Up to this point, school had kind of taken ahold of my life. Now that my finals are finished and Argentina is waiting for me at the end of the month, I’m ready to really spend some time studying the culture, practicing the language on a conversational basis and memorizing scripture in Spanish so that I am as prepared as I can be before departing.
One part of Argentine culture that I’ve been exploring is the traditional drink mate. This is a tea made by adding hot water to yerba mate and sharing it with friends and family. It is traditionally served in a gourd, and a straw called a bombilla is shared. It is a sign of respect to be offered mate. If you follow this link, you can watch a super short film that reflects the mate ritual and its place in the culture.
Curious how it is prepared? Seeing how I have not been to Argentina yet and cannot offer you my personal experience, this following video demonstrates how mate is prepared:
While looking into the culture surrounding mate, I really enjoyed reading this article written by an American on what she has learned while living in Argentina. I especially appreciated what she shared about being able to learn more about the culture and people through sharing mate.
After learning more about this tradition, I can’t wait to enjoy drinking mate with my new Argentine friends!
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Funding Update
The deadline to reach 80% ($4,000) of my funding is this Sunday, May 12th. I am currently sitting around the $3000 mark. Please pray with me that $1,000 more would come in this next week. If you have already partnered with me, I am extremely grateful and blessed by your gift.
If you have not yet partnered with me financially in this ministry opportunity, I pray that you would consider making that decision. In order for me to still be allowed to be a part of this trip, I have to be 80% funded by the 12th, or I will no longer be part of the team. Please prayerfully consider this decision.
Contribute by clicking here to go to The Navigators’ website. Click on the “Donate” tab at the top of the page. Type in either my name or ID number (23820071) to directly support this opportunity. Please send your gifts as soon as possible for them to be in my account by May 12th. Your gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your continued prayer, support and interest in this ministry opportunity. I pray that I will soon be able to share with you the way God has provided these last gifts to allow me to serve in Argentina this summer!
~Courtney Rose~
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