Chile vs. Spain

Chile vs. Spain...mostly in pictures! This game was torture for me because I love Spain, but didn't want to die while in Chile for rooting for another team. I went back and forth between which team to cheer for. In the end, I decided to root for Chile for selfish reasons, because game days are AAAWESOME! The world stops for 90 minutes here in Santiago. The morning was filled with honking, singing, chanting, flag waving and horn blowing. Yes, we have vuvuzelas here, too. Face paint could be found on infants and grandmas alike. The bus ride included a group of teenagers flying the flag out the bus window while cheering, chanting and dancing as loud as they could. The same scene could be found on every bus and every street around the city. My favorite was seeing the men wearing their red jerseys with their business shirt collar popping out of the top. I watched the game with my new family at the restaurant and tried my best to capture the essence of game day, but I think it's impossible. So here's my attempt...
Ps. Chile lost but still advanced to the second round! AKA there was lots of celebrating ALL night long. Yeah for future game days!

The dogs are ready!


Both in uniform


My Chilean mom (Monica) and a waiter. The whole wait staff and kitchen staff were decked out!


My Chilean grandpa (owner of the restaurant)


New siblings, Fran and Benjamin. They partook in flag waving on the street in front of the restaurant...just like everybody else on the street and in their cars. Notice Benjamin is too concerned with blowing his horn to smile for the picture.


Family pic (minus Edgar, he watched the game from work). It's a given that work and school completely stop during the game. How nice.


The traffic before the game. People rushing to get home in their cars. People running down the street. Once the game started, the streets were creepily empty. People nor cars were nowhere to be seen.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA ESTER!!!


Celebration in the streets 2 hours after the game ended.

My New Family

My new family is great! They are so excited I'm living with them, so it's been very nice to feel so welcomed. The mom is Monica and she is wonderful. Her father owns a restaurant and she works at it during the week. She makes desserts that she sells to the restaurant including cupcakes, which are unheard of here. She is married to Edgar. They are newlyweds of 4 weeks! The 11-year-old son is Benjamin, and he reminds me of Manny on Modern Family. He is a jokester and a dancer. He asked me to help him translate a Spanish song to English for his homework. This is what he already had. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. I laughed way harder than that.

English translation homework...


Fran, the 10-year-old daughter, LOVES ME! She asked if I could stay for a year. She can often be found hugging me or asking me to play games. When they all found out I would be living here, they gave me hugs and started jumping around. The first night I stayed with them we had pasta for dinner. I knew I was home. I'm always welcome to eat at the restaurant, which serves mashed potatoes, French fries and wonderful desserts. Then I come home to delicious cooking and more wonderful desserts. I might come home heavier but it's all out of love. Monica did my laundry as well. I came home to all of my underwear neatly folded into squares sitting in perfect little piles. I took a picture and am still deciding if I will post it.
The grandparents are one of the founding families of the church, and are still very active. He runs the restaurant so I have gotten to eat with him a few times. He speaks great English as does Monica, so that's always a plus! In August I will be coming home with two adopted siblings I never had! Pictures of everyone in the next post!

Chile vs. Switzerland

Matias and Susan are a great young couple from the church. Earlier this year they cam back to Chile from being on the mission field. They currently live in the apartment above the church office and he works around the church. She is pregnant and due August 19. On September 19, they will move to Northern Ireland so Matias can attend Seminary. They have both been so welcoming, inviting and helpful to me, and I've really enjoyed getting to know them. Matias has to take the TOEFL again in July and asked me to meet with him 3 times a week to practice his already great English. We work on grammar details and pronunciation. Susan speaks great English (and German) already, but she invited me to the younger women's Bible Study, and it's been fun to be involved with that. Our most recent development was the absolute necessity to elongate the vowels in the words "beach" and "sheet." When pronounced with short vowels, which they usually are, I can't help but laugh every single time.
On Monday, I joined the two of them at Matia's mom's house to watch the World Cup game of Chile vs. Switzerland. On the way to the game Matias honked throughout the streets. Matias, his mom, his sister and her husband, and Susan all sat on one bed while I sat in a comfy chair to cheer on the team. It was SO FUN! Before it started his mom unwrapped a newly purchased Chilean flag to wave. Oh, I forgot about Tom, the weenie dog! At one point in the game Tom accidentally pushed the remote and changed the channel...chaos, but most of the time you could find him in my lap or wrapped in the Chilean flag! Each time Chile scored, the married couples would jump up and down and hug and the mom would come hug me and jump up and down. Ha, I loved it. CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE, VIVA CHILE! They won! You could hear horns and people screaming from the streets and apartment buildings for long after the game ended. Susan and I walked to the store 30 minutes afterward and found flags being waved, painted faces, horns honking, people screaming and of course everyone hurrying to work! Chile vs. Spain, Friday, 2:30!

What A Weekend

Last weekend brought quite a few changes...the first being WARMTH! After sleeping late, I took advantage of the running trail outside my apartment building on Saturday. Running beside the river that follows the path of the Andes most definitely brought beautiful scenery, but also a long lost friend called sweat. I never (NEVER) thought I'd say it, but, oh, how I have missed sweating. The area was full of families taking advantage of the día lindo. We had bikers, runners, walkers and little children playing on the jungle gyms. I learned a few things along the way. 1) I'm out of shape. 2) Nike shorts are not the norm around here. I felt very out of place. 3) Motorcycles also drive on the running paths.
Later that day I took the bus to the Mall Alto to finish the day American style. SUBWAY! On Friday, Cotty took her nephew (who I found out really isn't her nephew) and me to the mall to eat Pizza Hut. Try to imagine my smile when I found myself surrounded by Pizza Hut, TACO BELL, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway and Dunkin Donuts. The funny thing is Pizza Hut and Taco Bell both sell French fries with their items; so the three of us contently ate pizza and fries. Beautiful! Then we attended a 3-hour church business meeting. Yes Baptists, you read that right, 3 hours. Anyway, I brought myself back to the mall on Saturday to complement my run earlier in the day. Exercising followed by unhealthy eating = story of my life. Just the way I like it! I went with a foot long turkey sandwich from Subway. It tasted like peanut butter but I enjoyed it nonetheless. After browsing around the mall (which is one of the nicest I've ever been to), I went to Dínamo, which is the youth group here (ages 15 - 25 years). It was the most chaotic experience I've had since being here. It consisted of all but not limited to the following:
1. Little boys running around blindfolded
2. Same little boys drawing pictures of their father going to the bathroom on the whiteboard (parts included).
3. Couples cuddling
4. Youth arguing for an hour and a half over the 3-minute skit they were to perform in church the next day.
5. Adults discussing a topic very loudly.
6. A couple that tied a scarf to their wrists and were walking around the room tied to each other.
7. Me sitting in a chair observing, laughing and being confused.
Sunday brought Father's Day and this church was in full force celebration! The service lasted 2 hours, but the sermon was only 15 minutes! Singing, skits, praying, more singing, special speakers, more skits, more praying, more singing, special music, and the list goes on. I loved it! The choir sang "It is Well" in Spanish! I sat with Kelly Hale. She is a missions director of a church in Kentucky and was visiting for the weekend to make a partnership between her church and Parque Apoquindo. Members from Parque Apoquindo are missionaries/pastors of a Hispanic church in Lexington, so Kelly was visiting with Pelusa, the mom. After church, I joined Kelly's host family (Pelusa's family) and Kelly for Father's Day lunch. We had empañadas, guacamole, shrimp risotto and cake! Monica, the sister, asked if I wanted to come to her house to make cupcakes. Monica works at her father's restaurant and sells her desserts to the restaurant. While wearing a chef's outfit, I made cupcakes, apple bread and rice pudding! It was right before I was to begin icing the cupcakes that Cotty called Monica. Five minutes later I found out I would be moving in with Monica and her family the following day!

Line for empañadas


The mountains get me every time


Snow snow snow!

¡CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE!
How ignorant was I to be worried that I was going to miss Chile's first World Cup game this morning because it was at 7:30 a.m. I woke around that time to yells coming from the other room and footsteps running down the hallway yelling "¿Que pasó, que pasó?" Cotty, and her nephew who stayed with us last night, were already in full game watching mode. The few moments before I could get my TOMS on (bc you do not leave the room without shoes on!) were filled with "¡Pásala...pásala! and ¡Un foul...un foul!" There are billboards on the side of the road that say "Get your LCD T.V.s before the World Cup," because apparently, the masses actually do go out and buy nicer T.V.s to watch El Mundial! About halfway through, the doctor of a nephew had to go to a seminar and leave the game. You would have thought his life was ending. Cotty brought out tea and food on a T.V. tray and we watched the rest of the game while having breakfast. Chile wins 1-0 over Honduras! CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE!
When I left to catch the bus for church at 10 a.m., the rest of Santiago had the same idea. The elevator was packed, the streets were full of children in uniforms and adults in suits running to their bus stops, the bus picked up twelve people at one stop instead of its normal two, and traffic was awful. Everyone had stayed home from work or school to watch the game and were now scrounging to get there! There were barely any students in the English class this morning and the few that did come were twenty minutes late. I love that the entire country stops what it's doing to watch a soccer game! The schools even allowed the students to watch the game at school. I can only hope that one day America will pick up this idea. It was a FUN morning to experience in Chile. My biggest problem is deciding whom to root for when Chile and Spain play each other next Friday. Suggestions? (Mom, I just used "whom." I hope it meets your grammar expectations.)
In other news, I found another bedroom and bathroom in the apartment last night that I had no clue existed. Make that a 4 bedroom 3 bath. Then, this morning, I found a second balcony. Tomorrow, I expect to find a gym hidden somewhere in the hallway...or maybe an ice cream parlor...or a skating rink.
Today actually brought probably the worst thing that I have faced since being in Chile. About 20 minutes ago, no I was not robbed, I had a plate of tomatoes, and celery and mushrooms set before like it was some kind of salad (3 things I can't stand = tomatoes, celery and mushrooms). There were three pieces of lettuce, so I guess that classifies it as a salad. Out of respect, I hate the entire plate. Scarring.

This is how I spent my morning!

K-A-T-E-L-Y-N

Last weekend I had the chance to attend a leadership retreat in a beach town north of Santiago called La Serena. By car, it is about 4 hours north and by bus it was 6-7 hours. Mark, Sarah, Jose and I took an overnight bus (very comfortable with reclining seats...see pic below) and arrived in the quaint little town around 6:30 a.m. just in time for a full day of really fast Spanish. The retreat consisted of Baptist leaders from all over the country and the goal was to discuss the identity of Chilean Baptists. I met some very nice people. The seminars were held in a medium sized room and they sat in school desks. The three of us snagged a seat on a couch in the back by the heater. I just kept thinking that I could never imagine the top Baptist leaders in the U.S. sitting in school desks all day. I was very impressed by their dedication to sit travel so far, sit through seminars all day long with only a 30 break, and then travel the next day. I can't say that I understood very much, but I did enjoy the singing...and the food, we had mashed potatoes!
During the afternoon session, Jose stole us away so we could see the beach and parts of the city. He's the best! Jose is the host dad of Mark and Sarah. He has become my new best friend. He's the cutest man and showed me his collection of pictures (family, vacations, everything!) for about 3 hours! His wife Alicia was also very nice and let me try Mate for the first time!
We slept in Cabanas, which were a change from my heated apartment and I ended up sleeping in gloves and shoes. Sarah and Mark were gracious enough to even give me the heater to put in my room, but I was still cold. I took a shower and had kind of a Cooper Peaty (I have NO idea how to spell that) experience. Only my parents will understand this reference. I'm glad I got to experience the conference and see a new part of Chile, but I must say it was nice to return to my oh so luxurious apartment!
I had lunch with two missionaries from the U.S. who are in their 10th and final year in Santiago. We made so many connections! I loved it! They lived in Spain and attended the same church I worked at two years ago. Her roommate from Baylor works at Truett. She knows Dr. Hall, who I know through Cara Jane. The list keeps going! The best part, besides the English, was the food....I absolutely love casseroles!
I taught Children's Church on Sunday. Un desastre! It went ok, but teaching children in another language is a whole different ballgame. I hope to improve my skills before next time. Well, I guess that's about all for now....wait, Chile plays it's first World Cup game tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.! Go Chile!


Things I've Learned:

Chilean prisoners are allowed to have cell phones.

There is a thing as too much bread. I didn't think I could ever get tired of bread, but yes, there comes a point when I might choose a vegetable over a loaf of bread. So depressing...

My new life calling is to be a bag of tea. Just think about what a wonderful job a teabag has. It's soul purpose is to float in a hot cup of water. They never get cold. A professional hot tub test, now I could do that.

Cell phones don't have a silent option? I'm sure they do, but it seems normal here for cell phones to go off all throughout meetings, and the people answer them!

My name will always be misspelled.

Waco is known for the Branch Dividians all the way in Chile! I've had several people ask me about it.

Santiago is good for the face!!! Either there's something in the water or my Accutane has decided to kick in 5 years late. Acne free here! My chin has NEVER looked so good!


My walk to and from the bus every day


Just like AZ. Mountains and a wash!


My apartment building


Trying maté for the first time...seriously looks illegal!


Luxury overnight bus! Comfy lean back recliners! Much better than an airplane...


Leadership Retreat in La Serena...80 leaders from all over Chile.


I've come to find out that the name "Katelyn" just might be the most difficult name to say in the Spanish language. I don't think it has been spelled right once. This time, for our name tags, we wrote down our names for them to copy in order to ensure success!!! Welp, maybe next time...


Our Cabanas


My new best friend Jose!


The four of us on the beach


Beach and Mountains. Can't get better than that! (Well, maybe if it were beach and mountains during warm weather)


The Chilean coast from the bus...this was the view for 6 hours!


Jose loves solo shots. I don't. He forced me to take one, so I tried to make it as awkward as possible without being disrespectful. Didn't come out as funny as I was hoping, but Mark and Sarah sure were laughing when I popped my foot back.

¡Los pobres y una gallina (a chicken)!

When I was little, Gobble took my cousin Jana and me to a petting zoo somewhere in Texas. At the end of the day, there were cute little baby chicks being sold for $1. To this day I remember how sad I was that I could not take one home since I was a city dweller (if Rosebud, TX can be considered a "city"). On the other hand, Gobble bought Jana a baby chick to take back to her home in the country. Every time I see a baby chick, I think about that day. Well, my day has arrived!!!! That's right, Saturday I received a chicken, yes a live chicken that is currently living in our fancy kitchen, as a gift for the gringa!!! More details and pics later in the post...
Cotty and I left the apartment at 7 a.m. on Saturday, picked up Maria Ester and her sister, and made the 3 hour trek to a small and very poor pueblo right outside the city of Molina. We met up with about 15 other members of the church (adults, teenagers, and kids) to deliver clothes and food to people who have had their lives destroyed by the earthquake. We also did construction on a "house."
To say that this pueblo had a lot of chickens is an understatement. Imagine yourself driving and having to slam on the breaks for a squirrel (for the Wacoans) or a prairie dog (Arizonans). Now imagine having to do that for chickens! While driving through this poor town made of dirt roads, I can't even begin to describe how many gallinas there were. They were literally EVERYWHERE!
First of all, let me introduce myself. Hi, I'm the gringita formerly known as Katelyn. Everybody stopped using my name yesterday and started introducing me as "the gringita" (gringa). Whatev...let me tell you about the people I met. First stop was the what used to be house of 86 year-old Rosa and her husband. Poor before the earthquake, their house completely collapsed during the tremors. The tile floor remains, so you can see where the house used to stand. They made a makeshift shack in which to store their surviving belongings and are currently sleeping in a tent provided by a U.S. Rotary Club (This is why she love gringos). Keep in mind it is a cold winter here right now, and their home is a tent. The government built the people who lost their homes a 6 x 3 meter wooden "home," but it leaks when it rains, making it useless. Poor Rosa cried several times while we were there but was willing to show us around her shack. When we arrived, she was literally plucking feathers off of a chicken, and later we were offered the same chicken to eat. Picture below! By the end of the day, the crew had built a completely new leak-proof roof, added insulation and plywood to the walls and cleaned up the enormous amount of pieces of the house that scattered everywhere. I was instructed to help install the insulation. After I had almost finished, I was told to be very careful because it was toxic and very dangerous to the eyes and nose. Yep, I had been breathing in fiberglass, so let's hope the warning wasn't too late. After that, I stuck to cleaning up the yard.

Arrived this this...a lady plucking feathers off of a chicken


Cute little Rosa


The tent they were sleeping in from the Rotary Club


This is the tiny house the govt rebuilt for them. Our team added insulation and built a new roof. If you look on the ground, you can still see the tile from where their house used to be and is no more. You can see pieces of their roof and walls all over the ground.


What used to be a church


Our second stop was to a family consisting of a grandmother, two parents, a little girl and an 8-month-old baby. We dropped off clothes, food and candy for the little girl. The cool thing is that this is not the first time that this church has come to help these people, so when we arrived, they already knew their names. This shows the people that it isn't a one-time situation, but that this church will be here to help until they get their lives back in order.
Our final stop was a single man living in a shack but to me it seemed more like a petting zoo. He's a farmer, so running wild on his property were 8 dogs, a cat, geese, a sheep and of course chickens. Most of these animals also made their way into his make-shift wooden shack at some point while we were there. He lost his mother, his sister, and another family member in the earthquake after the house fell on top of them. His father has been in the hospital since it happened on February 27.
The man and SOME of his dogs


This dogs teeth cracked me up!

After these stops, back to Rosa's house we went to finish up. Here is where the new pet chicken comes in! I've come to realize after many encounters that the poorest who have nothing to offer are the ones that offer everything they do have. While we were there, she offered soup, tea and a warm seat by the stove. She wanted to give us everything that she could because she was so grateful that we were there to help. She went to her chicken coop, tricked them by dropping corn to the ground, yanked her fattest chicken, and handed it to Cotty. We were to take it home as a present for the gringa. She wrapped it in a bag and in the back of the Jeep it rode all the way home. It now lives in a bag in the laundry room! I keep asking Cotty what we are going to do with it and she keeps saying she doesn't know. But every time we hear the thing make a sound, we start laughing our heads off. Maybe I should delete this post, PETA is probably on its way!

Luring my chicken


My chicken...in a bag...in our kitchen.



Things learned:

I will have a burned tongue for the next two months. Hot drinks hate my tongue.

Even if you hate celery, you will still eat it in a foreign country. Everyday.

When nobody is looking, a red light turns into a four way stop. Well, more like a 4- way yield.

Chilean Rolly Polly's are not the enchanting insect that attracts every child including myself. In this country they are almost a purple, fluorescent, translucent color. Much more creepy looking.

Chileans work from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and take work home with them. Some even work Saturday mornings. Yep, just like America, an 11-hour work day.

Cats are welcomed in seminary lectures. Yep, went to a lecture by Alan Culpepper at the seminary here and a cat was roaming in and out of the chairs and even up on stage. Some people laughed (the Americans) but most just petted it. What??

Hymns bring people together! The Spanish versions of At the Cross and How Great Thou Art came on the radio. Cotty sang in Spanish and I sang in English. Cool.

As of yesterday, my beloved pet chicken is dead, cut into pieces, and hanging out in the freezer. I guess I'll be eating him soon, but the trauma will require at least 2 days of mourning. I asked Cotty how she killed it and she won't tell me.

Chilean Flag...Texan Flag...?


Have you ever seen a stray dog like this??

An Episode of Destinos (Longest post ever)

Well, after a trip to Birmingham, a stop at urgent care, a fantastic wedding, a day of hectic packing, and a second stop at urgent care, I boarded my flight and successfully arrived in Santiago! So far, the best way I can describe it is to say that I feel like I am in an episode of Destinos. Any day now I'm waiting to see Raquel and Arturo pass me on the street in a desperate search for Don Fernando's family secrets. I didn't realize how much pressure comes with writing a blog. Since I'm the funniest person that most of you know, I feel like this blog needs to be hilarious. It's a blessing and a curse. So, if it gets boring, feel free to scroll down to the pics. I won't be offended!

This "misionera" as they call me is living the good life. I am staying in an apartment that is nicer than my home in Waco, maybe Tucson for that matter. It's a 7th story, 2 bedroom 2 bath located in a very nice neighborhood of Santiago called Vitacura. It's decorated like something out of a magazine and has a beautiful view of the Andes Mountains. Santiago is beautiful! The snow-capped Andes lie to the East and are always in the backdrop of the city while trees line every street. It's the end of fall here so the leaves are beginning to drop, but there are still yellow, green, orange and red hues all over the city. I don't know if I've ever actually seen a "fall" in real life! And don't forget the rows of palm trees that line the medians! I think my favorite thing about the city so far is the trees! Did I mention that I see these trees while driving in one of Cotty's two cars...an Audi. Yep, missions has never felt so comfortable.

Cotty (short for Carmen) is a member of the church who has allowed for me to stay with her this summer...well, this winter. The first day she told me her life motto is "I live to serve Jesus, and when I am too old to serve Him, then I told Him that He can take me away." She founded an organization of hermanas that goes around to hospitals all over Chile to help with "spiritual needs." She actually arrived to Santiago after me on Tuesday because she was in the south helping with the earthquake areas. All this to say, I've got a pretty incredible hostess. Her first sentence to me was "Soy tu MAMA por los proximos dos meses." I am your MAMA for the next two months!

The church, Iglesia Bautista Parque Apoquindo, is located in the next municipality, Las Condes, which is also a very nice area. (Often referred to as Sanhattan). It's a cute little church and the people are wonderful. I met with the leadership team and as of now, it looks like I will be leading Children's church twice a month, helping with the youth and college group, teaching English, and whatever else comes up. My mentor Bobby is the interim pastor of the church. He was raised in Santiago by his parents who were American missionaries, and he attended seminary in the states. During the week he is the principal of a prestigious school in the area. I met one of the ladies who teaches the English classes at the church, and come to find out, she went to Baylor! I haven't done too much with the church this week since I've mainly been trying to get acquainted with the city and Chilean life. Work should begin next week. Well, actually tomorrow....hard work!

Earthquake: Tomorrow, Cotty, Maria-Ester and myself will travel 3 hours south (where it is freeeeezing) to help with earthquake affected areas. I'm not sure exactly what we will be doing, but I know it will be cold. I'm super excited to be going and it can't be as cold as China! We return tomorrow night so I'll have so much to post about! One thing I do know is that the Chilean earthquake has not gotten nearly as much attention as should be expected. Southern cities were destroyed and there are hundreds of churches that have to be rebuilt. Even parts of Cotty's house have damage from the "terremoto" which shows how vast the affected area is. I have heard there is A LOT of work to be done!

The Things I've learned:

I will one day produce Chilean twins. I met 3 of Cotty's 7 grandchildren today and there were 2 year-old twin boys. I need a pair.

I feel underdressed in jeans. Everybody in this area dresses so nicely.

Beyonce sings in Spanish. I just heard "Si yo fuera un chico" (If I were a boy).

Gas stations are not self serve. A delightful man in a green and red jumpsuit pumps your gas and changes your oil if need be, and if you're lucky he'll sing to you while doing so. We were lucky.

Stray dogs are all over the place in Chile. Even in the malls, but the humane society will cause a ruckus if someone tries to kick them out. While I was taking pictures of the church, I ran into 3 stray dogs in about 5 minutes. (The weird thing is that they don't look like the stray dogs in the U.S. They aren't mutts. They look like thoroughbreds.)

Dogs not only wear coats, they wear scarves!

Chilean meals: Bread for breakfast, a semi-large lunch, bread for dinner. I'm having pasta withdrawals.

Mayonnaise: Cotty just had me put mayonnaise in my rice. Huh? But if you know me well, I could survive off mayonnaise alone. No problem here!

At the mall I discovered an invention that I will be bringing back to the states. The parking garages have small motion sensor lights above each parking space. So at the end of a row, you can look down and see if all the spots are taken. All red lights means each spot is full, but if you see any green lights then you know that spot is open. I mean, seriously, brilliant.

Stop signs means yield and braking means slamming on the brakes.

It is illegal to honk in Santiago unless it is to warn of an accident. If the police catch you honking for any other reason, you get fined.

Bible studies are conducted in Antarctica. Raquel has visited Antarctica in order to conduct Bible studies on the military bases there. This information blew my mind.

Chileans don't take their shoes off in the house. Oops.


If you're interested in the details of my days, keep reading. If not, then go to the pictures! (I would choose option 2)

Day 1
Bobby picked me up from the airport at 8 a.m. and drove me to my new home where we met Maria-Ester. (She is kind of like the church secretary. Her husband was the pastor in the 90s and then died in a car accident, but she has continued to work had for the church) After showering, Maria- Ester took me to get a cell phone but not without stopping in a cafe for hot tea and a slice of apple pie. Then we went to a restaurant where helps out during the lunch hour and I sat there for 3 hours, but don't worry, I had INTERNET. If I have learned anything thus far, it is that I am addicted to constant communication and cannot function without it. The restaurant owner (a church member) and her father fed me a great meal of chicken and french fries. We were then picked up by Maria Ester's friend. Why? Because while she was showing me around, she sprained her ankle on the metro stairs, and I can't say I didn't feel somewhat responsible. They dropped me off at the church and I finally got to meet Cotty. I met with the church leadership team to discuss some ideas for the summer. Graciously, they tried to speak somewhat slowly, in which case I can understand almost everything, but when they start into rapid Chilean Spanish, I'm lucky to catch a few words. By the end of this day, it's an understatement to say I was exhausted.

Day 2
Wednesday brought a day of much needed rest. Until the prayer service at 8pm, Cotty and I stayed around the house. I read some books and we took a nap cause we were tired from doing nothing all day. We went to the prayer service where they prayed for an hour and a half and the kid next to me feel asleep. Praying might be the most difficult grammatical task to conquer in a different language. The subjunctive is in full swing!


Day 3
Thursday brought the INTERNET. After breakfast with Cotty, I received a life changing call from Verizon and we were able to fix my blackberry, which had not been working since I arrived. Then, Cotty drove me to meet with Raquel (president of Chilean Baptists and vice president of the Baptist World Alliance) and Mark and Sarah (a couple from Macaphee Seminary who are also here this summer). We toured her office building and then she took us to a very nice mall where we had some very nice steak and my first Chilean empanadas! Then, gracias a Dios, she helped me buy an Internet stick that gives me Wifi on my computer everywhere I go! A dream come true for the summer! She drove us downtown and I was able to see the main plaza, which includes the cathedral and the government buildings.

Day 4
Went up to the church this morning, went to the mall again to buy some gloves for tomorrow, took a nap, got the car ready for the drive to Molina tomorrow, and now here I sit writing this blog in the 7th story living room watching a soccer game on the field below with the Andes in the background. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh. I just looked up from my computer to a man in the window! Good afternoon window washer! Stopped by Cotty's sons house and it's nicer than any apartment I've been in in the U.S. 22nd story, beautifully decorated and a view of the entire city of Santiago. Going to bed early for an early start tomorrow.

Chilean Twins!



Raquel!



Gladys and Fernando. He's my favorite! I'm going to ask him to be my Chilean boyfriend!



The church!



Road in front of the church with the Andes





Cotty y Maria Ester



Brilliant Parking Lights



Apartment Pictures!







My view from the living room!





My quaint little room