My team said our goodbyes to Pastor Juan and his family and all of our good friends in Chile. This place is truly going to be marked in my heart by hospitality and love. I’ve learned a new type of living, and a new language! Well about 45% and that’s enough to get by most of the time. I look forward to learning a lot more. It is incredible having conversations in a new language even though I probably speak pretty badly. I’ve met soo many kind people in Chile. Chileans in my experience are much more hospitable than Americans because you meet once and you’re told you can come over for dinner or stay at their house and they immediately want to keep in touch through What’s App. It’s surprising. I believe the kiss on the cheek and hug at all greetings plays a big part in this. No exception at the sushi place I’ve been to twice this week, getting hugs and kisses from the workers haha. It’s just so different from America.
One of my favorite things this month is daily Bible study with my team. It’s bringing more unity and also more intentionality and I know it pleases God too!
Yesterday we had our Bible study on the beach and then jumped in for a bit, even though it’s pretty cold. The beach was perfect. The waves were some of the largest I had ever seen and the way they crashed on the rocks captivated me. Check out the Viña del Mar beach:
Then today we took a ten minute bus ride over to Valparaiso which is an amazingly beautiful and very historic city boasting Latin America’s first bank, the most important port in Latin America, and a spectacular skyline of homes and buildings in all directions in contrast with the beachwaters and 45 hills, plus more murals and graffiti than I’ve ever seen (never been to Austin, TX so I cannot compare). We took a walking tour today and here’s some shots from the day:
(Scroll to the very bottom)
After Valparaiso we had awesome worship as a squad and then team time/Bible study. Today Hebrews 10 was incredibly relevant and confirming for me personally. As I am making changes in my life to live more biblically and more peacefully in community and in my daily life, these scriptures were super encouraging. Here’s how the chapter ends:
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Please be in prayer for God to move my heart as I am beginning to seek Him more than I ever have before. I mentioned in the last post that I have to make changes, and this means practicing a new self control, more empathy, better listening, huge vulnerability and authenticity, and learning to trust and rest in Father God like be never before. I want to grow and become more like Christ. I will need to be intentional, so prayers are needed. Thank you for partnering with me in this.
