Trip to Rosario

Last year when I was living in Argentina I lived in Rosario with Sandra, a single mother, and her daughter Sofia.  This year, God gave me the opportunity to visit them again and I was extremely blessed to be able to stay in their house with Caitlin and Marie.  On the first day that we got there Sandra gave me news that was extremely blessing to me- She informed me that she had been baptized the week before I came to visit.  I was incredibly shocked because Sandra and I had only talked about God a few times and she had told me that she was Catholic, but there was no sign of it.  I had continued to go to church as I lived in Argentina and now it makes me wonder about all the things God was doing without even being aware of it.  Seeing Sandra saved just reminded me of how big God really is and how great His power will always be. :) On this same note, we were even blessed with joining Sandra for church on Sunday evening, for the Christmas program, where we got to see Sofia sing and dance in front of everyone! Praise God!!

 Sofia is the one in yellow. 

Here is a list of some of the things that we got to see and experience while we were there:

1)   Going to “La Florida” – The artificial beach on the North side of town

2)   Walking ALL over the city and seeing the street fair

3)   Watching the “Dancing Water” show

4)   Sitting in the park playing cards

5)   Dancing at a boliche (dance club) – Which didn’t actually start until about 3 in the morning

6)   Going to the Flag Monument really late at night

7)   Eating ice cream… everyday :)

8) Visiting the school that I attended

9) Throwing coins into a fountain

10) Seeing my "cousin" and other friends of mine

"Rosario, the best city to live in."

Estamos en las manos de Dios. :)

Argentina - Round 2

This is an account of the first couple days that we were in Argentina.  I didn't have internet and then we took off to Rosario so I am posting it a bit late, but I will account for the last couple days soon. :)

God's Blessings

Domingo, December 11, 2011

            I feel like I am dreaming.  My mind is still having a hard time wrapping around the fact that God has blessed me so much by allowing me to return to Argentina with two of my best friends.  This time I am not here to study, and I am no alone.  Marie Watkins, who has been a friend of mine since 3^rd grade, and Caitlin Geiman, who was my roommate my freshman year of college, both came with me and we are here to see the country and visit my friends and “family” that I made last year. 

            It amazes me that God would bless me with relationships that were able to withstand the last year and still be strong enough to just jump on a plane and come live with them once again.  We are staying with relatives of the Riedel’s (Fred’s cousin’s family to be exact) the majority of the time and they are the sweetest people you will ever meet!  It is Monica, who is widowed and now dating Eduardo, Laura, the oldest who is married to Edy with a 2-month-old baby named Julieta, and the twins, Nico and Dani, who are both married to women named Laura. J They make a very welcoming and loving family and I don’t think any of us girls could have asked for anything better.  For some part of the trip we will head to Rosario, which is where I was living when I was studying here, and then we will possibly take a few trips to other parts of the country as well.

 The Family (Minus Eduardo and Julieta)

 Our Backyard

           Our Bedroom

            After an extremely long day of traveling- beginning at 3:30 am in Portland and ending at 8:00 am in Buenos Aires the next morning- we went through immigrations and customs for about and hour or an hour and a half after that.  Then as we walked out of the security section we were looking for someone holding up my name but there were tons of people and I had no idea what I was looking for exactly.  Finally I see this guy holding up a sign that says “Kimberly” in pink highlighter outlined in black.  I was uncertain if he was actually looking for me so I asked him if he had the last name and all he told me was that he was going to Villa Bosch, which is where I knew we needed to go. Haha I can’t lie and say that it was a completely comfortable trip because none of us knew anything about where we were going, but I had to appear to have complete confidence because I didn’t want to scare Caitlin or Marie. J Regardless, I knew that we had to have faith in God and I just continued to pray. 

            When we finally arrived at Monica’s house, Dani, Laura and Monica met us with a warm welcome. Later, we went to Dani and Laura’s house to tell our families that we made it here safely and Nico and Laura met us there. It was so great to see them all because it has been so long and I love them all so much, but it is hard to envision not seeing them again for an even longer period of time.  To me, they feel like family!

            We all took a nap after this, as we were feeling rather jetlagged, and then when we woke up we went to church with the family.  Afterwards we had empanadas at Monica’s house with the entire family.  Fue buenisimo!

Estamos en las manos de Dios :) 

The Heart of the City

Martes, December 13, 2011

            Yesterday was a fairly relaxed day.  Marie and I slept in extremely late, for me anyway, and then we went to buy bus tickets to go to Rosario for this upcoming weekend.  I am a little bummer because we are going to be missing the Christmas party at church, but it will be very nice to see me friends and “family” in Rosario.  However, I am a bit nervous because when we are staying with Monica, all of her children speak a little bit of English, but in Sandra’s house, no one does.  Then again, I have to remember that I was able to communicate and live with her for three months last year so things can’t be that bad.  Also, I am a bit nervous because when I spoke with her on Facebook I had asked her if we could stay with her and she said yes, but then I began to wonder if she really understood what I was asking.  I guess we will find out when we get there and then find a hostel or stay with Matias’ family if we need.  I’m not really worried about it, but if the other girls knew they might worry a bit.  I think since I have been here before everything feels so normal to me, but to them, everything is new and they aren’t accustom to this way of life.  After buying our tickets we did a little bit of grocery shopping, played some volleyball and cards and then went out for pizza and ice cream. We had a very fun day!

            In all honesty, I feel extremely blessed that I was able to return to Argentina so soon! Especially that too of my best friends were able to accompany me. They have no idea how much they mean to me and how much I enjoy sharing with them all the places that I have been, and also experiencing new places with them by my side.  Today we went on quite the adventure!  I had only been in Buenos Aires with my school or with the family here in Villa Bosch, but today it was just us three.  First we had to walk to Laura’s(Nico) work to get a map and then we went on the train to the end of the line, then we got on the red subway, switched to the blue subway and then took bus 53 to La Boca.  I had been to this part of town before but it was fun to see it again and, of course, take more pictures.  We saw a lot of Tango here and this is where we stopped to eat lunch.  Then we walked to San Telmo, visited a park and a plaza, and then continued on to Puerto Madero.  On the way to Puerto Madero we ran into a small summer storm.  It first started out with light sprinkles, then turned in to heavy wind where we could barely see in front of us because we were getting small pieces of dirt in our eyes, and then there were HUGE droplets of water that were coming down sideways.  Of course we made the most of it and continued on our journey.  We walked up the marina of Puerto Madero and then heading back in to downtown to see one last thing before we took the subway back home.

            When we went back in to the city it was really busy and we didn’t feel like such foreigners because now there were many people that had lighter hair of blue eyes.  It was nice to not stand out like we have become so accustomed to in Villa Bosch, where it appears that no one has ever seen a blonde girl. Ha Our final destination was the Obelisco and 9 de Julio Avenue.  From what I have been told, this street is the widest street in the world.  It has 8 lanes going each way and at the same time, it plays the role of a round a bout.  The Obelisco is the tower in the middle of the street and is very well known.  Right underneath this intersection was our subway stop so we got on and headed back to our train station.  From there we made it safely home. :)

            After resting and hanging out at home for a little bit, we went to Biana’s house (Monica’s niece who is 11) to say Happy Birthday and allow Nico and Laura to give her a gift.  Then we returned back home and ate with Monica.  Normally it is common to stay up with the rest of the family and talk late, but tonight no one was around but Monica.  It kind of surprised me, but we actually stayed up just as late as we normally would talking to her.  It was so great to hear her story and learn about her life and the Argentine customs.  I also enjoyed being able to speak with her in Spanish and translate whenever Marie or Caitlin needed help. (I love Spanish, if you didn’t know J) I really do hope that I can come back someday or that I will have the possibility to live in a Spanish speaking country for some part of my life.

            Today was a very fun day!

Estamos en las manos de Dios :) 

Two Week Synopsis

Well I feel like a lot has happened since I moved in to my apartment.  It has taken a bit of adjustment trying to figure out living with people you’ve never met before and fending for yourself when it comes to dinner, but I have really enjoyed it.  On days when I don’t work I normally hang out by the pool either working on homework, meeting the neighbors or reading. :)  Also, on Wednesdays I have started attending a community group (bible study) that is run through a church down here called Reality LA.  It was a friend of mine from high school that invited me to go the first time because it was held at her house.  It just so happened that my roommates wanted to go to that church the following Sunday so I had a lot of fun going together with them.  It has been such a blessing to have Natalie down here (The one who invited me to bible study).  It’s crazy to me to think that we had gone to middle school and high school together and yet we were never super good friends and here we are, God bringing us together, in order to build a stronger connection.  It makes me sad to think that I won’t be down here for a long time just so that I could continue building that relationship.

Another friend of mine that I know from high school, Matt, is down here as well.  He has been an incredible blessing and he was even the one who helped me find roommates to live with while I’m down here.  It has been fun to meet up with him every once in a while to have dinner or go out to coffee.  I definitely know that God brings people into your life for a reason! It’s just hard to imagine leaving them in a month or two.

For the 4^th of July I was able to head out to Monrovia to spend some time with family.  What a blessing that was!  One of my roommates, Tiana, came as well and we all went to the Rose Bowl for their firework show.  The main difference to me this year was that you are allowed to have huge fireworks, but you can’t do any personal fireworks, which is opposite of what I have grown up with.  Nevertheless, it was a great show and I really enjoyed being with family!  

That following Friday, Tiana, her mom and I all went to the Burbank 100^th year celebration.  (If you didn’t read previously, I live in Burbank now)  It was so much fun and there were a ton of fireworks as well.  Because Burbank is a fairly large film city they did their firework show choreographed to music from different shows or movies.   They were either from Warner Bros., Universal or others.  On the note that Burbank is a big film city, I went grocery shopping the other day right by my house and I saw Tom Virtue.  I know the name might not sound familiar, but this is what he looks like:

He played on Star Trek: Voyager, Even Stevens, and guest starred in many other TV shows, along with being in many movies. If you ask me.. He’s pretty famous :)

The rest of the time that I am down here is normally spent working.  I enjoy work and, like I said before, I have learned a lot already.  This weekend is what the media and public are calling “carmageddon.” Kiewit is closing down the I-405 for a 10-mile strip in order to demolition a bridge.  Traffic is already bad down here so I can understand why people are not looking forward to it.  Lucky for me though, because I got Friday off and now I have to travel to work on Saturday. (I hope you can read the sarcasm in the “lucky me” comment.)

This is the bridge being demoed.

To make my time down here even more worthwhile, I decided to make a list of things I should do while I’m down here, including: see the famous stars on the side walk, sit in the audience of a TV show and see the Hollywood sign.  Nothing to extravagant, but it should be fun.

On a completely different note, I would like to say, I love my Grandma Laura.  It is extremely hard to know that I was down here in LA, unable to go see my grandma before she passed away last night.  I praise God that I was able to see her only a month ago at her birthday party, but it wont be the same next time I go to Eagle Point.  I wish there would have been more time…

Well, I don’t want to end on a down note.  I’m excited to watch the demolition of the Mulholland Bridge tomorrow and I wish my cousin, Kevin, and Liana the best of luck as they start their future together this Sunday.  I so badly wish I could be there. Congratulations!!

All my love!

Estoy en las manos de Dios. :)

Journey to LA

Hello Everyone! So just to cut to the chase… God has sent me on yet another journey.  I am going to start from the very beginning as to how I got here.

It all started this last February when I decided to attend the OSU Engineering Career Fair.  I was going in hopes of finding an internship for this summer, but was rather discouraged as I walked around looking at a ton of booths, realizing that the booths/companies that seemed to stand out to me, weren’t civil engineering companies at all.  After about 45 minutes I decided to call it quits and head home, but it was then that someone from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard caught my attention and decided to talk to me.  After talking to them for a bit I was given an interview on the spot and was feeling much better about things.  I had never had an interview and regardless of where this job went, I was feeling much more confident.  As I was leaving a young man approached me and started asking me questions about how the fair went and why I never went to go visit Kiewit’s booth (which is a fairly well known heavy civil engineering company).  I was telling him that I was a little intimidated by that company because they were larger and I didn’t have very much experience.  It was then that he kindly introduced himself (being from Kiewit) and invited me to have an interview with them the following day.  I agreed because I figured more practice wouldn’t hurt and I went to the interview the next day.  Things went really well and I was offered a second interview. 

As the months went on I continued to keep in contact with both companies, hoping to get my hands on a summer internship.  I really liked the vibe that I was getting from Kiewit and not so much from the other company so I figured God was trying to show me something.  It wasn’t until the beginning of May that I drove up to Vancouver to finally get my second interview with Kiewit.  I was rather nervous, but I knew that God had everything in control and the most important thing I already had, which is His love. I literally clung to the song by Brandon Heath called Your Love and just knew that everything was in God’s hands.  After the interview I was content in just knowing that if I was supposed to have this opportunity it would be given to me and if not, I always could go home for the summer and work there. 

I wasn’t supposed to find out about getting the internship or not until the end of May, but regardless, I spent the next 24 hours thinking in my head about all the things I should have said differently.  Then- as I was sitting in the computer lab in Owen Hall- the very next day… I got a call from the HR manager at Kiewit and she offered me the job.  I was ecstatic! I just knew that God was putting together the pieces to this journey and I just had to jump into the passenger seat and He would take care of the driving.  I had no idea where Kiewit was going to send me, but I knew that God was going to do work in my life or the lives around me wherever I went so I was completely and entirely trusting in that.  It wasn’t for a few more weeks that I learned that I would be moving to LA.  Having no clue where I would be living, how I would get down there or anything, I just knew that I had to trust Him.

So I finished up my second year at OSU, had a week at home and then took off down south.  The first leg of the trip was my boyfriend Ben, my Father and I.  We headed to Eagle Point on a Thursday night and stayed down there for the weekend.  I got to see Caitlin, Keith, Kelsey and lots of family members. This weekend was my cousin Scott and Justine’s wedding, which was absolutely beautiful.  We had a lot of fun being down there and then on Sunday Ben and I took off for the 12-hour drive to LA. 

 Caitlin, Kelsey and I

 The Groom!

Ben did most of the driving.  We listened to a lot of music, watched A Walk to Remember and just enjoyed each other’s company. J  Once we got down there we stayed at Uncle Chris’s and Aunt Jan’s house in Monrovia.  Ben was such a blessing because as I got ready for bed, he brought in all my things and made me lunch for work the next day!  Getting in to LA super late that night and not knowing how long it would take me to get to work, I didn’t get much sleep that night.  Being so early in the morning, it didn’t take me too long to get there and I ended up being an hour early for work.  Oops.

The first day was just the basics.  I took a few tests, filled out some paper work, and was introduced to a couple people from work.  I was even able to meet a fellow Christian, although he would be quitting the following week.  However, the most rewarding part of the day was heading back to Uncle Chris’s and Aunt Jan’s to have Ben there super excited to see me.  The next day was the same, getting up and heading to work, but after work this time, Ben came and got me so that I could bring him to the airport.  Of course he didn’t come empty handed, but instead he brought me flowers and a card.  What a thoughtful young man! We found ourselves extremely early to go to the airport so we decided to head to the nearest beach.  This happened to be Venice Beach, which let me say, it has a lot of “character.”  We had a lot of fun and even when we got to the airport we hung out and played cards until he had to board his plane.  It was hard, but knowing that God has His hand in it all made it a little easier for our minds to cope with it.

I have now competed two weeks of work.  Normally when I get home I would just lie in the hammock and read my book.  However, one night Lisa, Tessa, Aunt Jan and I all went to see the musical Les Miserables.  It was great!! And I’m so glad that I got to spend some time with the aunt and cousins.  Within the first week of living down here my sister Valerie also moved in and I was extremely blessed to have her living in the same house, even though it was only for a short while.

The first weekend that I was down here I joined up with Genesis (A high school musical group that I used to be a part of) and I stayed with them for the entire weekend.  We went to Disneyland and then the following day, after their performance, we went to Irvine, CA to ride in a huge helium balloon, but all the slots were full, so we just hung out at the park.  Then we headed over to Huntington Beach and once I parted ways with them I headed to Uncle Dominic’s and Aunt Elia’s for dinner.

This weekend was a bit different, I moved into my new apartment, where I live with three other girls.  I’ve only met two of them, but they are very nice! The apartment is fairly small but it does include two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  Not only that, but we also have a pool in the middle courtyard area of the apartment complex.  It is very nice to have this, especially with the 100-degree weather that is predicted for today and the coming days.  And just in case anyone is interested, my address is:

Kimberly Harnish

4321 W Kling St.

Unit 31

Burbank, CA 91505

 View from the front door.

"Hawaiian flowers" that apparently exist in places other than Hawaii.

I’ve really enjoyed the sun down here and the Spanish radio stations.  Going to church with my roommates this morning was also a blessing.  It has been also nice to have a few people from high school, Natalie and Matt, who have stood there with open arms just in case I need anything.  I have felt extremely blessed in the start of this journey and although I miss everyone at home extremely I have to put aside how tough it is and let God do His work.  I know that He either has this time to change my life, has me down here to change someone else’s or a combination of the both.  Plus, I’m getting some great experience through my internship and I’ve already learned a ton!

Just remember: Estoy en las manos de Dios. J