Since I am on this 9 month long journey away from home, things like holidays look really different, but definitely in a really cool way. Some of the things my squad and I go through on a daily basis can almost make us a little unthankful. It’s really easy to feel the hard things and grow weary. But I’m here to tell you that within all of the hard and draining times, there comes times where I am given so much life. More than I have ever asked for/imagined.
So yes, I have arrived in Chile which is my 3rd country on this Race and I was/still am really pumped to be here. Thriving here is really easy for me and our living conditions are honestly not even that bad at all. My team along with another team had the opportunity to live at the same place for these 2 months, so that first off made me really excited to come here and is also one thing I am thankful for. I am thankful for the way they bring stability and their artistic abilities to the table. Along with that, I am thankful for the deeper relationships I am able to have with these individuals as well and just see the way Christ is shown through them.
Our two teams are divided within our teams (12 of us in total), so three of us each will go to one school everyday. I am with Jacob and Jenna Rose and we go to this Christian school every Wednesday-Friday. Us three are always split up at this school in which I have been with the gym teacher for a few days and even an English teacher. Everyday, I am welcomed to so many little Chilean boys and girls (or chicos and chicas if we want to talk Spanish). I have noticed a few things that I am really thankful for within this body of beings:
- Cheek kisses! It is the normal way for someone to greet a female here in this culture. If you know me, I am not the most touchy person, but I have grown even more and more to love it. I am thankful for this, because I can see the genuine love it shows to me and the others around me.
- Soccer. Literally any given moment here in Chile, I had to be prepared for a soccer ball coming at me. From playing an hour a day for 4 days straight to just simply practicing my skills and drills with my squadmate Brooklyn (on the other team). I am super thankful for the way soccer can allow me to be able to bond with the people here.
- Warm weather. Lemme tell you, it’s pretty dang hot here in Chile, but I love it so much. It honestly gives me all the reasons to go outside and just soak up the sunrays and actually kind of stay fit. There have been some really cool moments outside in which I am very thankful for like when one day a bunch of Chileans were here at the church and we just played volleyball for literally 3 hours. Another time is when I went for a walk with my teammate Colby and we had really good conversation and was able to meet a disabled gentleman and pray over him and even invite him to our church. Super thankful for moments especially like those. Not to mention that I can finally wear shorts and a pair of sandals again.
- My little school amigos for asking me questions. At first, I was a little annoyed and just overwhelmed with all the questions that the kids asked me at this school, but now I am actually quite thankful. I love how when they ask me a question, they don’t stop speaking in Spanish until I fully understand what they are trying to say to me. Their eagerness keeps the conversation flowing and creates this really cool bond!
Now here are the little things I am thankful for so far here in Chile:
- Little late night talks
- A big dining table
- Pudding (yeah I know that’s weird but it’s hard to explain)
- Clean water
- The cool morning breeze
- The stars
- Oatmeal
The list could honestly go on for a while. BUT really, it’s all the little things that I would never ever even think of in the USA that I am really thankful for this year. Day by day the Lord is really teaching me that being thankful does not require a whole lot of work and just living with a thankful heart makes my day go by way smoother.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4
