Going Back in Time a little...

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In 2011 the Saskatchewan synod of the ELCIC sent a small group to Argentina to help with the building of a parsonage in the town of Esquel. 14 of us went along, all of us brimming with enthusiasm to help out a fellow congregation of Lutherans. Personally, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had fanciful ideas of getting in there with a hammer and nails and actually creating a building. However, as it turned out the building itself was already there, or at least the bones of the building were there. At one point they even had windows and doors installed but vandals had broken them or stolen them and lack of funds prevented them from completing the project. One of the things the SK synod was able to provide was some funds to get the ball rolling again. The house had been sitting empty for quite some time, so there was a lot of clean up work to do before anything could really begin. It seemed that the congregation members were content to have us do the easy jobs like sweeping and sanding and painting. I think we all had some grand visions of being the heros and getting the house finished, but that ran contrary to what they wanted us to do. One of our group was a welder and with them he helped build a gate and finish the fence in front of the property and that was probably our most significant physical contribution. Meanwhile they bought supplies and hired someone to pour the cement floors, built frames for new windows and generally started getting things done on their own. The great thing about it was working alongside them and getting to know them and seeing into their lives. The women of the congregation cooked fantastic meals for us everyday and really made us feel right at home. A student in a nearby congregation joined us and helped interpret for us, as they didn't speak english and most of us didn't know more than 5 words of spanish. It was entertaining trying to communicate with eachother. We attended their Sunday morning church service and listened in on their weekly choir practice (which was so lively and energetic!) There were times when we were literally waiting for paint to dry or supplies to arrive so we had lots of time to just relax and interact with the people around us. We ate like locals....late at night and at a leisurely pace, walking home after midnight full, exhausted and content.

We also took some time to do tourist things. We did a little shopping in Bariloche before heading to Esquel and before leaving Argentina. We took a drive out to the lakes district, which was quiet because it was fall and the weather was cool. The park was empty of people, but the crisp fall air made everything seem so much more beautiful. We also spent some time wandering Buenos Aires before we had to fly back to Canada and everyday life. There is so much more I could write about Argentina and my experiences there, but I don't think any descritions could really do it justice. I loved it there and would definitely return.

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Photos

Ladder safety!
what you can't see is that we're not on even ground and one leg of the ladder is propped up with a brick and a piece of wood. yikes!

the group
at the glacier