Buenos Dias!

Hey Everyone...not much time to write...I am in a little internet cafe in the small surfing town of Pichilemu. It´s the surfing capital of Chile and the waves are incredible but the water is super freezing!

We pretty much all decided to marry a Chilean so we can move to this amazing country. I´ll let you know if I meet someone. =0)

We are staying at the YWAM base just oustide of town with about 200 other people and only3 showers for the girls! We´re sleeping in tents and learning Español and meeting people from pretty much all ove the world.

Last week we were in the beautiful city of Viña del Mar working with a youth "camp" downtown doing evangelism on the beach and in the streets. I can´t even explain how awesome it was to hang out with these crazy Chilean youth. Only a few spoke English but we bonded so quickly. We truly got to experience how the Holy Spirit can bind us together despite differences in language and culture as we laughed, cried, ate and prayed together throughout that week. We will not forget.

Now, in Pichilemu we will be helping with a kids camp and today we worked alongside a group from Argentina and visited a home for people with disabilities, doing dramas, games, and songs with the people who live there.

As you can tell by my lack of vocabulary I am in hurry... the team is doing well. Please pray that we will continue to communicate well with each other and maintain attitudes of humility and servanthood (is that a word?) even though communication around us is fuzzy. We´ve been given 3 schedules, none of which have materialized as planned and everything´s pretty much last minute, but hey, we´re flexible. It helps that people here are so friendly and welcoming. Please pray that I will be able to hear God and lead well.

It´s really a blessing to be here in Chile. I am loving this warm culture.

Hasta luego!
Em =0)

PS. They have palm trees growing in the middle of cornfields here! There are also a lot of stray dogs around in every city but the weird thing is they´re all huge dogs, like german shepherds and mastifs. Weird.

Arrived!

Hey Everyone!

Thank the Lord we arrived in Santiago safely with all our luggage in tow early this morning. The flights were smooth and we even got to use real cutlery between Panama and Chile!

We are leaving to help at a YWAM youth camp in Vina Del Mar for 6 days. The weather is hot, the air is dry, the sunshine is splendid, the people are friendly, the team is great and the Andes are incredible. I had my first glimpse of the towering giants this morning. We can see them from the base!

It's good to be here. Really good.

I am excited for what God will do through us and in us here in Chile. Thanks for your prayers.

Blessings!
Em

P.S. So this morning I was telling someone that we will be in Chile for a month and I accidently said, "We will be here for one table."

On the Church House Steps

Here's the team!!! We are leaving early tomorrow morning for Kingston, then Panama, and finally Santiago. Praise God, we have all our team money, we are tight and we are excited to serve God in this beautiful nation. Please pray for us!

Isaiah 41:10:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I'll Soon See the Andes

Happy New Year Everyone! Before I tell you about my 2 weeks of local outreach, I'd like to finally introduce you to the beautiful people I call my teammates. I'm going to work on posting a picture or two tomorrow. We (The Chile Team) leave from Kingston to Santiago (via Panama)on the 12th...that's this Thursday!

Cheryl, 21, from Portland, Jamaica. She's co-leading this team with me and becoming a sister as we get to know each other more. Cheryl's a fun-loving dancer and budding sketch artist. She loves children, mischief, and the colour blue.

Paul, 27, Alberta. The gentle, soft spoken song-writer of the group. Most likely to be found strumming his six-string and belting out worship tunes. He also likes to snorkel.

Simon, 22, Stuttgart, Germany. Former fashion model and Mercedes Benz employee, with his 6'2" or something frame we refer to him as our giant. Simon came up with our team slogan, "Chile team:We don't miss a meal."

Anastasia, 24, Nova Scotia. This beautiful bride-to-be can make just about any song sound like a Maritime folk tune with her sweet rootsy voice. Her grandpa actually yodels at family gatherings. Stasia's getting married in July which gives us girls ample wedding details to discuss over and over again.

Steve, 21, Washington. He's kind, wise, witty and full of boyscout stories and useless trivia. Steve studied engineering so he pretty much knows something about everything and his passion for the outdoors is akin to mine. He even loves to go snowshoeing.

Idubin, 22, Pennsylvania. Proud owner of a 1986 jet black Firebird TransAm that he himself rebuilt, Dubi's oblivious to the hilarity he brings to the group with his off -the-wall comments and cartoon voices. Coolest Puerto Rican I've ever met.

I'm really looking forward to going to Chile and I feel so privileged to go with this team. The are fun and they are teaching me to lighten-up (a much needed lesson for me). We laugh a lot and Cheryl and I are one up on pranking the guys. =0)

Our first week of outreach was fabulous with our team of 7 in the little sea-side town of Hopewell! I so enjoy being out in the community and feeling like I really live in Jamaica.

We had a wild taxi ride up windy single lane roads with hairpin turns, assorted potholes, and random abandoned car chunks when we went to visit immobile elderly people in the hills. We were lucky when we only had to squeeze 2 people in the front seat! It was worth it to be able to meet and pray for incredible worshipful people who live tucked away in hillside shanties.

Pastor Brown and Hopewell's hoppin' Baptist church were super friendly and fun to work with. There is much more to tell but you but not enough time to elaborate...

Last Monday we joined the rest of the dts class for a week of outreach near the YWAM base in Mandeville (other side of the island). We worked with a church in a tiny town that was about a 10 minute walk through the bush and at a halfway house/correctional facility that was a 45 minute walk through more bush and small town roads. I'm amazed at how big God is; intimately acquainted with each person in tiny towns uknown to most of the world.

My favourite part of this week was doing dramas with the youth on Friday night at the church. It felt great to be all together again before we fly off to our various international locations.

Please pray for us! The prayer requests are on the right side of the screen.

Must sleep.
Em