I’m just now realizing how much there truly is to process from this incredibly packed, and incredibly impactful month… And I wanted to take a moment to highlight just a few of my favorite faces that I hope to never forget from my time in Chile.
(I‘ll wrap up my Frutillar series with one more post, I promise! … I already have so much to share about San Pedro de Atacama, Chile and Cuzco, Peru!!!)
Pictured above is Anna-Luisa. She was the most consistent and dedicated student in Riley and I’s evening English class. When we were leaving Frutillar, she shared with us that she hated goodbyes, she didn’t want us to leave, and she was used to us being a part of her life. She invited us to come spend time with her in her home whenever we could in the future. What an impact one month can make.
Pictured above is Alicia (yes, she edited this photo). Alicia was a local girl in the foster system… God had put her on my heart almost immediately upon arriving to Frutillar. She chose me too. I privately tutored her in English, attended soccer practices with her, ate meals with her, and had time to pour into her with how much I loved her. One of my favorite memories with her is skipping through the rain singing, “hace fríooooooo, está lloviendooo…” Seriously y’all. This girl is a gem.
Pictured above is Sandra. She was the English teacher at Colegio Green (which was the school that Part 1 was about). Y’all, this lady was perhaps the biggest reason that we had a chance to have an impact on the kids. She gave us opportunities, cued us in on where the kids needed the most help (volunteering, vocational/ future dreaming, etc.), and gave us space in the classroom to teach and relate to the kids. She is so incredibly sweet and dedicates her time outside of the classroom to learning the local native language, Mapudungun, so she can integrate it in the schooling system next year. Sandra truly exemplifies how teachers can change lives, and I am so, so glad to have met her.
And this last one is from a fun encounter that I had… I was an hour south of Frutillar in Puerto Montt for a day trip with a church. We spent the day on this coastal town, and a couple of the girls on my team ran in saying, “Becca! There’s a guy who wants to meet you!” I walked to his small shop, and quickly found out that he had lived in Colorado for a while!! We talked about different cities, and then he showed me the jewelry he makes that is sold on… wait for it… PEARL STREET MALL IN BOULDER. Like, what?! What are the odds that I travel to a random port town in Southern Chile and meet a man who exports jewelry to my hometown?? How amazing is that? His brands are Oso Loco and GemArte! They are sold in the more “artsy” stores. Keep on the lookout for them!! (They are also sold in many of the Colorado mountain towns, so… you can look there too.)
*Location Update: We have safely arrived in Cuzco, Peru! We will be here for one more week before heading up to Lima.
