My time in Chile has taught me many things. I’ve been immensely stretched. I’ve been deeply intrigued. I’ve been amazed, both by the culture and the beauty. It would take me a great deal of time to write out all the ways Chile has impacted me in my 11 days spent living in it’s beautiful country. Nothing has quite stuck with me, or even come close to comparing, like the way they love.
The way Chileans love is very distinct.
The only way I see fit to explain just how powerful their loves has been, is to tell you the ways I’ve been loved by some amazing Chileans.
It’s the way Juan (my host dad) loves. A love that makes you feel comfortable and right at home. You can tell someone is comfortable with you by the way they communicate. Juan communicates his love by the way he jokes around, and how he takes them in return. He is a man that will call you a freak one moment, but then pull you in for a tight hug the next. His love meets you each everyday with soft smiles, loving jokes, and lots of hugs. Juan is a man who’s love is hard to explain, the kind you have to experience firsthand.
Juan, my host dad and our pastor.
It’s the way Elvira (my host mom) loves. A love that serves. At any time in the day you can almost always find Elvira preparing a meal or seeking ways to make my team and I feel comfortable and cared for. She is a woman that uses her gift of cooking to bless the people who gather in her home, not just her family, but regularly for others as well. Her and her husband graciously took us under their care for our month in Chile. On top of our team, she is a mother to two young children and the wife of a pastor. Her plate is full, but somehow she always finds room to love us greater and greater with each day we spend in her home. Three times a day, every day, she gathers her around her dining room table and serves the meal she has prepared for us. Never once have I heard her complain but always wears a beautiful smile and loving eyes. She is a woman who loves people through her acts of service, and might I add she loves very well.
Elvira, my host mom.
It’s the way Cony (my dear friend) loves. A love that is honest. She is someone that tells it like it is. Her love is never passive. Her love is straight to the point. You will know how she feels because she tells you so. I think there is so much to learn for the way she loves. Her love doesn’t leave room for missed cues or interpretations. Another thing that stick out about the way she loves, is how she so freely gives her time to us. Cony has spent an abundance of time hanging out with us and serving us. She has went with us to bible studies, classes, and dinners to translate for us so that we can communicate with the people here. Her friendship means so much to me. We have enjoying coffee dates and nights spent making sushi together. Her love takes the form of giving her time, and her time is plenty, so her love is plenty.
Mi amiga Cony.
It’s the way Valentina and Sammie (my host siblings) love. A love that is so undeserving. Something about the love of children resonates deeply in my heart. It’s just special, and there is nothing quite like it. We’ve never once had a conversation nor have done anything to earn it, and they honestly have no idea who we are or why we are in their home, but still they love us. Anytime you pass them, or they go running by, they take their opportunity to squeeze you tight, hold your hand, and sometimes it takes the form of a tackle. I hope you don’t mind physical touch, and if you do, you’ll learn quickly to get over it. Their love is tangible. Time spent with them reminds me that we often overcomplicate love. They are children who love without being constrained by a language barrier or physical boundaries.
Valentina, my host sister.
Sammie, my host baby brother, tackling Ashton Paige (my teammate, roomie, and bestie girl) with all his love.
It’s the way we should all strive to love.
