What an insane two months it’s been here in Chile. We’ve had the wonderful opportunity to do several different types of ministry and meet some of the most generous people along the way.
For the month of November, our team split up into 4 houses with 2 women in each home. It was a full cultural immersion and it was a TON of fun. Elizabeth and I were in a home with Cesar, Jeanette, and our little brothers Elias and David! We had such a sweet time talking about people, culture, Jesus, music, and anything in between. Elias is incredibly smart. He loves all things school, drawing/writing, and games. We practiced writing in Spanish and English and learning tenses. And David is the athlete. I’ve spent several evenings kicking the soccer ball around the hall way with him, and screaming “GOOOOAAAAALLLL” every chance I could! I’ve never seen two brothers interact with so much love as these two! Seriously- they RARELY fight. They share their toys. They play together. They even went to the park with us one day to help us sale Pan de Pascua!! And then on Christmas night we spent around the dinner table with this family and extended family. We ate some seriously great food, sang karaoke, opened presents, and celebrated the greatest Gift together. They shared the biggest holiday of the year with two blonde girls, who before November, were complete strangers. They took us in as family, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
We’ve spent countless hours stirring up Pan de Pascua in the kitchen with our host Ely, and the women who have volunteered their time to prepare us lunch on the days we make bread all day. Every day we get to sit around the table and laugh with people like Mama Ruth, Carolina, Carla, and so many other members of the church They have their own lives, their own jobs, children and responsibilities and yet they still chose to carve out time to help us with lunch and to spend time together around the table. I love these people a whole lot!! Along with Pan de Pascua we also performed a drama in the park and sang Christmas Carols and invited people to the Christmas service. On Christmas Day we sang songs, helped the children’s choir performance and read parts of the Christmas story in Spanish.
We’ve also spent so many hours with Felipe, Ana, León and Julián. Ana so generously offered the health clinic she works at for us to be able to sleep at for our leadership development weekend. And then, one of our first weeks in Chile they invited us to a cultural dinner exchange at their home. We made an American dish, Ana, who is from Spain made a few Spanish appetizers and also some Chilean dishes to taste test. They introduced us to Turrón and we taught them how to make s’mores! Felipe is also the youth pastor and helps with the worship team so we’ve had the privilege to work alongside of him a lot. We’ve babysat the kids, we’ve gone out for ice cream, we’ve eaten pizza and sushi, and so on. They even welcomed in two of our women into their home for the holidays when their host family was gone for Christmas and New Years. Felipe and Ana were such a beautiful example to give so selflessly- resources, time, food, laughter, testimony, understanding— I could go on and on. They might be the two most patient people I’ve ever met, and I’ve learned more so much about parenting and leadership just by watching the way they lead and interact. Every time I left their presence, I’ve walked away encouraged and excited that the Lord placed such good people in my life this month. People who love to laugh and be silly. People who like to encourage and get to know others on a personal level. People that make the idea of leaving Los Andes extremely hard to swallow.
Another person who has spent countless hours serving along side of us and helping us during our time here is Ely. She was at the church every single day making sure things went smoothly, (or helping us when it wasn’t), and every day she did it with a happy heart and a joyful attitude. She taught me a lot about how to come to the end of yourself and continue to depend on the Lord for strength and persevere and joy in the midst of exhaustion, long days, or difficult circumstances. She’s taught me about compromise, correction, and how to navigate cultural differences with so much love and understanding. Ely, if you’re reading this, I’m so thankful for your heart to host and shepherd us and help us dive into this cultural. You’re a blessing.
These are just a handful of the people who have left a mark on the place I’ve called “home” for 60 days. Chile is a beautiful country, with a beautiful culture, and a ton of beautiful souls. Oftentimes we only have 3-4 weeks in a country, and the Lord does such beautiful work in such a short amount of time, but this time in Chile I am so thankful to have had two months to build friendships and really get to see the fruit of outpouring and growing roots.
I’m thankful that the Lord gave me such good people during this time that make saying good bye so hard to do.
So here’s to my Chilenos— thank you for sharing your culture, home, experiences, and stories. I love each of you so much and hope to see you again one day!
