This month in Chile was such a tremendous blessing for me. My team was able to partner with Second Baptist Church of Antofagasta and their attached school to build relationship, attend small groups, teach English and Religion classes, and work with youth from hard backgrounds at a church plant in a poor part of town. We also got to share homes and meals with wonderful local families.
The family that I stayed with was incredible. Juan and Anita, along with their two children Victor and Claudio made this month so special for me. We had every meal, including tea times, as a family, and every Sunday we would go to the grandparents’ house to share meals and fellowship with the extended family after church. It reminded me so much of my own upbringing, going to grandma’s house on Sunday afternoon to celebrate birthdays and spend time with each other. The love that this family shared was such a clear reflection of God’s love for his people. I will forever remember my Chilean family.
The kids at the school also made a big impact on me. I got to teach English lessons, and especially enjoyed teaching about dreams and aspirations, and watching each student create their own “Bucket List.”
The last day that we were with the kids in the school, each grade did presentations for “English Day.” The classes set up stands around the school with information about many different English holidays. This included holidays from various English speaking countries: The Queen’s Birthday, Boxing Day, Veteran’s Day, Anzac Day, Canada Day, Kwanzaa, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Mardi Gras!
Each group prepared food specific to their holiday, made posters, dressed up, and gave artistic performances related to their subject. One of my favorite performances were the Thanksgiving story that the second graders acted out. In their rendition, the Indians came over on the Mayflower and were welcomed with open arms by the pilgrims, who quickly invited the Indians to meet their president and partake in the meal they had prepared to celebrate the Indian’s arrival…
Another favorite was the Fourth of July performance by the seventh graders, who announced that they would be doing the traditional American dance of Independence Day. The soundtrack: “Honey, I’m Good” by Andy Grammer (unedited).
While these may not have been extremely accurate portrayals of history, it was fun to see how much effort the kids had put into this day, that seemed like it was put together just for us.
Personal update:
Upon revision of my personal statement, and additions of the experiences I have had over the last few years, my applications for medical school are complete and I have submitted to a few schools. I would like to submit to a few more schools just to broaden my opportunity for acceptance. As you may know, this is an expensive endeavor. The application cost can be more than $150 per school. I have felt called into the field of medicine for many years now, and that calling has not diminished due to having not been accepted in previous attempts. Rather I feel that God has given me the opportunity to experience the diversity of life around the world, to see the needs that can be met, and to learn about myself and how I am capable of making a difference. I feel that I am lucky to have lived in all of the places that I have over these past months, and I look forward to taking advantages of the opportunities I have in the future. I’m so grateful for all the financial support I’ve received in the past year and a half. If you’d still like to give, this is a way you can support me moving forward.
If you feel led to help me to diversify my applications and increase my chances of being accepted this year, the best way to do so is through Venmo. My Venmo account is:
@Matthew.C.Kane
If you do not feel led to give financially, good vibes and prayers for favor in the process are also appreciated!
I will keep you all updated throughout this process. Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and has been following my Journey!
