After ten months in Argentina and a little over nine months at my site placement, this newsletter comes to you written and sent from the US. I would be lying if I said this was an easy newsletter to write; amidst the whirlwind of emotions with saying goodbye, packing up + leaving, closing retreat, and returning to the US (+ the transition and reverse culture shock), everything still feels – and honestly still is – so recent + raw + todavía se duele demasiado pensar y escribir sobre. And while I feel like I’m typically able to write my newsletters in a clearer headspace, that’s not the current reality: it feels so strange (and wrong) to be writing about my community and friends in Argentina and not be there myself. It still feels weird that it’s over – sitting on the plane leaving Buenos Aires to come back to the US, I was hit with a wave of memories of sitting in a nearly identical seat when we flew to Buenos Aires last August… realizing how the past 10 months flew by in absolutely no time at all, but also how much has happened and changed in those 10 months, both personally and with the world as a whole. 

Así que bueno, así estamos, pero que difícil y que pena. And so, amidst the intense bittersweetness of goodbyes, departures, and despedidas, let’s recap my final two-ish months of my YAGM year.

June was an incredibly full yet extremely bittersweet month — one filled with lots of lasts and goodbyes and moments where I was left wondering if this was the last goodbye. Between kids' ministry and all the activities and events at El Redentor, time in community with my friends, and soaking in the final weeks and adventures in Buenos Aires, I look back and wonder where time went. And while goodbyes are hard, I’m reminded time and time again how deeply grateful I am for all the memories, experiences, friendships, and little joys that made my year here what it was.

[You can take a photographic peek into June here.]

One of my core highlights this month was First Communion classes!! I had a ton of fun helping prepare the crafts and snacks every week, and then accompanying the kiddos through the story and activity in each class. We worked our way through classic Old Testament Bible stories such as Noah's Ark and God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. I appreciated being involved in both the prep and the class itself – seeing activities progress from the idea and preparation stages to seeing the kiddos’ creative interpretations and individuality shine through in each craft was so wholesome every time.

An (incomplete) list of small moments of joy from First Communion classes this month:

• Playing “guess the animal” purely based on the kiddos' reading off animal fun fact from their candy wrappers (spoiler: it was difficult, but the kiddos loved it).

• Kiddos showing off how they colored each of the tiny animal cut-outs for their Noah’s Ark craft – seeing how much they loved the craft and how much time they wanted to spend on it was wholesome and rewarding.

• One of the girls asked me if she could take home the Noah’s Ark example craft I’d made so she could make hers just like mine.

• One girl asked me to watch + take care of her son (a plush teddy bear keychain).

• Playing fútbol against the kiddos after class one week (kiddos vs. adults – kiddos won 8–7, but I did manage to score 2 goals!).

• A group of girls asked me to join in on their watercolor page for the Noah’s Ark mural we made – I immediately said yes and grabbed a paintbrush to help out.

• Getting tackled in hugs at every after-school pickup.

• Helping kiddos string their decorated stars on cording so we could hang them on the ceiling for the Abraham story.

• Sitting with a kiddo in my lap and others cuddled up next to me while we looked up at all the stars they made and Gustavo re-told us the Abraham story.

• Passing out the cookies, cut fruit, and dulce de leche for kiddos making their postrecito (little dessert).

• Doing Just Dance with the kiddos my last class with them – all of the giggling and teamwork and silliness.

• Kiddos gifting me pictures they had colored and origami hearts they had folded for me.

• Two of the kiddos specifically requesting the kiwi skin instead of the fruit part while making their postrecito.

• Being surprised with a little bunny-cat stuffed animal by the parents of two kiddos in my last class as a “thank you”. 

These First Communion kiddos (all 25 of them!) absolutely stole my heart – they’re so sweet and full of so much love and joy and energy. I felt incredibly honored time and time again when the kiddos trusted me to hold their things while they played so they wouldn’t lose them (gloves, glasses, etc) or just wanted to talk about anything and everything (both light-hearted and serious). It’s wild to think I was only in their classes for two months, yet they were so loving and trusting and didn’t want me to leave at all – I’m sad that I won’t be there in person for their First Communions in November, but I’m thankful for all the memories, giggles, and joy these kiddos brought to my YAGM year. 

For Ligas itself, I accompanied a group of 20ish third graders along with Fran, another young adult from El Redentor and one of my closest friends here (gracias por acompañarme a través de todo, che). It was bittersweet knowing it was my last Ligas. The kiddos definitely knew as well — although we had a slightly smaller group than normal, they were generally really huggy and clingy, wanting to hold my hand or just be near me, which was honestly incredibly sweet. Especially after being with the same group of kiddos every Ligas this year and knowing many of them through First Communion classes as well, the kiddos didn’t want me to go just as much as I didn’t want to leave them. 

June Ligas highlights and moments of (bittersweet) joy include:

• One of the boys squealing “Brooke!!” when he arrived and immediately running over to hug me.

• Randomly getting bombarded with hugs throughout the day.

• Kiddos asking me to hold their things (gloves, glasses, etc) while they played. 

• Doing potato sack races with kiddos during open gym time.

• Bringing the example muñequitas around to the different tables during craft time.

• Helping kiddos glue down the bigger pieces onto their muñequitas or holding glued pieces in place while they dried when kiddos asked me to.

• Knotting finished bracelets around kiddos' wrists.

• Holding hands with kiddos as we walked from station to station.

• One of the girls sitting in my lap, playing with my rings and pulling my arms into a hug throughout the Bible story time.

• Kiddos asking me not to leave or asking if they could come back with me to the US.

• Never-ending hugs at pick up. 

Right before pick-up, Cristina (one of the main leaders for Ligas) + my group of third graders surprised me with posters they had made for me with all their handprints and names so I could take a piece of them back with me to the US. It was so thoughtful and sweet and such a surprise – by far one of my favorite memories and gifts I ended up bringing back with me. I had been focusing on soaking in the joy and leaving my kiddos with happy memories instead of wallowing in the sadness of leaving… but the thought, care, and excitement on their faces when they gave me the posters brought me to tears. My kiddos surrounded me in a group hug and chanted my name because they didn’t want me to leave, which was so incredibly sweet and also broke my heart. Goodbyes are hard (especially with these kiddos), but all the hugs, handprints, and photos make the memories a little more permanent. :)

Another space I found myself soaking in every moment and interaction with the kiddos was being in the capellanía for Friday recreo (recess // free time) with the elementary schoolers. I loved bringing tons of coloring pages for the kiddos to color; I asked them what pictures or characters they wanted as coloring pages, which was fun to then see their excitement when the coloring pages reflected their interests rather than just being random pages. Having the kiddos’ trust and showing them that their voice + opinion matter and are heard extended beyond just the coloring pages – I felt so honored to be someone the kiddos trusted and wanted to talk about anything and everything with. From sharing about their snack or stuffed animal to simply sitting next to me while they played, these little moments reminded me time and time again of the power and importance of showing up consistently and just being – serving as a familiar face that kiddos could count on being there. These little-big moments of connection and community with the kiddos are something I know I’ll treasure long after I leave and are something I’m so deeply grateful to have had as part of my YAGM year. 

Every year, people from the ELCA + ELCIC [Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada] companion synods of the IELU visit — specifically, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Saskatchewan. This year, we had a total of 23 people from all three synods visit at the same time. It was cool to meet so many people from the US + Canada and to have the opportunity to translate for them while they were at El Redentor + IEA — I spent hours translating the liturgy, songs, and sermon so our guests could read them during the service. This was also the first time I’d ever translated for a group of people, and I felt so honored to translate for both Gustavo and Claudia as they presented about El Redentor + IEA: sometimes translating extended beyond simply translating words, but also explaining concepts and how things might be different despite using the same word. It was overwhelming at times to switch back and forth between languages (especially in a space that I’m used to being Spanish-only), but I was thankful for the opportunity to both accompany (serve as a translator) and be accompanied (by a couple of other bilingual young adults!). Especially after being here for nine months, I appreciated being able to serve + translate to talk and share about a place I've learned so much about and love so deeply. :) 

Another accompaniment-adventure to close out my YAGM year was going to La Plata (the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, 60km south of the city of Buenos Aires) with Emanuel, one of my closest friends here. We took the train together, sharing mate and chatting as we made the almost 2-hour journey. Our main destination was the Cathedral of La Plata, situated in the heart of the city and one of the largest cathedrals in the world! I was enamored with both the size and all the details – the stained glass windows and the statues around the inside were absolutely beautiful, and I could have stayed for hours just staring and soaking it all in. We also explored the crypt and went up the left-most tower to an observation deck with a 360° view of La Plata. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around La Plata and enjoying the distinct peace and quiet from the never-ending busyness of the city of Buenos Aires before taking the train back. Overall, it was 100% worth the journey, and sharing the day with one of my closest friends here made it all the more memorable and special. :) 

¡¡ No te vayas, no te vayas !!     |     Don’t leave, don’t leave!!

A phrase I heard un montón in the last weeks at my site placement, mainly from the kiddos in the First Communion classes, Ligas, and Friday recreo. It broke my heart every time, searching for the words to assure or console them, and yet feeling like nothing was ever sufficient – trying to convince them that it would all be okay just as much as I was trying to convince myself. While my friends and host congregation were more understanding of the YAGM timeline, trying to explain it to my kiddos was a whole other battle. Being in the Southern Hemisphere yet on the timeline of a US-based program meant I was leaving a little less than halfway through the school year. Rather than a more natural departure and goodbyes at the end of a school year, I was leaving before we even hit Winter Break in mid-July. While I felt honored that the kiddos didn’t want me to go, every “¡¡no te vayas!!”-filled group hug tore me apart inside. It felt impossible to explain to the kiddos that my leaving was something out of my control when I didn’t even want to leave myself. While these goodbyes were some of the hardest, I feel so honored to have had these kiddos as part of my YAGM year and all the love, joy, belonging, and connection I felt. 

Amidst all the goodbyes, I found that oftentimes one singular word hit harder (and hurt more emotionally) than the long heartfelt compliments and well wishes. While I wanted to hold onto every single word people shared with me, and so deeply appreciated how much people expressed their gratitude and blessings for my future, it was difficult amidst the constant conversation, movement, and activity. And yet, sometimes a single word spoke to my heart in a way that was felt, not just understood.

• During my last Sunday service, Erika hugged me as we passed the peace and simply said “gracias” (thank you) – feeling the heartfelt gratitude in her hug and tone of voice brought me to tears. 

• One of my First Communion kiddos ran to hug me on my last day at site, pleading “¡¡no te vayas, no te vayas!! Please, please, no te vayas.” — the “pleases”, her intentional switch to English in a last desperate attempt to convince me to stay, hit so hard and hurt so much. 

• When I was hugging my friends “goodbye” for the last time, Fran hugged me and quietly said “gracias por todo” (thank you for everything) – so much was said and encompassed in so few words. 

There is beauty in simplicity – while I’m so deeply grateful for the gifts and well wishes I received from my host community during my despedida, the handwritten cards and small, thoughtful gifts outweighed the extravagance. In a way, I feel that it’s reflective of what made my YAGM year and experience with my host congregation what it was: some of my favorite moments were post-service fellowships where we shared coffee or mate and just talked. The community, connection, belonging, and joy I felt were often found in these smaller, simpler moments – the intentionality in sharing time and being together amidst it all (hello, accompaniment). 

La vida es así.   |   Life is like that.

This was one of my little phrases I used throughout my YAGM year: oftentimes in an observant and «recognizing that it exists» manner for situations where I could rarely – if ever – do anything about what was happening. Because sometimes life is just like that: things happened outside of my control that didn’t impact me a ton (but still impacted my routines and normalcy) but were an annoyance nonetheless… like when the buses were running late or routes were detoured, or the streets in downtown were closed yet again. It became my phrase to both recognize, acknowledge, and shrug off the stress of these minor inconveniences, to say “welp this sucks y ya sé que va a pasar sí o sí pero lpm es un montón” – this sucks and I know it will pass anyway, but this is a lot. 

“La vida es así” was used a LOT more the closer I got to the end of my year – by friends or others, or myself – but especially with the unavoidable emotional pain of goodbyes. Throughout our lifetimes, we all have hellos and goodbyes (and I always reminded my friends and community that this isn’t “adios, es solo un hasta luego” [this isn’t goodbye, this is just a “see you later”]); time passes, things change, and nothing is ever permanent or guaranteed. For me, the depth and profundity of the pain of leaving are correlated to how deeply I felt joy during my YAGM year — the highs were so incredibly high, so of course the lows are going to be so incredibly low. I heavily involved myself in my host community, so of course it hurts like absolute hell to leave the place and community that has been my home for the past 10 months. I feel like a broken record saying it, but I am so deeply blessed and grateful for my host community and congregation, as well as all the opportunities I got, experiences I had, and people I got to meet and know. 

“They should invent a grief that doesn’t define you

 in new and strange ways for the rest of your life.”

“To do that they’d have to invent a love

 that doesn’t define you for the rest of your life, I think.”

While it’s a blessing to feel my YAGM year so deeply and have such a deep connection with my host community, it also means that leaving and saying goodbye hurts that much more intensely and makes it that much harder. In our third retreat back in April, we had talked about what seeds we felt had been sowed in us throughout our YAGM year and what seeds we feel like we’re sowing in our host community – the “accompaniment is a two-way street” is evident as I reflect on how I’ve been impacted throughout my YAGM year, but also the impact I’m leaving in congregación El Redentor. 

I’ve realized time and time again that I’m leaving a huge part of my heart and myself here in Buenos Aires, and specifically in El Redentor – in both the literal, physical sense and more metaphorically. I crocheted stuffed animals as parting gifts for my friend group, the congregation, and the core people of my YAGM year, personalizing each one with different colors, animals, and patterns. The sun, empanada, and little heart (in the colors of the Argentinian flag) I made for the congregation now sit on a shelf in the meeting room of the congregational house – in a way, intentionally leaving a (handmade) piece of myself with the people and spaces that made my year what it was provided a sense of peace and closure amidst the chaos of leaving. And yet, I also think about the intangible parts of myself and my heart that I’m leaving in Buenos Aires. One of my friends told me that “has dejado una huella muy linda en nuestras vidas” // “you have left a beautiful imprint in our lives”. I realize that there are impacts and things I left with everyone I worked with and/or was close with that I likely don’t realize, and will maybe never learn. But there is such beauty in each person's experience being unique and individual and theirs to have, whether they choose to share it or not. 

The YAGM Argentina/Uruguay year concluded with the cohort coming together once again for one last retreat: our Closing Retreat. We spent a little over five days in a retreat center in Buenos Aires, soaking in the last few days together and starting to process the year as a whole. Paola guided us through a mix of creative projects, reflection questions, and activities to help us reflect on what the last couple of months had been like, as well as think forward about what returning to the US would be like. This liminal space between our site placements and being back in the US, as well as both looking back and looking forward, was a complex mix of emotions as we shared about different aspects of our site placements and experiences – seeing and reflecting on everything in the rearview mirror for truly the first time.

One of the most impactful parts of closing retreat was the culto de despedida y envio (closing + sending worship). Members of our host communities were invited to attend and participate, offering one final time and place to say goodbye and send us off — even though closing retreat took place in Buenos Aires, I had already moved out of my housing, as well as already having said "bye" to the vast majority of my host congregation and community the week prior. For the sending worship service, I was so blessed to have several of my housemates, my supervisor, and my core friend group from my host congregation attend. While it was overall incredibly emotional as we reflected on all that has happened this year and as we processed and started saying the final "goodbye's" I felt so blessed, cared for, and loved to have (most of) the people who were central to my YAGM experience be there with + for me.

[You can take a photographic peek into our Closing Retreat here.]

July was a month of last-minute adventures, traveling back to the US, and the major change and reverse culture shock that has come along with that.

[You can take a photographic peek into July here.]

On my last full day in Argentina, I made the day trip to Luján – a small town 70km southeast of Buenos Aires and home to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján (Basilica of Our Lady of Luján – both the patron saint of Argentina and the venerated statue of the Virgin Mary in Argentina). The basilica itself is HUGE – it’s absolutely gorgeous inside and out, and the grandeur of it rivals the cathedral in La Plata. It was fascinating to see all the depictions of Luján in the architecture – I was enamored with the attention to detail and spent hours just soaking in the beauty and peace of it all. The interior of the basilica is adorned with gold and grandeur, along with so many stained glass windows. Seeing the sun coming through the stained glass as it set was beautiful, as the sunset painted the walls in rainbows. I sat for a while simply admiring all the work, artistry, and craftsmanship that went into everything. Mass was also a cool experience: I understood bits and pieces and knew some of the responses because they’re similar to El Redentor, but other than that, I just sat and listened (or stood or kneeled). 

I also took a guided tour of the crypt, which focused on depictions of the Virgin Mary around the world, and it was fascinating – I learned a ton! The most intriguing part was learning how countries that were colonized by the Spanish have more of a Mary-tradition compared to Catholicism in other countries; in Latin America specifically, indigenous cultures saw the Earth and nature as goddesses, so seeing Mary in a similar way was nothing out of the ordinary, and she got adopted into the religion and culture. As such, the depictions of Mary throughout Latin America blend indigenous cultures (in clothing, colors, and imagery) with Spanish Catholicism. 

The journey from Buenos Aires back to the US was long – over 20 hours and two separate flights between leaving Buenos Aires and arriving in Seattle. Paola took me to the airport, which I deeply appreciated, and she waited with me until I went up the escalator to pass through security. I texted back and forth with my friends from my host community until it was time to board my flight – nothing felt real about leaving Argentina and going back to the US until I was seated on the plane and we were taxiing to the runway. The processing (and tears) came in waves, but I managed to sleep most of the flight. 

Landing in the US was a shock on so many levels: the immediate change of weather/season, time zone, and language threw my body and brain for a loop. I didn’t realize how accustomed I was to Spanish being my “out in public” language until I noticed my first instinct was to speak in Spanish instead of English. Hearing English all the time was also a shock – instead of being surprised when I overheard someone speaking Engish passing by, it was almost the only language I heard. Everything felt foreign and odd and weird and wrong – things that used to be second nature (paying with a credit card, for example) now felt clunky –  I felt like I looked like a deer in headlights trying to navigate everything and caught strangers’ looks of “why is this so foreign to you?” I had a few hours during my layover, so I went through photos — it was nice to reminisce on all that happened the last month of my YAGM year amidst being in the liminal space of a layover on the flight back "home" (what is home now?).

All in all, these past two months have been tumultuous, amidst saying goodbye, leaving, and all the changes that have followed. I feel so blessed to have experienced my YAGM year so deeply – even as that means the joys are great and the sadness is deep. It’s hard to put into words (in any language) exactly what I’ve learned or what my key takeaways are from my YAGM year, which will hopefully become clearer as I process and reflect more in the future. And while I’m not sure what comes next, I trust that God’s got it, whatever “it” ends up being. 

Thank you for following along on my YAGM journey – it’s been an honor to share about my year in Argentina with you all.

♥

It’s officially been NINE months in Argentina and eight-ish months at my site placement. I’m very much in the home stretch of my YAGM year now, which honestly feels so weird to say – time continues to absolutely fly by and as much as I miss my family and friends back in the US, leaving my community + friends + Buenos Aires + Argentina + my YAGM year is overwhelmingly sad and a lil too much to think about right now :( …
So, entonces, let’s recap the absolute wild-craziness of my past two months.

April was the craziest month of my YAGM year!!! Between Ligas, the Taller de Pascua, Holy Week + Easter, hanging out with my friends, and my birthday (!!!), I am so deeply grateful for how full of experiences (and stories) April was, and feel so incredibly thankful for the community I have here + all the memories and joy. :)

[You can take a photographic peek into April here.] 

For Ligas itself, I accompanied a group of 24 third graders along with Fran, another young adult from El Redentor, and one of my closest friends here. I had visited all of the 3rd-grade Christian Orientation classes back in March, so I recognized some of the kiddos, and some of them recognized me, which was really wholesome. I loved seeing the kiddos' excitement with each activity and station, and also all their curious questions. 

April Ligas highlights and moments of joy include:

• Refilling juice cups during snack time.

• Talking with one of the kiddos about her hobbies and interests – it reminded me of my summers as day camp lead (shoutout RK!) and how sometimes kiddos just need an adult // authority figure to attentively listen to them, paying full attention and engaging at their level. 

• Kicking a ball back and forth fútbol-style with one of the boys during open gym time – just connecting with him on his level and over something he’s interested in, and seeing the smile it brought to his face. 

• One of the girls repeatedly randomly ran over to hug me and said “te quiero!” (meaning “I love you!” between friends). :)

• Patiently holding beads for kiddos while they made their bracelets so they weren’t scouring the floor to find their roll-away beads.

• The kiddos showed off their completed bracelets and asked me to tie them around their wrists for them.

• One of the girls showed me all the pictures she found in the Bible during Bible story time.

This was the first year ever that El Redentor did a Taller de Pascua, which was held the Wednesday of Holy Week — it was chaotic and un montón on top of an already very busy week, but the kiddos loved it and had a wonderful time, which made it all worth it. Behind-the-scenes prep included making origami baskets for the kiddos to take their egg-shaped cookies home in, as well as making the icing and cookies themselves (over 180 cookies!!). We prepped for a little over 100 kiddos, which felt like a lot at times – there was not the same “all hands on deck” we have with Ligas or Talleres de Navidad so a LOT of the prep was just Erika, Sandra, and I – yet the teamwork and sharing of different parts helped the prep work not feel as overwhelming. I accompanied the 3rd graders for the Taller de Pascua itself — I had been with most of them for Ligas the Saturday before, which made for familiar faces and names for everyone. We talked about Easter and Jesus' resurrection, as well as decorated egg-shaped cookies for the kiddos to take home. 

Semana Santa continued with Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday). El Redentor hosts a cena pascual (Passover supper) with liturgy, Bible readings, and singing for Jueves Santo. I helped prepare the different parts of the cena pascual alongside Erika and Celeste – from washing arugula leaves we used as the “bitter herbs” to helping prep the apple + honey + walnut mix to plating everything – it felt both tranquil and chaotic. It was fascinating to see and be involved in the whole process of Jueves Santo service, coupled with the knowledge that this is a yearly tradition here. Service taking place with all of us sitting around the same table was so incredibly powerful, further reinforcing the idea of community and togetherness I reflect on so often throughout my year here, which is an experience I'm so grateful for.

At the end of service on Thursday, everything was taken off the altar and out of the church, and a black cloth was hung on the cross in preparation for Viernes Santo (Good Friday). We did the Vía Crucis (Stations of the Cross) for Viernes Santo — each station was accompanied by a Bible reading, a reflection by someone from the congregation, and a different artistic depiction of Jesus on the cross. My reflection was on the 4th station: Jesús encuentra a su madre // Jesus meets His mother, along with the Bible reading of Luke 2:35. Reflecting on when Simon tells Mary that "a sword will pierce through your own heart also" made me consider how Mary — like all parents — knows that their children will suffer at some point in their lives: it's part of being human and simply a part of life. But how painful it must have been to think about this when Jesus was still an infant, and at the same time learn that she was going to feel the same pain that her son would feel.

“Donde hay amor, hay dolor.” // “Where there is love, there is pain.”

While I wrote the “Donde hay amor, hay dolor.” line thinking about Mary and Jesus, it also ended up being a reflection on my YAGM year, reminding me of something one of the pastors of my home church in the US shared with me back in February (shoutout Pastor Rachel). 

“No one warned me that growing up would mean falling in love with so many people and so then leaving a part of my heart with them. And it’s hard feeling fragmented but still also full and whole because of it.”

The closer I get to the end of my YAGM year, the deeper I bond with my friends in my host community here, and the more I’m involved with activities at church, the more I realize how much I’m leaving part of my heart and myself here. I came across the quote “half here, half there, whole nowhere” on Instagram several weeks ago, which struck a chord with me. I am blessed time and time again to be so involved with my host community and to experience my YAGM year so deeply, even if that means there will be people, places, and activities that I am struggling to find the words to express how much I know I will miss. The anticipatory grief of the end of my YAGM year creeps in like a little black kitten: steadily growing and slowly finding more spots to call home and nestle in. There is a grace and peace that comes with knowing that these connections and joys can continue after my YAGM year (shoutout social media and Whatsapp!), but still the twang of sadness knowing it will not be the same makes me stop and remember to live in the moment and appreciate the small things even more.

Encountering the love, care, and community time and time again in my host congregation throughout my YAGM year is something I reflect on often. This is the happiest I've been in years, and while it’s still been hard and is not always sunshine + happiness, the deep joy I have felt here is unmatched. For me, love feels connected to community – my host congregation cares about and for me so much, and my friends love me so deeply, and it's honestly hard to put into words in any language (but I can try): 

Mi experiencia acá me llena mi corazón muchísima

y por eso estoy demasiada agradecida. 

// 

My experience here fills my heart so much 

and for that, I am so overwhelmingly grateful. 

It is wild to think about being welcomed into the community as I have – I know I put in the work and effort to make connections and show up, but they also love me so much. I was a stranger, and yet they took me in and welcomed me. Amidst being from a different country, culture, and language background, and everything in between, they love and care for me all the same, making me feel so incredibly blessed a million times over. This is probably one of the biggest – if not the biggest – parts of my YAGM year experience; one that I’ll be forever impacted by and thankful for.

Retreat #3 rounded out the craziness that was my April!! Although it simultaneously felt like forever ago and no time at all that we were at Retreat #2, we were all back together again, this time in Colonia Valdense in Uruguay: a small town about an hour-long bus ride from Colonia del Sacramento. We stayed at Centro Emmanuel, which serves as a farm, retreat center, and center for eco-theology. I loved being surrounded by nature and green: even though it's fall here, the flowers are still blooming, and it was decently warm while we were there! 

Albeit a short retreat, it was so wonderful to spend a few days out in the countryside, a welcome break from the bustling busyness of downtown Buenos Aires. With the nice weather, we spent quite a bit of time outside: one of my favorite activities we did was a set of scavenger hunt reflections, where Paola had placed different questions scattered around the center, which we then had to find and write + reflect on. Questions ranged from reflecting on what we’ve learned about our spirituality throughout our YAGM year, navigating work-life balances and what our relationships are like, what has brought us warmth or what makes us feel like we’re going to burn, and what seeds we think we have planted or we feel like have been planted in us. I appreciated the specificity of the reflection questions: I write and reflect on my YAGM year a lot in brain dumps and journal entries, but I liked having specific questions to answer that then guided my reflections or made me think about aspects of my experience I hadn’t thought about (or tend to avoid thinking about). 

We spent the rest of retreat further reflecting on the YAGM experience as a whole, as well as processing and discussing what the last two (!!!) months of our time at our site placements will look like. It was wild to reflect on the YAGM year as a whole and to think we only have two months left… The next time we’ll be all back together again is closing retreat at the end of June. 

[You can take a photographic peek into Retreat #3 here.]

May was chill (yet wild) with never-ending activities and days + weeks that flew by!! Between all the activities at El Redentor and time spent in community with my friends, I look back and wonder where time has gone. As much as I don't want to think about my YAGM year ending, the reality of the end of my year is creeping in: I'm soaking in the time I have left and chasing joy all the same. :)

[You can take a photographic peek into May here.] 

For the first time since November, First Communion classes are officially BACK! Classes started again at the end of April // after Easter. This year, we have 25 (!!!) third graders taking First Communion spread across two different classes/days, which is a lot at times, but is also equally exciting to see so many kiddos interested in taking their First Communion at El Redentor. It's been a lot of fun accompanying Erika, Verónica, and Gustavo with the activities for each class, as well as just being there with the kiddos, lending a helping hand or a guiding finger when we're reading from the Bible. I love the energy and joy that the kiddos bring, and deeply appreciate the moments of connection on their level. 

An (incomplete) list of small moments of joy from First Communion classes so far:

• Making a tree on the wall of the First Communion classroom with each leaf being one of the kiddos’ handprints (and us teachers!).

• Picking up one of the girls, putting her on my hip, and her immediately cheering “¡¡olé olé olé!!” accompanied by the arm motion typically seen in fútbol games.

• Being 1:1 with one of the girls with ADHD so she could stay focused – it was honestly so sweet to watch her get excited because she was understanding the concepts rather than getting lost in all the chaos.

• Pre-kneading the modeling clay the kiddos were using to make the creation diorama so it was easier for them to work with.

• Helping prepare and serve the snack every class – refilling cups with mate cocido or juice or water when kiddos ask.

• Working together to find all the words in the word search.

• Kiddos sitting in my lap during the Bible story or closing prayer.

• All the hugs from so many different kiddos – sometimes they run over in the middle of playing just for a hug and then go back to what they were doing before. 

• Simply all the love, trust, and connection. :)

May brought about our second Ligas of 2025!! Just like April Ligas, I helped Erika out with a ton of the behind-the-scenes prep work for manualidades (craft station) — this month focused on hot gluing popsicle sticks together to make little face frames, which then Erika painted yellow for the kiddos to make into emojis. I also printed and cut out different shapes (such as hearts, tears, tongues, circles, and stars) and emoji-faces for the kiddos to decorate their popsicle stick emojis.

For Ligas itself, I accompanied a group of 24ish third graders along with Fran — the two of us will be paired together and always be with the third graders so the kiddos have consistent leaders each Ligas, and also then we get to know the kiddos on a deeper level. I knew quite a few of the kiddos from First Communion classes, as well as Taller de Pascua and the April Ligas, which made it all the more exciting!

May Ligas highlights and moments of joy include:

• Kiddos showing off their cookie stacks at snack time – there were two girls obsessed with mixing Oreos to make multi-flavored double-stuffed cookies, which was wholesome and goofy and brought a smile to my face. :)

• Comforting a homesick crying kiddo (sad, but also so many hugs).

• Holding one end of the tunnel during open gym and the kiddos excitedly lining up to wiggle through the “túnel mágico” (magic tunnel) – all the giggles and joy and squeals and kiddos running back to the end of the line once they made it through.

• Helping tie bracelets on kiddos’ wrists during craft time.

• One of our high school helpers picked out beads for me to make a bracelet myself (featuring my name and IEA for the school!).

“Si querés llegar rápido, vé solo. Si querés llegar lejos, vé acompañado.” 

// 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go accompanied.”

This was a quote that Emanuel, one of my close friends here, shared with me earlier this month, reminding me again of how “accompaniment is a two-way street”.  The friendship Emanuel and I have is something that has reminded me of accompaniment a ton throughout my YAGM year – we’ve spent a lot of time together throughout the year, walking around + exploring Buenos Aires, but also talking about everything: from our families and hometowns to faith and religion and Argentinian culture + history and the US and everything in between. Our backgrounds and life paths are distinct, but as people, we’re more similar than either of us initially thought. Through a range of different situations and factors, both of us are very much accustomed to doing everything by ourselves. The quote served as a reminder for both of us: that even if you’re used to doing everything yourself, it’s nice not to be alone all the time. I realized I needed a verbal smack across the face to remember that we’re not meant to be solitary creatures, that the load is lighter when it’s shared – while I might be used to doing everything by myself or accustomed to doing everything myself doesn’t mean that’s the best way to do things. Accompaniment really is a two-way street, a give-and-take, a being-poured-into so that then you can pour out into others. And so, how lovely it is to have someone else there, with the (not so) subtle reminder that we’re not meant to navigate this world alone. 

So much of the joy and community I’ve found throughout my YAGM year is through the young adult friend group from my host congregation. Whether we’re hanging out in a plaza or park drinking mate and chatting, or sharing pizza in the congregational house, I have so deeply appreciated the community and friendship I’ve gained within my host congregation. One standout moment this month was Fran’s birthday!! It was so incredibly special planning out what the collective gift from the friend group was going to be – watching it slowly all come together, and the countless laughs, inside jokes, and memes that arose from discussing all the details. We all met up with Fran and a few of his other friends for a birthday party-picnic – the sheer amount of treats, snacks, and mate was wonderful. Knowing how special my friends made my birthday feel here, it was so fulfilling and heartwarming to pay that joy forward and pour back into them. I am so incredibly deeply forever grateful for my host community friends here; my YAGM year experience would not be anywhere near what it has been without them. :)

In Argentina, May 25th is Día de la Patria, commemorating the Revolución de Mayo de 1810 (May Revolution in 1810) when the first national government [known as the Primera Junta // First Junta] was formed, marking the start of the process of Argentina's independence (distinct from Independence Day, which is July 9th). 

Día de la Patria is a hugely patriotic celebration: the preschool had their patriotic art projects about the bandera (flag) and escarapela (rosette) on display, I got to witness baile folklore (folkloric dance) in an assembly at the high school, and eat locro at the congregational lunch — locro is the traditional dish for Día de la Patria [made with many different meats, beans, veggies, and simmered all together for hours!!] and since May 25th landed on a Sunday this year, three ladies from the congregation cooked up a huge pot of locro for us all to share (I loved it!!). 

Someone requested we sing the Himno Nacional (National Anthem) before the congregational lunch, and it was such a powerful experience –  I had heard the Himno Nacional a couple of times before, and the rhythms are decently repetitive, so I looked up the lyrics to try and sing along (quietly). When we got to the last part that repeats, I glimpsed a lil smile of pride on Fran’s face next to me, realizing that I was reading the lyrics so I could sing along. It felt like such a small thing to look up the lyrics and follow along, and I know everyone would have completely understood if I had just stood there listening, but being fully immersed in the experience and embodying “accompaniment” added a whole new layer to my Día de la Patria. 

After church, I visited Plaza de Mayo, which is the huge plaza in front of the Casa Rosada (Presidential Office); it is named after Revolución de Mayo de 1810 (May Revolution in 1810) that occurred in this same plaza. The plaza was full of people, vendors selling banderas and escarapelas, as well as keychains and magnets! It was exciting to see all the Argentinian flags everywhere and hearing people yell "¡¡Viva la patria!!" across the street at random strangers. The national pride, sense of togetherness and community, and overwhelming sense of joy (both within my host community and in Argentina as a whole) brought me so much peace amidst the chaos of downtown Buenos Aires, adding to an already quite culturally rich and patriotic experience. 

When was the moment you realized you stopped realizing?

I came across this question in the blog post of a current YAGM in the Central Europe program (shoutout Megan!!), and it struck me. When did things become the norm, my norm? When did I realize, or when have I realized time and time again, how accustomed I am to life here now? 

Era difícil al inicio pero estoy más acostumbrada ahora, a todo. It was hard at first, but I’m more accustomed now to everything. One of the First Communion kiddos asked me recently if it was tiring to speak in Spanish all the time, and I told her honestly that “at the beginning, yes it was really hard, but now I'm accustomed to living and hearing and speaking Spanish all the time.” I still remember that the transition and the first month and a half at site were difficult – until I settled into the routine and my brain got used to thinking and processing in Spanish.

After nine months in-country and eight-ish months at site, of course this feels like my “normal” because it has been. My bus rides to and from work still feel special, but they've also become ordinary-feeling. Not that we have to find the hidden sparkle in everything, but there is something to be said about finding joy in the ordinary. An Instagram account I follow (@unjadedjade) calls this “casual magic” – small, ordinary things that bring us joy. For me, sometimes it’s as simple as staring out the window when I’m riding the bus and seeing someone walking their dog, a kiddo running over to their parents at after-school pick up, or noticing that the hibiscus flowers are still somehow in bloom. Finding the beauty, joy, and peace amidst all the chaos (especially in a big city) is my lil daily “God sighting” – seeing God’s fingerprints and artistry in everything and the inherent joy and peace that brings.

I came into my YAGM year with the central idea of “chasing joy.” And I've realized in some ways, joy is easier to find when you're looking for it. There isn't a bright side to all of the difficulties or challenges life throws at us – sometimes it feels like I have to climb a (metaphorical) mountain to find joy – but there is something worth being said about learning from the lessons life gives us, or being there alongside people (hello, accompaniment!) through their highs and lows. Sometimes it's not having the right thing to say, but a hug and a listening ear (and listening to listen, not just listening to respond) goes a long way.

Maybe we're all called humankind for a reason.

All in all, it’s been an absolutely wild past two months. It’s wild to think that May was my last full month at site, or that my next newsletter is the final one. Time is flying, and it only feels like it's getting faster and faster… but here’s to remembering to take a breath and live in the moment, soaking in all the “lasts” that are yet to come. Here’s to all the adventures this YAGM year still holds, and for all the stories, memories, and joys still to come. :) 

♥

It's officially been seven months in Argentina and six-ish months at my site placement. Time is absolutely fleeting – it feels like I arrived in Argentina years ago, yet the past seven months have gone by in the blink of an eye… reaching the halfway point of my YAGM year at the beginning of February hit way harder than I expected it to. I felt (and still feel) so incredibly torn between wanting to go home now because I miss my family so much and not being able to bear the thought of saying goodbye to my friends + community here and leaving Buenos Aires + Argentina. Amidst the anticipatory grief and still living out my YAGM year to the fullest, I’m reminding myself to appreciate the small moments. Consequently, February and March flew by… let’s recap.

February was both a blur and a surprisingly funky month. Encompassing the gap between January vacation, the last bit of summer, and the start of the school year, my February highlights included spending time with friends from my host community and my cohort, and re-finding joy in the little things.

[You can take a photographic peek into February here.]

No sos robot.     |     You’re not a robot. 

This was a reminder I received from various members of my host community throughout December, but I confronted this head-on throughout the first two weeks of February. Coupled with re-adjusting to being back in Buenos Aires after vacationing in Montevideo, Uruguay, I found myself torn between wanting to be constantly exploring and soaking in the city because time here is precious + limited and not having the energy to leave my room (aside from going to church on Sundays). While deep down I know that you can’t go at 120% all of the time, I’m the kind of person who constantly does everything to the fullest. But that’s not sustainable… which I learned in undergrad the hard way (through experience and subsequent burnout) and find myself re-learning yet again (trying not to burn myself out… again). 

And so, a mental reframe was in order – recognizing my exhaustion as a glaringly obvious sign that I needed to rest and rejuvenate after being consistently go-go-go the last several months. One of my overarching YAGM year goals is learning to have grace with myself, which I have to remind myself of every day for millions of different things, both big and small. As much as I wish I was a robot and could do everything all the time to the fullest extent, my 100% looks different every single day; there’s nothing wrong with that… it's part of being human. The quote “you can’t pour from an empty cup” is something I think about far too often, and taking the time to rest (especially as I hit the halfway point of my YAGM year) gave me the pause I needed to set the rest of my year up for success. 

In all honesty, the exhaustion and rest made the time I spent with my friends from my host community throughout February feel all the more special. There was a congregational lunch on the first Sunday of February, which was incredibly memorable – all of us young adults sat together and passed around empanadas that various congregation members had brought to share. One of the other young adults was picking all the raisins out of his empanadas, which ended up teaching me the translation of one of my favorite phrases: 

“Dios le da sus peores batallas a sus mejores guerreros.” // “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.” 

While it’s a popular joke on the internet and I’ve heard it in English many times before, it hit differently hearing it in Spanish, as well as learning it in the context of plucking raisins out of empanadas. The comedic timing, as well as the subtle reminder that God is stronger and more powerful than any battle we’re facing, is something I’ll carry with me throughout the rest of my YAGM year and into whatever comes after.

Another core YAGM year memory was helping host an asado for Maggie’s birthday. After Maggie (one of my cohortmates) had come to El Redentor for church one Sunday and my host congregation friends learned that their birthday was the following week, my friends insisted we host an asado to celebrate. I had helped with prepping for an asado at IEA back in November, but being part of the hosting, coordination, and preparation alongside my friends was so special. Sharing the responsibility of getting all the food and drinks, as well as prepping the salads and grilling the meat made the experience all the more memorable – seeing how much thought, work, and love was put into everything was so incredibly wholesome. It was the best asado I’ve had so far in my YAGM year and was so unforgettable. Dinner ended with all of us singing “feliz cumpleaños” to Maggie over a lit tea light sitting atop an alfajor (we forgot to get a cake, so we made do with what we had in the pantry). It was truly such a special experience to share not only with my friends here but also to have the opportunity to share part of my host community with one of my cohortmates.

Marking (a little over) the halfway point of our YAGM year, Retreat #2 was an amazing experience!! We spent a week in San Martín de los Andes in the Neuquén province in southwestern Argentina. Nestled at the base of the Andes Mountains and in the northern part of Patagonia, our time was a mix of reflection exercises, creative projects, and exploring the surrounding area. 

Being back near mountains and lakes for the first time since leaving western Washington in August last year was the most geographically at-home I've felt throughout my entire YAGM year. While I love Buenos Aires, there was something so distinctly homey about San Martín de los Andes. I realized how deeply my sense of home is tied to nature; maybe it’s because I grew up hiking in the mountains with my family OR maybe it’s just part of the whole “human nature” thing, but the internal peace I felt being near mountains again was undeniable. One of our big retreat adventures was hiking to the Mirador Bandurrias and La Islita + Playa Bonita. Seeing the lake from the viewpoint was breathtaking, and reaching the beach on the other side of the peninsula was such a treat after hiking for an hour and a half in 84°F heat. We swam in the (very cold!!) alpine lake and shared mate + galletitas + bizcochitos while we dried off on the beach before hiking back to town. Checking “swim in an alpine lake mid-hike” off my bucket list wasn’t something I expected during my YAGM year, but I think it made the experience all the more memorable. :) 

Another retreat highlight was our evening devotional prayer stars. Every night, we prayed for a different YAGM cohort which was truly special. Paola had printed out the names of each YAGM volunteer and country coordinator on small pieces of paper, which we laid out on a giant world map coloring page surrounding the coordinating country to the cohort we focused on that evening. With worship music playing in the background and a lit candle illuminating the outline of the country whose cohort we were praying for, we wrote prayers of thanksgiving and petition on paper strips then folded them into origami stars, thinking about and praying the prayer written inside all the while. There was something so meditative about this process – guarding our prayers in the safety of the stars. This was, by far, the coolest devotional I’ve ever done and was truly unforgettable.

[You can take a photographic peek into Retreat #2 here.]

March was full of friends and community, listening + learning, and gearing up for kid’s ministry activities for the rest of the year here!

[You can take a photographic peek into March here.]

There are no youth activities at church until April, so this month looked like a lot of behind-the-scenes prep work for April Ligas and the taller de Pascua we’re hosting during Holy Week. Behind-the-scenes highlights from this month include:

• Researching, editing, and assembling the librito (booklet) we’ll use as our craft for the taller de Pascua (Easter workshop). I found the coloring page-style images on Pinterest, and Sandra had the idea to add the dates and times for each of the church services during Holy Week. I edited and assembled the librito in Canva – learning new skills in the process, and it turned out amazing!

• Folding over 50 origami baskets for the kiddos to bring home decorated cookies at the end of the taller de Pascua 

• Finding craft ideas for Ligas for this year! The overarching theme is emotions, so I found ideas for different crafts the kiddos could do connecting to each emotion we’re focusing on throughout the six Ligas

• Attending a meeting with Gustavo and Erika with two of the primary school psychologists to discuss the Ligas theme and make sure we’re approaching the topic of emotions in a healthy, sensitive manner

Another highlight of my YAGM year is our semi-impromptu young adult fellowships on Sunday afternoons. What started as lunch in the congregational house in early March (and my supervisor trusting me with the keys!) morphed into six hours together on an otherwise rainy Sunday. I love the community we’ve built: not only sharing the responsibility of cooking and cleaning up after, but also sharing mate, food, drinks, and deep conversations (in Spanish) that sometimes break my brain. One of the questions asked that I still think about is:

“¿Sos cristiano por convicción o costumbre?” // “Are you Christian by conviction or habit?”

Critical questions like these, and the subsequent discussion, make me so eternally grateful for the community of young adults in my host congregation. Conversations with my friends here have only enriched how I understand faith in the world; navigating these conversations in a different language also means I’m mentally making new connections. Coming together and discussing our faith journeys and views has caused me to think about things I had never considered before, like how different cultural and childhood denominational backgrounds shape my friends’ faith. I am so grateful for the community and trust we’ve built as a group and the sense of belonging we’ve found in each other.

¿Me acompañas?     |     Will you go with me? 

One thing that’s stood out to me recently is the verb acompañar – meaning “to go with” or “to accompany”. I've realized how often the verb gets used in Spanish and the number of times that my friends here have used it in conversation. While acompañar (and its conjugated forms) probably sticks out to me more because “accompaniment” is a core YAGM word + concept, I feel like “accompany” is a more formal word in English, and as a result, isn’t something I’m used to hearing frequently. Consequently, when I’m mentally translating from English to Spanish, acompañar isn’t one of the first words that comes to mind. 

I wanted to ask one of my friends if he wanted me to join him in practicing music for the following Sunday, but got mentally tripped up with the grammar and ended up using a translator app to double-check my Spanish. I was caught off guard when ¿querés que te acompañe? was the sentence staring back at me from my phone screen, as I had been thinking of a different verb than acompañar. But, it was a small, helpful reminder that accompaniment really is in the little things and ways we show up for one another and isn’t relegated nor correlated solely to formality. :) 

Building off the idea of accompaniment, but in a different sense and slightly different definition: MUSIC! One of my March highlights was (semi-accidentally) becoming more involved with music during worship. Since I started at my site in September, Gustavo and Erika have asked me if I want to have more of a leadership-esque role in singing during service instead of just singing as part of the congregation – I sang in choirs all growing up, but I didn’t feel super confident singing brand new songs in my second language… yet. But at the beginning of March, Fran, another young adult in the congregation and one of my close friends, started playing piano during service and I (unplanned) ended up singing the prelude with him the first day he played. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be and was the push I needed to be more involved going forward. Fran and I are navigating music ministry together, and it has been an exciting way for both of us to be more involved – he’s literally accompanying me on piano as I’m singing but I’m also following his lead: Fran picks songs and I/we learn them. Working together with one of my friends has brought me so much joy and for that I’m so grateful!

Another core experience in Argentina is Día Nacional de la Memoria por la Verdad y Justicia (National Day of Memory for Truth and Justice; March 24th), which marks the day of the coup that started the military dictatorship in Argentina in 1976. As part of in-country orientation back in September, we learned about the dictatorship and visited the Museo Sitio de Memoria (ex-ESMA) which had been a clandestine detention center throughout the dictatorship. Knowing (part of) the history made the day incredibly impactful. 

“Las iglesias y la gente que predican el evangelio les molestan el poder. 

Y si a la iglesia no le molesta el poder, preguntamos qué evangelio están enseñando.”

(cita de la Celebración interreligiosa – 24/03/2025)

//

“Churches and people who preach the Gospel hate power.

And if the church doesn’t hate power, we ask what Gospel they’re teaching.”

(quote from Interreligious Gathering – 3/24/25)

Gustavo (my supervisor and the pastor of my host congregation) spoke at an interreligious gathering about remembering history and stories and invited me to go with him and observe. I did a lot of listening and holding space: the Catholic church where the gathering was held had 12 members who were disappeared from the front steps during the dictatorship, so the personal stories held a heavy emotional weight. I am thankful for the space to listen and learn – knowing that I’ll never know the whole story or feel the full impact of the individuals who lived through the dictatorship first-hand, but listening, learning, holding space, and paying attention to current events so that harmful histories aren’t repeated. 

All in all, it’s been a wild past two months. It’s even weirder to think about being in the second half of my YAGM year already (or that this is newsletter #4?!). Time is flying and it only feels like it's getting faster and faster… but here’s to remembering to slow down and appreciate the small moments. I’m excited to see what joys the next couple of months hold and all the memories and experiences I’ll have to share. :) 

♥

It's officially been five months in Argentina and a little over four months at my site placement. The past two months have been absolutely wild – from helping with talleres de Navidad and celebrating Christmas and New Year's with my host community in December, to attending summer camp in Misiones, Argentina, and traveling + exploring throughout January. So much has been new: finding new rhythms and schedules amidst the craziness of Christmas and the subsequent deadness of summer, and celebrating familiar holidays with new traditions and customs. Everything has been somewhat of a blur… let's recap.

December was by far the craziest, busiest month of my YAGM experience thus far, and was absolutely packed with talleres de Navidad, Christmas cookies, experiencing new holiday traditions and customs, and spending time with my friends from my host community. 

[You can take a photographic peek into December here.]

My highlight of December was by far talleres de Navidad. Drawing parallels to Vacation Bible School, talleres de Navidad takes place the week before Christmas and is a mix of crafts, games, snacks, Bible stories, and activities with kiddos moving from station to station throughout the school and church. For talleres de Navidad themselves, I co-led a group of 3rd graders with another young adult from El Redentor which was an amazing experience to share (shoutout Fran – gracias por acompañarme, che).

For talleres de Navidad themselves, I co-led a group of 28 third graders with Fran [another young adult from El Redentor]. Leading with one of my friends was really fun and I absolutely loved it! 

Each day's stations were different, and I enjoyed accompanying my kiddos in each activity. I knew some of the kiddos already from First Communion class which filled my heart so much – not only to hang out with them more but also all their smiles + joy + excitement + hugs when they realized I was one of their group leaders. While there are a lot of similarities to Ligas, talleres de Navidad is four days compared to one. Not only are there more activities, but also more time with the kiddos – building that trust and relationship was cool to see develop and grow throughout the week. I learned what they liked or didn’t care for as much, and feel very honored that my kiddos felt open to sharing with me and asking questions.  I offered encouragement and praise when kiddos asked for my approval or input on their Christmas cookies or crafts, as well as answering their curious questions (they had a ton!). It was so wholesome and sweet that they wanted to show off their work and that I was someone they trusted for approval + input. There was such a beauty in helping out with so much prep and then watching the kiddos absolutely devour the activities with joy and enthusiasm.

Aside from crafts and cookies, games (think elementary school P.E. class) and merienda (snack time) were also huge hits. Merienda turned into “free time” once they finished their snack, which some kiddos used to make Christmas cards or do coloring pages. Fran brought his laptop the last couple of days so we played music requests that the kiddos had: a mix of US pop songs and Argentinian or Spanish-language pop songs. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the kiddos’ worlds through the music they listened to and the curiosities and questions they had.

Talleres de Navidad culminated in la escuelita de Navidad: a mini Christmas pageant with two preschoolers dressed up as María y José (Mary and Joseph). The rest of the kiddos were dressed up as angels or stars and sang “Cielo Cielito” together. We all sang “Noche de Paz” [Silent Night] to close the escuelita before handing out bags of Christmas cookies that the kiddos had made throughout the week. As exhausting as it was, talleres de Navidad filled me with so much joy, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.

Capping off December, I spent Año Nuevo (New Year’s) with Gustavo [my supervisor] and his family + guests – I appreciated how many other young adults were there! At midnight, we “cheers!”-ed with champagne and watched fireworks outside the apartment balcony. I enjoyed spending Año Nuevo amidst lots of conversation and community with everyone hanging out, sharing food, and celebrating together.

January was the most unique month of my YAGM experience thus far. Summer started at the end of December, bringing about vacations, as well as changes in the schedule and routine. With no formal activities at church (aside from Sunday worship) until the school year starts again at the end of February, my January was a mix of IELU summer camp in Misiones, spending time with friends from my community, and traveling + exploring! 

[You can take a photographic peek into January here.]

YAGM volunteers are obligated to take two to three weeks of vacation during their year (depending on the country program and site placement), providing the opportunity to experience more of their host country, as well as to help combat burnout! It’s up to each volunteer if we travel elsewhere or stay in our housing – vacation simply means not working. January is when the vast majority of people in Argentina and Uruguay take vacation, which made it the easiest time for me to travel and experience more of both Argentina and Uruguay. 

As a cohort, we traveled to Puerto Iguazú along the Argentina-Brazil–Paraguay border. We spent some time exploring the city, but most of our time was spent in the national parks of the Cataratas de Iguazú, or Iguazú waterfalls (Foz do Iguaçu in Portuguese). They were breathtakingly beautiful: never before have I been in such awe of God’s creation that I physically couldn’t breathe. I feel so incredibly blessed to have shared this experience with the cohort. Pictures nor videos do the waterfalls justice – it’s impossible to capture their true size and magnitude. I found myself wanting to stand there for hours just staring at them to burn the experience into my brain, but also so that maybe I could wrap my head around how big they are AND that they’re real!! When I got back to my host community and was talking to people at church about visiting the waterfalls, one of the ladies told me “Dios está en todos lados, pero vive en las cataratas.” (God is everywhere, but lives in the Iguazú waterfalls). Her comment reminded me of all the “God sightings” from Vacation Bible School growing up, but on a whole other level. I think about “God sightings” quite often, mostly related to small, ordinary, everyday things, but feeling God’s presence in such a powerful way and place was undeniable.

Work at my site was very chill this month – literally (I appreciated the AC amidst the hot summer days). I loved spending days working in the office looking up craft ideas for future Ligas or helping Erika organize and sort the church archives. We also had a young adult dinner, which was a wonderful opportunity to get all the young adults from the congregation together and share a meal. We sat around the table for hours, sharing pizza and drinks and laughter and stories. I am so deeply grateful for my young adult friends and for the time we spend together.  

The rest of January I spent on vacation in Uruguay, spending a weekend in Colonia del Sacramento before bopping over to Montevideo for a little over a week. As some of you might already know, I studied abroad in Uruguay while I was a student at PLU exactly two years ago (January 2023). With Montevideo being so close to Buenos Aires (a 2.5-hour ferry ride + 2.5-hour bus ride), I wanted to visit again. This was my first time truly solo traveling, and while I found similarities to exploring Buenos Aires by myself on my days off, solo traveling in cities and a country I was already familiar with was a welcome comfort. Arriving in Montevideo felt like coming home in a way: not too much has changed in two years (some has!!) but immediately recognizing street names and locations brought a smile to my face. :)

My time in Montevideo was a mix of exploring, catching up with old friends, and making new friends! While I’m deeply grateful for my study abroad experience, I also appreciated having the time and freedom to explore the city at my own pace. I spent more time in Ciudad Vieja (the historic part of Montevideo) and just walked around soaking it all in. It was a mix of revisiting restaurants, parks, and beaches I remember loving, as well as finding new places and neighborhoods to explore. 

I met up with the current PLU study abroad cohort in Montevideo since I had a friend in the class which kind of felt like a “when worlds collide” moment; I loved spending time with her, as well as sharing mate and hearing about her experience so far in Montevideo. Reuniting with my host mom was incredibly wholesome and I loved catching up with her. Mitzy (one of my cohortmates!) and I also hung out, which was wonderful to see some of her favorite spots – we went to an observation deck with a 360° view of Montevideo which was unreal!! 

Staying in hostels throughout my time in Uruguay meant I also made new friends – I became friends with a group of Argentinians in my hostel which was such a welcome joy and community. Even if it was only for a little over a week, I’m grateful that our paths crossed and we got to spend time together talking about life, dreams, fears, Argentina, and the US. From walking around together and exploring, to sharing mate on the beach, to sitting next to one of my friends as she took an English class via Zoom and translating + helping her out when she asked, the sense of community and accompaniment (whether it’s explicitly labeled as such or not) extends beyond the label of “my host community.” Showing up, showing you care, and spending intentional time with others might seem like a small thing, but is so deeply significant in building community and relationships. I’m so extremely thankful that even as I was traveling solo, I was never alone. 

That’s my December and January in a nutshell of a newsletter! It’s wild to think how much has happened in the past two months, and while I want to go in-depth about everything, it would take (probably) three months to recount the past two months. I’m so thankful for my host community amidst it all – for all the new experiences, accompaniment, and belonging. It feels unreal that it’s been five months of YAGM already… here's to the curiosity about what the coming months hold.

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I had the joy of being interviewed by several high school English classes at IEA – some of the English teachers invited me to join their class for a day so students could hear and talk with a native English speaker. I loved answering all the questions students had about who I am, why I’m in Argentina, my experience living in the US, and US culture. One teacher set up a blind quiz about Argentinian culture, in which I had to try and guess what photo was on the projector behind me solely based on students’ descriptions in English – I was surprised to find out I knew more than I thought I would! Overall, it was fascinating not only to be a resource for students to field their curiosities and wonderings about the US but also served as an opportunity for me to learn more about Buenos Aires and Argentina as a whole, as well as connect with students on a different level!

God’s work. Our hands. A concept I’ve heard about since I was a child, yet isn’t something I feel like I completely understood before doing YAGM. Just like you learn so much more about a place by visiting it versus reading a book or hearing a lecture about it, experiencing and seeing how God is working in the world first-hand hits in a different way than simply hearing about it. Of course, this happens in our own communities back home and everywhere, but it feels different to be living out Matthew 25:35–36 in a language, culture, and country distinct from what I grew up with. This isn’t limited to what we can do physically either: of course, I can physically help with washing dishes or prepping activities for Ligas and whatnot, but that’s not the whole story. So much of the care, love, acceptance, community, and belonging is rooted in connection and is such a God thing. Accompaniment is a two-way street: oftentimes I find myself just focusing on how I can accompany my host community and then realize that they’re accompanying me all the same. The world is so incredibly vast, and seeing God’s work and fingerprints in everything is wonderful.

We’re called human beings, not human doings.

First Communion and Confirmation classes have been a consistent joy from week to week since I started at my site in September. I love hanging out with the kiddos every week and all the hugs! While the classes are all information I learned in English as a kid, sometimes it feels like all new information because I’m learning it in Spanish – maybe because things might be explained differently or it hits different learning things as a 23-year-old versus a nine-year-old. And yet, as I’ve experienced working at Christian camps in the US, kids (no matter the culture or language or background) have BIG questions about God, Jesus, faith, and the world as a whole that open more doors to bigger, deeper conversations. I’ve also enjoyed doing the activities and crafts alongside the kiddos – we all work together to ensure everyone has the supplies they need or hints + answers if they’re stuck on activities like the word search. [Accompaniment is a two-way street.]

All in all, the smallest things have had the biggest impact, connection builds community, and accompaniment is a two-way street. It’s hard to summarize my YAGM experience because so much has happened, there’s so much to talk about, and I want to go in-depth about everything. It would take me two months to recount every detail about the past two months, but how wonderful is it to experience this year so deeply. 

♥

Overall, it’s been an eventful first week at my site, and an even more eventful first month in Buenos Aires. I’m excited to see what the rest of my YAGM year holds and all of the learning and growth along the way.

♥️