We arrived in Frutillar bright and early on Thursday morning and were greeted by our host, Daniel, along with Chilean cheek kisses, as we watched our breath appear in the crisp winter air. He drove us to our new home – a cute cabin we get all to ourselves! (I even get a bed!)
Daniel told us about the vision of his ministry over coffee and tea, bread, and an assortment of unique spreads. Our schedule is very full; we will be spending Monday through Friday assisting with classes in a local school and organizing activities for the children during break times.
In addition, we will be hosting English classes for adults and children in the community on Monday and Friday evenings, along with advising teenagers on Wednesday evenings. Finally, Sundays we will be doing children’s ministry at church.
On Friday, I spent my first day with my second graders! The language barrier was a challenge, but I was able to help with their lessons thanks to my limited Spanish vocabulary and the fact that it’s pretty easy to understand what seven-year-olds are learning. In class, we celebrated National Children’s Day with lots of cake. We later learned that this holiday is dear to Daniel’s heart as it commemorates the relatively newly acquired rights of children in Chile. For the breaks throughout the school day, my team and I organized stations of sports, crafts, yoga, and Zumba, adding some structure to the time where the students usually run around wildly, as we were told usually happens. In the evening, we taught our first English classes, and I got to spend time getting to know a sweet group of young girls who promised to return Monday! Tomorrow we will teach our first Sunday school class! I am grateful for such a full schedule to keep me busy – updates to come!
In other news, here is Frutillar’s lake and active volcano!
