Playing Catch-Up

I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post. I despise having to mass-quantity catch-up blog, but I think at this point it's my best bet for covering so much ground.
Bear with me...
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Monday, September 21

For the majority of you, today marked the first day of fall. Here in the Southern Hemisphere, however, it was a national holiday celebrating the first day of la primavera. And quite a celebration it was! I went to the cleaners to pick up my laundry and was warmly greeted with a highly enthusiastic "¡Feliz primavera!" (which was an especially notable experience at 8:30 a.m., as the locals generally can't muster up the energy for a smile until sometime after noon), two loads of clothes smelling especially springtime fresh, and, to top it all off, a complimentary fuchsia petunia plant. I brought the flower home and gave it to Inés, only to find she'd brought me a flower as well. We exchanged flores and besos, and I headed off to school with an extra bit of "spring" in my step... despite the fact that Pepperdine is legitimately the only school in all of Buenos Aires that had class today. (Our academic calendar follows American holidays; we have breaks for Thanksgiving, etc., but because of those, have to miss out on some of the Argentine holidays like today.) Walking to my bus stop, it seemed as though every store window was dressed to the nines with flower shaped di-cuts and brightly colored letters announcing the arrival of this city's favorite season. Though Inés had warned me not to get my hopes up for good weather (apparently their first-day-of-spring luck is a lot like our spring break luck... when everyone's finally out of school and ready to play, the rain rolls in and stays just until class starts back up again), today was GORGEOUS. Sunshine, cool air, and not a cloud in the sky -- it really was the perfect start to a new season!

The Argentine excitement regarding the start of spring reminded me just how wonderful new beginnings are. Though we are capable of telling ourselves we are "too far gone" in any of a million different scenarios, the truth is that a fresh start is never far away. Praise be to God, for he makes all things new!

"...Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, [...] be made new in the attitude of your minds, [and] put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
- Ephesians 4:22b-23

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
- 2 Corinthians 5:17


Wednesday, September 23

Every student at Pepperdine is required to complete 14 hours of convocation credit each semester. At the Malibu campus, attendance of weekly chapels, seminars, lectures, and Bible studies can all count toward these "Convo" credits. Due to our limited staff abroad, however, our Convo credits are harder to come by. Thus, every Wednesday night is a designated Convo night. The whole group looks forward to this weekly opportunity for us to gather at Casa Holden, hear a guest speaker's presentation (generally something along the lines of expanding horizons/crossing boundaries/changing lives/inspiration 101), and dine on Pepperdine's (our tuition's?) tab afterward. Tonight, however, in lieu of a guest speaker, we headed out to Tango Porteño dinner theater for an authentic Argentine cuisine and tango show experience. The passion of the dancers and their connection to their partners, the music, and the history their dance represented was truly incredible. Though the tango is the iconic dance of Argentina, these days it is kept alive mostly through the older generations and for the sake of tourism; thus, our evening at Tango Porteño allowed us to see a part of Argentine history that we don't get to see in our everyday interactions.

I still have so much to learn about this country, but with each new experience I find a better understanding of who these people are and how I can connect to them. The more I open I am to the Argentine culture, the richer my time here will be!


Saturday, September 26

Rafael ("Rafa") DeSanso has been the director of Pepperdine's international program in BA for over 10 years. Best known for his 40+ year-old bachelor status, hilarious knack for nick-naming students in the program, and extensive connections throughout Argentina, Rafa is truly a legend in the Pepperdine community. There are countless stories of his networking capabilities acting as a student's saving grace -- lost passports, stolen laptops, and the like have miraculously made their ways back into Rafa's hands and have been safely returned to their respective owners. Hence, we refer to Rafa, Pato, Maria, and Susi (the other administrators at Pepperdine BA) as "The Rafia," because seriously... they are capable of some uncanny things, for all of which we are extremely grateful!

Anywho, due to his youth-at-heart, current students and program alumni alike were shocked when Rafa announced last year that he had fallen in love with and and proposed to the principal of his niece & nephew's school. We all knew Agustina must have been something special to cause such a change of heart in Rafa and were so excited to find out that the wedding would be taking place during our time here. We just assumed, until a week or two ago, that pictures and stories would have to suffice... having no idea that all 54 of us would be invited to share in the biggest day of Rafa's life so soon after meeting him.

The wedding was today and was, in all honesty, one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever attended. Held in the cathedral on the grounds of the school where Rafa and Agus met, the service highlighted everything the couple holds dear: their families, their faith, and the children in their lives. Instead of a bridal party, Agus was preceded by 15 precious little children, symbolizing not only what brought her and Rafa together, but their desire to maintain the innocence and honesty of children through their love as well. All of the couple's siblings read scripture during the service and prayed over their marriage. Though guided by Roman Catholic tradition, the wedding ceremony was so personal, and seeing Rafa nervous (TOTALLY uncharacteristic) and so in love was so incredible; I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house when it was all said and done! The acoustics in the chapel were breathtaking; not a single soloist used a microphone, yet "Ave Maria" and "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" have never sounded clearer or more beautiful. To make the experience even more personal, many of Rafa's friends from Pepperdine, including Charles Hall (the Dean of Int'l Programs), were at the wedding; it was such a neat time for us to spend time with other members of Pepperdine administration and to experience such a unique element of Argentine culture with them.

Though we'll miss Rafa terribly during his 2-week honeymoon, we could not be more excited for this wonderful time in his life. And while we still don't understand how we were lucky enough to be the students here during his wedding, I am certain it's an experience none of us will soon forget!

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
- 1 John 4:16b-18
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Thanks for hanging on through the catch-up! :)

Abrazos from abroad,
Margaret