Chile, you were fiery, strange, unearthly, alive with the presence of the Lord, and utterly magical. Forever imprinted on my heart, you’ll always be.
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1.) Crossing the Chilean border from Argentina in the Andes mountain range, several feet deep in snow, underneath the bluest breathtaking sky.
2.) Rolling in from a 12 hour bus ride into Santiago, and realizing that our connecting bus was actually leaving from a different station and hauling our bags several city blocks at 10:30pm to catch our next bus, which we would be on for 30 hours. This actually made me feel pretty dead, but man, the relief I felt once we arrived at our station was pretty life-giving.
3.) Meeting my friend Rosa in the bus station, minutes before departing, and reading Isaiah 53 to her out of her Spanish bible that she couldn’t read herself, and praying with her.
4.) Meeting our sweet new friends Kelly and Stephanie. Two American college students who were flown out by AIM to spend an intentional month of ministry and community with Hidden Valley while we were in Chile. They were part of the EXPOSURE launch, and they became an integral and forever part of our team that month.
5.) Buses with bathrooms. Especially when you drink a gallon of water and 2 500mL gatorade bottles because suddenly you find yourself in the desert on a 30 hour bus ride and you’re massively dehydrated.
6.) The rolling mountains of dry, dusty, red earth that rose and fell for all 30 hours of our bus ride.
7.) Realizing that we had been traveling for 30 hours from the middle of Chile all the way north, and feeling the immensity of the size of that country. Also, glimpsing the Pacific Ocean on our way north every so often. Chile is the land where the driest desert in the world meets the open ocean with outstretched arms. The clash is unusual, but still beautiful.
8.) How it felt to tumble off the last bus for the month into Calama and into the open arms of our new hosts, Marcos and Poly.
9.) Arriving to a late-night meal of sandwiches, chips, tea and coffee and almost crying with joy at the hospitality and comfort they provided us.
10.) Living in a Sunday School classroom, decorated to the nines as most Sunday School classrooms are, and sleeping on foam mattresses. All 9 of us in one room, cozy and warm and full of laughter.
11.) Waking up the next morning and seeing the desert portion of the Andes mountains all around the valley we lived in. Stunning purples and pinks make up the colors of sunrises in the desert.
12.) 3 words: Altitude sickness migraines. If those don’t remind you that you’re alive, I don’t know what will. Especially when they last for 3 or 4 days at a time.
13.) Our first day in Chile was spent at church, because we had arrived late Saturday night. From the very first time stepping foot into the church and greeting the congregation with *one* kiss (In Argentina, it was two, and I’m pretty sure we made a few Chileans uncomfortable at first with our ignorance of the proper number of kisses to give) and a “bendiciones!” I knew I was going to love this month.
14.) The agape meals the church ate together after the service. It reminded me of how I grew up in a church who broke bread together every Sunday in the form of a big potluck meal and it made my heart happy.
15.) The first time Sammy led our team in vision casting, a way to set physical, emotional and spiritual goals as individuals and as a team for the month. This was so powerful and such a special time together as we sat and declared powerful things over our upcoming month in Chile.
16.) Declaring month 9 to be a month of Relentless Redemption. Something I was learning about that month as I read and studied through Hosea, Hebrews and Isaiah.
17.) Early morning English class ministry. Our students were juniors and seniors in high school and had been learning English since elementary school. We were able to have so much fun getting to know them and teach them homonyms and games, have discussions about Christianity, share the gospel, and learn about their lives. I loved spending time with them. They were amazing kids.
18.) Developing a relationship with the lady at the corner store. Buying so many cookies.
19.) Going to Wal Mart for the first time in a year.
20.) Cooking and meal planning with Hendrika. The months we cooked for ourselves are some of my favorite months because it brought together some serious bonding and crazy moments of laughter.
21.) Sitting at the top of the bowl at the local skate park, interceding in prayer for the youth of Calama, and having a fabulous heart to heart with Taylor.
22.) Dance parties in the kitchen with Poly and Marcos.
23.) That one time we offered Marcos some of Hendrika’s soup, which is “Sopa” in Spanish, and he marched in and shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to say it in English, “I WANT SOAP!” I died laughing.
24.) Marcos taking us on adventures to the mountains and four wheeling in random mud fields.
25.) Praying with locals at the Saturday street fair. The church set up booths and we handed out information, put on skits, and offered prayer. Praying with strangers has quickly become one of my favorite things to do while on the Race. It’s so powerful.
26.) Dance parties with the congregation in the church during kid service, or really just anytime we were all together.
27.) The time we borrowed the projector and watched the new Beauty and the Beast in our sleeping bags on the floor of the church for team time.
28.) Toni setting up a full salon in our dining room and coloring mine, Mariana’s, Hendrika’s, and Sammy’s hair.
29.) Spending team times studying Hebrews together and having deep talks about what it means to have a Savior who is the ultimate High Priest.
30.) Taking a weekend trip to Antofagasta for Mariana’s birthday and getting to spend some quality time with my team, another team from our squad, and the pacific ocean.
31.) Playing the cajon during one of our self-made park ministry days while Toni gave free haircuts.
32.) Using the church sanctuary to have some awesome team worship nights.
33.) Filming a toast for my best friend’s wedding on the porch.
34.) The first time it had rained in Calama in over a year and we were able to be there for it. The city smelled so good that day.
35.) Snowball fights in the desert.
36.) Sitting under the milky way in the Valley of the Moon and seeing the night sky clearer than any time I have ever seen it before.
37.) Playing hangman with our high school students.
38.) Watching Dirty Dancing with Toni, Kelly and Hendrika.
39.) Pizza nights with our host fam and a few families from church.
40.) Helping out with Sunday School classes, coloring, laughing and jumping around in circles.
41.) Crying many, many tears on the day of my best friend’s wedding, but being so well loved by my team.
42.) A few days later, huddled on a mattress with 4 of my teammates all crowded around a laptop oohing and awing over the wedding pictures. That made me feel so loved and supported.
43.) Visiting a salt lake for the first time and marveling over God’s amazing reflective creation.
44.) Hearing Stephanie and Kelly practice writing their song at night in the church.
45.) Saying goodbye to our beloved Exposure girls and grieving their loss already.
46.) Singing Despacito and playing cards with Tito and Valentina and Poly.
47.) When Poly started playing Shania Twain’s, “Still the One” and told us that song always reminded her of Marcos.
48.) Buying a candle from Wal Mart for quiet times, morning devos, and family dinners.
49.) Missing our bus connecting to the rest of the squad and getting to experience travel day just as a team.
50.) Hating the fact that we had to leave Chile in our rear view mirror.
