Happy New Year!

May you be blessed in 2008! I'm out of here for a while to go hiking and running in Argentina's national parks. Hasta proximo.

competition is good

In a socialistic country like Argentina, the idea of competition takes on a different meaning. Businesses are always going to compete. As long as profit is there, there will be an entity competing for it. Often times, the playing field or the rules of the game are majorly stacked against everyone else. This often happens in Argentina, where it is very common to encounter an industry dominated by a monopolistic company or a few oligarchies. It hurts consumers. That has become apparently clear to me since living in Argentina. Consumers pay more of their income for products that aren´t reliable or services that are often faulty. By the way, most everyday consumers´ income isn´t increasing that much.

Socialism is fine. If that´s a country´s choice, there are some advantages to it. But what often happens is like what happens here in Argentina. The masses lose out to a smaller corrupt elite, and so no, not everything ends up being equal like it was originally intended. These disparities are worse in places likes Brazil and Russia. Socialism can be done well, but it still involves competition. Look at the Scandinavian countries. I think they have good examples of socialistic systems. The rules are clear for everyone, they´re enforced, and competition is encouraged. So a business or individual goes at it for a year in these countries, making the most they can, then when the whistle blows at the end of the game for the year, the businesses and individuals pay really large amounts of tax. Like 70%. But that goes to pay for all sorts of things, health care, education, municipal services, etc. But they have competition. And encourage it.

So whether it be a capitalistic or socialistic or monkeyistic society, competition is a necessary element to produce a more efficient outcome of what people are looking for. I know this is a random post, but just wanted to share these thoughts from my experiences here.

importance of Christian community

I've been reminded of late the importance of Christian community by being in a secular place and in secular surroundings. Some more thoughts:

-In my opinion, any human, Christian or agnostic or Chinese or Italian, has a fundamental need for community, to be a part of and regularly interact with a community.

-Within communities, it is a two-way street. Receiving and giving. Both aspects benefit the community but are fundamental for the individual. If an individual has one of those elements cut off or doesn't have a good balance of the two, that individual will suffer because he/she is not meeting a fundamental need.

-I've made the decision to live for Christ. This implies a lifestyle and decisions that look different from other alternatives that are out there, both as an individual and being part of a greater community. Christian community is distinct, like every other community that's out there, but I still haven't experienced anything better than Christian community (and my definition of Christian community is the genuine type that I've been fortunate to have in my life...they've been different having different faces and interactions, but overridingly awesome each one). I will say I'm only 24 and haven't experienced the world over, but I'd be willing to hedge my bets that my decision to stick with Christ is a very long-term thing.

-Following Christ's example, He was very much into community while on earth. Peter, James, and John were very close companions. The other disciples of the 12 were good personal friends. He interacted socially with people like Martha and Nicodemus. He interacted on a public level with the masses and those such as the Pharisees. The point is, Christ didn't completely bubblize himself into nothing but Christian community. That was His core, but He was intentional about relating with others in a different community setting than the one He was most familiar with.

-The importance of Christian community helps me recognize that I can't be rambo-independent Christ follower (not like I could anyway). Most of all I need Christ. Right behind that, surrounding myself with a core Christian community while still being intentional about interacting in 'other than Christian' communities is seemingly how it should be.

more HDR pictures

I think the last two are still a little dark. oh well.

Deacs National Champs!!

Men's soccer team wins the national championship, 2-1 over Ohio State!!

more HDR fun

ps...Deacs men's soccer is in the national title game today!

a busy time...

I haven't posted in a while because it's been that end-times busy season around here. I'm happy to say my finals are graded, and my grades are in. What you might have missed:

-Argentina inaugurated its first elected female president...they're calling it "sequel K" because she is the wife of the former president. I think this is really her second term, but just first officially.

-my first graders are still really weirded out when anyone mentions the word "kissing" (see video below)

-I decided what I'm going to do for summer break...run (after visiting g-pa in England). My plan is to try and visit national parks in the south of Argentina, run on some trails, camp, and enjoy Mighty Creation. If anyone wants to join me, you are more than welcome to come down. That would be excellent actually.

I'm going to point out, I can do this going off and running through grand Creation because I'm a teacher and I have summer break. I'm not an investment banker. Meaning, not like I could be an investment banker because that requires smart people, but I've made the decision in my life, as cliche as it is, that I am going to work so that I can live, but I will not live to work. There are other priorities than making the bling. I get criticized for this attitude and decisions that are made as a result of it: "oh, you're lazy, or you've really lost your motivation in life or you are just pissing around in South America". Whatever would be said, it's fine with me.

I wouldn't be here in Argentina, away from the friendships I value a great deal, where I'm always on guard not to be taken advantage of, run over in the street, void of numerous comforts (cereal aisles, Wake Forest basketball..), earning $6,000 a year (which is comfortable without hesitation here) if I wasn't strongly convicted to be here.

The point is, I desire to live intentionally in such a way that my energies and abilities are put towards serving God and serving others as a result of adherence to Him...which means making decisions that will rub against my native cultural ideals and expectations. Why? Because I have recognized my authority to be the Lord and His approval, not culture and its expectations and its awarding of "success". I recognize that this is often easily said, but often hard to do. I would say that only by God's grace and His comfort am I able.

so sorry for that rambling, it just popped in my mind, so I thought I'd share.

home video from marathon

So y'all might get tired of marathon this, marathon that, this promises to most likely be the last post on the subject. This is the home video of my pictures and video. I finally got it finished. Enjoy!

mega financial accountability

A high-ranking Senator is investigating some finances of mega-churches. He's a 5th term Senator whose seat expires in 2010, so one might think this is "relatively" un-politically motivated. I think it's interesting that a Senator is doing this. It needs to come from somewhere. People are interested. This was the "most emailed story" on NPR this afternoon when I read it, so people are obviously paying attention to this:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16860611

We as a body of believers have enough things to fight against outside the body -- that being satan and the fallen world. Mega church pastors that abuse finances and take Truth and twist it, not that those two always happen together, but I would guess more often than not...can do a lot more harm than good to the kingdom.

If I were searching for something to fill me and I was materialistic, and I saw this pastor guy with a Bentley and a multi-million dollar home...I'd want that. Forget Jesus of the Bible, just tell me how to get the bling.
If I was of the mindset that Christianity (and Jesus being a part of that) was all something made up meant to boondoggle people, I'd have a lot more fuel for my fire and a lot more reason to never investigate who Jesus is.

Ugh!

my 1st graders reaction to Sean and Emily

Sean and Emily's "SAVE THE DATE" card made it to Argentina last week, and so I showed my 1st graders the card today. Their reaction was very funny. Apparently they're shy about kissing.