the ywammer conference

day 1:

they already got me in the kitchen helping to cook for the masses and cleaning the bathrooms in preparation for the masses arriving. i got here monday morning and hung out with the few people i still knew. most people have either moved on from ywam or have gone to other bases. the turnover rate here is really high as well, so it's impossible to expect things not to change. but things have remained the same a little. the people that have remained are just like i remembered them. there is one girl left that was in my school, and a couple of leaders as well. it's been fun hanging out with them and catching up on the past few years. there's one guy named ruben, that i BARELY remember. he not only remembered my name, but what school i did, and other random details, i was shocked. i honestly would not have remembered his name had he not tattooed it on his arm. 

as far as food goes - that night i made some coleslaw salad with the dullest knife i had ever seen. also, there was no grater, so with that terrible knife i had to thinly slice up a carrot, and dice garlic. i am pretty sure it took an hour to make, and 7 minutes to eat. 

day 2:

everyone's running around like mad cleaning all the rooms, laying pavement, picking up trash.  my job is to help where needed. mostly that consists of the kitchen. i found out the guy in charge of the kitchen has just finished studying to be a chef. so we talked food and restaurant stuff while slicing and dicing food for a dinner for 70 people. people were so stuffed from dinner that they didn't even come back for seconds. i spent the evening chatting and meeting more people. a couple of people have asked where i am from and are surprised to find that i am from the united states, most thing i am from europe, maybe it's cause my hair is always in braids?

a romanian pastor is trying to recruit me to work on the base in administration. he is a strong minded fellow, and isn't afraid to speak it. it just so happened that the one man heading administration for the entire base was listening in on our conversation, and has hinted quite obviously that he wants me to stay on after the conference to help him in all things admin. thankfully i had the presence of mind to ask if he was a good delegator, and if he was able to communicate jobs that needed to be done. he shook his head yes... so i need to talk to him more. oh joy, for another decision to contemplate, pray about, and talk with my parents and the man in my life about. i swear i don't LOOK for them. 

day 3:

mendoza base arrives

puerto madryn base arrives

and the base is filling up. 

 

it's so great seeing tons of friends of all over the place. even watching it is pretty fantastic. you know the end of "love, actually" it's like that ALL the time these days on the base. 

tonight is dinner for over 150 people, so i better get to the kitchen!