Even the Stork in the Sky knows her Seasons: Pressing on!

Today is Thursday and this is the sixth day I’ve been in Rancagua Chile. Even though it’s only been six days I feel very much like a missionary (partly because that’s how I’m being introduced everywhere I go). This mini outreach has been very challenging for me because I’ve been so busy with a variety of different things and if it wasn’t for the pictures I’ve taken along the way I think I might have already forgotten a lot of what we’ve done. Everything’s a blur, but a common theme that I’ve almost gotten used to is being ushered into the back of a truck without knowing where we’re going and finding myself praying that I’m up for whatever challenge I’ll have to face when I get out. We’re doing our dramas in front of many different audiences with a surprising amount of people in attendance, we’re visiting with lots of different families, and being invited into all kinds of homes to pray for people that are sick, preaching in the church, doing radio programs, staying the night in strangers homes we just met, and speaking at drug and alcohol rehabs (and I thought I’d have MORE free time because we wouldn’t be in class).

Throughout everything I have done my best to remain obedient to the program and to God and He’s definitely been meeting me here in Rancagua. I could talk all day about the challenges of ice cold showers, how toilet seats/paper are privileges, not being able to turn down food, no privacy/ free time/rest, and loud/bright sleeping environments but thankfully it’s all played a secondary role to what God is doing through our team here; people have been accepting Jesus and treating us so warmly that we can’t help but know we’re supposed to be here. Plus I seem to be quite the attraction, I can’t seem to do anything without being noticed, but although it has been stressful at times it’s also been a blessing because everyone wants to be close to me. Although it’s taxing to constantly be talking with people, sharing, and answering questions it has taken my Spanish to a new level. I’m having actual LITTLE conversations with people; everyone wants to chat up and give the white missionary stuff.

Since I’ve been here I’ve been given: a cross necklace from a boy in the church, 2000 pasos and a watch from Recardo, a man whose house 3 of us are staying at; he happened to overhear the battery in mine died, a futbol track jacket from one of the men in a drug and alcohol; he wanted me to never forget them, I received a flannel shirt and a crewneck sweater from the pastor’s wife who brought a bunch of clothes for the team, and the big one – A really nice (especially for Chile) touch screen cell phone complete with new sim card and minutes from the pastor’s grandson Maties who upon hearing me preach in the church that Sunday had been praying and felt like he was supposed to give me his phone. He’d asked permission from his parents and felt like he received a confirming word in the Bible that he should give me phone. With the help of Fernanda, our interpreter for this trip, I told him that I was really excited about this because I knew it meant the Lord was doing something big. I told him that there was absolutely no reason that I needed a cell phone here so that MUST mean that God has a special reason why I should have one. I’ll post the number on the next entry because in Latin America on the Movistar Network it doesn’t use my minutes to receive calls and it only costs the person calling me (and apparently if you call me using Skype we can talk for over an hour for less than a dollar).

The main verse for this trip so far is 2nd Timothy 2:3&10

”Endure hardship with us like a good solider of Christ Jesus.” “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

One thing that was tough to endure involved the son of one of the family’s we were staying at needed to come home unexpectedly and needed to stay in the room we were sleeping in with one of his co-workers. They didn’t have any respect of us at all, it was 11 PM at night and we’d had a very full day, I desperately needed to sleep but it was hard when they showed up all the sudden and started watch an action movie with the volume turned up, talking on their cell phones, and instant messaging on their laptop. But a missionary is humble, I didn’t complain; by the grace of God feel asleep, and was even genuinely nice to him the following night when we said our goodbye to stay at another house that had been insisted to us. The next day this guy accepted Christ at one of our outreaches and part of the reason he told us was because he was so impressed with the attitude of the missionaries. His super Christian parents love our asses now, their son’s in his late 20’s and they had been praying for him for a long time. It seems like whenever I’m feeling the most exhausted and spent, those are the times that when I commit to being humble I seem to be blessed the most. I was even thinking to myself while walking to a fruit stand with a small group of people, completely exhausted but knowing that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, “I could do this for 3 months”. I haven’t been able to hang on to that feeling permanently but it was nice feeling it for a second, and I better continue to walk in obedience because I’ll be leaving for my main outreach soon enough. So much of what’s been going on over here is difficult for me to just write down and there is a lot more to say then the last four paragraphs

Only 4 more days in Rancagua because heading back to Pichilemu (and toilet seat and warm showers). Here are some pictures:

Waiting for the Bus to Rancagua, early in the morning.

Our DTS director Maximo, waiting until we’re all the way out of sight before going back to bed.

The team assembled in front of the church we’re primarily partnered with, right after we arrived in Rancagua

The big crew of our first evangelism. The first night in Rancagua, right off the 4 and half hour bus ride we had a quick meal before cramming over a dozen people into a small van and heading to our first evangelism about 20 minutes away assisting an existing another church’s event with our dramas and inviting people door to door in the community. Afterward I got to meet a boy who accepted Jesus into his heart and wanted to tell everyone that was there.

Our Radio Crew, I’ve been apart of multiple teams doing radio shows for a local Christian radio station. Everyone’s down for YWAM Missionaries to be on their show.

All the guys from the drug and alcohol home we’ve been visited and encouraging this week.

In the rehab center they have a lot of animals that the guys take care of as a kind of therapy.

Yep, That’s me giving the sermon at the church we’re partnered with. I was lucky enough to have had my Dad write me a 2 page letter that I was able to print out and supplement my message with. I titled it: “Whatever it Takes”. I delivered it too about 50 people and afterwards had about a dozen come up to me with blessings saying it really spoke to them.

The guy on the far left with the eye patch is Sergio and this is his house. The guy in the orange sweatshirt is his son who became a Christian the next day. Sergio is kind of a bad ass who isn’t afraid to walk around his house in just his briefs not wearing his patch and insist on talking to me whenever he feels like.

Driving back from an event I already can’t remember the details of :) The guy on the far left is Recardo, We stayed at his house the longest, awesome family!