Chilean Time

Chilean time is not the same as American time.  In America, we have lots of things we're always trying to get to (soccer practice, church, school, etc.).  And it's important to be on time, or at least as on time as possible.  In Chile they know how to chill.  In Chile, you try to get there reasonably on time, but you get there when you get there and it's all good.  Being reasonably on time is arriving within 30 min. of when you said you would.

We arrived at church today on Chilean time.  We were trying to get there by 9:30 a.m., as that's when church starts at Iglesia de Cristo Metropolitana.  Our friend Marco, the head of one of the missionary organizations here in Chile, had invited us to join him at his church.  The service is in Spanish, he explained, but a lot of missionaries go there and we would be welcome to come, he had said.  So we went.  We arrived probably at about 9:35 a.m. and were the first ones there!  A 9:30 a.m. service in Chile is probably like a 7:30/8:00 a.m. service in the US - very early!  Being the first ones there ended up being great, though.  We were warmly greeted by a couple of ushers at the door.  As we stepped inside one of the boys asked a question and so we were talking to each other in English a little.  A man heard it, came over and started speaking to us in English.

He explained that he went to college in the US, met his wife there and that they had moved to Chile to be missionaries here.  He builds skate parks in bad areas of town and loves and ministers to the kids that go there (if I understood him correctly).  He has three kids, and introduced his older daughter to us when she came.  He explained that there is a Sunday school the kids can go to once the singing is done.  He explained that his daughter speaks English, and that she could help our boys get settled in.  Then the head of the Sunday school came over, and she spoke a little English to us too and said she was excited the boys were there and would come to Sunday school with them.  A look of terror came across Noah, Griff and Wil's eyes.  So I did what any good mother would do - bribed them.  I pulled them aside and said, "Ok guys, if you go to Sunday school with these very nice and kind people, we'll go get a WHOLE doughnut for each of you after church!"  They went.

Two things about this church were exceptional.  One was how friendly, warm and welcoming everyone was.  The other was how loud people sang.  The worship time was fantastic, great band.  They sang a lot of stuff that's on American Christian radio (like KLOVE), but in Spanish though at least with the words on the screen up front.  At this very early service, only about 30 people were there, but I tell you what...they sang with more heart than some services we've been at where there are 500 people.  When it was time for the sermon the kids went off - they were very courageous!  The worship leader was the kind man that talked to us before the service, and he announced that we were there as visitors and were serving in La Pintana.  People clapped and smiled at us, they were so sweet.  Greg and I listened as hard as we could to the 40 min. sermon, but unfortunately have no idea what the topic even was.  After the service we were so warmly greeted.  At least 4-5 families came to talk to us in English and learn more about what we're doing and if they could help.  One man gave us his phone number and said to call him if we needed anything at all ("really, anything at all!" he had said).  A few other people came and said things in Spanish like "have a good week," "welcome," and "we hope you come back."  

After church we went straight to one of the many bakeries in our neighborhood.  The kids were pretty excited about getting a whole treat to themselves - whew, these bakeries are so amazing.  I will take a picture sometime to show you one of them.  After our daily run to the grocery store and lunch we decided to go to one of the city's big parks, Parque O'Higgins.  The kids had a lot of fun there, it was a nice park.

We cooked up some local fish from the grocery store tonight, it was really good.  We always sing an "Awana" type song after dinner and before dessert.  In this picture we're singing "Happy Day."

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your prayers.  One of you e-mailed us and said it would be neat to get an update each day on how you can be praying for us.  Our biggest prayer request for this coming week is that we'd be able to do kids' church at Hogar this Thursday (last Thursday the director cancelled it).  Also pray that we'd be able to still go be with the girls at Hogar even during their upcoming two-week winter break.  We're able to come and go freely where the older girls are at Casa Esperanza, but since the director at Hogar only speaks Spanish we aren't able to communicate with him directly and things always feel a little up in the air in terms of what we'll be able to do there next.  Thanks guys!