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| Homemade tortellini |
I lived with an incredible missionary couple and was able to see what their life was like day-to-day. I'd always put missionary work on a pedestal, but I quickly realized how unglamorous it really is. It was amazing though to see how they poured out their lives for the people around them, even if it meant personal sacrifices left and right.
I worked with a recovery ministry there and learned so much about abuse and healing. I went during my third year in college and was so used to just thinking about myself and my own survival, it was such an eye-opening experience learning about abuse and its effects. I also learned what it's like to feel truly lonely for the first time and what culture shock is. That sounds depressing, and it kind of was, but it helped me grow in many ways. I had countless hours to examine my heart and confront areas of hurt in my life (working with an abuse ministry helped). These things have played a huge roll in my life since.
I look back on 2009 as a year that was really tough for me, but that was also one of my best, because I grew so much. I kept a blog during my time there too, you can see it here.
Have you had a year like this in your life? One that stands out above the rest as a year of growth?
Michaela Rae
P.S. Thank you for the feedback on my last blog. I really appreciated it and was encouraged to share more of me here on the blog.
Where in Argentina did you live? Chett and I lived in Chile for over a year and had the opportunity to travel to Mendoza and B.A. I would hop on a plane this afternoon and go back to Argentina. I fell in love with Buenos Aires. Do you speak Spanish?
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome! I wish I could have visited Chile. I had an 8 hour layover there, but that was it. What did you do there for a year? I lived in Mendoza. I also got to visit Buenos Aires, I loved it there. :-) Spanish was my minor in college, and definitely a huge reason I took the internship there. I've lost a lot of it since but I want to pick it back up.
DeleteWe studied abroad for 5 months in Vina del Mar in college, and then after graduation, moved to Santiago for an internship...basically to learn more Spanish. I would love to go back soon. I really miss Latin America.
DeleteMoving abroad was what sparked my blog. So glad that I kept up with it as it's the best way to reminisce. If you browse through the blog from oct 2009-july 2010, you will find posts from when we moved back to Chile.