Luz de Cristo is a home for abused children. The Iglesia de Cristo en Los Leones has been involved with this home for the past several years. This year, I was asked to help plan a Christmas even with the kids from Luz de Cristo. We invited the kids to come to church services and then afterwards we had a feast of pizza, empanadas, and cake! At the end of the day the church gathered around to watch the kids from Luz de Cristo open Christmas presents! We had received a "wish list" from each child and, with the donations of the church, were able to get each child something that they really wanted. It was a great day together with the kids from Luz de Cristo. We're hoping to be involved in their lives even more in the future. Another great aspect of our Christmas party was that it gave many people the opportunity to serve. The pizza and cake that we ate for lunch were homeade by Roberto and Carito, a couple who have been attending our church, but are not yet Christians. This was a great event, allowing the church to work together, and showing us the REAL spirit of Christmas!
The Christmas tree with presents for the children!
Some of the church members who stayed to celebrate Christmas with the kids from Luz de Cristo.
Some of the kiddos showing off their gifts!
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Christmas with Luz de Cristo
Thursday, December 01, 2005
The Reason Why I Have NO Thanksgiving Pictures...
One of our University Students, Rodrigo Rebolledo, officially graduated from his University! Being that it was a special occasion, I let him borrow my camara to take pictures of his graduation, and therefore didn't have it on Thanksgiving. In this picture he's wearing an aggie ring, as every graduate should! Congratulations Rodrigo!
Thanksgiving was a great time here in Santiago. The Grant family (of the mission team) opened their home to any "gringo" that wanted to come. So, we had a huge crowd! About 25 adults and 12 children! But it was a great time full of the usual Thanksgiving foods! We all had lunch together and then spent the rest of the day watching football and playing games. It was like a normal Thanksgiving in the United States. I am so thankful to this mission team. They have become my support system here in Chile. Although I couldn't be with my family in the states, it was great to spend a holiday with my gringo family in Santiago!
Quotable Quotes
I thought I might share with you all a few quotes from 3 of us interns at the Iglesia de Cristo. It might give you a little insight to my life here in South America. Enjoy!!
Lauren: "I just head-butted the Argentinian a little bit." After saying good-bye to some of our friends.
Lindsey: "Aw, man! Did they get robbed AGAIN?" Lindsey, as we were walking up to a convenience store that we frequent.
While in Lima, Peru:
Jenni: I'm feeling itchy all over.
Lindsey: Well, did you eat or drink anything out of the ordinary?
Jenni: The water?
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Lima, Peru
The week of Nov. 6th - 11th was the annual Pan Am Lectureships. This year the lectureships were in Lima, Peru. Kelley Grant, Lindsey, and I went and represented the Santiago mission team. It was a great time to get to know missions supporters from the states, as well as other missionaries that are in South America. Another highlight was getting to spend time with old friends from A&M who plan on doing mission work in Lima beginning in 2008. On our time off from the conference we got to tour the city of Lima... which has so much history! It was interesting for me to note the differences between Santiago and Lima. I didn't know there would be so many! But it was a great time! I definitely wouldn't mind visiting again. Check out the "My Pictures" link to see more photos of my trip to Lima. Enjoy!
Our Hotel in Lima
Our Hotel in Lima
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Our hotel in Lima, where the conference took place. It was located in Plaza San Martin. The architecture was beautiful in this area!
Alan, me, and Mark
Alan, me, and Mark
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
A highlight of the trip was getting to know a new friend! Alan is from Lima and has been going to one of the churches there for over a year. We were lucky enough on Sunday to see him baptized into Christ!
Alan's Baptism
Alan's Baptism
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Alan being baptized on November 6, 2005!
Me and Linds at the Pyramid
Me and Linds at the Pyramid
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Lindsey and I had the afternoons free to tour the city of Lima. One of the coolest things we saw was the remains of an ancient pyramid, right in the middle of the city! (Be sure to click on the "my pictures" link to see more of it!)
Mark and me... and Chili's!!!
Mark and me... and Chili's!!!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Pictured here are two of my favorite things about my trip to Lima... spending time with my friend Mark Clancy, and eating at Chili's (a restaurant that we don't have in Santiago.. oh how I've missed it)!!!
Me & Linds and the Lima Team
Me & Linds and the Lima Team
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
A highlight of the conference was getting to spend time with some friends from A&M! John Mark Davidson, Wes Yoakum, and Mark Clancy are all members of a mission team set to come to Lima in 2008!
Friday, November 04, 2005
New Church Building Progress
I went by the new church building on Tuesday and was very excited to see how far along it has come! We should be in it by February at the latest (a few additions to construction has pushed the date back). Please be in prayer for our new church home! Below are some pictures I took, so you can see how it is progressing!
Friday, October 28, 2005
Kitchen Ministry
Something that every person has in common on this earth is... FOOD! It crosses all cultural boundaries. We can always find a common ground when it comes to food, I mean everyone has to eat, right? Three of our English students taught us how to make "Alfajores" which are chocolate covered, manjar-filled, cookies! It was a great time of friendship building! I'm always amazed at how eager Chileans are to teach us how to make or do something. Please be in prayer for these 3 girls! They are sweethearts, and becoming good friends of mine!
Me, Ingrid, Carla, and Raquel
Me, Ingrid, Carla, and Raquel
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Me and the girls with the finished cookies. Yum!
Linds & her alfajor!
Linds & her alfajor!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Lindsey was proud of her creation. She used icing and a toothpick to make a cool web design on her cookie!
Trip to Siete Tazas
Lindsey, her friend Kirsten from the States, Jill, Eduardo and I took a day trip about 3 hours south of Santiago to visit "Las Siete Tazas." It is a series of 7 waterfalls on a beautiful river. It was great to get away from the rush of the Santiago city life for a while. Here are some pictures of our trip. Enjoy!
Siete Tazas
Siete Tazas
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
The "Siete Tazas." A series of 7 waterfalls really close together. It makes for beautiful scenery!
Me & Linds
Me & Linds
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Me and Lins infront of the "Siete Tazas." Notice how it's springtime, and we're still wearing sweatshirts and jackets!
La vela de la novia
La vela de la novia
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Kirsten, me, and Linds in front of "La Vela de la Novia," a beautiful waterfall.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
18 de Septiembre
The 18th of September is Independence Day here in Chile. There were lots of celebrations throughout the week! A main event is what's called a Fonda. It's like a fair where there is a rodeo, typical chilean arts & crafts, and, of course, lots of food! September 18th was on a Sunday this year, so there was celebrating both the week before AND the week after! Our church even got in on the celebration and help a day of olympics at a local sports club. We played games, ate empanadas, and celebrated Independence day as a church family! It was great! Be sure to check the "My Pictures" link for pictures of the event!
Linds & Me
Linds & Me
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Lins and Me enjoying the wonderful chilean food... asado (grilled meat) and chicha (a drink only drunk around the time of Sept. 18th)! Sidenote: ignore my hair... the wind was blowing!! :)
Jill & Linds
Jill & Linds
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Jill, one of the missionaries, & Linds enjoying choripan (a.k.a. sausage dog) and an empanada! Yummm!
18 de Sept.
18 de Sept.
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Linds & I with our new chilean friends we met at the fair, helping them cook traditional chilean goodies!
The Iglesia
The Iglesia
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Our church hung a flag to show our Chilean pride! During the week of Sept. 18th there are flags everywhere!
Lauren & Me
Lauren & Me
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Lauren & Me at the Fonda with the Andes Mountains in the background.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Missionary Talk
"Are you going to dress up like baby Jesus?"
-Kelley Grant, talking about Zane's sermon on Christmas day.
"Go over there and ask him what type of cigarettes he's smoking."
-Scott Emery, telling me how to start up a conversation with a stranger.
"We're not evil! We're fun!"
-Jill Grove
Just thought I'd share some laughable quotes from some of the missionaries here in Santiago! It's a great group to be with day to day!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Church Ground-Breaking Ceremony!
July 30th, 2005 was a momentous occasion for the Los Leones Church of Christ. This was the day we had our Ground-Breaking Ceremony! This means that construction has officially started on the new church building! If things go as planned, we will move into our new building in December. Right now we have 2 services because of the small space we have to worship in, so, it will be great to be able to be all together again! During the ceremony, Kelley Grant reminded us that this church building is very significant. It signifies that this congregation is here to stay. This building will be there for years to come. It also represents hope and a future for this congregation. After Kelley’s talk, church members took turns shoveling dirt, starting with the first person to be baptized in this church Julio Sandoval, and the oldest member Rebecca Bustos. It was a wonderful and very emotional ceremony!
Here is the beginnings of the new church building, set to be ready in December 2005!
Some of the missionaries' children next to our sign which states, "Here, the hope is restored."
Julio Sandoval and Rebecca Bustos take turns shoveling dirt on to the new property.
It was a great day for Kelley Grant, who did a lot of the fundraising for the new building, and also planned the Ground-Breaking Ceremony.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Young Friends' Photos
For pictures of the Young Friends Campaign, and I warn you, there are many, click here. There are a few of me, and many of the Southlake youth group! Enjoy!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Randomness
Ok, this is pretty random. But, quite a few times I have seen this dog while walking to the church. Yes, it is strange that I see the same stray dog every few days, but what is even stranger is that this dog could be my dog's twin! I had to put a picture up for anyone who has seen my dog. The first time I saw this dog, I thought, "What is Belle doing... oh wait! I'm in Chile! She couldn't be here..." Anyway, just thought you might enjoy knowing that my dog has a twin here in Chile. (By the way, I'm sure every Chilean on the street thought I was crazy for taking a picture of a stray dog.. oh well.)
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Merry Christmas in July from the Interns!
Merry Christmas in July from the Interns!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Christmas In July!!
As most of you know, it is winter down here right now. So, what does Winter make you think of, or at least make me think of?? CHRISTMAS!! I decided to have a Christmas in July party and share a little bit of our "gringo" culture with the Chileans. So, we planned a Christmas in July party for the University & High School group here at the church. They were a little skeptical at first, but everyone who came had a blast! And several of our contacts (i.e. non-church members) came to share in the festivities with us!! We had a Christmas feast complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls! And for dessert: homeade fudge (thanks to my mom who sent me the recipe and all the fixin's) and we all decorated our own Christmas cookies! Also, there was hot chocolate with marshmellows and candycanes (thanks again mom)!! It was a new experience for chileans in that they tasted food they had never had before. Some of them hadn't even had a candy cane! Who knew?? After we had stuffed ourselves with the holiday feast, we played "Chinese Gift Exchange." It was a great time, and all of the Chileans really got into the Christmas Spirit... in July. :)
Fudge!
The Christmas in July Tree!
The Christmas in July Tree!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
What Chrismas is complete without a Christmas Tree?? It really made it feel like Christmas and was a great place to put our presents for the chinese gift exchange!
Hot Chocolate Table!
Hot Chocolate Table!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
The holiday-dessert table! The Chileans loved the Hot Chocolate and marshmellows! Megg was so creative and arranged the reindeer mugs in the shape of a Chrismas tree!
Reindeer Mugs!
Reindeer Mugs!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
From left to right: Pablo, Rodrigo, Christian, Ryan, and Raquel showing off the reindeer mugs my mom sent from Texas! Thanks mom!
Enjoying the Christmas Feast!
Enjoying the Christmas Feast!
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Lindsey Peterson, Vanessa, & Betsabe (frequent visitors) enjoying the Christmas goodies!!
Chinese Gift Exchange
Chinese Gift Exchange
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
We played "Chinese Gift Exchange" with gifts that valued 1 mil (less than 2 dollars). The chileans had a lot of fun stealing presents!
Young Friends Campaign
We had a group of High School students come from Southlake Church to do a Young Friends Campaign. Young Friends is a shorter version of "Let's Start Talking (LST)." It's teaching English through reading the bible. We had plenty of Chileans come to the reading sessions and as a result have made quite a few contacts! The group held a total of 16 reading sessions throughout 3 days and then we had a retreat! It was a great time to get to know new people and help Chileans with their English, and watch them learn about God! My favorite moments had to be when we sang Christian songs in English. I can't even decribe what it felt like to hear people singing to the Lord in English, people who probably had never sang to the Lord in Spanish! What a great experience! I am so thankful that the youth at Southlake chose to come down here and spend time reading the bible with our Chileans!! They were a great group and made quite an impression on me!
Flyers
Honey, if you love me, smile
Honey, if you love me, smile
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Part of the fun of having the Young Friends group here, was that we had a game night every night! This game was called, "Honey, if you love me, smile!" The Chileans loved it! In this picture, Milton is trying not to smile at Lindsey.
Retiro
Reading Groups
Reading Groups
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Two of the five reading groups. We had 4 sessions of reading during the retreat. And notice the beautiful background! It was a great retreat site!
Logan & Marco
Logan & Marco
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
One of the Southlake teenagers, Logan, helping Marco (a frequent visitor) with the English reading.
Eating Challenge
Eating Challenge
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
The LST retreat was full of fun games! This one was to see who could eat 4 pickles and drink a diet coke the fastest. I almost won, but was no competition for Scott! Oh well.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Happy 4th of July!!!
Well, I hope everyone who reads this had a very happy 4th of July! I actually celebrated twice in one day! Fireworks are illegal here in Santiago, so we all compensated by extra food (ha ha). Our day started with lunch at Zane and Tae Perkins house. We ate brisket (complete with BBQ sauce), potato salad, baked beans, chips & salsa, and ICED TEA! It was great to be able to spend a day with other Americans and eat all the foods that we've been missing. If I couldn't be with my family and friends, I'm glad I got to spend it with my fellow "gringos" here in Santiago. As soon as we left the Perkins house ("we" being the other interns and myself) we went straight Lindsey Peterson's apartment and started preparing for our 2nd celebration for the day. We invited our University Students over to celebrate (aka eat American food) with us! We cooked hamburgers and had apple pie for dessert (which was everyone's favorite). We decorated the house and played games, and a good time was had by all! I have to say, it was a very fun holiday... even without the fireworks!
Missionary 4th of July
Missionary 4th of July
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
The missionary crew (minus the Deans who are on furlough) surrounding the 4th of July FEAST! YUM!
University Interns
University Interns
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
The University Student Interns: Lindsey Peterson, Me, Ryan Newhouse, Traci Eicke, and Lindsey Pierce. Aren't we cute all in our red, white, and blue??
4th of July group
4th of July group
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
We had a special 4th of July celebration with our Chilean friends! We made hamburgers and ate apple pie! Yum!
Presents from Ingrid
Presents from Ingrid
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Ingrid (my awesome roommate) surprised us gringas with gifts... American food! It was so sweet of her!
Que Paso Camilo?
Que Paso Camilo?
Originally uploaded by JWorley28.
Camilo REALLY surprised us with his new haircut!
