Wow, I haven't written to you guys since last year!
I'm guessing/hoping that with the busy-ness of the holidays you didn't even notice?! Either way, here is a little overview to get us up to date: uno). No more school, no more books...!
dos). Celebrate good times, come on!
tres). New year...new me?
cuatro). I'm but a stranger here...heaven is my home!
cinco). Party in the U.S.A!
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It may not be the highest peak in the world or even South America, but just north and east of Linares are the most beautiful mountain views I have ever seen in my life. Reserva Nacional Altos de LircayWe were a modge-podge group of 6 people. We left in the dark and returned in the dark. We walked 19 miles (29 km). We saw condors, lizards, and rich blue skies. We trudged through dirt, snow, and rivers. We all smelled terrible at the end. We could not stop smiling. While climbing in elevation, a few different thoughts were repeated over and over again in my head: 1) Why aren't mountains flat? 2) Are my legs still attached? 3) Ow. 4) Wowzerz. 5) Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. 6) I'm actually really glad that mountains aren't flat. But most importantly of all my thoughts... 7) The psalms are alive before my eyes. 8) God is so much more than I could ever grasp. 9) I am so incredibly blessed. So immeasurably rich. Psalm 19: 1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 95: 1-5 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the mountains-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Ephesians 3:17-21 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." And as usual, when exploring alongside the Grossest with the Mostest, there are plenty more fabulous pictures on their blog and of course, a video. So, when are YOU coming to explore Chile?!Why, hello there.More than a month has gone by since I have written a blog. Why?? Because God is great. God is so incredibly great. He has given me more than enough to keep my time occupied and my heart full. So, there. That is my excuse, and well, you're just going to have to accept it. I really hope you haven't been sitting around hitting the refresh button every hour in hopes that I've posted something...(but if you have, I appreciate you and thank you for that very special committment.) So, without further ado, here is a bit of one year anniversary reflecting! "I can't wait..."Lately I have been thinking back to the first few months I arrived here. There were times when I was frustrated with not knowing many people and feeling like I didn't have many extra things to do. I would pray that God would give me opportunities to fill my schedule and to meet awesome people and knew that with a bit of patience and time that surely things would change. And then they did. Some weeks I wonder if I'm even going to be able to Netflix at all. Today in town I saw at least a handful of people I knew. My schedule is now sprinkled with tutoring, dinner invitations, a puppy, and hanging with friends. [And, don't worry, Grandpa, a few dates now and again too.] ;-) God. Is. GREAT. Things are really just getting startedWhen people ask me how long I plan to stay in Chile I like to reply: "Entre hoy y la muerte" which means "Between today and death." Why? Partially because it is an unexpected answer and I like the reaction. Partially because many English-speaking teachers come to Chile but only for a few months to a year and I want people to know that we are here for something more than a cultural exchange. Partially because after one year I feel at home...and let's be real...it is a lot of work to move. Partially because I finally can pronounce Quiñepeumo and Freire. But mostly because in the past when I have made plans of what I thought was a great idea, God's timing was different...and always better. Always. Slow but steadyEvery neighborhood here is sprinkled with little corner stores that carry a small supply of just about anything you could want. Here in Chile they are known as almacenes {al-mah-cen-ehs}. Ever since getting settled in my población I noticed that everyone in the almacenes greeted each other as "neighbor", vecino {veh-see-no}...and thus my dream was born. I wanted soooo badly to be called vecina. I patiently waited and about 9ish months later....it happened. I was on my way out somewhere and as I turned the corner one of the shop owners smiled and said two little words that turned my world upside down: "Hola, vecina." I felt so alive! You know that tingling feeling that you get when a dream becomes a reality? It was just like in the movies...no, actually, it was better. A tear may have escaped. I'm pretty sure there was a rainbow and a shooting star at the same time. I am not even sure if I remembered to greet her back. While the tingles have subsided, the vecina comments keep coming from my corner shop friends and other people I have met in the neighborhood...and sometimes even in the cuter form of veci {veh-see}, which I personally highly favor. Two little words. So much power. Sometimes that's all it takes to make someone feel alive. And those two little words were like a gift that keeps on giving. They have given me a confidence...I feel like I could talk to my vecinos about anything! Well, ok, some stuff anyways...but I am sure we'll get there someday. They have given me a sense of belonging...they know I am not just on tour, but a part of the community...they have accepted me! [cue gospel choir music] They have opened up new conversations and opportunities to share...and I pray that it continues to do so! Those two little words took some time in coming, but they were well worth the wait. (Maybe someday I will have a picture with a neighbor that I can put here!! #newgoal) Etc.
This week while at lunch with a fellow teacher she told me that she thought I was very valiente {vah-lee-en-tay} brave. Brave for moving to a country that was not my own. Brave for moving far from my family. Brave for living alone. Brave for living every day in a second language. I smiled and thanked for the compliment, but then I also had to kindly tell her that I didn't really agree with her. I don't feel all that brave, especially after reading the definition above. When, during my move here, have I endured danger or pain? Did it really frighten me to move here? I of course can understand why my colleague found these actions to be brave: here in Chile it is common for multiple generations of families to live together in one house, and if they do leave home, they don't go too far. I have had lots of practice discussing this very issue with many concerned Chileans and I passionately believe every word when I tell them: "I am not defined by a nationality nor confined by borders. For me, the thought of moving to another country is equal to that of moving to another state or city: new job, new cultures, new friends. I had the privilege to attend a wonderful university, but it was away from my family. I had the privilege of a wonderful teaching job right out of college, but it was even further away from my family. Skype, long car rides, and plane rides are a reality...how blessed to be living in a time with such technology! But most of all I know that God is constantly with me, providing me with more than what I need and blessing me with new friends and family. Sure, sometimes it is rough and sometimes I long to be home, but the life I am living here every day is important too." I recognize that some people find these actions to be courageous and I am very flattered that someone might choose to bestow such a lovely adjective upon me...but from my point of view I just don't see it. So, that got me thinking...the common usage of the word "brave" is rather subjective. When we see someone fighting through or doing something that would be difficult or fearful for us personally, we declare them brave and courageous. So, according to this definition, here are just a few people I personally declare to be brave: *People who serve in the armed forces, putting their own life on the line. *A surgeon who holds someone's life in their hands. *Parents...who hold someone's life and the future of our world in their hands. *Pilots who lands a 75,000 lb airplane that is traveling around 200 mph. ( But seriously, how do airplanes even work again...? #mindblown) (Feel free to leave a comment below celebrating who you define as brave!) And of course, the best part of all is God's grace. His grace is the reason I don't have to be afraid. His undeserved love for me gives me the strength that I need to be confident each day of my life, no matter where I am. Grace changes everything.
Hi, its me again! Thanks for coming back to read...even though it has been a while since I've posted! I guess I could blame it on getting a schedule back together, the general business of life, vacation hangover, or just plain laziness....but let's just say that the fact that you're reading this means you've already forgiven me and so let's get down to business. Here are a few things that have been going on in my version of the southern hemisphere: thing one.School has started! We marched back into the Longaví schools on March 7th...more specifics on that next week! thing two.We had a garage sale at church...sort of. Read about it HERE. thing three.3) We decided last weekend to take a trip to somewhere the doggies could run and play freely...so we went camping...just a few kilometers from the Chile/Argentina border...on a volcano. HERE you can see Jon's breathtaking pictures and Elise's lovely ability to tell a story. DON'T miss the epic video at the end. thing four.Fall. Fall happened. And, as if he knew I was having troubles rearranging seasons & months in my head, my friend Facebook helped to remind me what season it was. It was also helpful during a vocabulary review with 5th grade to practice: "Fall: March, April, May / Winter: June, July, August"...now I just have to work on internalizing it. #lifeinthesouthernhemisphere thing five.My puppy had a 'sterilization' surgery at the end of February and is recovering well. I think she was upset with me for a few hours, but we talked it through and soon her snuggles resumed.
She knows {"Sit" / "Lay down" / "Venga" (Come in Spanish) / "No (No in Spanish)"}. Technically I don't believe this makes her bilingual, just confused. She continues to be adorable and snuggly and I recently learned that she is a mini-puma, born to climb mountains. |
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