Eleventh Day Conclusions

It is sunday afternoon, and I have left my room once to eat, and have spend the rest of the time sleeping, doing homework, and trying to rest.  I am plume exhausted.  It has also provided me some time to reflect on this past week.

I started school, which has been interesting since I am the only Grace student in my class.  I have two Australians, and eleven other Americans.  They all seem really nice and are quite funny, but they are definitely not Grace students.  I have had homework, and my first test is next Friday.  So class is going pretty well.  My week days have consisted of getting ready for school, school, and then chilling with the Grace students, doing homework, and hanging with my family.  Friday was the second grupo de vida (the small group my family is apart of).  We hung out till four in the morning playing pool and talking.  Saturday we went to the park right on the river with the grupo de jovens (which is similar to any youth group).  We played frisbee and a lot of soccer.  Then now Sunday, a day completely filled with rest because I am exhausted physically, mentally, and even emotionally.

As I have reflected on this past week, I have been able to come to some critical conclusions.  I love it here is probably the first and maybe the most important.  I have always been a small town guy, and being in Buenos Aires is not what I normally like, but I love the city.  I love the people, I love the culture, and I love the language.  In thinking about that I have decided that I could see myself living here.  It would take some radical things happening in my life, but I could see it possibly happening.  (Sorry mom,  I know that is not what you want to hear ;). )

The other conclusion that I have made is that no matter how far you travel from home, from problems, from relationships they still remain on your mind.  I can't seem to get certain people out of my mind, especially family and a few really close friends.  I think about what they are doing and wonder if I cross their mind.  I guess it is apart of being homesick, although I don't miss my house a ton.  It is the people I miss.  This country has not made me a new person.  What is bad, evil, and gross in me has not been stripped away since I am in a new place.  Although God is working on my hard and molding me into the man I would be I have figured out that you can't run from problems (not that this trip was an attempt to flee problems), but the conclusion still remains.

It has been eleven days and I have been challenged in relationships, in pride, in cultural aspects, in actions, and in about every area you can think of.  It has been good.  I have not yet seen the fruit, but I feel the pruning.  God is good, and if I say "en el nombre de Jesús" or "in the name of Jesus," He still is Christ who died for my sins.