Hey y’all!! figured I’d give everyone an update on this month so far and what our team has been up to!
This month looks a little different than past months. Instead of staying in one place with one host, we have been traveling from place to place throughout the large, busy city of Santiago, Chile.
Our task this month is to find ministries, organizations, and churches to partner with Adventures in Missions. We set up meetings then send the information we get to the office in Georgia. In meeting with these potential host, we share with them the heart of our organization and hear the heart behind the vision of their ministry. We also see if there are safe living conditions for them to host future teams; are there places to sleep, clean food and water nearby, a way of transportation, ect.
Needless to say, with meeting with different people this month has been very random but has taught our team to go with the flow of where God is leading rather than basing or success off of our own wants and expectations. Because of the expense of a big city most hostels, foods, and taxis have not been in our price range. There have been nights we didn’t know where we would sleep and days where we couldn’t plan where we would stay in advance because we didn’t know where we would be the next day but God provided.
We have stayed in hostels, homes of families from churches we have visited, in the home of sweet girl we met when one of us was lost, and in church offices. We have crammed onto the metro(subway) at rush hour with our big packs(worst idea ever, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do) and got stuck in the door, looked at with pure hate for taking up more room, and been split up. We have went to market to get cheap fruit, veggies and bread. We have unpacked and repacked our pack every few days and walked/ worn them everywhere.
It’s so easy to look at these things and think what a hassle, and at times it is. But more than a hassle, I see such a blessing. I see the kindness of the people that surround me. Families have fed us and taken us in as their own at times even driving us to meetings or the metro. A pastor brought us to see his city and try local Chilean food after a meeting. Hostels marked down their prices to accommodate us and even given us free breakfast. People on the subway have whispered to us to watch our bags or pointed out our unzipped purse to keep us from getting pick pocketed. We’ve got to work along people and their ministries for short burst of time seeing their heart and the benefits of a future team working along side of them.
I have been learning that success doesn’t look like having everything you need and want laid in front of you and cleanly planned out all the time. Sometimes success means being joyful and trusting in all circumstances. Success this month hasn’t meant meeting with the most contacts, or doing all the things that I desire. It has meant learning to trust God’s plan and see His glory in every situation. I have learned that my desires and my plan are not near as effective or joyful as making Him my desire and following His plan.
Phillipe, a local we met on a subway who helped us with directions to a church.
Meeting with Pastor Ivan
super crammed metro rides… don’t move, or breathe
The super kind family who hosted Kelsey and I for a few nights making sure we were fed, bathed, and well rested. Their son also gave us his room for us and one of their other son’s is a missionary.
