Happy Independence Day to all of my Venezuelan friends! Maybe you read yesterday's blog and thought there was nothing I like about Venezuela. That's not true, so in honor of Venezuelan Independence Day, here's my top favorite things about Venezuela:
Pavbellion- a delicious dish consisting of black beans, rice, shredded seasoned beef, and plantains. yuuummm.
Arepas- kind of like corn bread stuffed with meat or cheese
Empanadas (not everyday, but good none the less)- fried dough stuffed with some sort of meat
Batidos- blended fruit drinks
Walking more places
Cheap, delicious bread at all the bakeries
A fantastic exchange rate, even if we do have to exchange on the black market...
No huge temperature fluctuations
Mountains
Beaches
Greeting everyone with a hug and kiss on the cheek
A great view from my apartment window
People who are willing to sit and talk to you about spiritual things for a long time
Speaking Spanish
Having friends from all over the world
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independence Day With a Twist
Happy Independence Day to all of my U.S. Friends! We actually got the day off today because the Venezuelan government decided to give everyone an extra day off this week because tomorrow is the Venezuelan Independence Day. I know many of us pause to remember the sacrafices people have made for our freedom, which is very right to do. However, since I am celebrating this 4th of July outside of the U.S.A., I thought I would offer you a look at things that I enjoy about the U.S. that perhaps you may never have thought of:
Peanut butter-good, cheap, and sold in large quantities
Buying in bulk- not until you have to buy food three times a week for 30 people do you fully appreciate the bulk food aisle.
Wireless internet
Milk that is always, always sold cold
Long summer nights where the sun doesn't set until after 8:00 pm
Free refills
Dollar menus
Drinking water from the tap
Reliable power and water
Even sidewalks without gaping holes
Resturants that actually stock the items on their menus
Clean air
Cars
Being able to walk outside at night without being mugged
Absence of car alarms
100% Juice
Veggies and fruit
Punctuality
Food that does not come deep fried
Large trash cans
Large garbage bags that fit the trash cans
Regular pick up of garbage
Hope you're enjoying all that the grand ol' US of A has to offer!
Sarah
Peanut butter-good, cheap, and sold in large quantities
Buying in bulk- not until you have to buy food three times a week for 30 people do you fully appreciate the bulk food aisle.
Wireless internet
Milk that is always, always sold cold
Long summer nights where the sun doesn't set until after 8:00 pm
Free refills
Dollar menus
Drinking water from the tap
Reliable power and water
Even sidewalks without gaping holes
Resturants that actually stock the items on their menus
Clean air
Cars
Being able to walk outside at night without being mugged
Absence of car alarms
100% Juice
Veggies and fruit
Punctuality
Food that does not come deep fried
Large trash cans
Large garbage bags that fit the trash cans
Regular pick up of garbage
Hope you're enjoying all that the grand ol' US of A has to offer!
Sarah
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Water
I've found myself thinking a lot about water since I've been down here. For one thing, getting a drink of water is not as simple as turning on the facuet and filling up the cup. The water isn't safe to drink, so gulping down a large glass of water would make you incredibly sick. Even in the shower I'm careful not to get water in my mouth, and I brush my teeth with water from one of the large jugs that we purchase.
If I valued my reuseable water bottle in the States, I value it even more here because I know that the water in it is safe and will keep me hydrated and healthy during the hot days on campus. As a result, I rarely leave home without it, and often check to make sure I haven't left it somewhere.
As I make every effort to avoid water that will mak me sick, I can't help but think about what the results would be if we were this careful to avoid sin in our lives. Think about that- as sick as the water would make me, how much sicker does unconfessed sin make us spirtually? We often treat sin like it is the safe water from the States. Not only do we not pay much attention to it, but sometimes we straight out guzzle it because we don't want to face the reality of how toxic it is. But what if, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we were to adopt an attitude of fleeing from sin at all cost. How would our lives, families, and relationships with others look different?
And what about that water bottle? Could I buy water from other places each day? I could, but it would be much more expensive, and I would run the risk of not being able to have water when I needed it. Similarily, I think we often forget about the life giving power of God's word. We spend millions (maybe even billions) of money each year on Christian books, CD's, and movies in hopes that they will bring us closer to God. But what if we started treating the Bible like I've started looking at my reuseable water bottle- as the single most effective way to get what I need for the day, as essential, and as something we don't want to be without? How would our days and walks look different if we placed a premium on spending quality time in the Word? If we saw it as valuable enough to memorize it so we would always have it with us whenever we needed a drink?
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13
Will you join me in drinking from the source of living water?
Sarah
If I valued my reuseable water bottle in the States, I value it even more here because I know that the water in it is safe and will keep me hydrated and healthy during the hot days on campus. As a result, I rarely leave home without it, and often check to make sure I haven't left it somewhere.
As I make every effort to avoid water that will mak me sick, I can't help but think about what the results would be if we were this careful to avoid sin in our lives. Think about that- as sick as the water would make me, how much sicker does unconfessed sin make us spirtually? We often treat sin like it is the safe water from the States. Not only do we not pay much attention to it, but sometimes we straight out guzzle it because we don't want to face the reality of how toxic it is. But what if, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we were to adopt an attitude of fleeing from sin at all cost. How would our lives, families, and relationships with others look different?
And what about that water bottle? Could I buy water from other places each day? I could, but it would be much more expensive, and I would run the risk of not being able to have water when I needed it. Similarily, I think we often forget about the life giving power of God's word. We spend millions (maybe even billions) of money each year on Christian books, CD's, and movies in hopes that they will bring us closer to God. But what if we started treating the Bible like I've started looking at my reuseable water bottle- as the single most effective way to get what I need for the day, as essential, and as something we don't want to be without? How would our days and walks look different if we placed a premium on spending quality time in the Word? If we saw it as valuable enough to memorize it so we would always have it with us whenever we needed a drink?
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13
Will you join me in drinking from the source of living water?
Sarah
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Decoding Your Campus
Here in the Crusade world, we have a phrase we like to call "decoding your campus". Basically, that's an official sounding term that means figuring out what types of students are on the campus, where they hang out, what their needs are, and anything else that would be helpful in reaching the student body with the message of the gospel. The University of Carabobo is a very interesting place, unlike any other university I've ever seen. If you thought your campus was complex, take a look at this:
Within the large university, there are actually 3 different campuses or faculties. These faculties consist of Medicine and Dental, Engineering, and Humanities, which includes everything from business, art, and education.
The police are not allowed on the college campuses because they are supposed to be places of free thinking, but the government also doesn't want student movements to be formed because they know that student movements are where groups will rise up to try and overthrow the government. Therefore, all three faculties are completely spread out to the point that you have to take a bus to move between them. This is to prevent students from getting to know students outside of their majors and form groups that would revolt.
Strikes among the professors are common here. The universities are free here because of socialism, but that means that the teachers get paid next to nothing. To try and combat this, the teachers often go on strike. However, the way strikes work here is that the teachers will just decide to strike one day. They strike for a day or two, and then go back to work. Whereas in the US a teacher strike would mean the teachers strike until some sort of compromise is reached, professors here just strike whenever they feel like it. As a result, nothing really changes, and many of the students are frustrated because they have to miss class. Some students have gotten so far behind because of these strikes that their graduation date has been pushed back by a whole semester.
Usually this frustration doesn't go above complaining, but recently a group of students got together over a weekend and burned one of the offices of a department head. Our first day on campus, we walked past the burned office and you could still smell the charred plastic. It looked like it was out of a set from a movie!
And that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to decoding this campus. Each faculty has its own subculture, and a very, very different feel. For example:
Medicina- as you can imagine, medical students everywhere spend the majority of their time studying. Here you are more likely to have people tell you that they are too busy to talk. Medical students have 3 exams a week, so their is certainly a lot of studying to be done. In some ways, I felt most at home in the medical building- its brand new, and except for the tropical plants inside, it looks like it could easily fit into any college campus, not to mention that I am way more accustomed to people telling me they don't have time to talk than sitting down and having an hour conversation with me!
Ondontologia (Dental)- students here also spend a great deal of time studying, but seem to be a little more open to talking than students in the medical building. With it's air conditioned classrooms and open air walk ways, it seems like a cross between something from this part of the world and the US. Virtually all of the students where light green scrubs here, as a large part of their schooling is working in the on site dental clinics. People of all ages line the "hallways" as they wait to be treated. Because it is a training clinic, the dental services are totally free to the public, and many people utilize them.
Ingeneria (Engineering)- Home to civil, mechanical, and industrial engineering students, what surprised me the most here was the number of female students. While there are probably still more male students than females, the ratios in the US are crazy high on the guys' side of things. Students spend a fair amount of time studying, but can also be found playing cards and hanging out in groups in between campus. The other day there was even some live music in the center of campus that drew quite an energetic crowd.
Face Faces (Humanities)- When you step onto this campus, you feel like you're walking into a whole new world compared to the other campuses. Life is always a party here and you'll find cars blasting music, and a huge array of vendors selling everything from food, drinks, accessories, and clothes. Even the lagoon boasts interesting wildlife-snapping turtles and alligators! Sometimes I'm convinced that the primary purpose of this campus is to give people a place to hang out, as no one ever seems to concerned about going to class or studying. Come to think of it, I even rarely see textbooks making an entrance here.
So there you have it. The University of Carabobo in a nutshell. There is of course much more to it, but unlike college students in the States, students get up early here, which means it is well past my bedtime.
Buenas Noches,
Sarah
Within the large university, there are actually 3 different campuses or faculties. These faculties consist of Medicine and Dental, Engineering, and Humanities, which includes everything from business, art, and education.
The police are not allowed on the college campuses because they are supposed to be places of free thinking, but the government also doesn't want student movements to be formed because they know that student movements are where groups will rise up to try and overthrow the government. Therefore, all three faculties are completely spread out to the point that you have to take a bus to move between them. This is to prevent students from getting to know students outside of their majors and form groups that would revolt.
Strikes among the professors are common here. The universities are free here because of socialism, but that means that the teachers get paid next to nothing. To try and combat this, the teachers often go on strike. However, the way strikes work here is that the teachers will just decide to strike one day. They strike for a day or two, and then go back to work. Whereas in the US a teacher strike would mean the teachers strike until some sort of compromise is reached, professors here just strike whenever they feel like it. As a result, nothing really changes, and many of the students are frustrated because they have to miss class. Some students have gotten so far behind because of these strikes that their graduation date has been pushed back by a whole semester.
Usually this frustration doesn't go above complaining, but recently a group of students got together over a weekend and burned one of the offices of a department head. Our first day on campus, we walked past the burned office and you could still smell the charred plastic. It looked like it was out of a set from a movie!
And that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to decoding this campus. Each faculty has its own subculture, and a very, very different feel. For example:
Medicina- as you can imagine, medical students everywhere spend the majority of their time studying. Here you are more likely to have people tell you that they are too busy to talk. Medical students have 3 exams a week, so their is certainly a lot of studying to be done. In some ways, I felt most at home in the medical building- its brand new, and except for the tropical plants inside, it looks like it could easily fit into any college campus, not to mention that I am way more accustomed to people telling me they don't have time to talk than sitting down and having an hour conversation with me!
Ondontologia (Dental)- students here also spend a great deal of time studying, but seem to be a little more open to talking than students in the medical building. With it's air conditioned classrooms and open air walk ways, it seems like a cross between something from this part of the world and the US. Virtually all of the students where light green scrubs here, as a large part of their schooling is working in the on site dental clinics. People of all ages line the "hallways" as they wait to be treated. Because it is a training clinic, the dental services are totally free to the public, and many people utilize them.
Ingeneria (Engineering)- Home to civil, mechanical, and industrial engineering students, what surprised me the most here was the number of female students. While there are probably still more male students than females, the ratios in the US are crazy high on the guys' side of things. Students spend a fair amount of time studying, but can also be found playing cards and hanging out in groups in between campus. The other day there was even some live music in the center of campus that drew quite an energetic crowd.
Face Faces (Humanities)- When you step onto this campus, you feel like you're walking into a whole new world compared to the other campuses. Life is always a party here and you'll find cars blasting music, and a huge array of vendors selling everything from food, drinks, accessories, and clothes. Even the lagoon boasts interesting wildlife-snapping turtles and alligators! Sometimes I'm convinced that the primary purpose of this campus is to give people a place to hang out, as no one ever seems to concerned about going to class or studying. Come to think of it, I even rarely see textbooks making an entrance here.
So there you have it. The University of Carabobo in a nutshell. There is of course much more to it, but unlike college students in the States, students get up early here, which means it is well past my bedtime.
Buenas Noches,
Sarah
The Importance of Being Grateful
"Sit here" my new Venezuelan friend told me, regarding the speed boat that we were taking on our weekend trip to the beach, "Here is more fun".
That should've been my clue that his definition of fun might be a little different than mine. Before I could realize what "fun" meant, I found myself sitting in the front of a very fast speed boat going over some very large waves and holding on very tightly. Hmm. Not quite the relaxing ride I was hoping for.
My first thought/prayer was that I would not lose my breakfast, fall out of the boat, or both simultaneously, but then I remembered a quiet time I had done recently on how our lives should be marked by being grateful and decided that maybe if I concentrated on what I was grateful for in that moment I would A) arrive at the beach alive, and B) pass the time quicker. Here is what I came up with:
1. My team of supporters back home who are praying for the health and safety of this trip. Surely with so many people praying for me I will survive this.
2. If I don't survive this, I will at least be in heaven tonight
3. I had enough sense not to eat the empanada (fried dough with meat inside it) at the roadside stand this morning
4. I took American Dramanine which means I don't feel like I'm in and out of a high (I learned from experience that all motion sickness medicine is not created equal during my time in Costa Rica)
5. I know how to swim
6. Thousands of people ride in these boats every year and are fine
7. I have survived other crazy adventures such as zip lining and swimming in a water fall
8. wristbands
9. the opportunity to make new friends who take me on these sorts of adventures
10. arriving safely at the beach and having a wonderful time the rest of the day.
Bonus:
11. The fresh fish (and I do mean a complete fish, complete with head, eyes, and tail) I had for lunch was actually one of the more delicious things I have eaten here. I've come to the conclusion that fish and I can have a civil relationship if I can see the ocean where the fish was caught while I am eating it.
12. I didn't get sunburned one little bit!
That's my list. What about you? And by all means- keep those prayers coming!
Sarah
That should've been my clue that his definition of fun might be a little different than mine. Before I could realize what "fun" meant, I found myself sitting in the front of a very fast speed boat going over some very large waves and holding on very tightly. Hmm. Not quite the relaxing ride I was hoping for.
My first thought/prayer was that I would not lose my breakfast, fall out of the boat, or both simultaneously, but then I remembered a quiet time I had done recently on how our lives should be marked by being grateful and decided that maybe if I concentrated on what I was grateful for in that moment I would A) arrive at the beach alive, and B) pass the time quicker. Here is what I came up with:
1. My team of supporters back home who are praying for the health and safety of this trip. Surely with so many people praying for me I will survive this.
2. If I don't survive this, I will at least be in heaven tonight
3. I had enough sense not to eat the empanada (fried dough with meat inside it) at the roadside stand this morning
4. I took American Dramanine which means I don't feel like I'm in and out of a high (I learned from experience that all motion sickness medicine is not created equal during my time in Costa Rica)
5. I know how to swim
6. Thousands of people ride in these boats every year and are fine
7. I have survived other crazy adventures such as zip lining and swimming in a water fall
8. wristbands
9. the opportunity to make new friends who take me on these sorts of adventures
10. arriving safely at the beach and having a wonderful time the rest of the day.
Bonus:
11. The fresh fish (and I do mean a complete fish, complete with head, eyes, and tail) I had for lunch was actually one of the more delicious things I have eaten here. I've come to the conclusion that fish and I can have a civil relationship if I can see the ocean where the fish was caught while I am eating it.
12. I didn't get sunburned one little bit!
That's my list. What about you? And by all means- keep those prayers coming!
Sarah
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Seizing Every Opportunity
If you are able to read and understand this, you have two things that is highly sought after in many parts of the world. For one, your were fortunate enough to have someone teach you how to read, but even more so, you learned how to read in English.
Since English is my first language, I tend to see it as just another language. It's what I use to read, write, communicate, and even think. I seldome give it a second thought. This past week however, I realized what an opportunity I have because of the language I speak.
One of our first days on campus, one of the women I am discipling and I were talking with a group of girls on the humanities campus. The conversation didn't really seem to go anywhere especially spiritual, and while Alyssa and I took turns speaking in Spanish, my mind was wandering to how to exit the conversation in a culturally sensitive way since Venezuelans highly value relationships and are known to even skip class if they feel they have not spent enough time with you.
Around the same time, one of their friends named Daniel approached us and said, "I want to learn English". Although we were speaking in Spanish, he clearly saw us as a chance to practice the language that is considered the mark of good education, and the gateway to many oportunities for sucess. It just so happened that the English Club Vida Estudiantil (CRU here in Venezuela) hosts every week was meeting just around the corner in 10 minutes. We said our good-byes to the girl and headed over to the English club where Daniel was quickly pulled into a group of students from the United States and Venezuelans who had gathered for the club. There were probably about 40 Venezuelan students who had come out soley for the opportuity to practice English!
Seated in the open air walk way, I was able to lead a small group of students through a series of questions such as "What do you study?", "What is your family like?" and "Where do you see yourselves in ten years?" As the conversaiton wound down, I asked if any of the Venezuelan students if they had any questions they would like to ask in English. One of the students in Vida asked me to share about how I came to know Christ. Talk about seizing the opportunity!
That simple question then led into us breaking into even smaller groups, with Christians sharing with non-Christians about their lives with Jesus. I was seated next to Daniel, and I asked him if he would like to read in English and told him I had a small book about God that was in English and Spanish. I proposed that he read the English and I read the Spanish and then we could talk about what we read. We then got to read through 3/4 of the Four Spiritual Laws /Knowing God Personally booklet and have a longer conversation about who God is and what he wants from us.
I've always heard that English clubs are a great way to reach people, but it was so cool to actually see it in action! Anyone up for helping me start one with the international students at NIU in the fall?
Sarah
Since English is my first language, I tend to see it as just another language. It's what I use to read, write, communicate, and even think. I seldome give it a second thought. This past week however, I realized what an opportunity I have because of the language I speak.
One of our first days on campus, one of the women I am discipling and I were talking with a group of girls on the humanities campus. The conversation didn't really seem to go anywhere especially spiritual, and while Alyssa and I took turns speaking in Spanish, my mind was wandering to how to exit the conversation in a culturally sensitive way since Venezuelans highly value relationships and are known to even skip class if they feel they have not spent enough time with you.
Around the same time, one of their friends named Daniel approached us and said, "I want to learn English". Although we were speaking in Spanish, he clearly saw us as a chance to practice the language that is considered the mark of good education, and the gateway to many oportunities for sucess. It just so happened that the English Club Vida Estudiantil (CRU here in Venezuela) hosts every week was meeting just around the corner in 10 minutes. We said our good-byes to the girl and headed over to the English club where Daniel was quickly pulled into a group of students from the United States and Venezuelans who had gathered for the club. There were probably about 40 Venezuelan students who had come out soley for the opportuity to practice English!
Seated in the open air walk way, I was able to lead a small group of students through a series of questions such as "What do you study?", "What is your family like?" and "Where do you see yourselves in ten years?" As the conversaiton wound down, I asked if any of the Venezuelan students if they had any questions they would like to ask in English. One of the students in Vida asked me to share about how I came to know Christ. Talk about seizing the opportunity!
That simple question then led into us breaking into even smaller groups, with Christians sharing with non-Christians about their lives with Jesus. I was seated next to Daniel, and I asked him if he would like to read in English and told him I had a small book about God that was in English and Spanish. I proposed that he read the English and I read the Spanish and then we could talk about what we read. We then got to read through 3/4 of the Four Spiritual Laws /Knowing God Personally booklet and have a longer conversation about who God is and what he wants from us.
I've always heard that English clubs are a great way to reach people, but it was so cool to actually see it in action! Anyone up for helping me start one with the international students at NIU in the fall?
Sarah
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Day in the Life
So what does a typical day actually look like down here? Of course, typical is really all relative. If you think how much you change plans in the US, multiply that by about 5 and you'll get an idea of how loosely you have to hold onto plans down here. At our first staff meeting today, we pretty much changed our entire schedule! Currently, here's what it looks like:
Individual time with the Lord in the morning
Group devotional and prayer
Head to campus
3-4 hours on campus sharing with students about who Jesus is and what he has done for us. For the record, meeting the Venezuelans has been fantastic! They're so welcoming and willing to talk, much more so than the students in the US.
Head back to our apartments and hotel (We weren't able to find apartments for everyone, so there are 6 girls in an apartment and then 1 apartment for the staff)
Family dinners- as I sit here the food team is in the kitchen trying to figure out how to navigate certain, ah, experiences such as having to wash produce in a vinegar and water solution because neither the water or the veggies are clean
Then each night of the week we have one of the following:
Family Fun Nights- focus is on having fun and getting to know each other as a group. Shout out to NIU CRU-last night's family fun was Mafia. :)
Action Group- these are our small group Bible studies of men or women. I'll be leading the first one of these tonight!
Outreach- nights that we put together to invite student who we meet on campus with the hope that they can further connect with the Vida Estudiantil (Student Life/CRU) students and get plugged in to community here.
Weekly Meetings- similar to the weekly CRU meetings, this is where we will gather as a large group to have a teaching and worship time. This summer, we'll be working through Colossians, so if you're looking for something to read, it'd be fantastic to work through it with you!
Needless to say, there is almost never a dull moment! Please pray that I would be spending good time with the Lord this summer. Most of you who know me know that I like to have some free time and time by myself, and these things are pretty much nonexistent this summer.
Excited to be serving in this part of the world with you!
Sarah
Individual time with the Lord in the morning
Group devotional and prayer
Head to campus
3-4 hours on campus sharing with students about who Jesus is and what he has done for us. For the record, meeting the Venezuelans has been fantastic! They're so welcoming and willing to talk, much more so than the students in the US.
Head back to our apartments and hotel (We weren't able to find apartments for everyone, so there are 6 girls in an apartment and then 1 apartment for the staff)
Family dinners- as I sit here the food team is in the kitchen trying to figure out how to navigate certain, ah, experiences such as having to wash produce in a vinegar and water solution because neither the water or the veggies are clean
Then each night of the week we have one of the following:
Family Fun Nights- focus is on having fun and getting to know each other as a group. Shout out to NIU CRU-last night's family fun was Mafia. :)
Action Group- these are our small group Bible studies of men or women. I'll be leading the first one of these tonight!
Outreach- nights that we put together to invite student who we meet on campus with the hope that they can further connect with the Vida Estudiantil (Student Life/CRU) students and get plugged in to community here.
Weekly Meetings- similar to the weekly CRU meetings, this is where we will gather as a large group to have a teaching and worship time. This summer, we'll be working through Colossians, so if you're looking for something to read, it'd be fantastic to work through it with you!
Needless to say, there is almost never a dull moment! Please pray that I would be spending good time with the Lord this summer. Most of you who know me know that I like to have some free time and time by myself, and these things are pretty much nonexistent this summer.
Excited to be serving in this part of the world with you!
Sarah
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