This month, I decided to see the gifts in every day. It has been such an incredible journey of joy getting to serve and do life with the people of Chile.
These gifts include:
1. An amazing host that was willing to stay up until almost 3 am helping us get settled into the ministry house and answering questions over coffee and cookies.
2. A church with musical worship that brought me to tears as I imagined what heaven will look like.
3. Getting to tour a school for children with special needs and learning we would get to teach/assist there
4. Daily table-side discipleship over teacoffee, maté (Chilean herbal drink), and bread
5. Never thought I would say this, but having a Walmart (líder) close by.
6. Fall weather in April
7. Sopa pillas made out of pumpkin
8. Children calling you “Tia” (aunt) a hundred times a day never gets old.
9. Children who give you something of theirs when they literally have nothing at home.
10. Alisson snuggles (a darling girl at the school for students with special needs) for 45 minutes over a Spanish book about a bear
11. Having several children dragging you back and forth just to push them on the swing for the billionth time that day
12. The laughter of a child that is nonverbal
13. Not having internet for a week. It truly shows you how to be intentional with your time.
14. How simple things like taking the subway can become an adventure in itself.
15. How a concrete basketball court can be transformed into a workout area, reading nook, and a location for friend dates.
16. Communicating through animal sounds breaks any language barrier. #teachingenglishissuperfun
17. Daily doses of hugs from little humans
18. How a meager task such as washing dishes can turn into moments of worship.
19. Living with 10 Chilean girls who completely steal your heart and rock your world daily with His love.
20. How cutting and folding tarps can make for a fantastic day.
21. The tune of Father Abraham can make for a great tool to teach English at the local orphanage.
22. Late night life-chats with new friends. The girls we have gotten to do life with the past month are inspiring and his love is so evident in the way they lead, love, and serve the orphans and children in the community here. (Had to include another one about them. They are just THAT GREAT!)
23. Rain. When it rains it floods, which makes for great adventure when you have to travel all the way back home after a night at the movies.
24. Receiving a Chilean cookbook and a card filled with the handprints of all the students I have gotten to do life with over the past month. Joy overload.
25. Learning, growing, and expanding upon friendships with my amazing teammates. This past month has taught us a lot about each other, our hearts, and how we receive love. It has taught me that each one of them is so thoughtful and kind hearted. From the way they love the girls in the house we have been so fortunate to live in this past month to the way they spent time planning a surprise for a date night for my boyfriend and I. I am blown away by their kindness and the way we can ban together in times of need and joy and be vulnerable with one another. We may have our differences, but that makes for a beautiful family.
Every day truly is a gift.
