Well, I have succeeded in becoming "not pissed off". As much as I hate to admit it, I think this was a necessary step for me to take to really feel like I can connect with the people. My piercings were something that set me apart from the rest of the women here, which I liked. It was my way of saying that I was not going to give up who I was just because I was living in their country. I liked who I was and didn't feel the need to change, but having given that part of me up and left myself open to change has allowed me to let myself connect with these women in a way that I don't know would have been possible otherwise. God really can bring something good out of a situation which seems to just be entirely crappy.
This weekend, my aunt and I went on a retreat with the women who lead the various girls clubs. There are a few different clubs in various local towns which minister to girls aged 6-12. This is really the most ignored age group that you can find in Chile, and probably in the U.S. When they are little girls they are cute and we love them, but then girls go through an obnoxious/awkward stage where they are kind of not seen as needing much love. Then as soon as they hit puberty and start to um...develop, then they begin to receive all sorts of attention, especially from boys, that they didn't have before. As a result, they are all getting pregnant at 14 or 15. These clubs are designed to mentor and love these girls in ways that they aren't getting at home in the hopes that when they get older that they will realize their own worth and not go looking for love in the wrong places. All of the women at the retreat this weekend are really funny and so passionate about the girls in their groups.
As a rule, Chileans are not quick to warm up to people, but once they do, they stay very warm and friendly. All the women pretty much ignored me for the first night, but the next day they were laughing and making fun of my terrible Spanish. They just love to torment the little gringas. F.Y.I. I have had to un-senitize myself to the word gringo becuase here it is a very endearing term which basically just means you're not from Chile and probably white. All the women are so motivated to help these girls and even want to start doing etiquette and modest fashion classes for these girls so they will realize they are worth something. It's a wonderful ministry, and even though I'm kind of the gopher for them all right now, I'm very excited to see what these women will come up with and where this whole thing will go.
This weekend, my aunt and I went on a retreat with the women who lead the various girls clubs. There are a few different clubs in various local towns which minister to girls aged 6-12. This is really the most ignored age group that you can find in Chile, and probably in the U.S. When they are little girls they are cute and we love them, but then girls go through an obnoxious/awkward stage where they are kind of not seen as needing much love. Then as soon as they hit puberty and start to um...develop, then they begin to receive all sorts of attention, especially from boys, that they didn't have before. As a result, they are all getting pregnant at 14 or 15. These clubs are designed to mentor and love these girls in ways that they aren't getting at home in the hopes that when they get older that they will realize their own worth and not go looking for love in the wrong places. All of the women at the retreat this weekend are really funny and so passionate about the girls in their groups.
As a rule, Chileans are not quick to warm up to people, but once they do, they stay very warm and friendly. All the women pretty much ignored me for the first night, but the next day they were laughing and making fun of my terrible Spanish. They just love to torment the little gringas. F.Y.I. I have had to un-senitize myself to the word gringo becuase here it is a very endearing term which basically just means you're not from Chile and probably white. All the women are so motivated to help these girls and even want to start doing etiquette and modest fashion classes for these girls so they will realize they are worth something. It's a wonderful ministry, and even though I'm kind of the gopher for them all right now, I'm very excited to see what these women will come up with and where this whole thing will go.
woohoo! :) I love the bonding!
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