Well since I last wrote we have covered hundreds of miles down the south of Chile, through the west and south of Argentina and starting to head north again to Santiago, Chile! We left the vehicles in Santiago and so have been using buses and ferries for this part of our journey which I have loved...and has been the first time for some of my team members to experience using public transport!
One of my favourite parts of this last few weeks has been in Punta Arenas, Chile. We felt as a team that we were meant to go there but had no specific contacts or work organised...so we were unsure how it was all going to work out. When we got to the bus station on Saturday, me and a couple of other girls took the initiative to look for a hostel or two for the team (there are currently 21 of us!)...using the Lonely Planet guide we found the street with the cheap hostels, prayed that God would help us find the right hostel and started knocking on doors!
After feeling like Joseph knocking on the doors when Mary was about to give birth to Jesus, we found the cheapest hostel and one that could accomodate all of us. The next day one of our team, Taylor heard music coming from the building across the road and realised that it was a church so he went to visit. They were so impressed that a random gringo had turned up that they gave him the opportunity to speak and took up an offering for him (and he had just run out of money!)
When the church heard that Taylor was part of a group of missionaries the church said the team must move from the hostel to be with families from the church as they were so excited to meet us! So by the Monday the team had been split up into smaller groups and we had been taken into local homes and fed and watered all for free! The Mum of my house was celebrating her 50th birthday the day we arrived so we got to eat like royalty and try various local beverages! What a gift and such an incredible example of true hospitality.
So we spent the rest of the week working in partnership with this Gracia y Paz church. One afternoon we went out on the streets to meet and pray for people. I spent time with Claudia, a lady who was homeless and had clearly been ostracised by the some of the community. We finished our time praying together and giving my gloves to her as her hands were very cold. It was a privileged time.
After being in Punta Arenas we went to Ushuaia, the southernmost city of South America and so technically the end of the world! Again we worked with local churches and a Youth with a Mission base so we were kept busy. I got to speak on how my childhood experiences helped prepare me for this adventure and we prayed for lots of people too. We were very grateful that volunteers from the churches took us on a hike to see a glacier (I ended up sliding down on my back side due to the ice!!) and took us to parts of the Tierra del Fuego national park including the very most southern tip during our rest time. The scenery was simply stunning.
During this last few weeks I have been reminded of God`s faithfulness, generosity and creativity. We have seen snow capped mountains, dolphins swimming and sea lions to name but a few as well as being well and truly cared for by groups of people who have welcomed us as strangers into their homes. The adventure of a lifetime continues.........
