Special Meetings Travels

Special meetings for us means five weeks out of our fields (we only have meetings on Sundays), with pre-planned visits during the week amongst the people who live in the place of special meetings.  We went to Esquel first (about 700 kms south of Neuquen, over by the mountains). Cold!! Just a little group living in that area. Benio and Rosa Sanchez, and their extended family, and Sara Mereles who was in the work but couldn't continue.  Benio and Rosa came from Chile in the early 80s and have a small hotel in Esquel, whose main industry is tourism.  People go to ski in the winter and for outdoor pursuits in summer.

The last time I was there was in 1996 with Rachel, nice to be back!

Our first port of call was to visit Benio's niece Eliana Riquelme, in the sleepy town of El Maiten ("el my-TEN").  She came from Chile to study nursing 8 years ago (public tertiary education is free in Argentina, even to foreigners. Costs an arm and a leg in Chile). She graduated and got a job in the hospital in El Maiten, a sleepy little town nestled in a valley in the Andean foothills.  She is the youngest of 6 and so far just she and her mum serve God.  She doesn't get to meetings every Sunday, but when she can she takes the bus to Esquel, stays Sat night, and goes to the mtg Sun. There is no regular bus service to Esquel from El Maiten (170 kms), but she's very excited as she's just bought a car.  Now wants to learn to drive it! Don't think it should be a problem... She joined the voluntary fire brigade and helped fight the big forest fires here recently, so driving should be a breeze. I was quite shocked to know it will take her 8 years to pay her car off!! It's not brand new either! 

Some photos:

Love this northwestern arch.  Los Andes in the background.

The pink bushes are musk rose.  They make rose-hip jam from the fruit.

Some of the scenery from bus window

Coming in to the city of Bariloche (just visible on the far shore).

Bariloche

The part of Bariloche that tourists don't see!

More stunning scenery from the bus window

Climbing through the mountains.  You can see the truck crawling up the road to the left.

This map shot shows the topography of El Maiten and Esquel

Was it good to get here after travelling all day!  With Eliana, eating a delicious roast beef meal.

Some photos I took while out walking the following morning.  (not too early, as it didn't get light till 9.20am! - no daylight saving).

Looking towards the town of El Maiten.

"La Trochita" (literally, "the Little Gauge")  is an old steam train that still operates as a tourist attraction.  It was a busy train operating between Esquel and a town further north, with the maintenance sheds in El Maiten.  Top is a monument to the railway workers who laid down the rail in Patagonia.  

Eliana's cute little rented cottage.

"La Trochita"

El Maiten

...And on to Esquel...

Rosa Sanchez in her kitchen.  They have a hostel, and close it down for the weekend, so there is room for all to stay who travel to the meetings.  Rosa Bravo is in the background, she travelled from our field.

Sara Mereles in her little tiny apartment!

Alex and Silvana Sanchez and little Micaela (soon to have a little brother/sister)

Jacky Montoya and I with Mica

Some scenes around Esquel

Rosa's sister Haidee has this cool Chilean-style log cabin in the country.  We all had lunch there one day.

Back yard

Inside

Valarie keeping the fire warm!

Last rays of sun...

Next morning...slight hoar frost.  Behind the fog is a spectacular view of the mountains!

Coffee and a catch-up downtown Esquel with John and Valarie Kells

Love these iced-over spider webs and leaves!

The day of the meetings.  Bottom the Kells with Sara Mereles and I

Rosa's father, Don Oscar - 98y years young!

Daniel Peiretti and I.  Last saw him in 1996!

Daniel lives in a city called Trelew, over on the coast.  I first met him in 1996 when I travelled through here with Rachel Bailey.  He was about 20 years old and had not long professed, having come in contact with the gospel while studying at university with one of our young friends, Valentina de la Fuente.  His father and mother were preachers in some charismatic church, but he was searching for what is true. He went to Valentina’s house one day and saw a Bible there, and began to ask questions.  He began to go to the meetings and made his choice to serve God.  However Valentina then went into the work, and he was pretty disappointed!  He lost out for a few years and the de la Fuente family left that city (leaving noone in Trelew who served God).  They always kept in touch with him however, and the day came when he wanted to come back.  He also brought his girlfriend Janina.  They got married and both made their choices to serve God.  Sadly however, things began to go wrong in the marriage, and Janina started making things difficult for Daniel.  She ended up leaving him and going her own way.  He kind of lost heart during that time, and just this year has renewed his vows.  It was neat to see him at special meetings for the first time since 1996.  Amazingly, he has never lost his vision or understanding of God’s way, and so nice to feel that he still has God’s Spirit.  

Impressive view of the city of Esquel

The group who left for Buenos Aires, at the airport.  Ramona Coria, Jacky Montoya, John and Valarie, Mary Barrientos (Uruguay)

Random Shots Rio Negro

Rio Negro is one of the provinces that is part of our field here in the south.  It includes the city of Cipolletti where there is one church, Fernández Oro, a small town where there is another, the city of General Roca where one lady, Adriana, lives.  And  Villa Regina where there is another church.  From Cipolletti to Villa Regina, the trip takes about two hours on a bus that stops at lots of little towns on the way through "the valley" as they call this fruit growing area.  I always wondered why it's called a valley as it all seems to be flat!  But when I looked closer, there are these strange cliffs all along the riverside (the river called Rio Negro flows through and from that river they get water to water the trees.  Canal systems everywhere, which are shut off from autumn till spring).  It's dusty, grey landscape, broken by poplars and orchards.  As I've mentioned most people here are either Chilean or of Chilean descent.

Here are photos of some of the places we frequent, and the people:

Adriana Saavedra and her little house.  Here she's making quince jam (very common here).We spend at least one night a week in her tiny house in the town of General Roca (known as Roca).  She moves onto the sofa in her kitchen/dining area and leaves us her bedroom.  We have just started a Bible read with a young lady in Roca called Andrea.  Andrea’s partner Jose and his mother Nina have known the workers for a long time as Nina was brought up going to meetings.  She never really made a personal commitment though.  Andrea started searching for something more than religion, went to church after church until finally Nina told her to have a talk to the “señoritas” (which is what they refer to us as!).  Now Nina is also making the most of her opportunity to listen and the two women are always there.  

Adriana was outside of fellowship for many years, and now she is back, her enthusiasm and whole-hearted zeal is contagious!  She lost out because she married a man who she thought was the man of her dreams…but he didn’t love God, and within a month of marrying him, she realised her big mistake.  He was brutal and nasty, told her that the day the last child left home, that she was to leave as well….and he kept his promise.  She walked out of their home with nothing.  But it doesn’t hinder her happiness, she has two little rooms and a bathroom, but a very big heart!  She says "I left a big house and many possessions behind...but it doesn't compare with the peace I have now!".  She travels to Sunday am mtg an hour, leaves home to get 8.30am bus, each Wednesday makes same trip to the mid-week Bible study.  

Adriana also makes these bread things, bit like donuts, sprinkled with icing sugar.  Very moreish while they're fresh!!

This is where we wait for the bus that takes us on another hour to Villa Regina.

Very typical scenery from this area.  Look at all the pears lying rotting on the ground!!  

This is a very dear old couple Hernan and Laura Fica.  He’s 83 and she’s 80, but you could easily mistake them for being 10 years younger.  A real dear old couple, just quiet country folk, but their quiet spirit speaks volumes! Laura can’t read, but it doesn’t take the life away from her testimony in the meeting!  Hernan sits and reads the Bible to her.  Hernan’s parents met the workers in Chile when he was 15.  They both accepted the gospel, but it took Hernan till he was 30 to be willing for it.  By that time he had met Laura, so they both came to meetings and made their choice to serve God.  They've had many sad experiences in life, both their children died in tragic accidents, neither of them interested in the things of God.  Sunday am mtg in Regina is in their home.

Going home after gospel meeting

Patricio and Cristina Bravo and three of their five kids - Karen, Gladys and Noemi.  

This couple used to be in fellowship years ago, but lost out for some reason.  These two girls, Karen and Noemi, right from little would go along to the meetings with their grandparents, even though noone else from their house went!  The mum and dad have been coming to gospel meetings lately, so hope one day they receive life.  They are very generous, big-hearted people, would do anything for us...but that's not salvation either!

This is the entrance to the town of Villa Regina.

Same place with volcanic ash again the other day, a blustery norwester brought it all back :-(

This is Julio Ortiz and his little hut.  It's just one room that he's divided into a kitchen/dining with a big cupboard, and on authorised is his bed...and tools!He's 38 now.  He grew up going to the meetings with his mum, but soon lost interest and went his own way in life.  That way led him to drink, fights and all kinds of terrible strife.  His cousins tell of the time he was stabbed 24 times, all because of a drunken party that led to a fight - Julio always used his fists, but this time his assailant had a knife!  One night after such a drunken fiesta, Julio got on his motorbike to go home.  They had hidden his helmet and keys so that he wouldn’t drive, he was so drunk.  But that didn’t deter him, somehow he got the keys and off he went helmetless into the night.  He had a terrible accident, crashed into a barrier on the highway…they took him to hospital not thinking he would survive the night.  Terrible injuries to his head and face, had a tracheotomy... After a month in coma he came to!  Amazingly, he lived to tell the tale.  Of course, he has been quite affected by the head trauma, but noone thought he would survive.  The best thing of the whole story is that he began to think of his soul…and realised he was being given a second chance.  He’s taken that opportunity, and it’s SO inspiring to see his love, zeal and thankfulness to God for giving him his life back.  His partner left him a long time ago, not surprisingly, due to his previous lifestyle.  So he’s on his own, but goes to visit his daughters who live a long way away now.  He must have been well known for his punching prowess, because he told us how recently a young man taunted him to have a punch up but Julio said no, I’m afraid to fight now. Another man said to him “What? You afraid??”, “Yes” he replied, “I’m afraid” and walked away.  He said to us I’m regarded a coward now, but I don’t care!  Sadly, his mother went off the rails a few years ago, so at the moment he's the only one in his immediate family.  

Inside the bus that we always travel on.

After the meeting at the home of Gladys and Mario Montoya, and their daughter Katherine.  Their other daughter Jacqueline started in the work two years ago.  Mario was a heavy drinker, but gave up a little while ago.  He doesn't miss a meeting, and recently bought a little car with the main purpose of taking the family to the meetings, and lending it to the workers!  He doesn't have his licence yet, and is teaching himself to drive!!  Hope one day he has a need woken in him.

In the home of Willy and Yasna Lück.  Yasna in black t-shirt, her daughter Jasmine in the grey-patterned t-shirt.  Visiting are Maria Barra (orange) and her daughter Olguita.  This home is in the town of Fernandez Oro (about 10 mins from Cipolletti).  Sunday am mtg here.  We spend a lot of time here.

Ruby Barra and her son Alberto making out he's baking bread!  The Chilean women are fantastic bread bakers (no bread-makers around here! Pure muscle...).  It's sooo good too.  The old man pruning the grape vine is Edmundo Rios, who was in the work.  He's now 88, and lives with a family here.  Goes around doing people's gardens as a pastime.  I took that shot of the two kids kneeling beside my bed with their Bible.  One came in, then the other, as I was getting ready for the meeting one day.  I said they could only stay if they were quiet.  So out came the Bible, and the silence lasted about two minutes, but it was pretty cute.  

Alberto helping his dad Carlos dig the septic tank hole.

Playing hopscotch with Alberto and Caryn

Natalie Gonzalez and her fiancé Nicolas.  Soon getting married, we hope she'll come back to the meetings some day.  

Chilean Ash...

You may have seen this photo in the paper a little while ago....

A volcano in Chile just on the other side of Bariloche blowing it's stack.  Argentina got a lot of the ash, which made the Argies gripe even more about the Chileans!  (Bit like Aussie/Kiwi rivalry...).  Some kids of Chilean parents wrote this on their ash-covered car:

                                                            "CHILEAN ASH" :-)

This was what it was like a few hours after the eruption (the volcano is about 1,000kms from where this photo is taken!) This is on the main trunkline through "the Valley" as they call the fruit belt that runs between Cipolletti - Villa Regina.  It's a narrow highway one lane each way, heavily transited, lots of big trucks.  Fortunately they're widening it.  Here we have broken down on the way to Roca!  Moises Fica fixing his car...

The ash descending like a thick fog around the streets of General Roca (where Adriana lives).

Our friend Adriana making "alfajores" - an Argentinian specialty.  Two biscuits made of cornflour sandwiched together with the ever-present dulce de leche and the sides rolled in coconut.  To earn a bit of pocket money she makes things like this to sell.  Often people who know she cooks and bakes will put in an order.  Ramona intent on the news!

One block from Adriana's house.  Note the street signs.  All the towns are set out in blocks, each block measures 100 metres. The street signs have numbering on each block, so when you're looking for an address you know where to turn.  Also most streets are one-way, due to the narrowness of them, hence the arrow on the sign denoting which direction the traffic goes....all new things to learn when driving around here!!  No Give Way and Stop signs, so as you slowly approach each intersection you look for the arrow, which in turn tells you where to look to check for traffic coming.

This is where we wait for the bus that takes us from Roca to Cipolletti and Neuquen.  Ash haze.

Chos Malal

We went to this town in the north of Neuquen province to visit one of our friends who lives there on her own.  Her name is Amalia Funez, she is an English teacher and last year got a job at a high school at Chos Malal.  Chos Malal is an indigenous name which means "yellow corral" - due to the town being surrounded by mountains (which are yellowy coloured).  We went by bus from the city of Neuquen, 6 hours later arrived in Chos Malal.

Scenery on the way

Amalia and Ramona

She lives in a little apartment behind this house.

Amalia's street....on a very frosty morning! Note the snow on the mountain in the backdrop...

Around the town of Chos Malal

Looking out over Amalia's neighbourhood

Amalia outside her school.

Walking around the town

System of canals for watering.  Water comes from the mountains.

After that frosty morning, the day turned out to be beautiful!  We had our little meeting the three of us in Amalia's house, then after lunch took a walk down to the riverside.  They've done it really nice with a walkway, grass that they keep watered...and an open-air gym!  Really cool! Here's Ramona, deciding not to have a go... (me on the bike behind her ;-))

Amalia doing homework. 

 And it's goodbye...here we are at the bus terminal ready to board that bus.  We only get to visit her once every four or five months probably!

Scenes on the way back to Neuquen.