Today, New Phila starts school again. I am thinking of my former students and colleagues and missing them dearly. There was a part of me that hoped not to be in a school for the first ministry just to avoid some of the grief of missing home. However, God had different plans.
Here is a quick snapshot of what our days look like in Santiago, Chile in the area of La Pintana.
5:45: My alarm goes off. I usually end up pulling my iPad into my sleeping bag to avoid the cold (It’s 43 degrees out right now) to read my Bible. Most times, I’ll get up and get dresses and then hurry back into my sleeping back to stay warm before I ABSOLUTELY have to leave the comfort of the warmth created by my sleeping bag and the 3 blankets and 2 comforters on top of me.
8:00: Make my way downstairs for a quick breakfast and a hot drink
8:15 – 8:30: Morning prayer time with my team.
9:00 – 1:00: Volunteering at Escuela Las Rosas
*Escuela Las Rosas Rosa is a school offering services for children and young adults with developmental disabilities from ages 4 to 26.
Fun Frieda Fact: I used to believe I was not good with interacting with people who had disabilities, especially severe disabilities. But, each week I have been in a different classroom of various ages and diagnoses and have LOVED it!
1:30: Lunch
2:30 – 3:30: Deep Clean of Casa Esperanza
*Casa Esperanza (“House of Hope”) is a home for young women who have aged out of the orphanage system in Chile, who are the first in their family to pursue higher education, or who are minors who have not been able to be placed in an orphanage due to various complications. The women and girls who live here are provided room and board while they receive pursue education. The house is part of a larger US-based non-profit called Vision for Children. We had the blessing of meeting the President of the organization as he visited Chile for a few days.
Casa Esperanza also opens up their doors for children in the community to come and learn more about God. But I will post a separate blog with more info on this.
To learn more, please visit their site.
https://visionforchildren.net/
5:00: Team Time
*Each day, our team spends some intentional time getting to know one another, debriefing the day/week, studying the Word, giving each other feedback or, just dreaming up our next adventures in Peru.
7:00-8:30: Dinner. Devotional/Prayer time with the girls of Casa Esperanza.
9:30-10:00: I usually end up staying up a little late to talk to some of the girls of the house and hear about their day or to share life stories.
Of course, not every day looks exactly like this. Some days, we make S’mores over the kitchen stove, explore Santiago, or just stay in and relax. But I wanted to give you a quick overview of what has gone on so far. I am trying to be better about blogging weekly so expect more blogs soon!
