It’s Tuesday and my co-teacher and I have a free period during the day. My mind is going about 100 miles an hour about all the things that we need to do and plan. My co-teacher finally puts her hand on my arm and says, “Elise, let’s drink tea and just talk.”
It’s the first day of school 2016. A coworker that has barely talked to me before runs up and gives me a big hug saying, “Miss, you’re still here!”
A Chilean looks at me with a shocked face. I just told him the story of when my dad told me that I needed to move out of the house so that I could get experience living alone.
I finish an English tutoring session with a little boy at his house. I am packing up my things to leave when his mom lets me know that I HAVE to stay because she has dinner ready.
It’s Sunday and Bible class is going on. A member walks in late. Bible class is paused as every single person in church stands up to great that person.
What do the above things have in common?
Time.
Chileans are all about personal time. They value it and treasure it. Families and extended families often live together well into their older years. Tea and dinners are shared with all. It is near impossible to simply “stop by” someone’s house. Lunch get-togethers extend into dinners. Everyone is always greeted personally with a kiss on the cheek.
Time creates relationships and relationships matter!
Growing relationships mean opportunities to have deeper conversations, to grow friendships, to show Christ’s love, to share His grace, to encourage each other.
Recently, the Chile Kingdom Workers team was asked to put together a wish-list of our dream items that would enable us to do more mission work. While we did think of some much needed material items – we quickly stalled in our brainstorm and realized that we were all thinking the same thing. We need “time”!
The difference that one year has made is incredible; I can’t imagine what life could look like after 5 years!
That coworker I mentioned above now talks with me every day and is becoming a good friend. She has realized that I plan to stay and did not leave after one year like many foreigners do.
The bus drivers recognize and personally greet me.
Parents of my students are starting to have conversations with me versus a quick “Hello” and “How are you?”
Friendships are developing trust and now deeper conversations are happening – many about faith and Jesus!
Bible class attendance is becoming more consistent and members are expressing what a blessing and light bible class is in their weeks.
Time is powerful – especially in a Latin American mission field.
We are so thankful that THIS is the time God has given to us and that THIS is the place that He has given to us!
So what brought on these thoughts?
This last week we had a Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day) get-together at our house. We invited co-workers from each of our schools and overall had a wonderful time getting to hang out outside of our school buildings.
It was really special for us to think of how far these relationships have come and how far they can go.
Jon created a pretty awesome video about our Gringo BBQ for Fiestas Patrias. Click here to see it!
When I was a little girl I adored the movie The Prince of Egypt.
Let’s be honest here. It is still an absolute favorite of mine today; several months ago I walked in on the First Graders watching this movie for religion class, and I simply HAD to help “monitor” them for the rest of the CLASS.
My favorite part of the movie (which tells the tale of the life of Moses) is a song that reminds Moses that His life isn’t about Him – that he should “look at your life through heaven’s eyes.”
I always thought how cool that would be – to be able to see my life or life in general through God’s eyes – to see the insane spider web of interactions and connections that must make up our lives and to know exactly the impact they have.
Recently, Jon and I were able to spend some time in the states telling others about the Chile mission. I can’t even begin to tell you how shockingly emotional that was for us! It was a beautiful feeling to be standing in front of a church presenting, and to be receiving text messages in that same moment from Chilean members wishing us love and blessings on the presentation.
It truly moved us to be “the middle people.” To live and to see the needs of our Linares church and the need to evangelize to as many Chileans as possible and then to stand in front of donors in the states who wished to support the mission and our involvement in it.
The experience gave us a small but clear insight into the connection of believers all over the world and how God provides for His people. We felt incredibly happy to get a tiny taste of what God gets to see every day – the beautiful interconnected world of believers and His word being spread!
Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for the many kind words, prayers, and donations!
The joy of Christian communities is that even if you are never able to visit Chile, the Holy Spirit can still use you to impact the growth of believers there.
The community of believers from all over the world is powerful and essential to our volunteer positions with the Linares congregation. We are committed (God-willing) to live in Chile and to serve Him! Please take some time to pray about being a part of the work being done in Chile. Check out www.kingdomworkers.com/chile.php to make a donation or reach out to us to learn more!
John 17:20-23: Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
P.S. We weren’t only presenting in the states, but had time to vacation with family! I honestly don’t have the words to describe how wonderful it was to be with family and friends, to meet a new niece and two new nephews for the first time, and to celebrate my brother’s wedding. God is good!
On our way to and from the states we had a night layover in El Salvador. We were excited to explore the country for a couple hours but got hit with a huge rainstorm. At least we were able to see the volcanoes from the sky!Giving a presentation on the Chile Mission at Zion Lutheran Church.We drove up to Toronto, Canada to spend some time with my dad, Mollie, and my little sister… and of course to eat Roti!We were able to have a great day downtown Toronto before kidney stones struck. )=It was wonderful to spend time with my beautiful sister!Since papá was out with kidney stones, we hit up some of Essie’s favorite spots including the zoo and Whitemore Farms.
My new nephew!!!!!!! The red-headed, lightening-quick, and adorable Aiden.
Jon and Andrew headed out camping for the weekend so I got some quality girl time in with my sister and nephew.A beautiful new niece: Amelia!!We have a great week with Jon’s family eating many a delicious meal and jumping in grandma’s pool.We gave another presentation at my Grandma’s church in Fort Atkinson. It was wonderful to see her and to dig through some old photo albums at her house.Another new nephew: Abe babe!!!Family time watching the Bachelorette with my brother during his final week as a bachelor.It was wonderful to spend a week with fam celebrating Scotty’s wedding!Congrats Scotty and Sarah!
One year ago, we arrived in Chile during the weekend of the Copa America finals. We drove down to the town of Linares (our soon to be home), threw our luggage in a newly rented house, and headed over to a member’s house to watch the big game: Chile vs. Argentina.
I had no clue what anyone was saying on the TV or in the room with me. I did not know any of the players, not even Sanchez or Messi! (I actually think that was the first full game of soccer that I have ever watched). I ate my first completo and tried very hard to cheer or boo when everyone else did.
When Chile won, I remember Jon and I having a very serious conversation as to whether or not we should go to the plaza where we heard the celebration would be. It was dark, and we were so nervous that we would get lost.
Fast forward to one year later:
The member whose house we went to that night is now one of our very dear friends whom we have shared many laughs, bible studies, and adventures with.
This year, Chile played Argentina AGAIN in the finals of Copa America AND WON! This time around, we couldn’t take our eyes off the screen and could scream and chant with everyone else.
After Chile won, we OF COURSE headed to the plaza to celebrate. We now know exactly where it is… on the only main street in the city! (seriously, you should never get lost in Linares)
Our faces tell all … photo snapped during the penalty shootout.Goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!After the game everyone heads to the plaza to chant, dance, cheer, and wave Chile things.This very fun night was also the beginning of Jon’s 30th Birthday!
Well, here we are.
One year.
Already!
I simply cannot believe how fast the time has gone! I also cannot believe how hard it is to express what this last year has felt like and meant to us.
1. Our Brothers and Sisters
If you ever have the opportunity to visit our little congregation in Linares, I hope that you are blown away by the pure love and joy that the members share for each other and for service – just as we were and still are!
However, after a year, the faces of our congregation now have much deeper meanings. Instead of only smiles it is now easier to see different faith walks, various joys and struggles, high hopes and big fears. These are real people, real sinners, and real loved/redeemed children of God. They are so much more than just a happy photo or a special service. They are our brothers and sisters in faith and people we truly love, respect, and appreciate.
2. Our Roles
Shortly after arriving here we quickly dubbed our role for the first year in Chile as a “Ministry of Presence, Happiness, and Support.”
We are very conscientious of the fact that our roles are NOT positions of leadership. We desire to support and encourage church members as the church transitions to independence. The goal is to encourage Chilean leadership and to provide assistance to “new believers” who are currently without a permanent pastor.
So what in the the world did this look like for the past year?
Building relationships: It’s hard to support others when you don’t know them! Deep and trusting relationships can take years to develop and a big part of this year (and hopefully many years to come) was a personal push to be consistent, reliable members and to spend as much time as possible with others!
Encouraging on-going activities: Some activities that were already in place, however not consistently, were bible studies, youth group, and a summer Vacation Bible School. This past year we have been able to be a big part of these activities by encouraging them to happen regularly and by providing resources.
Guidance: Imagine the questions that might arise from members that did not grow up in the Lutheran church: What church season are we in? What does a Good Friday service look like? How do you chose the hymns for Sunday? Where do you find the correct liturgy for a specific service? What should we do for VBS? We felt very blessed to be able to help answer these questions and more throughout the year.
Participation: Jon participates in church services by reading liturgy and assisting in communion. He also meets with the church president for bible study every Tuesday night. Before class they usually talk about any rising questions, concerns, or services. I have been able to participate in church services by working closely with the youth to plan special church celebrations. I also have been able to play piano on some Sundays. There are currently two members who are very interested in learning and playing for future services! A big dream of mine is to improve my playing so that I can teach them soon.
Awareness: Through blogs, photos, social media, and presentations, we hope to make other church families aware of the Linares congregation! Our members appreciate any support whether it is through prayers, words of encouragement, or donations.
Men’s bible study meets every Tuesday night and the women’s group meets Friday night once every three weeks. Excited to help decorate the church for Palm Sunday!Vacation Bible School FunA youth Christmas skit
3. Spanish
What a roller-coster of a ride our Spanish learning has been!
Month 1-2: We had little to no Spanish background when we arrived in Chile, and for the first several months everything sounded like gibberish around us. (Chilean Spanish is very fast and many words/phrases are specific only to Chile) Everyday we came home exhausted from brain overload.
Month 3: This was the “light bulb” period when suddenly the gibberish became words and sentences!
Months 4-6: Some days we came home really excited about the conversations that we were able to have throughout the day. On other days, we came home frustrated because our brains just couldn’t seem to function that day. (these bad days slowly started to disappear)
Months 7-10: The golden age! We no longer had to “gear up” or “mentally prepare” for get-togethers, events, taxi rides, going to the store, etc. We were finally becoming comfortable with the language enough to truly enjoy conversations and not see them as big tasks.
Months 11-12: Phone conversations with strangers are now possible…not easy… but possible.
Sometimes it is easy for us to get down on ourselves for our Spanish levels, but looking back at the year we have been so blessed to come a long way. We might not be able to speak perfectly, yet but we can speak! We are working hard to continue studying/improving every day.
Summer gave us some time to have classes with Jenny! During the school year we work with study books and Duolingo whenever there is free time.
4. School: Teaching English
Our role as assistant English teachers in two grade schools in Longavi has been such a blessing for us! Our jobs not only help us with our living expenses, but they also allow us to serve the community and to build relationships and friendships with teachers, parents, and students.
When we arrived, we joined our schools during the second semester (August). Both Jon and I have been able to stay at our same schools this school year as well! Staying in the same schools for almost a year now means that we know the general routines, the names of our students, and overall we fit in much better because we are seen as more permanent members of the faculty. We are both blessed to work in wonderful schools and have developed great friendships with the people there.
My fourth graders.Celebrating Mother’s Day at a co-worker’s house.
5. Personal
I don’t know if I would say that we had serious culture shock during this past year. Chile, however, felt more like logistics and language shock.
I already talked about our language barrier experience, but the logistics part of Chile is where I think we had some of our hardest moments. Visa and insurance paperwork was a long, tough process. Other things that were challenges included figuring out internet, how to pay bills, gas heating, finding a new house to rent, etc. Thankfully, our struggles in these areas lead us to some AMAZING friends who so lovingly and willingly helped us out.
In order to stay sane with the many transitions, Jon and I took advantage of the cheap bus system and our camping gear to “brain relax” whenever there was an opportunity. Jon especially got really into trail running since it helped his mind settle after a day of Spanish. Chile is an incredibly beautiful place and I cannot believe that an hour or two ride can get us into the Andes Mountains or to the Pacific Ocean! We also were blessed with tons of visitors this year which we LOVED and gave us a reason to see a little more of Chile.
Camping on a volcano with great company and many dogs. This is from a fun trip to the beach with Missionary Erickson, his wife Ellen, and Jenny. We were able to camp the beaches of southern Chile for a couple days with Jon’s sister and one of her friends. (Yes we all fit in that little tent)
6. Purpose
A year and a half ago, Jon and I read a devotion book and felt the push to make a change in our lives that would encourage our personal relationships with God and our relationships with His people. God let the Chile opportunity fall in our laps and has blessed us with an amazing year. We have been comforted time and time again that He is in charge and He is at work even when we are unsure of our words/actions.
We truly love serving in Chile and know that He is in control of whatever the future holds!
P.S. Yes, we still have three dogs. My soft heart couldn’t give Pudú away. (=
*If you are interested in hearing more specifics about the Chile mission, we will be presenting at Zion Lutheran Church in Hartland, WI on Sunday 10th July at 9:15. It would be great to see you there!
I apologize for not having an update for a while. The reality is that WE FOUND A NEW HOUSE! The past weeks have been filled with work, looking for a new place (read our last post to understand why we had to move and move fast), and ultimately moving.
We feel so blessed and are so happy to report that we found a beautiful house to rent for a great deal. On top of that, it is located in a safe neighborhood only five minutes away from the church!
And the blessings keep coming…
This Sunday, Ariel (our church president and Chilean dad) and his son worked with Jon to install a wood-burning stove in our new place! There is no central heating in Chile so homes are heated by either wood stoves or gas heaters. Now our house is toasty warm and Jon gets to show off his manly fire-starter skills on a daily basis. The puppies are also loving chewing on the apple wood that we just had delivered straight from the apple farms surrounding the city.
With the move came an internet change, and we have been without it for some time. But now we are back online and good to go!
We are beyond thankful for our new place and the many many friends who helped us find it, move, and get things set up. Also thanks to many of you who reached out with words of encouragement and supported us with your prayers. We truly appreciated it.
In the end, a house is a material thing, and having a nice place to live isn’t a be all end all. However, it is such a blessing and feeling of comfort to now have a safe and healthy roof over our heads.
God gives us our daily bread every day.
Sometimes it is in the form of a home, or a wood stove, or a friend in a time of need.
In His perfect timing, He gives us all that we need…. and then some. (=
I just yelled at my puppies because they dared to accidentally knock over their water bowl in the kitchen … the kitchen I had just cleaned for the fourth time in the last 24 hours. One of them is still nervous to come close to me. I am a horrible momma. Maybe this scenario should be my new response to those who continuously ask me about having kids?
Now, in all seriousness. Have you ever had one of those weeks or days when you just feel like you are going to crack at any moment? Or maybe that you cracked multiple times? Or maybe you are already in broken pieces and that the only thing that would make life better is a Netflix marathon and chocolate?
This past week was by far my toughest week since setting foot in Chile.
It all began several days ago when I noticed that little black spots had sprouted on the walls and ceilings in our bedroom. Mold. And not the typical mold that many houses get here in the wet and humid climate. Nope. This mold was the fierce and indestructible kind. The kind that I could scrub for hours and hours with chlorine … so hard that I scrubbed through multiple layers of paint … and it would just come back twice as dense the next morning. This mold had moved into the walls and it was there to stay. Not only that, but it also thought it would be nice to make a home in our bathroom ceiling as well.
Now, in order for you to understand the impact of this new development in our house, you must first understand several things: 1. I LOVE to clean and find it almost impossible to work in a dirty or disorganized room. 2. We have been sick a good percentage of our time here in Chile … which could be chalked up to climate changes and allergies. However, more recently the puppies have been pretty sick as well which makes me wonder more about this mold situation. 3. This is the third major repair that our rented house has needed in the last 10 months. (think bathroom pipe replacement and roof repairs)
All of these things seem to equal = LET’S GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!!!!!
Now, part of me wants to put on a brave face and tell you that this is just a large exaggeration from my usually over-worried self. This house is located in a great safe neighborhood, and I’m sure many of the houses here have this problem. I am sure the situation isn’s that bad.
The other much more realistic part of me wants to report that parts of the ceiling fall down when I hit it with a fly swatter and that even though workers were here all weekend acid-painting the mold and replacing the ceiling in the bathroom, I still cringe when I think about what lurks behind those walls.
Patience – I am out of.
Determination – it’s gone.
Positivity – is draining.
So the end of this blog is a devotion much needed by me this week and maybe by some of you! It is from the WELS daily devotion website. I stumbled upon it earlier this week and immediately laughed at the irony of the title: Lift up your eyes since I had been “looking up” all week … just at the wrong thing. I have been so focused on the moldy side of life and not on the heavenly side.
So many parts about our move to Chile have been absolutely amazing! Other parts, like mold, have had their toll. Such is life no matter where you live!
Keep those eyes up and focused on the right thing.
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18
Lift up Your Eyes
Two children decided to have a contest to see which of them could walk a straighter line through some new snow. The first child put his head down, concentrated on his feet, and began to walk forward. He thought he was doing well, but when he stopped and looked back, his line was crooked meandering.
The second child then walked a line which was arrow-straight. He explained: “I saw the cross on top of the steeple, and I just kept walking straight towards it.”
The devil likes to get us to be like the first child, to get us to look down and focus solely on the things of this life—on our career, our finances, our relationships, our pleasure (mold). And what often happens? We end up dissatisfied, for all of those things are temporary. They cannot give us the peace which we so desire.
But God CAN give us that peace because God and his love are eternal! God and his love last forever!
And so today, lift up your eyes! Focus on God and his eternal work! Focus on God and his love through Jesus! And as you walk forward, you will be walking straight towards eternal life!
Prayer:
O Holy Spirit, through your Word focus my attention on the eternal love of God through Jesus my Savior, that you might give me the peace which only you can give. Amen.
Life has been busy lately! … and this blog is going to be a reflection of that.
My logical and theme-based mind is exploding as I type this mis-mash of randoms. However, I have convinced myself that if my writing accurately reflects our life then I am forgiven. Right?
Here it goes! The mis-mash of randoms that have made up our lives recently.
1. What to expect when you’re not expecting
Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) was HUGE! Not only was it celebrated on May 8, but my school also had a huge act or ceremony for it in which all the classes presented something special for their moms.
It is very important to always decorate the stage for every act that we have. Teachers and assistants spend many hours getting it ready for the big day. A special dance put on by the second grade. (True or False: they danced to Justin Bieber in English) My co-teacher Paula organized a presentation where her homeroom said a poem in English and in Spanish. They did a wonderful job!All the moms got special little handmade gifts and cake after the act. 8th graders showing off their singing skills. The little ones always have very elaborate skits with adorable costumes and props.
We also celebrated Mother’s Day at church with little gifts, flowers, and sweets after the Sunday service. One of the youth of the congregation prepared and presented a little speech thanking the moms, grandmas, and aunts for the many things that they do but most importantly for sharing Jesus. Sadly, we didn’t get any pictures of this because honestly we were just having too much fun experiencing it!
Mother’s day for me brought on a full out attack of the “pregnancy/children” questions and advice. Never in my life have I been questioned more about having kids or lectured on the importance of having kids. I quickly began to perfect my responses:
Seemingly 1 million people: Are you pregnant? or Do you have kids?
Me:(shocked face) How did you know? or Yes! I have 3 puppies and love them dearly.
Our church members did get a pretty good laugh on Sunday imagining what our kids would look like. They settled on declaring their desire for “little matchsticks” to be running around the church.
2. Bible Classes: Even though some adjustments have been made, the Men’s and Women’s Bible Classes are still going strong! The women now get together once every month due to many changed schedules. We are reading through the book of Romans together and 10 women participated in our last get together! It is wonderful to share this special time with the women and to eat all the goodies that they bring to share.
The men’s group gets together every Tuesday night! They are reading and studying the book of Genesis together. They also use this time to discuss other things needs by the church or various ideas/questions. This past week they watched the Vicar Call Service live from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. I would love to tell you more, but I have a feeling that an upcoming blog might share all the goodies with you.
3. School Life: We are in the full swing at school. I guess this would be “October” if we compare our school year to the North American school year. This year has been just wonderful so far! It is a lot easier now that we can actually talk to people, we know the students’ names, and in general have a much better understanding of what is going on everyday.
4. Time Change: Last year, Chile decided to not comply with Daylight Savings Time. However, this month we decided to switch back. I never knew that a country could change time whenever they desired, but we are now in the same time zone as Ontario, Canada so I am a happy camper. The bad news is that it is dark at 7:00 when I get home from school.
5. New Family Member: I promise that we are not crazy dog people, and we do not want a 100 Dalmatians scenario going on here, BUT I do have to report that we have yet another dog. No, we do not want to keep her permanently and are trying to find a great home for her! The sappy story goes like this: We met a woman several months ago who was moving to Spain and who wanted us to take her dog. We told her that we wouldn’t be able to. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when we found this same dog curled up outside of our house in the cold. My little heart wavered and she was welcomed in. The good news is that she is so well behaved and easy to have around. Stay tuned for hopefully an upcoming post entitled “We Found a Home for Pudú!
6. New Season New Look: Fall is definitely here and has brought the much needed rain and colder temps. This is what life looks like right now for us:
During the Chilean summer it never rains. Winter rains help bring snow back to the mountains, refill the rivers and dams, and helps with pollution. During the cold months our entire city smells like a campground thanks to the 1,000s of operating wood burning furnaces. In the fall, many of our big trees get cut back to stumps. When we first arrived last year we thought this was hideous but now know it is very necessary. These trees become HUGE within the couple months of summer. Just like the states, the beautiful colors come out in fall. We are in the habit of morning and evening walks with our dogs around our neighborhood.
And there is it! The mis-match of our lives written down.
*Below is a 300 word mission story and picture that we put together for a competition. Winning would mean that $1,000 dollars would be donated to the Linares mission! Not winning would mean that we still got to share this story with you. Now that’s a #winwin situation!
We Like Sheep
The actors stumbled to the center of the playground. Little ladies with head scarfs and bright aprons ran to take a seat at the staged tables. Tough cowboys in hats and plaid sprinted toward the makeshift sheep pen. The crowd giggled and began to snap pictures as little bleating fluff balls came crawling onto the scene. A teary-eyed lamb stood crying on the side. The music began.
The audience watched as the kindergarten class acted out the wool making process of Southern Chile. Laughter rose as the cowboys chased down each sheep, sheered them with scissors, and proudly presented the wool to the little ladies. The act ended with applause as the kindergarteners presented wool scarfs, sweaters, and blankets.
The children of rural Chile live their lives closely connected to the earth. Many grow up on small farms where picking raspberries is the typical summer job and horses are still used to plow the fields. In the country communities, it is rare for parents to have graduated from high school or even the eighth grade. For many families, the idea of English classes being offered in local schools is an unbelievable experience that could have immense benefits.
English classes are also opportunities to impact lives eternally. Each class and conversation serve as potential vehicles that the Holy Spirit may use to the glory of God. A prayer, a kind word, or a bible story shared may allow students, families, and teachers to know about the Great Shepherd who gave His life for His children.
The Chile Mission is the desire for those little Chilean actors to stand up and proudly declare, “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
My sister Emmy is a humble yet rocking business woman who successfully leads teams and trains others. Her “top secret” that she loves to share with other aspiring leaders is …
“Never underestimate a personal conversation. They only take a couple minutes, they are free, and they are POWERFUL!”
She is right.
Conversations are powerful, yet they are sadly often overlooked. A good personal conversation can help you build a relationship, give praise, receive feedback, and genuinely listen to someone else.
Our lives right now literally depend on our conversations and our relationships with the partnering schools that we teach in. We currently are able to stay in Chile thanks to work visas tied closely with our teaching contracts. It would be possible to find a way to stay here without our contracts, but they certainly make our lives and the visa application process much much easier!
Apart from the horror that is visa paperwork, our relationships with our schools are also and more importantly some of the many vehicles that the Holy Spirit can use to touch students, teachers, and parents.
This past week, the Vice President of Kingdom Workers visited the Chile Team for just this reason – the power of personal conversations.
I sadly don’t have a picture of his face, but this is Juan Garcia (VP of Kingdom Workers). Here an English student is telling him, “I am six years old.”
Juan arrived on a Tuesday morning and masterfully survived a jam-packed schedule until he left on Friday night. He met with the Chilean vicars, Pastor Erickson and his wife, some members of our congregation, leadership in the Department of Education, the mayor of Longavi, the director of the schools in Longavi, the directors in each of the schools that Kingdom Workers is partnered with, and the teachers that we work with. And throughout all that he still had energy to keep a smile on his face and even take us out to dinner!
The meetings were productive and positive, and we are excited to be able to continue serving in Chile. But even more so than the positive feedback, we were truly blessed to have Juan with us to spiritually encourage and guide us. If personal conversations are powerful — then how much more so when they are personal conversations with Christ at their center!
It is interesting and perfect how God uses each person to serve in His kingdom. Jon and I were able to move to Chile. Others are able to donate financially so that we can continue to live and serve here. And Juan was able to use his background in negotiating and Spanish to foster the Kingdom Workers Chile Program. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have the mind of God to see all these interacting moving pieces?
Juan’s visit was truly a blessing.
God is always at work, and we are thankful that He is allowing us to have this role at this time.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as the Kingdom Workers Chile Program continues to develop and grow!
Jon with his students at Los Cristales. Jenny with her students and English teacher at La Unificada. Me and my goofy fourth grade boys.
Our beautiful summer is over. As friends and family in the states are posting pictures of their first walks in t-shirts, I am pulling out my jackets and sweaters from the back of my closet.
Okay, I’m exaggerating a tad. It is starting to get chilly here in the nights and in the mornings, BUT the reality is that I am typing this right now in a tank top. Fall in Chile is absolutely nothing to complain about!
Here are some pics from our “last weekend of summer” when we spent the day at the beach with Pastor, Ellen, and Jenny.
Playa PelluhueOur delicious (actually I thought it was absolutely disgusting) beach treat. Guess the animal?! Hint: look at the picture in the left corner of the package. A memorial for the 2010 tsunami replicating it’s height. Pastor and Ellen finally enjoying a day off! These amazing people work so hard. Jennicita representing her new homeland and ability to stand upright in a fierce wind. “On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
The drive to the beach from our city is about 2 hours and through miles and miles of vineyards. How can you not stop at a winery?This family-owned vineyard was closed, but they still let us in! The dad woke up from a nap to come tell us the vineyard’s story.
Overall, it was a wonderful summer, and we were thankful to end it spending a wonderful day with our mission team.
Apart from the fact that the seasons are completely turned around here, another “weird” thing is that the school year starts in March. How strange to be going back to school when all my teacher friends and family are just starting to see the end in sight!
In the past, the start of the school year brought deep, dark feelings of dread. Please don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE teaching, but the thought of losing my free summer days to long work hours was never a fun idea. Also, my plans to work ahead during summer simply never happened which usually left me in last-minute panic preparation mode.
This year, the start of the school year was very different and can be summarized in four words. I HAVE NO IDEA.
When do teachers return? I have no idea.
When do the students return? I have no idea.
What will my contract look like? I have no idea.
What will be books/curriculum be? I have no idea.
What day do we actually start teaching? I have no idea.
The funny thing is … my being in the dark had nothing to do with a language barrier. (There’s a first time for everything!) It did, however, have everything to do with the wonderful world of the Chilean Education System.
In Chile, teachers are hired by the Department of Education, not by the individual schools. Because of this, all the teachers of all the schools in a specific area have to organize their contract with the DAEM. This organization usually happens … the week that school begins.
Originally, we thought that we started working on a Tuesday. Then we were told to sign new contracts on Wednesday. Then we found out that our contracts were changed. Then one office told us to start working on Thursday. Ten minutes later, another office told us to start on the following Monday. Later that evening, we received a phone call from someone who said we should actually start in two weeks.
So… we just picked a day and went with it, and it turned out to be the right day! We think.
The first week of school was a beautiful chaos. School ran “as usual” even though an official schedule hadn’t yet been figured out. Teachers just went with the flow. Homeroom teachers received all the new books/curriculum for each class on the Monday that the students returned. They and the students had a fun time going through the books to see what was going to be taught this year.
For those of you who know me, you might think that my over-organized brain would have burst! However, it was actually very peaceful and exciting returning to school. It was a wonderful déjà vu of my time growing up on the island of Antigua. Yes I love to be prepared, but it was also nice to acknowledge that some things are just out of your hands.
Also, the disorganization reminds me that our main job in Chile and as Christians on earth is not to be the “best teacher ever.” We should certainly strive to always do our best at whatever our job is BUT our main job is to live as witnesses for Him and to share His love with as many people as possible!
Thank goodness that can be done even without knowing your curriculum!
Highlights of a first week of school
A new student in kindergarten was so confused when I came to his class for the first time. He exclaimed, “Why does she talk so different?”
With improved Spanish I have found out just how funny some of my faculty members are! Oh the things I missed out on last year…
The kitchen ladies made me a tea with special herbs when I got food poisoning.
Many students really enjoyed telling me know many times they saw me or my gringo friends this summer.
I presented to a group of kindergarten parents and was shocked/happy when they all greeted me in English just like their kids do! I guess some English is making its way home.
A coworker asked me for advice on camping in a specific spot in the mountains. We’re on our way to becoming Chile hiking experts!
As a whole, everyone was so kind and expressed happiness that I was back – and I was able to express how happy I am to be back. (=
So what do you do when you know you have a super busy week of Vacation Bible School coming up? You ask your recent visitors to write your blog for you that’s what!
This week I am feeling very thankful for Kali and Alana who took time to write down their experiences and feelings while here in Chile. Jon and I are very excited for you to see the mission here through another pair (or in this case “other pairs”) of eyes.
Take a look below to hear what Kali and Alana have to say about Chile!
Meet your writers for this week: Kali and Alana. Both ladies are currently studying education at Martin Luther College. They stayed with us for around 2 weeks and were able to see a lot of the mission here as well as some beautiful places in Chile! Here they are posing with some Sea Lions in the background.
A Reflection by Kali and Alana
Handmade decorations, dancing, and fellowship. These three aspects brought the congregation in Linares together in ways that we never expected. When we first bought our plane tickets to Chile we had no idea what to expect. not only were we unfamiliar with the country, but also with mission work in general. The church in Linares taught us that even though we have a different language and culture, Christ brings all Christians together to glorify His name.
While writing this post we realized how hard it is for us to put everything we saw, felt, and experienced into words!
Jon and Elise were so excited for us to meet the congregation on Christmas Eve. On our way to church they explained to us the typical Chilean greeting – a kiss on the cheek! We both asked the question at the same time, “Is it awkward?!” After a little demo by Jon and Elise and a practice session, we were ready to meet new friends.
We arrived at church and were amazed by how welcoming everyone was. The Chilean greeting was not awkward at all and felt more personal than the handshake we were used to. Even though we did not know exactly what the members were saying, we were touched by their true joy at having visitors.
We often times get wrapped up in the traditional Sunday worship services. Now, these services are great, but then we thought to ourselves what if there was not a tradition to follow?
We were humbled to see the congregation come together to not only perform a Christmas skit, but also write it! How amazing is that! Because we are studying to become teachers, it was cool to see how they used their own supplies from home to make the service special. You don’t always have to buy things from the store! Although Linares has limited access to resources it was humbling to see the members let their lights shine throughout the service. We all came together and celebrated the birth of our Savior.
A few days after Christmas, we were invited to a house blessing for a church family. we had never heard of a house blessing and had no idea what to expect or who would come. Walking into the house we were shocked to see that almost the entire congregation was there! This was another truly humbling moment. Not only do they meet for church, but they also encourage each other in events outside of church.
We worshiped God with a house blessing service and ate together. After dinner was done, one of the congregation members convinced Alana that she had just eaten cat. Later in the night, Alana pulled me aside and asked me in we had really just eaten cat…. I just laughed!
Then, what a better way to end the night than with a dance party? We all squished together in the living room and danced to music in Spanish and English. It was so much fun bonding inside and outside of the church especially with the youth. Most of the time we couldn’t understand each other, but we found other ways to communicate through laughing, smiling, and LOTS of hand motions. This was just another reminder that we are all part of the body of Christ.
Seeing the church in Linares and meeting the congregation members was an experience that we will take with us forever. The church is small and informal, but they are so happy that they get to worship as a family together that none of the little things matter.
Sometimes we get caught up in what kind of flowers are on the altar, or what music is played that we can lose focus of the reason why we are in church. The church in Linares refocused our eyes on what’s truly important – giving glory to God! Handmade decorations, dancing, and fellowship brought us together.
Thank you for sharing the Chile mission with us Jon and Elise!
Thank you Lutheran Church in Linares for welcoming us into your church and your homes.
We cannot wait to visit again!
So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5
amorchile 