Rahab

Reading the stories of God in the Old Testament for the first time with Chileans has been so fascinating and rewarding. You never know what they are going to pick up on, find interesting, question or challenge.

Probably the most challenging aspect lately has been the violence that takes place. Not only does it take place but it is commanded by God in a seemingly unmerciful way. When you've only read the peaceful, loving teachings of Jesus this can be quite a shock. I'm pretty sure this is something that most Christians have wrestled with at some point in their walk of faith and I am thrilled (and scared) to be walking along these people as they do as well and get to know God in a deeper way. There is so much richness to the Old Testament and I am loving it.

For example, this past Sunday we learned about the story of Joshua (Josue' in Spanish) which included the story of Rahab. To some this was a completely new story and to others they had heard it before but not really studied it. After reading her story I had them turn to Matthew and see that this woman, who not only was a prostitute but also was not even a Jew, was one of the few women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. Through her, our perfect savior was born.

A few points stood out to us from this story. One, that you should never limit who God can use and we also should not limit ourselves. We just need faith. Two, that Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus but was not actually a Jew. Our Spanish study Bible said that she was adopted as a Jew and regarded as a heroin of faith, but by blood she was still not a Jew. Jesus had foreign blood in him. This really surprised them. And three, how far in advance God was working to bring us Jesus. The Old Testament and New are actually very connected if you really look close and you can see the big story of God. I never get tired of seeing these connections. They never cease to amaze me.

The Word of God is an amazing teacher, no?

The Good Eats of Dieciocho in Chile

Around this time every year the good eats start coming out in Chile. September 18th is their Independence day and they LOVE their independence day. It is almost like Christmas. This year, they got a 5 day weekend for it. Amazing! Half the fun is eating lots of good food. The other half is hanging out with friends. I got to do a lot of  both. Here is some of the yummy food I enjoyed.

Asado (BBQ) in my backyard with neighbors)

Chilean cooking class- Anticuchos (kebabs)

Making Empanadas

Beautiful empanadas

Enjoying an anticucho and pebre at the festival

Yummy cheese filled empanada

Traditional drink- Mote con Huesillo

Jumbo

A new grocery store arrived in town a few weeks ago and the city is all a buzz. It is a store they have in Santiago and in other Chilean towns but one that has never made it to Conce. It was one of those things where everyone always said that it was coming to Conce at this location or that location but it never really happened. So when I got back from furlough and was told that it was actually built I thought it was too good to be true.

"What's the big deal?" you might ask. "Its just a grocery store." Well I know some of you out there can relate. Think about the first time the Trader Joes came to your town or the Whole Foods or HEB Central Market. It was an exciting first trip there, right? Well Jumbo is no Whole Foods but they do carry things that noone else in Chile carries and if they do its just because they carry Jumbo products.

One wild Friday night, the day after it opened, my teammates and I ventured over there to see if it was true. We went in not expecting to buy much so didn't even take a cart. That was probably a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I did not buy more than I could carry but a curse because my load got quite heavy and imbalanced to carry in my arms.

What did I buy on this trip? To mention a few things, I bought Chips Ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies, Dr. Pepper, Crasins, icing in a can, chocolate cake mix in a box, light soy sauce and Panko bread crumbs. They also had cream of chicken and mushroom soup in a can and cooking spray. They are the ONLY ones in Chile who carry cooking spray. Luckily for me I came back from furlough with a make your own cooking spray bottle, otherwise that would have been in my stash too. They also had Weight Watchers ice cream bars, but guess how much they cost. $12 USD for like 8 popsicles. We passed on those.

A funny experience I had was when I saw some Chileans looking at the Dr. Pepper and Root Beer cans. I boldly went up to them and declared my allegiance to Dr. Pepper stating that it was my favorite soda in the US and I was very excited to see it. This led into a fun conversation about what we are doing here and other American products. It was quite funny. Not sure if they bought any but I did my duty.

I'm not sure that I will make Jumbo my every day grocery store as I imagine the prices are a little high, but it will be my treat grocery store when I need me some good ole' 'merican products. Welcome to Conce Jumbo!

Bingo Dance!

I know it has been quite a while since I blogged but I am not going to make apologies I am just going to jump back into it. No promises of being regular, just when I have something interesting so share I will and when I don't I wont. That's that.

I have been back in Chile about 2 weeks now and am trying to readjust to life here. What better way to adjust back to Chilean life but a Bingo Dance! What is a Bingo Dance you ask? Well, I had no idea either but a friend invited and I am not one to turn down new experiences so I went. And you will be happy to know that it is exactly how it sounds.

It was a night of bingo that actually was meant to be a fundraiser for a local home for the elderly. We bought tickets in advance and they included one bingo card and a free drink. There were 10 rounds of bingo, each with prizes, with the grand prize being a 3 day trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a pretty full house and very entertaining. In between rounds the MC would do something silly to raise more money or get people in the audience to interact with him.

As we played each round I was quite nervous that I actually might win. I did not want to win because I did not want to yell out bingo and have to go stand in front of everyone. One of my teammates who was present did not mind winning and actually did. Know what he won? A toddler car seat for his non-existent child! It was quite funny. :)

So after 10 rounds of bingo the night was actually getting quite late and we headed out but the party was actually only half over. After the bingo began the dancing! Haha! What an interesting combo it was. What an interesting place this is.

Here I Am

Made it safely to the good ole' US of A yesterday and I am happy to report that it was a pretty uneventful night of traveling. It's never fun to "sleep" on an airplane but I survived and was warmly welcomed back. Today is a day of rest and adjustment for me which I greatly needed but tomorrow officially starts the whirl of activities of furlough. What better way to kick of my time in the US than a 4th of July party in the Capital of our country. I am looking forward to a great fireworks show over the national monuments with old friends and new. And I gotta say, I am enjoying this heat. It is a welcome change from rain and cold.

Happy 4th to you all!

Here I Come

Farewell Party Group

Some of my sweet new friends

Well, LST is officially over. We had our final farewell party on Thursday night and the team left the next day. It was such a wonderful experience and we got to meet so many new people. I am thankful and pray that some of our new friends will soon be a part of our Christian community.

And as LST ends it is also time for me to step away from Chile for a bit. I am heading to the US this weekend for a 6 week trip to see supporters, friends and family. It is a little strange to think about being away from my Chilean home for so long but any strangeness is quickly forgotten by how excited I am to see those I love and miss so much.

I feel like I should do some big reflection blog as this trip is a pretty big marker in my ministry here but mostly what is on my mind now is making sure everything is packed, that I have all the right traveling documents and that I am healthy. There will be time for reflection later.

US here I come!!!!

LST

Let's Start Talking is an organization in the US that sends teams around the world to teach English using the Bible. I have never participated in their work but this year they sent their first team to work with us in Concepcion, Chile. We spent months preparing for them to arrive by finding our office, furnishing it, advertising the program and taking reservations for class. Finally, they arrived this week and began their project and it is off to a great start.

The way it works is that they use an easy to read version of Luke from the Bible and read it together and answer questions, all in English. This way the Chilean gets to practice their English (which so many of them want to do) and we get to share the Bible with them. Oh, and its free. They do not have to pay anything and they know what text we use to teach so everyone wins.

The workers that come read all day Tuesday-Saturday and on Thursday nights they have a get-together party time where the readers (and the missionaries and church members) all meet together to play games and practice English in a fun environment. This gives us a chance to connect with the Chileans in hope of continuing relationships with them after the month of LST is over.

So far we have had 40+ people sign up for class and had a good crowd for our first party this week. It is so exciting for us missionaries to meet new people. Most of them are college students, whom we have not had as much success getting to know yet.

Here are a few pictures from the first week. Please keep this work in your prayers this month and I cannot wait to share how things go over time.

Arrivals at our first interest meeting

Big crowd!

Our fearless volunteers from Texas

Sharing about the program

Our first Thursday party- learning about each other

LST Party!

Playing games in teams

Group shot from first party

Year One Down

A year ago, on May 27th, I arrived in my new home of Concepcion. I had been waiting for this moment for years and it finally happened. To think that it was a year ago that I made the drive from Santiago and started my stay with good friends Marco and Kathy, it crazy. On one hand it seems like it was only a few months ago that I arrived, while at the same time it feels like I have been here so much longer than just a year. So much has happened this year!This is what I was up to a year ago.

All my stuff in the back of a mini van

On the road

Getting close (no that is not LA in California)

The wonderful family that opened their home to us crazy gringos

Amazingly, they are still friends with us!

My new home I found after a few weeks of searching

How I lived for a while. Hard to imagine.

I am so thankful for all the ways God has blessed me this year and I cannot wait to see what the next year in Conce brings!

Chilean Census

You get a sticker on your window to show you participated and that they do not need to visit you again.

Well, I am officially a part of the Chilean population. That's right. I participated in the Chilean Census this past week. I knew it was coming because I had seen a few ads for it. I asked my friends if as a foreigner I should participate and they agreed that I should since it is just a survey to see who lives in this country and they like to know how many foreigners there are. So, when I saw the lady in my condominium the other day I got ready. She came in the house and had a form that she asked me questions from and filled it out as we went along. It was fairly easy; mostly stuff about my living situation (how many people, do I have internet, do I recycle, how do I heat my house, etc.). There really will be no record that it is me specifically because she did not ask for my ID number or my last name but there is a Deanna in Chilean records now. Hooray!

Happy B-day to me!

 I was blessed this year with a really great birthday party, surrounded by many of my close friends. I turned 28 on April 20 and had a wonderful time celebrating. I invited my teammates and most of my Chilean friends to my house for burgers and had a really great turn out of 30 people. We mostly just ate and talked and opened gifts. That is the Chilean way as is hosting your own party yourself. Thanks to my teammates and the visitors I had in town we got everyone fed and and just enjoyed hanging out together. I had never had so many people in my little house. Luckily the weather held up and we could be outside as well. I felt so blessed to have so many people to celebrate with and really had a good time.

Lots of yummy food to choose from

Cute decorations

Enjoying talking to friends

Blowing out my traditional cookie cake

Opening gifts

My sweet friends

Had a great turnout, but not such a great picture

Love these girls

Here We Go Again

 Students are protesting...

Sunny days are gone...

Here we go again.

New Additions

I have a few new additions to my sweet little house. As it is becoming winter again I am doing all I can to prepare for the cold and rain that is on it's way. As you saw a few posts back I have been doing a lot of chopping of wood and just the other day I bought floor rugs!

I used to think I didn't need rugs because my house is so tiny. Then one day I was sitting at my table with my shoes on and my feet were still freezing just because they were on the floor. Then and there I decided that I needed rugs. I don't know that they really heat up the house itself but they make it more pleasant to sit on because it is another layer between my feet and the cold cold floor. Not only that but they are super cute! When I first got them I just could not help admiring what a good job I did and I really enjoy sitting on the thick red one. They just totally bring the room together and I am so happy with them.

Red rug that compliments my red chairs at the table

Brown stripy rug that I just love

The second addition is my new little project of growing celery (apio in Spanish if you were wondering). I read on pinterest that when you buy a head of celery that if you chop the bottom off and plant it that new celery will just grow right out of it. Well, they were right! The picture below is probably after about 3 or 4 days and all I did was dig a little hole, pour water in the hole, but the celery bottom in the hole and cover it with dirt. Then, whenever the dirt got dry I watered it! Now, by the time I need celery again (I don't use it much) maybe I will have my own and then can do the same thing over again! Pretty cool, huh?

Grow apio grow!

Trip Home In Review

 My secret little trip home to the US was a great one. I was a little nervous about it, having been gone so long, but home will always be home even if I have changed and it ended up being wonderful. I wouldn't say I experienced reverse culture shock but there were a few things that really stood out to me. Not because they were different but because I was different and saw the world with different, slightly Chilean, eyes.

1. The bathtubs, washers, and dryers are huge! I think my washer could fit inside of my mom's and when I showered I felt very vulnerable in such a big space.
2. I felt a great need to tip the baggers at the grocery store and felt guilty when I did not.
3. I missed kissing people for greeting but luckily most people gave me a hug anyways so it did not feel so strange.
4. Churches are huge! Coming from a church of 16 people on a good day to a church of hundreds was overwhelming and so beautiful.
5. People drive fast and crazy on the freeways! I have always pride myself on my city driving skills but I think they have left me since I no longer drive. It is funny because the drivers in Chile are awful and follow no rules but there are not many places around town where you can get up to 70 mph. That is fast! I was so sure we were going to get hit.

I could probably go on and on but how about I just share with you the highlights of my time home.

Having a double (early for me) birthday celebration with my s-law

Having fun with the family

Getting to see my Sweetie

Getting to see my BFFs

Getting to be in my BFF's wedding

Sharing a lunch with so many from my extended family

Enjoying the perks of the US

More perks- I wont tell you how many trip I made there

Welcome Home

I didn't mention it on here, but I just took a little vacation to the US and got back today. It was my first time back in over a year and was a wonderful trip to celebrate the marriage of my BFF. I was also blessed to spend some great time with my family and others that I love so much. Living in two different worlds is hard sometimes but coming home to this sweet drawing made by my neighbors sure made it easier today.

Trying to be an ant

You know that story of the ants and the grasshopper, where the ants work all summer to prepare for winter and the grasshopper plays all summer, making fun of the ants for working so hard. But when winter comes along the grasshopper has to ask the ants for help. Well I am being an ant this summer.

That is just a long way of saying that lately I have been working to prepare for winter. I've heard that it does not get cold enough to start heating your house until about May. I am greatly dreading the day that I have to start making fires again multiple times a day so I decided that while it is nice outside I would make that process a little easier for myself.

First of all, all the wood I need for the winter should be delivered next week. Last year I arrived in the middle of winter with no clue about how to heat my house with a wood furnace. This year I have asked around and done my research. Most people order their wood in February or March that they need for the whole winter. That way they never run out and it has time to dry out before use. Last year I did not know this and I had to call my wood guy every few weeks for a new delivery and most of the wood was wet because it was raining all the time. But not this year, no way. I also made sure to ask a friend about who to order wood from and he did it for me! So I know I am getting my wood at a good time from a reliable source.

Also, to make things easier for myself, I have begun my chopping of small wood much earlier. You don't think about it much, but to start a fire that uses big logs you can't just lite the big log with a match. You have to get it going first with smaller stuff. So, with the little bit of wood I have left over from last year I began chopping. Chopping is much more enjoyable (if you can call it that) when the wind and rain are not blowing in on you, when it's light outside and when my heat for the night is not dependent on how successful I am. I don't know how long it will last but I have me a good stash to work through all saved up. So now, maybe I can just do some chopping on sunny days instead of every cold night. Aren't I a smart cookie! :)

I am dreading winter and the rains coming back, but I know that being prepared makes things much easier to handle. So, if you feel like escaping the heat of the US summer this year, know that you can come down and sit by my furnace with a nice cup of hot tea.

My stash so far

KNOY 2012

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

First Church

I am excited to announce that last Sunday we had our first church service with Chileans! This is what we have been working towards for a long time and it finally happened. Two family's of our team had one house church and I partnered with another family. We had 12 people in total at our church and praise God for that. It may not sound like a lot, especially for those who go to churches with hundreds or thousands of people, but you gotta start somewhere and I was thrilled with those who came. I just know God is working on their hearts. I think the ones who came were coming to check it out and see what it is we have been talking about but now that they see we aren't crazy or cultish, they want to invite their friends and family as well.


It was such an exciting day for us and, praise God, the service went great. We spent time in prayer, study, communion and a meal afterwards. We sang one song with them and hope to teach them new ones each week. We had two children and I told them a bible story and colored with them during the adult study.


A number of encouraging things were said from those who came:

• They were thankful to be there and hope to see our group grow.

• One man hopes we become like a family which is exactly what we are hoping for.

• They hope to invite their friends and family.

• They really enjoyed the service, especially the singing and communion.

• They hope to come again next week.
  

Everything ran pretty smoothly and we learned a lot from our first gathering that we can now work to make it better each week. It is such a learning process but our friends were very encouraging and patient. I have complete faith that in no time, God will multiple our group just as he multiplied the fish and loaves of bread for Jesus.