Bach: My Main Man

Last Thursday was exciting because something finally happened that we've been trying to plan for over a year...

WE WATCHED CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD. WITH DR. AUSTIN.

Week made. It was a great movie, so funny, and eye opening. We also had cookie dough so that in itself was a win.

Our next exciting adventure happened Saturday. My group got up early (not too early) and went running. Then we sat around and talked for a long time till we decided to go to Ciudad Veja. We went to the awesome bookshop/cafe and had lunch. Some of us went to the markets and some opted to stay and read (can you guess what I did?). After lunch, reading, and making faces at a flirty baby boy, we headed home to watch Uruguay win their game in the World Cup. Afterwards most of Prussia got dressed up and went to a ballet!

It was awesome. It was my first one. Very interesting and it made me realize something: I will never move like they do. And I learned I'm okay with that; some of those moves look highly uncomfortable haha

Sunday we went to a Pentecostal church which was very interesting. It was very loud, pretty big church size for a predominately secular country, and had lots of lights, singing, and very lively music. I love live music and singing and dancing and I think there's freedom to worship in any way that's honoring to The Lord, but this made me a little uncomfortable simply because it felt like a show. You might say, "well yeah it had lights and singing and dancing, of course it was a show." That wasn't the issue, I love that stuff. There was just this main singer, maybe the worship leader that was just dancing everywhere on stage and pointing at the "audience" and just a lot of attention seemed to be on her. But, I am from a different culture and country so I don't understand as much as I would in my own environment. Everything I experience here is an adventure and just that, an experience. So I'm not judging any of their hearts or ways of worshipping. Their service was a tad bit interesting, it was two and half hours long. It was a bit confusing because I didn't know hardly anything they were saying.

After church a few of us went to the weekly Sunday market. I'm almost not proud of how much money I spent. But at the same time they were all gifts except one thing, so I don't feel bad haha I found THE coolest book. It was published in 1958, perfect condition, perfect illustrations, in Spanish, AND it was DonQuito. So cool! Only it was like fifty dollars... So I didn't do it. But I told the guy to hide the book so if I happen upon his booth next week...I'm not sure what will happen. We'll see. I did buy a record finally though! It's awesome. It's a tango record :) this guy selling them had a huge selection and was playing music on his record player in the middle of the street, just, how perfect is that? I asked him to play mine before I bought it and it's goooooodd. Plus all the locals yelled when he took it off, so if the locals love it, you know it's awesome. And it has a cool cover, so adding that one to my wall!

After purchasing a few more gifts that fit people's personality and interests perfectly (*cough Caitliniknowyoulovemebutafterthisgiftyouwilllovemesomuchmore cough*), we headed home to a mandatory movie night with our whole group. We watched Stranded. It was about a documentary about the Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes on their way to Chile.

They were all around my age, some as young as nineteen and had never seem snow before. They were stuck in the snowy mountains for about 73 days and managed to survive, but only by eating the bodies of those who had died in the crash. They had 25/45 people after the plane crash, most go them un hurt. Then there was an avalanche and that brought their numbers down to 16. They were all medical students so they knew the nutrients in "meat" and bones, so they had to eat their fallen friends. All them were of course terrified and disgusted to do it, but it had to be done of they wanted to live. Three of them became expeditionaries. The set out in the snow to find the tail of the plane because it had a radio in it they could try to use to communicate or at least listen to the world outside. They got the radio to work so they could hear the news about the search parties for them. But they also heard when the world called off the search. This made the three expeditionaries decide to go try and find help or die trying.

So the three of them set out, hoping to find help. They walked for ten days over snow and mountains and weather way below freezing, when they finally came to a mountain with not as much snow. They climbed it and on the other side, found a ranch and told the sheep shepherd they found that they were the Uruguay rugby team lost in the mountains and they they and the rest of their team needed help. They looked like walking skeletons. A few hours later, they were all helicoptered to the hospital or their families, depending on what they needed. They all made it home for Christmas.

Now, thirty years later, they survivors take their entire families, immediate and extended, to the place in the Andes to remember what happened there and to remember their friends that died. After the world found out how the rest of them had survived, everyone was disgusted and furious. But then one of the players explained thst the only way they could do it was by thinking of it as Holy Communion, breaking the bread of the body, just as Christ had for us. Later as a group, we were debriefing because the movie was so heavy. One thing one of the teammates said was that they had to create a whole new society. There were no rules, only routines. They all lived instinctively, but one thing they had to have was community. I mentioned in chapel thst it was interesting thst at their absolute rawest, deepest part of their core, was this overwhelming need for community. I think that says a lot about humans in general, nap but especially about Christians. We need each other to survive. I mean, not just that we need people to talk to or whatever, but we need a community thst lives and does life along side of us. We are relational beings because our God is a relational Abba. How awesome is that? Sometimes it's easy to forget.

Ross, another one of my friends, also made a great point. He talked about his dad and how one time he got caught in a strong current in the river and was screaming for help, but no one could hear him until Ross faintly heard him and so how managed to get to him and swim him back to shore. Later thst night, Ross and his dad were talking it over and he mentioned how he had had the thought that there are others in the world thst are calling out spiritually, crying out with all their strength in pain and agony, and feel like no one can hear them. That it's important to listen, not just to hear,and to dive into the current after those people like Ross did for his dad, and to drag them to shore. So good. Come on.

Next exciting thing we did was go to the Teatro Solis! We had class all day and then a couple of hours of chill time to get ready and goof off. I was really excited because I got to finally wear my. Ew dress my sister bought for me a while back. Kaitlyn, it's still beautiful :) in light of us being so dressy, we of course too very serious, mature, and classy pictures...

The whole group got in on being classy, mature, and serious... Love these people

Classic awkward pics with Ash...Love that girl

World, I give you, Seniors of '15. Look out.

I promise we like each other. Even though we have like no serious photos.

Most of Prussia and POFL

Seriously though, the orchestra was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. It was primarily a Bach concert, 1/2 piano and 1/2 with just orchestra. I sat with POFL, and our entire group sat in the balcony. It was so cool.

 

It was somewhere between Anastasia and Pretty Woman. So fun. Dr. Austin and Dr. Powell were on the floor so we signed back and forth with them during intermission. Paul and I represented Prussia of course.

Teaching Pablo sign language...

Prussia, K?

Our one "nice" picture

We had lots of fun. At one point the music was super slow and suspenseful, but building so I leaned over to Paul and said, "How funny would it be if you paired this music with something mundane like walking down the hallway  to brush your teeth?" We died silently. Then of course we started miming brushing our teeth in sync with the music. Yes. Theses are the kinds of people I've been living with.

Anyway, now I'm in love with Bach.

After the show we headed home on the bus. After house snack time, Prussia went to Ashley and Lauren's room to do what we do best: laugh and goof.

Awesome past couple of days. Things are winding down though! We leave for Peru so soon! And then a week after we head home! So soon! Everyone is excited for Peru, Land of Alpaca, but also because we'll be done with school! A week of actual bliss, reading, traveling, and sightseeing! But I'm excited for all that PLUS...

WE GET TO GO TO A CHOCOLATE MUSEUM. A CHOCOLATE MUSEUM. A MUSEUM MADE OF CHOCOLATE. A MUSEUM WITH CHOCOLATE STUFF YOU CAN EAT. LIKE FONDU DIPPING CHOCOLATE.

Seriously so exciting. And we have our free weekend coming up and Prussia has decided to stay at Casa and go on day trip(s) around here. Hopefully fun times ahead and if nothing else, I'm sure we'll improvise. :)

Love and miss you all! Can't wait to hug necks and give gifts.

Ciao del Sur!

Margarita