Thanksgiving in the heat

The seasons are opposite here, so we're in spring now and it's soon becoming summer. The days are hot and humid, but normally sunny and beautiful! The temperature has been in the 90's, but hasn't reached 100 yet, although I'm sure it's right around the corner. I don't mind the heat that much, but it's hard to cool off and sometimes it takes it's tole on my body, making me really exhausted. The girls, Stefanie and Elaine, that live down the street from me, and I bought a small pool to cool off in! It's nice and refreshing, but sometimes the water gets heated by the sun and it's like bathwater, haha! That's not so refreshing! Our offices are air conditioned, but my apartment and the girl's house is not. Other missionaries' houses are, but ours aren't.

We had Thanksgiving together with all the missionaries! It was nice! We had most of the normal Thanksgiving food and it was all really good! Although there were about 50 people there, it didn't fully feel like Thanksgiving because I wasn't with my family. We had tables set up outside our Director's house and after dinner the kids all went swimming in their pool! It's also hard getting into the Christmas mode! It's weird listening to Christmas music when I'm sweating or sitting in the pool, it just doesn't seem right! They don't have Thanksgiving in Argentina, so stores have had Christmas decorations up since October it seems. It's funny how some of the decorations have snow, but that's not what Christmas is like here. I guess America has influenced what "Christmas" looks like.

I'm really excited to come home for Christmas! I get to be home for about 3 weeks! It'll be so nice to be with my family and friends again! I've been in kind of a little slump recently. I'm in need of a change. I'm tired of my days and weeks being so much the same. I need to start doing different things and having a variety in my life. Also, some aspects of Argentine culture have started to really bother me. I feel like I'm in need of a break, a retreat, a time to get away from the normal activities and reflect and renew. I've started reading Dr. Bowling's book "Making the Climb" and I'm really enjoying that! I'm not much of a reader, I don't usually read for fun, but I started reading it when I was in the airport on my way here and I've begun to read it again. It's been great to follow him on his journey to the "roof of Africa" and read about his thoughts, reflections, and experiences there!

My flight leaves Dec 12 and I'll be home until Jan 6. I'm looking forward to this time at home! And then I'll start the second leg of my journey in Argentina and continue learning what God has for me! As always, thanks for your love and support!