If You Want To Be Famous In Chile, Just Have Blonde Hair...

I'm sitting in the middle of the Andes Mountains, with two very leaky pens-probably from the altitude, writing in my journal hoping to transfer this to my blog tonight.  If you're reading this, it means I have succeeded. (:  I've been so bad about documenting this trip.  Both in my journal and on my blog.  It is because there has been so much going on that it is hard to take and find the time to write everything down.  Those should be more reasons to write, but I haven't.  I have taken about 1,500 pictures and a few videos, so maybe that could make up for the lack of writing.
This past month has been incredible.  I've been homesick at times, I'll admit, but I have loved our time in Chile.  We leave the country in two days, and it will be a bittersweet parting.  I wish we could have gone to Grace College one more time.  I wish we could have hung out with the youth group at Argomedo a few other times.  And I wish we could have explored Vina and Val Pariso more.  However, I have been content with our trip.  By the time we step on the plane, I will be ready to get to Texas and Arkansas. (:
While we have been here, God has done so many things.  I think, and hope, that this trip can be summed up as one filled with joy and love.  I have clung to verses from Paul in Philippians that talks about encouragement among brothers and sisters in the Church.  I hope that's what this trip has done.
The first few weeks of this trip I  really struggled with why I was here.  I found the things we were doing good, but I wasn't sure if it was necessary for Brandon and I to be doing them.  I mean, there are churches here that are established and sharing Jesus, so why did I need to be here?  What was my purpose?  As the weeks went on, God showed me answers to my questions.  He is so good and faithful!
I guess I should take a minute to introduce some key people in our trip.  Obviously, I came to Chile with Brandon, my brother.  Cliff and Cynthy are the missionaries that we are staying with.  Cliff plants churches and Cynthy works in the IMB's South America central office.  They have a son who is about my age, Clayton, who goes to Ouachita with me.  We have teamed up with Aaron, a recent grad of Henderson, who is here for a semester with Hands On.
We have been working with a school, called Grace College.  This school opened in March and just completed it's first semester.  The school is a Christian school with students from preschool to 9th grade (primer basico), but not all students or teachers are believers.  We partnered up with the chaplain to help teach some Bible classes ("Christian culture").  We also held their chapel on Tuesdays.  Chapels consisted of lots of singing in Spanish and English and skits.  (This is one we didn't do, but found hilariously annoying as we were looking for skits. You should also check out the wonderful song from Grace; we have loved it!) At the school, I have really enjoyed working with the 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders. I'm not one for elementary kids, but this month has sort of changed my mind.  The 1st graders were so cute, and just work their way into your heart. I enjoyed the conversations and questions that the 5th and 6th grade classes asked. I hope, if anything, that we got the kids thinking and we presented the Gospel many times.  Something that I will cherish from Grace College is the way that the Chaplin, Mister Ariel, loved his students.  His passion for them to know the Lord and the way he interacted with the students and professors showed Christ in all that he did and seemed to me that he found his job more than just a job, it was just a way of life and him loving people for Jesus.  He is probably one of the most godly people I've met.  We ended our time with Grace College with a chapel service led by a Brazillian mission team.  Their zeal was contagious and it was fun to be around them. One of the girls with them was british, studying Spanish and Portuguese, so she was speaking in her british accent to us in Spanish and English. It was awesome. (:
Another highlight has been attending a Bible study that has been started by Cliff and a few other missionaries.  The people in attendance attend different churches, but are trying to start a church in this communa, Nunoa.  [Santiago is a huge city that is split up into different districts, called communas-I'm not sure how to translate that in English since I've been using the Spanish-and the one we live in is Nunoa. I guess they are sort of like neighborhoods.]  Although it's been in all Spanish, it has been awesome to learn from the conversations.  I've learned more Spanish and learned more about God in the process.
We've done some shopping and sight-seeing (and I intend to update pictures once I'm home..).  We've had so many laughs, and enjoyed this beautiful, smog-filled city!
So, as I sit in these gorgeous Andes Mountains, I'm reminded of how big my god is and how He takes care of every detail. It humbles me as I reflect on the times I doubt Him or His plan for my life.  Being here brings me a feeling of overwhelming love for Christ.  Being in His creation is such an awesome thing.  The pains I have all over my body from skiing remind me of how grateful I am that I can move and be active. I am thankful for a functioning body, and sorry to that body that I abused it on the ski slopes with my poor skiing. (: If I had a couple of days out here, I could maybe get it down better...next time. (;
Well, that's a small glimpse of what this trip has been like. Lots of Spanish, lots of laughs, lots of good times!
From Santiago,
Chau