Christmas Dinner with Conexión

For Christmas 2009, Conexion small groupers gathered to celebrate and fellowship together.

During the planning process of the event, the Chileans decided that they wanted a "gringo" Christmas dinner with a turkey and all. Melody and I were excited to do such a dinner because making turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cut out cookies, fudge, and all sorts of goodies reminded us of Christmases back in the States.

We spent the whole day, the day of the dinner, preparing the food. After many cooking mishaps and thinking maybe this dinner wouldn't happen, praise the Lord everything came together right in time!

Our favorite part of the whole dinner was getting to see the students enjoy the "gringo" food that they have never tasted and to build gingerbread houses that are not very common here.

It was awesome to get to spend Christmas with our Chilean family.

The Last Conexión Meeting of the Year

Here in Chile, in a few short weeks, students will be released from school for the summer! In the southern hemisphere it's almost summer!

This season of Conexión has been the first of it´s kind in La Serena. There have been good times spent in fellowship and learning about God and his people. There is so much more work to be done and so much more to learn.

The last Conexión meeting of year consisted of a show-off of talent. Some sang, some showed how to make cookies, some made animal sounds, some whistled with a piece of grass, and some chugged a whole lot of water in a short amount of time.

Here are some pictures of the event.

Cesario serenading us


Pancho "throwing a beat down"


Pedro and Leslie singing a duet


The audience enjoying the entertainment

Student Conference in Chimbarongo

These are some pictures from the student conference that we helped Josh and Mayra put on for students of Santiago and Chimbarongo.
The theme of the weekend was having a contagious faith.



Josh about having a contagious faith.

Josh and Mayra praying over students

Mayra's workshop over the effectiveness of youth in missions.

Melody and I colaborating on a workshop on how to have a prayer and devotional life while Mayra translated.

October Thus Far

Conexión Meeting
The night was themed Noche Mexicana (Contrary to popular belief, Chilean food is nothing like Mexican food; not even close). We ate Mexican rice, beans, and quesadillas. We played Mexican bingo and musical chairs. We also had a "Who Looks the Most Mexican" contest, and a "So You Think You Can Eat Hot Stuff" competition. FYI: We have come to find that Chileans don't necessarily eat spicy food; in fact, most we've met don't even like it.

Then Mayra talked about Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."


Playing Musical Chairs

Playing Mexican Bingo

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LTC On the Beach
The students had a holiday on Columbus Day, so we went to a beach to have lunch and LTC (Leadership Training Course) together.

The boys and their meat

LTC in progress

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Small Group in Vicuña

Yesterday we went to Vicuña, a small town outside of La Serena, to bring small group to and celebrate the birthday of Marcela who is doing her internship at a hospital there this month.

Halfway-ish Point

It has been 5 months since we arrived in Chile. How time has flown!

It doesn't seem like it has been 5 months. In some ways it feels shorter and in others longer. Short because there is so much to do and learn, and long because we have done and experienced so much.

Now we only have 6 months left! That's not a lot.

In these next three months there is a lot to be done:

• Leadership Training Class (LTC) will be starting up. Eight students will be going through it every Saturday afternoon until December. This training is to give these students the resources to lead small groups.
• A youth retreat in Santiago
• Conexión (Chi Alpha) meetings
• Small groups
• S.O.S (Señoritas Obedeciendo al Señor) meetings: meetings for the young girls in the church
• More meetings in Santiago

There is probably more that I'm leaving out, but the point is there is so much to do, so little time.

Please pray that our time will be stretched and used wisely in these months to come.

P.S. Team Chile Newsletter is being finished up and will be sent out soon. If you read this blog and are not on our e-mailing list and would like to be, please e-mail us and we will make sure that you are added.

Re-Cap of Dieciocho: Chile's Independence Day

It was in the year 1810 that Chile fought and won it's independence from Spain.
And now in all of Chile, September 18th is celebrated with asados (grilling parties), traditional games, and La Cueca (the traditional dance of Chile).

At Iglesia El Puente we celebrated with a mix of all three.

We started our grilling.

Then we ate and were stuffed.

Next were a bunch of traditional games played by both old and young alike.

For the finale- La Cueca!

CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE!! VIVA CHILE!

"Once En Camino"

We had an S.O.S (Señoritas Obedeciendo al Señor) meeting for the young girls at our church this last Friday. The theme: "Once En Camino"/ A Progressive Dinner.
We started at Mayra's house for appetizers, then to Debbie's house for the main dish. For coffee and tea we went to Carolina's house, and to finish things up to Melody's and my house.
The girls got fed physical food as well as spiritual food. The topic for the evening: Independence and Responsibility, centered around the Parable of the Talents.

Melody sharing the message and Mayra translating

The girls listening and answering questions

The girls choosing magazine clippings that represent their talents

The girls gluing their "talents" on their boxes

A group photo

Noche de Gorros Chistoso/Funny Hat Night

Last night we had our monthly Conexión meeting. It was full of hats, food, fellowship and just some plain ol' fun.
We focused on what friendship is and the cost of it. (John 15: 12:13)

Jael and Francisco

Los Bomberos
Alejandro, Jano, and Carolina

The finalists for the gorros chistoso competition

Felipe, Katy, Areli, and Pedro

Group shot of having "Once"

Piyamada

Piyamada!!! Sleepover!!!

This last weekend we had a sleepover with the girls of Conexión. It was a great spending time with and learning more about each other.

Like any other sleepover we had food, face masks, and fun!

The girls

Leslie and Jael

Daniela and me (Veronica)

The University Student Conference

There were around 65 student who came from all over Chile! God moved in their hearts and gave them more of a vision for their campuses.

Thank you so much for your prayer.

Here are some photos from the university student conference.

They who came from the States: Nick, Paul, & Eli

Eli preaching

Students praying for their universities

Having fun

Students that we work with

Melody and I with girls from Santiago

Night #1 of the Congreso

Our campus pastor Eli G. and friends Paul and Nick arrived from the United States today!! Also we "kicked off" our Congreso!! Around 50 students registered tonight from all over Chile. We spent time worshiping, learning, and having fellowship together.

Eli preaching and Josh translating.

Surprise!

Reili had a birthday.

She is from Estonia.

She lives in Chile now.

Reili is learning Spanish like Veronica and me.

Everyone likes her long blond hair.

I like her humor.

God loves everything about her.

He wants Reili to know that.

Deja Tu Huella En La Universidad/ Leave Your Mark On Your University

We're putting on a conference and all Chile's university students are invited!

We are busily working and most importantly fervently praying for the upcoming congreso, or conference, this weekend (July 17th-19th). University students from various parts of Chile are coming to learn about how to make a true difference in their universities by means of prayer and discipleship. They have the potential to change the world for Jesus.

Thank you for praying. We have seen many of them come to fruition already.

Melody

We made a special trip to Santiago's Starbucks to prepare mentally and spiritually for the congreso..... No. ...But we did make a trip to Santiago to promote the congreso and happened to stop in at Starbucks.







Pictures of the congreso to come. Keep praying......