My favorite thing....

The sights are beautiful.

The food has been amazing. (Too amazing....)

And the work has been rewarding.

But I have learned an important lesson about myself:

It does not matter if I am in North America or South America....my favorite thing is the people.

In a barrio outside Colon, Argentina with my new friends, Ariel and Lorenzo.

The precious ladies who prepared all our meals in Colon -- they gave so much of themselves!

More little friends in Colon.

I made some sweet friends at our sister church in Buenos Aires -- as I served away from the rest of the Phoenix team I was the only English-speaker. This dear lady stuck to my side, translating for me when I didn't understand and loving me through it all! Thank you, Sol.

One of the young men who served with me as well -- Christian. We had a language barrier but I still understood his dear dear heart!

With Ana Clara and Sol -- Ana Clara runs the ministry to the homeless that we worked with. She came to me early in the trip dragging Sol with her to translate -- "I have fallen in love with Benjamin!" she said. And I smiled, because my boy loves people, too!

We will say many good-byes today at church and then tomorrow will have a team day to de-brief, buy some souvenirs and then board the plane to return home. (We won't arrive until Tuesday, though.)

There is much much more to tell you -- I am sorting it out in my head. We have had a wonderful time. We have had a hard, challenging time. But mainly, we have loved and been loved. And honestly, there is nothing that blesses me more.