Here is a photo blog of seven of my favorite moments in Chile!
- Frutillar, Chile is one of the most beautiful places I have ever set my eyes on. I was blessed with this view of a beautiful, active volcano rising high above a tranquil lake, and I will never tire of seeing more and more of God’s creation.
- This is my class, a vivacious group of second graders – Vicente, Maite, Grishna, Carlos, Cristopher, Javiera, Emilia, Bruno, Ignacio, Mia, Emily, Luciano, Antonia, Maximiliano, Angie, Florencia, Néstor, Travis, Amaia, Martín, Josefa, Brian, Lucas, Maida, Sebastián, Martina, Martín, Anahis, Alexander, Yeinaliz, Dante, Agustin, Elizabeth, Ainnara, and Cristóbal. Each one of the thirty-five was unique in their own way and all will always hold a special place in my heart.
- Our good friend, Nelson, was homeless as a child. He told us of how he lived under a bridge with his family and shared the story of a missionary who brought them warm milk in the midst of winter. Now, as an old man, the only words he knows in English are “God is the only one who saves”. On this day, we got to visit his city that is both beautiful and consumed with hardship. He pointed at an expanse in the sky where a hotel used to stand, a place where he had stood also, shielding himself from the bitter wind while having no home to seek shelter in. But it wasn’t these sorts of landmarks that stuck out to me. It was the pride in his eyes when he showed us the restaurant he had worked at and the stall at the fish market where he chopped up seafood I couldn’t even identify. It was the genuine joy in his greetings to his friends on the streets and in the markets. It was the happiness that was exuding from him throughout the whole trek, the way he hadn’t forgotten that God is the one who had saved him.
- This is my best friend, Maite, our host’s five-year-old-daughter. She’s incredibly sassy for a five-year-old but is full of sweetness as well. My favorite part of every day was walking into their home and hearing “Aubreeeeeeeey!” as she ran to give me a hug. On the day we left, she told me to close my eyes and in my hands she put one of her hats, a bright pink one with pompoms hanging down the sides. I really love that girl.
- These women are the epitome of hospitality. A few of them are working with Daniel to plant a church in Frutillar so we got to know them through Wednesday night and Sunday morning services. They invited us to their own church, not once but twice, to feed us ginormous, traditional Chilean meals and shower us with gifts. Their sweet, serving spirits encourage me to be more giving in the day to day.
- On our last day at the school, Green College had a surprise for us. The students performed a song that they sang in English and had a full spread of food for us to share with a couple students from each of our classes. We got personalized bags as well as Frutillar pins. And my class made me this poster! On the left side are all their handprints and on the right are drawings that they each made for me. Many of them are pictures of the school, the kids and I, and things we did together. One of the girls drew me in an actual outfit I had worn, purse and all, which showed me how much they noticed even the smallest of details and the extent of the impact I have the opportunity to have.
- At the end of month one, we spent a few days debriefing in the driest desert in the world. It was such a sweet time spent with friends underneath the stars, sharing stories and reflecting on all the wonderful things God had done.
