Life in Chile is Baked Fresh Daily

Baked Fresh Daily

Chileans love bread. In fact, Chile ranks as the second highest country in the world for bread consumption. There are bakeries everywhere, and grocery stores have a huge section devoted to every type of bread imaginable—different shapes, sizes and textures, and they all have different names. Every day at the table, we have bread from the store and it always tastes delicious! I can always tell when the bread was just purchased fresh that same day, or if it is leftover pieces from the day before. There is no mistaking the difference between the fresh pieces and the day or two old pieces. In this sense, it is best when my host family buys just enough bread for one day, because after that first day it does not taste as good.

I have never before experienced a season in life in which I have had to rely on God more than during this time in Chile. In Matthew 6:11, Jesus says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” I have heard this verse from the Lord’s prayer hundreds of times growing up, and I understood with my head the concept of resting in the daily portion that God gives, but now I understand this with my heart. Because here in Chile, there are so many interactions and activities every day that take me outside of my comfort zone. Even simple things such as speaking in a different language and trying to navigate my way around Viña and Valpo have been daunting, especially when I first arrived. I have been learning through this that all I can really do is take one minute at a time and not worry about the next one, much less the next day! God is teaching me that He gives me just what I need for today, my “daily bread.” He is enough for me, and I am learning that when I am able to give my worries for the coming days over to Him, He floods me with peace and gives me just what I need for every moment. My prayer has become a petition for nothing more than what I need for this day—just enough faith, confidence, discretion, and words for this moment, nothing more.

It is impossible for me to be prepared for every incident that comes my way, all I can really do is take things as they come and have faith that God is at work and will give me what I need. I am realizing that I learn and grow the most when I am outside of my comfort zone, and am forced to simply trust the Lord moment by moment. Just like the daily bread I eat with my host family that tastes best the same day it has been baked, my daily portion from the Lord is put to its best use when I am fulfilled by the Lord for that moment rather than looking ahead and worrying about the upcoming days.

Lisa Crayne, California Baptist University, Veritas  in Chile 2013

Life-change from London to Berlin

          It is absolutely incredible how fast time has flown. It feels like yesterday I stepped off the plane to embrace this new adventure in London. Now, as I reflect back on all of my experiences this semester, the ones that stick out are the opportunities God gave me to be a part of His ministry. Several of the girls studying at Roehampton became involved with Connect UK,  a student church that meets in Kingston-Upon-Thames. I had opportunities to lead worship, teach a Bible lesson, and build wonderful friendships. I received great discipleship and mentoring from the Goodmans, a missionary couple with the IMB that lead the ministry. I am so thankful to have been a part of this ministry that reaches out to students at Kingston University and shares the love of Jesus and the Gospel message with them. Many non-Christians attend the weekly service, which led to great conversations and discussions. The time I spent with the Kingston youth will always be a highlight of my time in London. Helping set up for the service and tearing down after was a great time of serving alongside fellow Christians here in Britain. Being a part of this ministry transformed my way of viewing Christians from other countries. God’s Spirit is moving powerfully in the lives of many people here as they pray for revival in this country.

While I was there, we saw at least one student come to Christ, which was such a wonderful experience! Many others have taken first steps and have become more open to the Spirit’s call on their lives.

Photo by Nicole S. Veritas Student in London

Another impacting ministry experience came unexpectedly to me while I was on holiday (vacation), traveling around Europe. I stopped to visit my family in Berlin, who have been missionaries there for the past ten years. My aunt organizes a ministry called Alabaster Jar, which ministers to prostitutes on the streets of Berlin. Prostitution is legal in Germany and most of the women are victims of human trafficking from neighboring counties. The night we arrived, she invited my friend and I to go out on the streets with her and prayer-walk behind the team. We also made coffee mugs with ‘John 3:16’ written in different languages (either Hungarian, Polish, or Romanian) to give to the women. My aunt runs a lovely café that provides the women a place to rest and free food and coffee/tea. The other half of the ministry team goes to the streets and brings the women coffee/tea and biscuits, as well as Christian literature in their native language. They have built up relationships with most of the women, and all of them look forward to a visit from the “Angels with Baskets” on the cold winter streets at night. We walked those streets for several hours, praying as the team witnessed, laughed, and shared with the prostitutes. I was overwhelmed as I caught glimpses of the despair on their faces. I began to question the direction my life is taking. Can I really just sit back with a comfy teaching job while people are suffering like this? I was moved to compassion as I was able to talk and laugh with some of the women in the café.

I will never forget one of the women I met, she was older than most of the others, probably in her forties. She loved having her picture taken so we took lots of pictures together and she showed them off to everyone else. She had such a wonderful smile on her face, which made me realize that these women are not hopeless, they can still find happiness in Jesus Christ and His saving grace. I was forever changed by my experience that night and I thank God for giving me so many opportunities to be a part of His ministry here on earth.

Nicole S., Palm Beach Atlantic University, Veritas in London 2013

Football Frenzy!

It is always an adventure in London! Each day seems to be filled with one amazing experience after another and yesterday was no exception! A few friends and I had planned to spend the afternoon checking out Greenwich Market.  We heard that there were a lot of cool places there that offered some unique items.

We never quite made it to the market.  When we got off the Tube we found that Delta Airlines had set up a booth outside of the station and was holding a football (American soccer) competition.  It turns out that Delta had been holding a football shootout challenge for the past three days.  The teams were compiled of businessmen and women from the nearby office buildings.  For the most part it was only local businesspeople watching in the small crowd that formed around the shootout.  We thought it was just a promotional event with games so we kept walking.  Much to our surprise, one of the security men stopped us to tell us that some players from the Chelsea Football Club were coming to watch the final competition and would be staying around to take photos and sign autographs after.  What perfect timing!!! We waited around for twenty minutes and watched the shootout and then got to see the players! We got autographed photos from Paulo Ferreira, Ross Turnbull, and Ryan Bertrand.  I was even able to take a quick snapshot with Ryan!  What I thought was going to be a simple shopping trip turned into meeting footballers from one of the greatest teams in the world!

There’s never a dull day in Londontown!

Lisa Valentine, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Veritas in London Spring 2013

My Home is Heaven–No Culture Shock

While researching about others’ study abroad experiences in my preparation time before coming to Chile, I thought some of the aspects of “culture shock” I read were absurd. One in particular said that at some point, you might even resent your home country for being the way that it is. I didn’t understand that AT ALL before my trip…but now I understand it perfectly.

It isn’t to say that I resent the United States. Obviously it is my home, and my ethnicity and identity are both rooted in that culture. However, Chile is becoming my home as well. At this point I have begun understanding and adjusting to the people, the food, the climate, the language. There are still struggles, but overall I feel pretty “at home” here in Valparaíso. Then I remember that I have to leave in 80 days. 80 days is all I have left here in my new home, and that literally hurts my heart. How can you open yourself up fully to a completely different lifestyle, become accustomed to it, make new friends and family, and then have to go back to the States? To be honest, I never want to leave.

One main reason why I dread the thought of going back “home” is because I know the problems I will face when I get back. Americans are so comfortable in their lifestyles, in their luxury, in their churches, and in their sin. The body of Christ in Latin America is alive and well, and the people here are allowing the Spirit to move in and through them. This flows into all aspects of their lives. Upon arrival, I found the Chilean concept of time very odd: they were always late. To EVERYTHING. But then I found out why. It’s nothing that they can explain to you, but I have learned that they culturally believe in finishing what they start. They believe in being there for your friends and family. They believe in spending quality time with one another and investing in other’s lives. And THIS, my friends, is an example of how they allow the Spirit to do its work: by not rushing things.

I found another demonstration of the movement of the Spirit simply in making friends with Chileans who are my age and spending time with them. I have known these people for a month now, and in this one month I can already say without a doubt in my mind that they love Jesus with their whole entire being. They walk in Christ’s freedom in a way I have never known. In America when we think of Christianity, we think of going to church, reading our Bibles, praying, and trying to avoid sin. (Of course, I am generalizing, but I think it holds true for the typical American Christian.) But Christ came to bring FREEDOM from the law. He came to bring FREEDOM for the captives. Galatians 5:1 says “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” We aren’t slaves to “don’t do this, don’t do that, avoid this, and then you’re a good Christian.” WE ARE FREE IN CHRIST. And I feel like the comfort that we have in America dampens our view of freedom. We are “land of the free” but yet Christians in the States are the furthest thing from free. We live as slaves to a routine and a calendar. This brings me back to my statement about how the concept of time is different here. Chileans aren’t rushed to the next activity or task. They allow time to spend with family and friends and literally NEVER look at their watches. This gives room for the Spirit to move, which in turn multiplies the fruit of the Spirit that is produced. They walk in freedom, experience freedom, and I believe have a fuller life in Christ because of it.

Therefore, when I think about leaving in 80 days, I get really sad. I am learning SO much here, and have made some great friends in the past month. But then, the Lord reminds me of something else. It doesn’t matter where I am on this earth, because this place is not my home. James 4:14 says “why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” And thinking about that makes me long for my true Home I’ve yet to know, but where those who are born again in Christ will reside with each other forever, worshiping our incredible Jesus. From every tribe, tongue, and nation. And I’ll be homesick for that place until the day that I die.

Marissa Morgan,  Veritas in Chile Spring 2013

Learning a New Language in Chile: Los Chilenismos

Going to Chile, I felt decently comfortable in my grasp of the Spanish language. I knew I didn’t know everything, but I figured I could hold my own. However, once I finally made it to Chile, I realized I had a lot more to learn.

Chileans don’t speak Spanish. I mean, they do. But also they don’t. It seems like everything here has a different word than what I learned in my multiple years of Spanish class in the U.S.! When I ask for clarification, I often get “es un chilenismo,” meaning it is a local term that only Chileans use.

Some Examples:
Palta: Avocado (instead of Aguacate)
Choclo: Corn (instead of Maiz)
Al Tiro: Right Away
Cachaí?: Do you understand?/get it?
Fome: Boring
Pololo(a): Boy/girlfriend

Another surprise I had: Chileans don’t enunciate. Basically they remove consonants from their words and smooth them all together. So instead of words, all my inexperienced ears hear is a jumbled mess of vowels. Add my past history with theatre, and I get a little frustrated. Enunciation was drilled into my head from the first time I went on stage. You need to make sure your audience understands you. I don’t think that Chileans were taught the same lesson. So when talking to Chileans I’ve learned to pay attention and ask for clarification or for a slower talking speed. Chileans might be slow walkers, but they sure make up for the lost time in talking speed!

Jean Rust, Wichita State University, Veritas in Chile 2013

¡Feliz Pascua de Resurrección from Chile! (Happy Easter!)

Despite the many cultural differences I have experienced thus far during my time abroad, one comfort that has resonated with me the most is the automatic link I have with Chileans who have a relationship with the Lord. Even though we may not be able to understand one another perfectly, we have a common bond in our love for God. It has been an incredible experience to raise my voice to worship the same Holy God in a different language. This uniting faith was particularly highlighted for me this past weekend with the celebration of Easter here in Chile.

For me, the most memorable part of the Easter weekend was an evangelism outreach activity with a local church on Friday. I must admit I had a lot of nervousness and apprehension about even being a part of this activity. I really was not sure what we would be doing to evangelize but I am not very confident or practiced in my Spanish and felt like I probably wouldn’t even be able to say anything that would make sense anyway. However, despite my misgivings, God had other plans and made sure I went. We met as a church at a beach pier and split up into small groups. I joined up with two of my ISA friends, and we took a deep breath—we were three little American gringas, nervous to share the gospel in a foreign language to complete strangers. But by God’s grace, we readied some key phrases in Spanish, and began to approach people with the question, “Personalmente para ti, cual es el significa sobre Semana Santa?” (Personally for you, what is the meaning of Easter?). Some people didn’t want to stop and talk to us, but for the most part, people were willing to share their opinions and beliefs. I couldn’t always understand people’s responses, but thankfully the other girls I was with knew more Spanish than I, and God allowed me to understand just enough to respond with a few phrases about Jesus’ death and resurrection, and God’s desire for a personal relationship with them. Although nothing earthshattering happened during our conversations with Chileans, I felt the presence of God with me and the joy that came with planting seeds of truth. It was an incredible experience that I will not soon forget.

I was also able to experience some family traditions that accompany Pascua here in Chile. On Saturday, my host family had an asado—a Chilean barbeque. Filled with family and food (mostly delicious grilled meat) the day was also a celebration for my host mom’s birthday. I talked to my family about some other Easter traditions such as attending church and having Easter egg hunts. In Chile, parents hide chocolate eggs for their children to hunt for, rather than the plastic ones traditionally used in the States. As a chocolate lover, I was excited to reap the benefits of this tradition. J

Since Catholicism is prevalent in Chile, I also witnessed some interesting religious practices leading up to the Easter weekend. Walking in front of a Catholic church, the sidewalks were lined with vendors selling flowers and baskets woven from palm branches on Palm Sunday. Also, people in and around the church were carrying large palm branches that had been blessed in order to bring good luck for the following year. Another Catholic Easter tradition here is to go on a certain walk on Good Friday, putting oneself in the shoes of Christ as he carried the cross to Golgatha.

All in all, I loved being united with other Christian Chileans celebrating our risen Savior, as well as being a part of and learning about various traditions that surround Semana Santa.

Lisa Crayne, California Baptist University, Veritas in Chile 2013

Observations in Oxford while Living in London

This past weekend I took the train from London to Oxford.  I am taking an English Literature course this semester that requires the class to read a variety of books by British authors and then take trips to literary sites that accompany the books.  Throughout the semester we have visited a variety of authors’ homes as well as the settings of many of the books that we have read.  When we studied poetry we visited John Keats’ house, went to Canterbury when we read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and even went on a literary walking tour around London that took us to a variety of the literary landmarks of history.

Before heading to Oxford, we read all seven books in C.S. Lewis’, The Chronicles of Narnia as well as the first book of the Harry Potter series.  My class was meeting on Saturday to go on a tour of to C.S. Lewis’ house and discuss his books there.  A few of my friends and I decided to go a day early and explore Oxford.  We found a free walking tour to go on so that we could see all of the sights of the city.  We joined a group of German tourists on a tour around the city with a very eccentric tour guide, who told us stories about the history of the city as well as stories from his own life that he found amusing.  He definitely had some funny stories and it was one of the most “unique” tours that I have been on so far, to say the least.  During the tour we saw sites such as the Radcliffe Camera, Christ Church, and various locations that inspired the Narnia books.  We were also able to see where some of the scenes of Harry Potter were filmed!

On my second day in Oxford, I went on a tour of The Kilns, which was C.S. Lewis’ house.  It was by far one of my favorite places in England and I encourage you to go I you are ever in the neighborhood.  Most famous houses that I have visited so far have felt like museums, but Lewis’ really felt like a home…. because it still is! I was quite surprised to find out that two scholars actually live there and give tours while they are studying and teaching at Oxford.  After talking to the man who gave us a tour I came to discover that he was actually the professor of one of my friends who studied at Oxford for a semester last year! It really is a small world! After the tour, my class was able to have tea in Lewis’ house and discuss literature.  It was such a cool experience because it was the same thing that Lewis, Tolkien, and their friends used to do in that house.  It is moments like these that show me that people of the past really are not that different from you and me today.  One of my favorite parts of studying abroad would have to be this type of experiential learning, in which I read literature or study history but I also get to experience it on my own.  It is such an amazing way to learn and really allows me to get the most out of my semester abroad!

Lisa Valentine, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Veritas London 2013