More Than Words

Welcome to my last post. As a photographer, I believe that pictures often say more than words. My hope is that this captures a small piece of my time in Chile… to make my words a little more relatable for you. Enjoy!

 

A typical Chilean meal with my Chilean “brother” Rubén.

 

A little more of El Huascar, a real museum inside of a Peruvian ship captured by the Chilean military in the War of the Pacific.

 

A night with Feña’s family and friends and a few pictures of the little ones.

 

An afternoon in the heart of Concepción. The chairs you see are a result of the primary school protest. Street artists are commonly found all over the city. I also included one shot of the buses to show you how many pack the main streets of Concepción.

 

The word “babyshower” has actually been implemented and is commonly used among non-English-speaking Chileans. Transculturation, everyone.

(Meriden, the mommy-to-be, is one member of the missionary team)

 

Week 2 of Let’s Start Talking. Yes, we had a Texas-themed party.

 

A quick trip to the fishing village and fish market before lunch on the water. This is Chile.

 

A goodbye (Despedida) to the Amores who have been serving on the team.

 

Vástago recently moved buildings to a great, central location. This Floridian youth group stopped for a cleaning/painting day on their mission trip in the area.

 

Pardon the random grouping, but here are just a few iPhone pictures I haven’t posted yet (Descriptions in the caption of each photo).

A multicultural fútbol tournament.

Strikes.

And more strikes.

A sushi lunch with the girls before experiencing the strikes.

A shot of the city

Typical “once” of bread, meat, cheese, avacado, marmelade, and tea.

Two of the kiddos I lived with at my last house.

Plaza de Armas: the center of downtown Concepción.

Francisca: one of my favorite friends I had the pleasure of spending time with!

A lovely breakfast made by my favorite South African for the women’s bible study.

 

A glimpse of what it looks like to join in community with this wonderful group of people every Sunday. Service is a time where everyone plays a role. Prayer time and participation is routine during the service, followed by Coffee Break (the English phrase is actually used)– a time of fellowship with one another.

 

Bible studies and discipleship groups occur in a variety of shapes and colors. The missionaries feel it is not only important to share the good news of Christ, but to also train disciples in a purposeful manner.

 

Thank you, Vástago.

The new building pre-paint job.

There and Back Again

So I’m back. I’ve been procrastinating this post for some time because I’m really not quite sure what parts to share.

My time in Conce flew by, and leaving was so bittersweet, but I’m glad to be home. To be honest I could have gone much longer without Chick-fil-A, sweet tea, and my own bed, but I sure did miss my husband. I speak for both Shay and myself when I say that my trip to Chile was a wonderful decision.

This beautiful time was an opportunity for me to experience another part of the world (not to mention my own cultural background), to learn about the struggles of Christians in Chile, and to learn firsthand from experienced missionaries, being mentored by them one-on-one. It is one thing to have read about mission work in my university courses, but I have now been able to live and breath a small portion of missions in a fairly closed context.

Since I have been back many people have asked me how my trip went. I never quite know what to say. I had a wonderful time, but it seems like people want to hear that I had eye-opening revelations, shared smiles and games with orphaned children, or worked with adults that were just begging to hear about Jesus. None of these things happened. But I am not harping on any of these works! I would simply like to point out that ministries come in all shapes and sizes: there is no one-size-fits-all. I will say that this cultural context, although Christians are not persecuted (and I know many places do exist), is one of the most difficult places to grow the Kingdom. I know I am biased, but it’s just hard.

Missions in Concepción is very relationship-based among a people that are often skeptical of anything out of the ordinary and are not quick to jump on board with the good news. For this reason my time was often spent making friends—spreading the light of Christ simply by being with them. My prayer is that aside from taking photos for the church and teaching English, I was in some way encouraging to Christians and non-Christians alike.

There are many more thoughts I could share with you, but I am not a writer and you all have hung on long enough. Thank you for experiencing Chile with me! If you are interested in hearing more, I would love to chat with you. For those of you that do not know, I will be starting a full-time missions position in just two days right at home in Abilene. I’ll now be working with the same people who sent me to Chile, and I know there will be many more trips to come. God is awesome.

Until next time! (If you are interested, I’ll probably share one more post with a bunch of pictures).

 

 

As requested, here is a short list of cultural snippets:

You’ll Consume:

• Bread, bread, bread.
• Empanadas (I prefer carne con queso)
• Sopaipillas (A type of fried bread, generally served with a sauce)
• French fries
• Palta (avocado… on everything.)
• Mermelada (jam)
• Tea (all the time)

You’ll hear:

• Cachái? (“you know?”)
• “Po” at the end of just about any word (just for fun)
• Dale (use as confirmation or encouragement)
• Ya (prounounced [jya] as a replacement for “si” or a confirmation)
• Bueno (generally a confirmation)

You’ll see:

• Lots of Micros (Buses pronounced [mee-krow])
• Children walking arm in arm with their mother (even teenagers)
• Strikes and more strikes (students, hospital workers, fishermen, you name it)

I Learned:

• Never let your personal items out of sight.
• If someone provides you directions, they may or may not actually know the location.
• Missionaries are the bomb and deserve much more recognition in home churches.

Superwoman

Argentina is fantastic. While I thoroughly enjoyed my mini vacation, I am now sick with a cold for my last week in Conce. Upon my return I moved into my new, beautiful home with Claudia and Felipe, along with their two kids, Laura and Mateo.

Felipe is a professor at the Catholic university, which unfortunately is on strike indefinitely, so he hasn’t had classes for the past few weeks. The students are now occupying some buildings, so he is unable to even enter his office. Claudia invited me to join her with her various projects on Monday and Tuesday. This woman is amazing! She works almost full time, but only gets paid for Thursday. Her time is spent volunteering in a foundation for young people with down syndrome (the majority have a combination of other disorders), a program that allows them opportunities to socialize and grow. We brought some of these friends to the Catholic university for a short workshop, organized by some students to improve communicative skills. Diego (name changed for privacy) is 33 years old with Down syndrome, has a little business of selling cookies at a small profit, and lives in between aunts’ houses. Daniel (name changed) is in his late twenties, loves dance class, struggles with Down syndrome among many other barriers, and will not be able to attend the Foundation anymore because his parents don’t want to pay the inexpensive fee. These men are among a very large percentage of Chileans with Down syndrome. There are not many programs or communities, but Claudia gives of her time and money to encourage and nourish these beautiful people. Tuesday we took a trip downtown to Industrial Laundry 21, “a non-profit foundation that sets the standard for inclusion by providing decent work to 11 young people with Down syndrome… From the selection of clothes through the washing, drying, ironing or folding, to delivery and distribution.” Watching Claudia interact with the workers revealed just how special and unique our gifts are. I encourage you to find your niche. Volunteering is great, and serving is essential, but you are most valuable when you find a context in which you thrive. Not only does Claudia give of her time, but of her money and possessions. I’ve seen it with my own eyes! I am overwhelmed by the Christ-like life of this beautiful friend. Superwoman.

 

 

Today I stopped into Smart Food (my regular “local” just down the street from the church) to warm up with my usual coffee. Andres, the owner, asked if he could join me today, and we ended up having a lengthy conversation about Christianity and the church. He, like many others here, have been burned by the greedy, corrupt, and power-hungry leaders of Christian churches. He told me that he prefers to see God in creation and study His character through seeing the world around us rather than trusting a book written by man. I was able to share my opinions and faith with him as we passed questions back and forth. I am so thankful for his curiosity and willingness to listen, even after he explained his grievances against the church, “that is why I don’t want to hear anything about religion.” We must have patience as we share our faith because we have no idea where people come from and where they are in life. Listen to what they have to say and they will listen back. My prayer for my dear friend is that he hears God’s guidance and can discern how to read scripture with an open heart.

 

My free day finished off with a photo session for the partners at Kinemás, my new favorite physical therapy business. They have provided me free medical help so I returned the favor with free business advertisement. These are just more friends that I’m thankful to have met during my short stay in Chile, and I hope to visit when I return some day!

Side Trip

Last semester I took a cultural missions class about the gospel. One main point professor Derran Reese argued for is that there is no such thing as culture. Now you’re thinking, ‘Deanna, that’s crazy talk. Of course culture exists.’ What Derran means is that it is extremely difficult to define any particular culture and stay true to every person and characteristic that description might include. For example what does it mean to be from the United States (I hate this phrase, but to be ‘American’)? You speak English? You’re European dissent? You like country music? You’re Christian? Of course not. None of these things describe a majority of the nation. There is no one clear definition of what it means to be ‘American.’ I have found this to be particularly true when trying to figure out Chilean people. Every city has its own characteristics and the people do not fit into any clear molds. Of course I have studied these concepts in my time at ACU, but it becomes reality when you physically spend time in another place. Let’s remember this when we think about our own population as well as those around the world. Generalizing entire peoples does no good. 

I write to you this humid morning from the cozy B&B in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My dad came to Chile last week for his school’s Centenial reunion, so I joined him in Santiago for a night before flying together to Argentina. This 4 day trip is his graduation gift to me, and what a beautiful place it is. 

Run!

Thursday 23 June

I am currently recovering with two girlfriends from the mini scare we had just 30 minutes ago. Feña, Vale, and I had a lovely sushi lunch at an outdoor hipster restaurant called Lazuka. After hearing the beating drums and chants of the university protests we decided to take a look, allowing me to observe from afar. The streets were full of students heading towards the march, along with the carabineros (cops) in their large vehicles, ready to spread dirty water and gas bombs. We turned the corner only to see smoke from a protestor’s fire, followed by the vehicle heading toward us. “I think we should run….. CORRE!” When everyone around you starts running, you run. It was quite the rush! Thankfully the vehicle turned onto another street where the real commotion was located. It turns out that the carabineros attacked the students with water from all four streets, and then proceeded to throw tear gas bombs into the center.

Friday 24 June

Last night a friend of mine showed up to our study with a limp… He was beaten with a baton on the back of his thigh—his friend had bruises all up her sides. I have a lot of thoughts on the topic, but all I can say is that the students must feel extremely passionate about a more just education system if they are willing to put themselves in danger again and again.

Over the past week I have had lots of time to reflect and analyze my time here, Christianity, and Chilean culture. After just a short time here I have come to realize what ministry really looks like, and how difficult relational ministry can be, particularly here. To give you a small, general idea, here are a few cultural insights:

• Out of developed nations, Chilean people hold the lowest level of trust in others. Much of this has to do with the coup d’état in ’73.
• A recent study said that in regards to strangers, 11% of Chileans trust a fellow Chilean, and 13% trust an outsider.
• Weather can actually affect the way in which people interact and spend their time. Concepción is somewhat cold and rainy for a large portion of the year, thus many people can be closed off and stay in their homes.

In addition to these cultural notes, many Chileans have a sour taste in their mouth from bad religious experiences, so you can imagine how difficult it is to really stay connect with people. While some Chileans are completely against religion, others are simply apathetic. In many ways, an apathetic person can be more difficult to impact than a curious atheist. After lots of conversation, I have become really impressed with the missionaries here—how they have learned to interact with people, how long they have stayed, their mindset, and matureness on the field. Much of the work does not produce instant fruit, and it may take years before a person actually visits the church, or inquires to know more about Jesus. With all this in mind, Deanna and Kevin reminded me how short term missionaries like myself or like the university students I will work with in the States, can help by encouraging the missionaries as well. Life as a missionary can be lonely and frustrating at times, so the least I can do is learn from, encourage, and be with them. If the on-field missionary gets burned out from lack of encouragement and community then everything falls apart. Food for thought. Let’s encourage our missionaries. Ask them how they’re doing. Ask how we can pray. Ask how we can help.

 

LST has ended but Reid continued this week with an English study. The turnout was a success with 14 total, ranging from university students to retirees. Many participants simply want to improve their English, but it is also a time to push them to think deeper. We read Robert Frost’s ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay,’ which we analyzed and challenged participants to think about what we want to accomplish with our lives. It’s healthy to do a little existential thinking: what are we doing here? The study seemed to be a success, so I pray that it provides opportunity to share the good news to open hearts and minds.

I had a lovely week with Andy and Isis, the Honduran family, and I am now staying in Chad and Sara’s house. Just a few days ago they took off for their 2-month furlough, so I am living here with Deanna and Kevin, another missionary couple who are about to return to the States permanently. I am so very thankful to get to know them as well—to learn about missionary life and their experiences here.

English classes and tutoring continue to be a sweet time for me. Through conversation we are not only able to practice language, but share worldviews, religious and political perspectives, experiences, and life. At the Amores’ (Deanna and Kevin) farewell party on Saturday I was introduced to some of their friends here—Juan Pablo, a Chilean, met his wife Melinda in Chicago. It turned out that Melinda and I share a friend in common all the way from Ft. Dodge, Iowa. It’s a small world after all! I was able to get to know Melinda a little more over lunch at Johnny Rockets, followed by a little shopping.

Copa America has presented various evenings to spend time with friends, particularly since the US and Chile made it to the final four. The Chile game on Wednesday was shared with Francisca, who invited me to watch it at her friend’s house. This long night of soccer, burritos, and conversation was definitely my favorite event this week! I felt extremely welcomed into the group, and comfortable using my Spanish at my own pace. We hope to watch a few games at the church building on Sunday following service. Vamos Chile! And the U.S. of course…

 

La Feria (fresh food “flea market”)

El Huáscar

This Peruvian ship was taken over by Chilean forces in 1879 during the War of the Pacific. They keep it in the military base of Concepción as a museum and tourist attraction, and run by navy personnel.

A Few From The City

Twenty Pounds More and Legs of Steel

I can’t tell you how much bread and fries I have had. I honestly think I will probably return with high cholesterol… but I also have never walked this much in my life, so at least I get some exercise! I am currently living in the home of some Hondurans from Vástago, which is located about 15 minutes away on foot. Nina, the six year-old daughter, enjoys teaching me Spanish and how to work the kerosene heater. Living with a Spanish-speaking family is definitely much more helpful for improving my everyday speaking skills, even if I don’t quite understand every word. The family and I were able to spend the whole day together yesterday due to the protests. Andy and Isis are both teaching at the university and getting their doctorates, but the campus became a little dangerous yesterday afternoon so they had to quit working. I am still not quite sure how the city keeps functioning during times like these. It has been common to see school kids of all ages walking home or hanging around the mall at various times throughout the day.

Below: Student protestors making fun of the carabineros (Chilean police). Take a photo as a carabinero for just a few pesos…

Not everyone likes the strikes, but it does allow many of our readers more free time to learn English! Tomorrow is our last day of Let’s Start Talking, but Vástago will hopefully continue English lessons in the form of a devotional very soon! Many of the readers are hungry for more help with English, which has been a nice and simple way to connect with people. My basic English class is definitely a great success—we’re working on basic conversation skills while improving pronunciation. In addition to my large group of students I also tutor a few friends one-on-one to improve English conversation skills, but it has also been a great way for me to practice my Spanish!
Over the past few weeks various friends have taken me to see and learn many cultural and historical things about the city and the nation as a whole. I have visited a museum of natural history and another about the history of Concepción in relation to the indigenous Mapuche people. Tomorrow we will visit another famous place called the Huascar—stay tuned for more.

Below: My host family took me to see a movie in an art gallery in the plaza. We enjoyed an interesting Chilean documentary about beavers in the south of Chile.

On Saturday I was able to spend the entire day with my Chilean “brother” Rubén, who made sure I had the full Chilean experience. Not only did Rubén’s father grow up with mine, but Rubén lived with my family for a whole year when I was seven. Since then I have only seen him one time, four years ago, so we had the most wonderful day together as family. We had the most typical Chilean food after our trip through the mines. Chiflón del Diablo was a functioning carbon mine for about 100 years, but is now used as a tourist attraction run by ex-miners. This national monument shares a sad history with the people in the area, all of whom worked in the mine. Young boys of 8, for example, worked for no money so that they could learn from the older men who worked for 12 hours in horrible conditions. My back was quite sore after my short trip through the tunnels, so I cannot imagine the lives of people who gave their whole lives to extract minerals that we take for granted.

Please forgive me if much of my blog is commentary rather than deep insights. For privacy reasons I will not share much of the deep, personal conversations from the ministry. I will say, though, that my time here is flying by and I am soaking in every second!

Below: Me, Feña, and her Canadian friend for lunch!

Below: My walk to the bus stop from Chad and Sara’s. Dogs and more dogs…. everywhere.

It’s Been A While

Well… I knew this would happen. It has already been a while since my last post but I guess it’s a good thing that I’m keeping so busy! This post will be a little more categorical so that I will not bore you with an account of my week.

Hold tight for more pictures…

What’s happening with Vástago:

• I had a meeting with the team in charge of the website (half in Spanish, half in English) about the plans, hopes, and goals of marketing. I will be helping to capture the church in its many forms and projects through photo and video. Keep an eye out in the next month on their Facebook page.

• Ardy and Chris, the last LST team took off while the new team came in—Martin and Paulette, who are from Abilene. This couple actually lived in Santiago, Chile for about four years in the 70’s.

• I had a wonderful basic English class with more people than last week. My students are mostly early/mid-20s and 30s, and gave me a little more feedback this time, which I love! They’re learning simple, practical things, but I hope to make some connections and get to know as many people as I can.

• We’ve had some really great connections with people from all walks of life, various ages, and who are very appreciative of free English lessons. It has been a great opportunity to meet new people, show them love, and to share Jesus with them.

• The mother’s bible study has actually been one of my favorite weekly activities. I really enjoy getting to know women who all have very different backgrounds. In addition to delicious breakfasts, sharing life with these women has been simply beautiful.

What’s happening in Chile:

• Protests protests protests. Various universities are having meetings and voting opportunities to voice opinions. Some schools are striking and others are not. Many of the protests become violent, especially with the high school students. Today we had a Carabinero (cop) in the Main Street in front of the church directing traffic away from the marches headed to Plaza Peru. Yesterday was full of a joint protest of hospital workers, trabajadores, fishermen (maybe), high school students, and university students.

• Copa America is in full swing and is usually a topic of conversation—hopefully those of you from the U.S. are aware of these important soccer games since they’re taking place in The States!

What’s happening with Deanna (We spell it Diana here):

• Learning a language is hard. My Spanish tutor is wonderful, but I often become frustrated throughout the day when I cannot express what I am really trying to say. I understand quite a bit, as long as the accent isn’t too thick, but responding with complex sentences is very difficult for me. I generally do much better with one-on-one conversations, and I am forced to use the language more when I’m on my own at the store or traveling on public transportation.

• I recently accepted a Coordinator position at ACU’s Halbert Institute for Missions. I am so thankful to be able to work with the people who have mentored me since I was a freshman. Very soon after my return I will begin working full-time on the brand new program for Short-Term missions.

• My back has improved from last week, but I definitely need to keep an eye on it since I’m walking more than usual. The massages have actually turned more towards kinesiology help. I’m learning a lot of things about my injury, surgery, and resulting issues that have been extremely helpful—things that my doctors didn’t explain. I haven’t been able to breath as well since my lung collapsed during surgery, so the kinesiologist opened my rib cage and showed me some things to keep my body healthier. I can now breath better, and I understand where the pain in my lower back is coming from! God is good. I am hoping to repay this cost-free help with photographs for Kinemás—the kinesiology business. 

• Part of my time here is simply to shadow the missionaries and to be spiritually guided by them. Reid is working with me on spiritual disciplines, which have always been a struggle for me. So far I have been keeping up with spending just 20 minutes with God in the mornings, before I start my day. I think of this time as exercise to make my muscles stronger as I learn to be with God and hear his voice. I may not see immediate results or have an emotional experience every time, but I’m disciplining myself to spend time with the Creator.

Cultural Things:

• I have really enjoyed learning about my father’s country, and man is there a lot to learn. I was originally stricken by how different university is in Chile, but I’m beginning to understand a bit more. Undergraduate programs here usually last 5-6 years, depending on the major. They do not take general education courses, so it seems like a lot to me! I recently realized that the last year is typically reserved only to complete a Thesis, which is supervised by a professor of one’s choosing. Careers also may encompass a wider variety of qualification as well: for example, I believe that business students typically learn business management, marketing, accounting, and so on. Spanish majors might learn linguistics, literature, and education. They definitely receive quite a bit of education, as long as the protests don’t interrupt studies too much.

• Pregnant women are really taken care of. They might have a month of leave before the due date and six months after. There are also special parking places reserved for them in many places, more so than I have seen in the U.S.

• Young people are often called “joven”, young, for quite a while (even in the late 20s). It’s very common for a person to live with their parents until they are almost 30, and to eventually have kids in early-mid 30s. Babies and young children might often sleep in the same room with parents, and grandparents will typically end up living with the family.

• I had a great talk with Feña today about international travel: it opens my eyes to realize that my way is not the only way, and that the rest of the world will think differently and act differently, and that’s okay! Understanding other world views is so important in order to know ALL of God’s creation.

A Day On My Own

My second attempt on La Micro was not 100% correct, but I did get off at the correct place this time! I pushed the button at the right time (to tell the conductor to stop), but when I got off the bus I went to the right instead of to the left. I realized my mistake pretty quickly and Rodolfo was waiting when I arrived for tutoring. I’m going to be really honest… Learning a language is hard. I got extremely frustrated with myself while learning the subjunctive, but as Feña reminded me, I need to release my frustrations and keep going! I have a lot of great resources here to help me learn—gringos who speak Chilean Spanish, a Chilean Spanish teacher who speaks very little English, and a friend who studies Spanish and speaks English. Not to mention I am practicing all the time when I am out and about.

Wednesday afternoon I successfully navigated the mall by myself, and got a few things at Jumbo, the supermarket. Every time I go to a new country I find things that I never would have guessed would be hard to find, and this time I found out that hairspray is scarce. This is obviously pretty unimportant, but it’s interesting to know and maybe gives a little insight into the culture. So ladies, if you ever come to Concepción and don’t want to spend $10 on a small can of hairspray, bring your own.

Feña met me at the mall for once where I had my first “completo,” a very Chilean dish. Imagine a hot dog on a bun, but with warm mayonnaise, tomatoes, and sauerkraut. Not bad! Fernanda also gave me an update on the protests: the 1-hour meeting lasted 2 hours. This week is supposed to be a time of reflection, but it ends up being just an excuse to not have class. The next day, though, the news announced something that made history. The student body of Universidad de Santiago voted against going on strike. This may affect voting on Monday here in Concepción, but who knows!

Thursday—I finally made it on time, by myself, and extremely smoothly. What’s more, my Spanish tutoring went 100 times better. God is good! After lunch with the LST teachers I decided to just hang around the church and it turned out to be a very fruitful time. Making connections is my job and there is no easier way then just talking to readers as they come and go. Our readers are extremely friendly, and I am excited to make new friends by getting to know people one on one. There will hopefully be follow up for those who are interested in continuing English practice or learning more after the LST session is through.

Before the English party at 7 I walked down about ten blocks, just past the plaza, to a small physical therapy business called Kinemás. My back has been bothering me quite a bit since I arrive in Chile, thanks to the 42 hours of travel, so Feña helped me set up a massage appointment with her friend Luciano. The experience went really well, but I was told that I have a little curvature in my Thoracic as a result of surgery, and that I have some strength loss in my extremities, so I need to be doing core exercises. It might seem a little silly for me to make back appointments while I am down here, but if my back prohibits me from doing normal things (like sitting down for tea after a long day) then I had better not ignore the problem. I am very thankful for Feña’s friend, and I also like to think of it as another way to make more connections and learn from cultural experience.

The party was a success, but I really enjoyed spending time with Feña’s family after we returned home. Her mother-in-law, who is just about 10 years older, is very friendly and enjoys chatting with Feña and I about life. We had very interesting conversation about taxes and a form of guardianship, particularly in regards to parents keeping separate finances. When a child is born the parents decide who will be legally in charge, a decision mostly based on who has better income and insurance. I am still trying to grasp this unique aspect of the culture, so I am sure I will revisit those topics as I speak with more people.

Friday was a very relaxing day, and a little less busy than the day before. Sara picked me up at the mall, and I spent all afternoon with her, Chad, and Hannah (less than two years old). I shared bits of my story, checked in about my time here, and afterwards had a brief history lesson about Chile. There is a lot to learn, much of which can help me better understand various worldviews. Every day here I learn how very different the typical Chilean mindset can be from that of the U.S. My mind generally becomes very exhausted by the time I am out of the house for 12 hours, but I am soaking in every second!

————————————————

Below: This is my new favorite business in Chile.
Meet Andres. He is a business owner. A husband and a father. A hard worker.
Not only does he have a new menu every day, but he makes everything from scratch. No additives or preservatives necessary. If you bring your jar back to recycle, he gives you a discount. If you pay for a second small coffee along with your own, he will give the next homeless person a large coffee.
Life is beautiful.

Below: My walk home from the bus stop to Feña’s house. The haze made it a little eerie that night…

La Micro

Saturday was spent sightseeing with the LST team and seafood by the coast. Ardy, one of the LST teachers, says that the Chilean bread is “bready bread.” It is very common to eat one of the two main types of bread (maraqueta and hallulla) for breakfast, lunch, and “once” (a small, late dinner). Hallulla is very dense, so pairing cheese with dense bread for many meals is quite different than what I am used to, but at least it is delicious! On Saturday night I was able to help Meriden with her resumé to possibly get a job teaching audiology at a university.

Sunday was the first time Vástago met at the new church building, so everyone was very excited, and many people put in a lot of time and hard work to make the building presentable and enjoyable. I was pleased to know many of the worship songs—I now just need to learn the Spanish words. I did not catch every part of the lesson in Spanish, but I was able to understand the beautiful ways in which members saw God working in their lives. The church is fairly small, so I will hopefully get to have personal relationships with most members in the church.

Karla, a new friend from LST, picked me up after church to see the coast. We were joined by another LST reader, Fernanda, and drove all the way up to an area called Dichato. It was of course rainy and a little chilly, but we still enjoyed a long calm stroll on the boardwalk. We had more seafood for lunch, and the manager even brought me a warm drink on the house because he knew I was from the U.S.! The trip was a great opportunity to exchange cultures and stories, as everything is really quite different here. The girls have also not met many Protestant Christians who are not Mormon or charismatic Evangelicals. Many people grew up Catholic, and maybe still are, but it is more a part of the culture rather than prevalent in one’s everyday life. Vástago does not really fit into a category that Chileans understand, but people still want to put the church in a box. I hope that my time with the girls began to show them that I am not so different from them, and that being a follower of Jesus is a great thing.

I moved to Feña’s house on Sunday evening where we enjoyed “once” with Reid, Meriden, and Lucy. Her family was out of town but we stayed up talking with nice, warm tea after they arrived.

Monday was a nice, full day! After tea, bread, cheese, ham, and jam for breakfast Feña taught me all about the bus system (La Micro), and how to get around to the most important areas of the city. We took the bus to the center of Concepción where church is located and walked all along the main streets. Unfortunately we had to cut our tour a little short because los carabineros (the police) were preparing to shut down, with shields and dogs, a protest of high school students at 1:00. The student organization at the University of Santiago called for a protest over the weekend, so most classes were halted on Monday. Marches took over the University of Concepción, where bombs of tear gas were thrown to clear the protestors. Unfortunately the gas can last for a few days, and university protests are not uncommon; from what I understand, it seems like there is some kind of protest, march, or strike regarding education at least once per school year. The strike is indefinite right now, as every department votes to decide whether they will join the protest. It may only be a short time, but it could be up to a few months, which means the school year runs into the holidays.

Monday night I taught my first Basic English class, but only 3 of the 10 students showed up, which could have been because of terrible traffic, or maybe the protests—who knows!

Tuesday morning I experienced my second trip on La Micro, but the first on my own. I was supposed to take the bus to the mall, where Meriden would pick me up for Ladies Bible Study. Unfortunately I decided to get off at the wrong bus stop, which is just a stop or two early from where I was supposed to go. The area looked similar, but it was full of college students… long story short, I had to ask for someone’s phone (because I lost my little Chilean phone the day before) to call Meriden. I ended up finding my way and off we went to meet the ladies for a spa day. Kirsty, a friend from South Africa, went to school for spa and massage treatment, so we were pretty pampered with relaxing spa activities. Although I may not be a mother, I really enjoy spending time and getting to know these ladies while I am here.

Tuesday afternoon I began my first debrief and spiritual guidance time with Reid and Meriden, so I will begin reading Dr. Robert Miller’s book, ‘Spiritual Survival Handbook: For Cross-Cultural Workers.’ So far I believe it will be extremely helpful and insightful, not only as I spend time learning here in Chile, but also when I return to the States. We joined Alex and Ingrid for “once” and bible study in their home. This was my first “once” that did not consist of bread and cheese, rather a meal called humitas (a cornmeal, tamale-like food) with tomatoes. We are reading about the concept of God’s grace, and Paul’s comparison of Jesus to Adam, and what a lovely time it is!

Soy Más Chilena Que Los Porotos

If you don’t understand the title then keep reading…

After a nice nap on Monday, Reid and I joined the LST (Let’s Start Talking) team and a few church members for an orientation with anyone interested in learning English. Many of the readers are university students or young professionals who would simply like to improve their English conversation skills. We have 3 LST teachers who will be in Concepción for two weeks, and 2 more teachers will arrive for the last two weeks of the program. Meeting readers has been lovely, even just for a few minutes, and I will begin teaching a Basic English class on Monday!

On Tuesday morning Meriden, Lucy, and I picked up two South African women and their kids for a mothers’ English bible study at Sara’s house. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast with té (tea) while just sharing life together; the ladies are finishing up a long series about women of the bible. Lunch was spent with Meriden, Sara, and Alicia, an LST teacher who will be coming back to Chile for a few years time. I had my first taste of the delicious seafood that Concepción has to offer at an adorable little seafood restaurant called Tentación, one of the many sushi restaurants in the city.

The Overalls (Reid, Meriden, and Lucy) and I joined Ingrid and Alex in their home for a Chilean dinner and bible study. A simple meal of bread, meat, and cheese is common, but boy is it good! We put together our own sandwiches with either homemade jam, or cheese, strips of chicken or pork, and palta (the Mapuche word for avocado)—and don’t forget the tea, of course! The conversation and study was in Spanish, but I surprised myself with how much I understood of the language. Chilenos speak very quickly with shortened words and often do not pronounce s’s and t’s, so keeping up is a little difficult.

Wednesday was another rainy day, which is common for Concepción in the Winter. The current geography and climate remind me of Oregon, which is quite different from the desert I just came from, so it will definitely take lots of adjusting to. The morning started off with the first lesson from my private tutor, Rodolfo, which will definitely push me to improve my Spanish on top of everyday conversation. Wednesdays are my days off with the Overalls, so we spent the day at home before having dinner at the most delicious Peruvian restaurant named Fina Estampa. I would definitely recommend Lomo Salteado (a traditional meal with steak, rice, tomatoes, and onions in a soy sauce) to anyone, just maybe not with an Inca Cola. Reid and Meriden toured me around the lakes of San Pedro, and then home, by way of Jumbo, the supermarket. We had a Spanish lesson in foods, which I am finding pretty important so I can actually understand las cartas (the menus). While learning the Chileno word for beans Reid explained the Chilean expression, “Soy más Chilena que los porotos,” which means “I am more Chilean than beans.”

The month of May is in the Fall season, so the temperature is generally in the mid-50’s in the daytime. Because homes and buildings do not have central heating, it can be a bit chilly day and night. I came prepared with wool, sheepskin house shoes, as it is impolite to not wear some sort of shoe in the house. On cold nights like Wednesday, the Overalls like to start a wood fire that heats up the entire home. We put Lucy to bed and enjoyed a movie with homemade popcorn and s’mores over the fire.

Thursday morning began with Spanish lessons again, and was followed with a little cleaning up of the new building. Vástago, the church, is in the process of moving everything to a bigger building, which needs a lot of work. Lunch was spent with Sara and Chad, another missionary family in the missionary team. We had the most delicious meal of stuffed squash, called Zepillo Relleño. Maria, a maid who comes once a week, made the meal and also helps to clean the house and watch little Hannah. This is very common among the middle class, and Maria has also been helping Hannah and Lucy learn Spanish! I once again joined Meriden, but this time for a Discipleship study with Maritza in her home. She wanted to practice her English, so we used Spanish in conversation after the study. The big English party took place in the church building at 7:00, where we had lots of snacks and drinks, conversation and games. There was a really great turnout of church members and LST readers who brought their family and friends. It seemed like everyone enjoyed practicing English, and I was glad to meet lots of new people and make a few friends!

Friday lunch was spent with the Overalls, the Lukkasons, and Amores, three of the four original couples in the Concepción team. We were also joined by Lindsay from an A&M church (College Station, Texas) who is just passing through on her three-month mission trip through South America. I have probably overwhelmed everyone with my questions, but learning from the missionaries here has been eye-opening and will be very helpful with my time here in Chile. The culture is very different from what I am used to, and attempting to understand is imperative in regards to relationships and how to approach ministry. One of the most unique things I have learned so far is that many Chileans may never get legally married, but when they do, finances are kept separate. The woman also does not take the man’s last name, so it is quite odd that I share the same name as my husband. On top of that, it’s shocking to people that I am married at such a young age; it is normal for people to live with their parents until they are married at around age 30.

We got a quick tour around part of the Universidad de Concepción (UDEC) campus by our dear friend Fernanda (Feña), who is in her second year (out of five) of school. Feña showed us her favorite spots to hang out, explained the history of the university, and told us about the recent strikes on campus.

The picture below is of one of the most famous murals of Latin America in the world. Created by a Mexican, it reveals the entire struggle of Latin American history.

Congratulations if you got all the way through this blog! The first few days have just been packed with orienting myself and getting into my routine. As time goes on I am sure that I will have deeper insights and cultural observations as I settle in. The main portion of my time will be spent shadowing and being mentored by the missionaries, as well as building relationships with people in and out of the church. Today will be spent sightseeing, and Sunday I will move on to the next home.

 

Nos vemos!