Christmas In Arggie!

I hope you enjoy our photos from Christmas day! Different thats for sure! It was a Christmas I will never forget! Very, Very different from the traditional Christmas at home to be honest! We celebrated the main celebration on the 24th evening with a family meal. We went to Pape´s house and he had cooked chicken, salad, rice and pasta. It really reminded me of New Years Eve which was the only way I can describe it! We all had a count down to 12 oclock and then headed outside to watch the hundreds of fireworks in the sky! they have these things called Globos, basically laterns that they send up into the air. Really beautiful to see and experience! At 2.30 am we went to the Church where we met the youth to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and generally talk about what had happened in their houses for Christmas. On the 25th we headed to the a local river with our left over food and sat and sunbathed which was an experience that I didn´t think I would have on Christmas day! Normally wrapped up in your woolies compared to your bikini and sun cream! In the evening I decided to bake a chocolate cake and the 3 gringas sat down to watch Love Actually! Did I prefer Christmas in Salta? Extremely different! I love the fact here that the children aren´t focused on the present giving but I did miss the Christmas Carols and the rubbish Christmas Tv. Truely an experience I will not forget!

The Christmas Nativity

After many practices we finally got in on the night! Here in Redentor we had our Christmas service last Sunday where we had our nativity. I was one of the three kings, Naomi Baltazar and Helen was Mary! Where do I start? Well I painted Naomi black for her part but she didnt realise that her costume was the wrong was around and because of the split you could see her white legs! Brilliant! Helen as Mary was meant to get onto the donkey, although that of course didn´t happen. It was more Mary trying to jump the donkey. Oh priceless! ok all jokes asides, it was really good and the set looked amazing! Totally different from home, thats for sure! No plastic doll in the crib, adults in nativity and generally very disorganised practices! We all had a fantastic night! hope you enjoy the photos!

Merry Christmas! Megan

My Baptism

My Baptism

Last Night I was Baptised in El Redentor church where I am working here in Argentina! It was a very special night for me and one in my journey of faith that I will never forget! There was nine of us being Baptised and they called our class the "children of the 90´s" which always made me laugh! This service was very different anyhow compared to a normal service mainly because they had the roof finished in the new church so it was the first service in the new temple. They began with songs and then began with the girls and finished with the boys. I was very nervous to be honest and forgot to hold me nose as everyone told me after although I never noticed! Also the pastor said a little thing about me but because it was so nervous I didn´t hear it. Apparently he explained what I was doing and that I would take a little bit of the Church here back to Ireland when I return. Particularly it was very special because my english student Luz recieved me out of the water after the baptism. She is a very special person here for me in Argentina and her family. Her husband is called Abraham who I met in Jujuy on my Cruzaders week but unfortunately he couldn´t come as he had to attend his own church as he is a pastor of a local Church. After the baptism we had some food and then the presentation of the certificates. A little girl called Michaela was also being baptised. She is the sister of 9 siblings and one thing we have always noticed with her is that she never smiles, her eyes look so sad. So much worries in such a young girl. Last night was the first time I have ever seen her smile and she said to me, none of my family came but at least I have you´s. It was so special to see her being baptised... she has so much potential. To be honest I don´t think I have ever smiled so much as I did last night. All in all we had such a special evening and although I have been christian for 5 years, my step in faith starts here.

Brazil

Totally amazing, are the only words I can use to describe my time in Puerto Iguazu. After a near 30 hour bus journey, the excitement had worn a little to be honest. We stayed in a hostel and we got to meet so many interesting and friendly people! The first day we just took it easy to be honest beside the pool and went to see the little town which really consisted of tourist shops and that was about it. We went to the Iguazu falls which were out of this world. Really, the words and photos don´t do the place justice but all I can say is that I had the best day of my life! On the Argentinian side, you got up so close as if you could reach out and touch the water! we also went into the spead boat into the middle of the falls and got totally drenched. The quickest 13 minutes of my life but hey! We also visited the falls on the Brazil side and to be honest was a total different picture. Instead of being dead close it was a futher but just as impressive view. During the whole trip all I got called by Naomi and Helen was "David Attinburgh" because I took like 3 pictures, ok maybe 4 of wildlife. My dream has always been to see rainforest so of course I was in my element! One evening, Helen and I decided to go for a swim in the pool and of course, the lovely Naomi took all of our stuff which was a tad embarassing due to the fact the bar besdie the pool was packed! Anyhow ... we also go to see where the 3 boarders met of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay which is pretty cool to be able to say that you cans ee 3 countries at once. Thankfully, the visa renwal went according to plan and was straight forward unlike what the guide book had suggested. On the journey home was the most biazarre, the bus driver invited me to sit in the front seat with his collegues to drink mate (a tradition drink like herbal tea). For 3 hours we sat chatting away and having a laugh. At one point, imagine 1.30 ish in the morning the driver suggested I drove and the funny thing he was being deadly serious! His reasoning, there was no one on the read. Imagine Megan driving a huge coach! Brilliant. Well we def made friends and it helped break up the journey on the way home! All in all, we had a fantastic time, home a little more brown, a little more blonde and with thousands of photos! Have a look!