I don’t think that I can even describe what this past month has truly been like but I will give it my best shot.
Arrival
It took our team about 2 days to get here. Here is Calama, Chile. A small desert town in northern Chile. Most of the people who live here either used to or do work in the mine right outside the city. It is the largest copper mine in the world. We flew out of Georgia and went to Boston which was awesome. We then flew to Miami for another layover before heading out to Santiago. Once we got to Santiago we had to find a bus to Calma. We found some but the cheapest was 12 hours later so we waited all day at a McDonald’s and train station in Santiago for that bus. Once on the bus we buckled up for a 23 hour bus ride north. With nothing but a couple a couple of movies and the desert to keep us busy it was definitely a time to practice patience when I least wanted to. Eventually though we got to the city and things really moved fast when we got in.
Karlos and his family
We stayed at a small church near the outside of the city. The city itself is small. And it’s in the middle of the desert. The driest desert on the planet. Our team stayed in two rooms. Simple mattresses on the floor with a lot of blankets because it’s winter here and every morning it’s around 35 degrees in the rooms. Our hosts name isn’t actually Karlos it’s an inside joke. It’s really Marcos. He and his family were incredible. It’s Marcos, his wife poly, his son Tito and his daughter Valentina. They took us in with open arms and made sure we truly got to experience not only the culture and food but the people and what God is doing in their lives. I developed a really good relationship with this family and we don’t speak the same language so God was really good and the language barrier actually added into our relationship with humor and opportunities to teach each other. We had some very deep conversations and I truly saw past the language and cultural differences. Tito his son and I played a lot of fortnight and I got to meet a lot of his friends. We worked at the school teaching English and religion that his kids went to so we really got a glimpse into their everyday lives. These people don’t have much but they don’t care. They have plenty in their own eyes and it’s amazing to see such joy and love in people who don’t even have heat in their school or homes. I am extremely grateful for these people and the kindness they showed us this past month
The church
We stayed at pastor Marcos church which was also his home. When it comes to the church we participated in a prayer one night. Chileans love to pray for long amounts of time so that was an experience. We also participated in their services Sunday’s. They started around 10 and would finish around 2. Taylor and I both got the opportunities to share our testimonies with the church body. From 10/12 it was a service and praise. From 12/1 there was coffee tea and a snack usually cookies or Completos, hot dogs that are incredible. Then from 1/2 we would participate in the children’s ministry spreading out to different age groups and teaching songs like Jesus loves you or sometimes even just nodding, smiling, and pretending like you knew what they were talking about when really you had no clue. But a simple smile and “bien” can get you by the most tough situations. I really grew to love the people in this church and the way they opened their church to us and served us which I thought was why we were there!
The school
We taught English and religion at a school that was semi private. Meaning they teach about God but you don’t have to believe it. We would go around 7:30/9 depending on the day and stay until 12. Eat lunch then return at 2 and stay until 5:15. I can’t believe how incredible this school and the kids here were. I met so many people. People I couldn’t even speak their language but God took down those barriers and allowed us to relate through so many other things. Football (soccer) and fortnight were the biggest connectors for me. When I introduced myself I would say I liked sports and Fortnite and the kids would go crazy. They can do all of the dances and show me videos of them playing. When I played it before the race it was for fun really I had no idea God was planning something way bigger than I could imagine. A lot of the kids at this school come from ragged or rough homes and I could relate to so many of them with my past of drinking and losing my father. I think in a lot of ways it made it very easy to show them love that comes from being in their shoes. That’s what I’m trying to do most this year. Is spread Jesus’ love that unconditional love that can just hug or play with anyone anywhere. A smile that says I acknowledge you as a human being and I love you regardless of where you are.
Personal Growth
So Gods been doing a lot on that side of the spectrum. It seems like every couple days I have more and more I realize. These are things that I have noticed fixed and became relaxed on as the past few months leading up to this trip went by. I noticed first a large part of my heart had become very selfish, inpatient and entitled. I don’t think these things were glaring things but I could notice them for sure inside of me. After my time sharing a house with 40 men then moving back home I got very comfortable with wanting and having what I wanted and not having to worry or share. That’s not really how life works and it was something that took a few incidents of God pointing things out to me to really grasp and call myself out on. I also noticed I became content a few months back. I still pushed myself but not as much as I had been. The growth I was seeking daily through convictions and asking the spirit were a couple times a week things instead of my typical daily routine. The peace I had and the peace I knew that I could live life at wasn’t there. It wasn’t totally gone but it had slipped a little and I had let some of life’s distractions take me from that peace. Another thing I struggle with is reading the Bible. I can do a verse or two at a time and jot them down but it’s hard for me to sit in the word and dive in. I think a lot comes from my past being made to read and study it when I didn’t want to to now feeling still a little judgmental towards it. I am a very spiritual person and consider myself a Christian but I also tread cautiously around “religion” and my views of how it hurts Christ cause sometimes. So I have really been loved on by a teammate and encouraged to get in it and I am doing just that. I want to be in it but it’s hard for me sometimes because of the environment I grew up in.
Anyways that’s what’s been going on with me. We are currently at debrief and are connected with the whole squad and a lack of WiFi. So I will keep you updated as we move on to Peru on the 7th. Love y’all!
Thomas Pond
