Chile. Our second month in South America and 9th month on this crazy journey. I’m loving it. What a blessing.
I feel like I haven’t been able to keep up with things very well lately – so I’m sorry I’m so delayed in updating you. Here are some things I’ve been up to the past 3 weeks!
So to start off, our travel to Chile from Argentina had to be delayed due to roads being closed in the mountains because of SNOW! But with that came one of the most incredible days of travel I’ve ever experienced – through the astounding Andes mountains covered in snow all around us. Man. I’ll never forget it.
With arriving in Chile also came being back in the same time zone as home!! As well as even colder weather here than Argentina it seems. It’s between 30-50 degrees most days so we stay bundled up pretty much at all times.
I am living in a sector of Santiago called Lo Prado and hanging with an awesome team. We are serving at a local church in the community and it has been wonderful! The people have welcomed us in with open arms, lots of love, and tables full of food. I’ve been enjoying figuring out more and more Spanish and the unique Chilean twist on it.
We have a host family who we eat with and hang out with a majority of the days and they are incredible, they have taken us in as our own in how they love and care for us, and also in how they pick on us and mess around, it’s so fun.
As far as sleeping, two girls on my team and I get to live with a sweet couple who are like our grandparents. They are precious. Every night when we get home, we sit in the living room together and talk about the day and all different topics across the board – from traveling to marriage to cats, it’s one of my favorite parts of the day and we all usually end up cracking up in laughter.
Some days have consisted of home visitations in the community and with that getting to share testimonies and stories from the race and our lives, sharing words and encouragement from the Lord and the bible, and singing and worshipping together. It’s been super powerful to step into people’s home and to share how the Lord is working and moving and to come together as brothers and sisters as one church, one body in Christ.
Other days, we go to the nearest metro station and give out free tea and coffee and invite people to church. These are also really cool nights because we get to talk to so many people and pray with them and share a little bit of love and joy. People are always curious as to why we are standing out there in the cold offering free warm drinks to people – my answer is always ‘to share the love of God’.
We’ve had incredible conversations with people. We’ve seen a man decide to lay down his satanic practices and turn to the Lord. There was a woman who accepted Jesus into her heart one night at that metro station. A couple we talked to at the metro came to church the next Sunday. It’s been amazing. There are times when I follow along with a conversation as best I can, but a lot of times it’s difficult to understand it all. And I think most people seem to realize that, yet even still they continue to keep talking and sharing what is going on in their lives – which just shows how much the desire someone to simply listen. Getting prayed for is just an added bonus 🙂
We conclude most of our nights with a meal at a home of someone from church – and it is such sweet fellowship being together around a table. There is more singing and worship, more celebrating what the Lord has done and words from the bible, and lots more love and laughter.
On Saturday nights, we host an event for children in the community! We play lots of games and teach a bible story and get to love on them. Usually someone ends up falling so of course there are lots of laughs involved as well!
We have gotten to spend time with all age groups this month, from kids to those who are quadruple our age – and every bit of it has been a blessing! I have learned more about edifying the church, being bold in praying for strangers, and finding joy in all circumstances.
The Lord is at work here. It has been a blessing getting to come alongside His work here and the people who are so faithfully serving Him in obedience everyday.
Gracias, Dios
