at least a week maybe longer. I’m excited to start the invitation tract work there & meet more friends, eat more food, see more life. It will take between 18-20 hours to get there. I hope I can sleep! We should be getting dinner soon. The food isn’t half bad when it’s free! My battery is dying so I need to say ‘Adios’ for now. Oh, I gave my 1st comment in spanish on sunday!!! How about that?!

Machu Pichu here we come……

Lots and lots of Aloha

xoxo

Peaceful in Boquete

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:12:00 -0500

Peaceful in Boquete