Safe in Santiago, Chile

Hello,
i arrived in Santiago safely after a near miss to connect with my internatl flight. Good thing i am in shape and can run with luggage, which is what i had to do at LAX......but what Really made the difference was the the woman at the check in counter for Frontier who checked my bags all the way to Chile even though they didn´t have an agreement with LAN to do so...I would have never made my conncetion if she wouldn´g have done this....what a HUGE blessing she was. Initally she sent my luggage to another airport, but called the "baggage employees" to try and get them to find my bags and get them going to the right place... .....When i left she told me that she really didn´t know where my luggage would go.....I was so thankful to have made my flight compared to not knowing if my luggage would be there...but Praise God, it was there!!!
I came a week before my mission training starts because i sm spending this first week with my friend Yanet, another missionary I lived with at the YWAM mission base in UY. She is here visiting her family for the holidays. God is so wonderful to have allowed this!
I am in TOTAL immersion once again...as she doesn´t speak a lick of English, and I had a VERY tired brain when i went to bed after the long day of travel, and visiting with her family of 7.
Thanks sooo much for your prayers!
Will update once I am settled in at the mission base in Pichilemu.
Holly

On my way to Chile Today-Dec. 27th

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

I can't believe how quickly the past 5 months that I have been back has flown by. It has been so great however, and I do love the area and my "family" here in Boulder! And now, its time to start my blog again.

Ileave today.....to the airport in in 3 1/2 hours, for So. America with no sure return date. God was so clear about me doing this that I just know He will direct my next steps after the school. I'm still up..."putsing", instead of going to bed. .....I think its because I won't be coming back to this home ever again....there is a true finality to leaving. Anyway, I just painted my toenails as I will heading to summer climate. Some of you may be jealous about that..... I leave Denver at 8:50 a.m. and then connect with my international flight in Los Angeles at noon. I fly all night and arrive in Santiago at 6:15 the next day, after a stop in Lima Peru...I ask people to pinch me at times to make sure this is all really happening.
I am praying there are no delays just getting to L.A. as I don't have much time to get to where I need to go.
I Am so excited for this journey .....God impressed on me so strongly to return and do this, so....here I go! He is so faithful, so its easy to go. There are so many in need in every part of the world. How privaleged I am to be doing this.
This is my first time to Chile, and I am so blessed to get to start off my time in South America with my dear friend Yanet, a missionary I lived with for 3 months on the YWAM base in Uruguay last Spring. She is visiting her family and invited me. I will get to see some of Santiago before heading South to Pichilemu, where the YWAM base where I will for the 1st 3 months of school.
Thank sooo many of you who have encouraged me through words, prayers and financial support. Its quite humbling to have to raise support, but thats the mission life, and I know He will provide. Its been great seeing so many of you or at least visiting on the phone.
I begin the Discipleship Training school on Jan. 6th and will graduate from the school on the 10th of June. I'll do my best to bring you along with me when I can through this blog. Please keep me in your prayers.
ADIOS mis amigos!!!!
Goodbye United States until???????
Love,
Holly

Stay Tuned!

News from Holly regarding her next mission coming soon...

Holly is preparing for HIS next mission for her!

HELLO FROM BOULDER, COLORADO!!!!

I have been back in Boulder for not quite 4 months now, and want to thank sooo many of you for your prayers and financial support of my last mission trip to Uruguay. YOU ARE THE SHOULDERS I STAND ON TO BE ABLE TO SERVE...THANK YOU!!!! I was able to serve in many ways, but I think the biggest change was in me....God has a way of doing that doesn't He?

If you followed my last blog, you know that I "ended up" at the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base in Montevideo, UY last Spring. (part of God's plan from the beginning of course). God impressed upon me during that time to attend a Discipleship Training School...and so... that is what I am going to do.

I have spent most of my time while being back getting things in order to go again, and working as a nurse again part-time at the Health Center at Colorado Univ. I have been limited in my free time to catch up with so many of you because of this.

At the end of Decembember, 2009 I will be heading back to South America to Pichilemu, Chile which is approx.3 ½ hours south of Santiago. I am going for a discipleship training school (DTS) with YWAM, at a bilingual mission base there. My initial 12 weeks will be mostly classroom training, and then I will spend just over 12 weeks doing outreach in Venezuela, Ecuador or some other town in Chile.

I see myself using this training wherever God leads me to live, or whatever He leads me to do after DTS. I believe that wherever I am is a “mission field”, and by knowing and having experienced time evangelizing, I will be more comfortable and willing to share wherever I am. It seems like God is possible calling me into full-time missions, so I think that this school will be very valuable to me in many ways….including being immersed in Spanish. Several years ago, God instilled a passion in me for the Spanish speaking peoples and I have been studying and trying to learn the language since then.


The following is from a YWAM web-site, describing the Discipleship Training School:
”The DTS is designed to encourage students to develop in personal character, to cultivate a living relationship with God, and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings in God. Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout these courses, preparing the students to reach current and future generations and answer the call to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19”.

There is the possiblitly that I may return to Uruguay after Chile to serve some at the YWAM base there, and also return to the orphanage I formed relationships with for a time after my time in Chile. I do not have any specific time I will be returning at this point but it will be a minimum of 8 months. I am trying to “tie up” any loose ends here so I may be available to obey His call whatever it may be...for whatever length of time.

Please pray for me as I am trying to raise funds to be obedient to His calling me for missions, and also that I can keep getting needed things done before I go.

If you would like me to remove you from receiving my blog information, please e-mail me at Tompkins_holly@yahoo.com, and I will take your name off my list.

If you would like to help support me financially, you can make a tax deductible contribution to: (please don't put my name on memo line of your check. Write in mission work/training if you like to have something on the memo)
Presbyterian Foundation of Boulder
P.O. Box 270457
Louisville, CO 80027

THANK YOU ALL so much for the encouragement, the interest, the prayers, and the financial support so I can be some of the hands and feet for God while I am here.
Holly

final mission blog

meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 9">

Hello my faithful friends,

It is time for my ultimate blog from THIS mission journey....but if I'm hearing God's voice correctly, there will be more for me.

The past 8 months has gone so fast in so many ways, yet slow in others……I find myself asking?, “Have I really been in South America for 8 months?”. I truly have loved the people here in Uruguay, and have seen some of the needs here; as in many other places in the world where I have been. So many needs……just the basics at times. Most of all however, a Country as a whole who has never heard about Jesus. Uruguay is one of the most, if not the most secular Countries in the world.

God has used my time here to show Himself to me, and reveal things in my heart in ways I never expected, but needed. Really, He loves us too much to leave us the way we are..and I am so thankful for that kind of love.

Attached are some photos of the final outreach I was part of with the mission base of Jucum where I lived my last 3 months here. We were allowed to go into the port where huge fishing boats, and tourist cruise ships (during summer months) come …..We shared the Gospel through dance, drama and a message….I shared it in English, and of course it was also shared in Spanish. There were people from 10 different countries who came to listen and watch.

I am now back for a few final days at the farm where I started and have received encouragement from. I will be doing some travelling for 2 weeks with a friend from Sweeden who also came to the farm. I will be heading back to Boulder, Co. on the 15th of July.

Thanks to so many of you who kept in touch with me. I have been so blessed from your messages, prayers, and love....and I hope you have been blessed through my journey.

final weeks

Hello,
I have the opportunity to do a quick update. I will have one more week here at the mission base for JuCum, and then will return to the farm for a couple days, ending my time of missions here in South America.
The above pics are from last weekend. I took the 2 hour bus from here in Montevideo to the orphanage for my final visit there and stayed for 3 days. It was great to spend time with them again as they have a very special place in my heart. There are 2 new boys there...twins who are 15 yrs. old. Their father died 5 yrs. ago, and their mother pretty much abandoned them. I got to spend some time individually with each one, and they look so much alike, I didn't know "who was who" at times. It was sad to say goodbye.....
If you want to see a video of some of the things I am involved in here, we had a mission weekend here representing Africa and some other countries...its kind of fun and will show you pics of "my family here". I went to the orphanage the weekend of this event but helped with some of the planning and preparation....go to: Youtube site, and type in Jucumuruguay and select "feria de misiones".
Last Wednesday, our mission team went into the Inner City Church where they work with men struggling with addictions. The woman who was teaching us this week on addictions and abuse gave an "inservice", and then they shared and then we spent some time praying with them. We will spend time with some of the people living in the streets tomorrow morning meeting some of their needs.

This is the man who started the orphanage about 45 years ago...an immigrant from Germany.

Blessings,
Holly

mostly pics

Wasn't able to attach pics to last blog so....here are a few to share!
The above pics were taken when some of us from the Counseling school spent the week in a Germany Colony, and gave nightly sessions about the "Divine Plumbline" and healing. The group pic is of our team, and yes, one of me teaching. The family pic is with the German family I spent the week with, and the church there at the Colony.

I also forgot to share that I have been teaching English to the Missionary staff here. I teach both a beginner and an intermediate class...Both meet twice a week ...Its pretty fun!

The next pics are from a small Pueblo where we went to help a Pastor who is working with the community there.



The final pics are from my birthday....picnic with some of my roomies here at the base, and the party night when we celebrated birthday's for 3 of us all in one week of each other.
Until.......

Mission news

These photos at the top are from the missionary base where I am living.
My counseling school group, our classroom, and our backyard. Having prob. downloading the pics in a better location....I'm so untech oriented!

My dear friends,
My desire is to give updates more frequently but I seem to be unable to with my schedule and internet access, so....this may be the only update for several weeks.
As you all know, I came to Uruguay to be a part of the mission of "Fields of the Fatherless"...the vision of discipling those in need, helping with working on the farm,working with the orphanage and also the connection with an Inner City Church in Montevideo.
I no longer live at the farm as there is minimal work to do there since Winter is approaching. 40 large bags of sweet potatoes were just harvested last week from our garden which was probably the last big crop of the season. Many sweet potatoes were then delivered to many places in need of food, including the orphanage, the Inner City church, and here at the Missionary base. It was amazing to think back on when a few of us planted all of those sweet potatoes as little clippings......I did love working in the garden even though my back didn't! There was just something about working with the dirt.
I have now been living in Montevideo at the YWAM base with about 45 other missionaries and serving here in various ways. We are involved with the State Orphanage which is just 2 blocks from here, and various other outreaches.

The base here has 3 schools and I have been attending the Biblical Counseling school here. I share a room with 4 others..we have 3 bunkbeds in the room, and all the rooms are set up similar to this. Its very basic living but has all we need. Its difficult to have any personal space to so speak but am learning from that too.
I will be going to the orphanage for several days to spend with them in Ecilda this coming week, and am sad to think that my time with them is almost to an end. I really love those kids...and at times wish I could just stay there with them for an extended period of time.....
Last week, 10 of us from the counseling school spent the week at a German Colony which was about 1 1/2 hours from here by bus. We were invited to share a part of the counseling school called the Divine Plumbline during the evenings at the church. Many people from the community came for this,and we had some great discussions in small groups with the people afterwards. What a joy it was to be able to be a part of sharing so much truth about our lives.....how we build walls in our lives for protection due to rebellion, rejection, and things like this.....and then God's truth about us so we can quit living and believing these untruths we founded so much in...Healing!!! I even gave a teaching in Spanish.....never imagined I would be doing that that!...and yes, I was nervous!! but with God all things are possible right?
Families in the Colonia had pairs of us stay with them for the week. It was really special getting to know them, and they were so hospitable.
Thanks to so many of you who sent me birthday cards and wishes via the internet yesterday. I celebrated by birthday with 5 others from here...2 from Chile, and 3 from Brazil... We took a bus to a park and had a picnic...it was a lovely fall day. I'm even understanding some Portuguese these days....
Wishing all of you well back in the states.
Blessings,
Holly

Back in the City of approx. 1.7 million

Hello from Montevideo, Uruguay.....Have been without a functioning computer for awhile and I am pleased to have it working again.
Anyway, its been a month since I last wrote and MUCH has changed. Life on the farm is quite mellow with fall here and Winter approaching....not much to do in the garden, and the girls at the orphanage are in school a good part of the day so now ......
I am doing something I never had planned, but God knew! Last month when Franklin Graham was here for the Festival of Hope, I came here into the City and stayed 3 nights here at the JUCUM (YWAM in the states), and they told me about the counseling school that was starting in a couple weeks. I then asked for a brief overview, and told them I'd pray about it and let them know the next week.....It didn't take me long in prayer time with God to know I would be going as the focus of the first 3 weeks was about dealing with your past.....About restoration and "reconstructing", so to speak. I have decided to con't. past the 3 weeks...

I don’t have any recent pictures to attach at this time as my cable to download pics is at the farm. I will get it this weekend. The picture I posted was from November when I attended school here in the City. Its called the rambla, which looks like the ocean b/c its the widest river in the world, Rio de la plata, and on the other side lies Buenos Aires, Argentina.

My original plans for this Mission, included up to 6 weeks of language immersion school….well, I am surely getting the language immersion and school both here, so I am using that money for this time. Living in community with almost 45 of us surely lets you put into practice some of the principals we are learning and growing in.

Days here are very structured with quiet time, classes, praise and worship, intercession, evangelism, chores…..all with Jesus at the center. Its hard at times to not have my freedom, so to speak…but this is a season I believe He has very intentionally placed me in. A time devoted to increasing my intimacy with Him, and a time of healing and restoration in my life.

Its difficult at times to not be able to really converse deeply with anyone due to my level of Spanish, but this too I believe is part of His plan. I need to go to Him……there are a few here that do speak some Spanish, and I will be returning to the farm some weekends to help with things there.

Anyway, just wanted to give an update of what is going on for me in this Mission Journey…..

Thank you all for your love, prayer, and the financial support many of you gave to support me in this sharing of His love and personal growth as well…blessings,

Holly

no more drought---and update

Hola mis amigos,
Update from my time here in Uruguay-----
I can hardly believe that there is only 1 more week in March......The drought has ended, and unfortunately, there have been some huge rains creating flooding and damage to homes and crops (that survived) in some areas in the country......I just returned to the farm after spending several days in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay of about 1.7 million. I stayed at the base of YWAM...(youth with a mission)
The main reason I went was to be part of a prayer night for a 3 night/1 day festival nights with Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham. It was called "festival of Esperanza", which means festival of hope. I went to the festival last night, and there was music, some FANTASTIC Christian musicians, and then a message from Franklin presenting the Gospel of Jesus to thousands of people. The stadium was full the past 2 nights and tonight is the last night of the festival. This morning was set up specifically to reach children and there were 330 buses coming full of children from around the Country.

Please pray for these people...many of whom will hear about Jesus for the first time in their lives..... His love for them, and His desire to have a PERSONAL relationship with each of us during our lives. To understand that God is not in some far away place but wants to be with us invite Him....

Last week I spent most of it at the orphanage just helping and loving on the staff, and kids. There are 13 children there.

This week here at the farm, we will be busy harvesting sweet potatoes and will give much of them away to the orphanage and others in need. We will also squeeze in one more planting of onions and peas. The season for gargening is winding down as it is fall here. We have had baby pigs...23 of them and like all baby animals...adorable!

Thank you all for your sweet message, prayers, and support in my time here. I am growing spiritually in ways I hadn't expected.....but isn't that just like God???
Love you all,
Holly

farm pics and news

Hello,
Here at Fields of the Fatherless, we are at the end of a very busy week of youth from Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay who were here for a YWAM camp. We were "just the hosts" of the camp here at the farm, but as you can imagine, we were all involved with many things. I thinks it was a great week for them with spiritual growth, and.....it didn't hurt my Spanish immersion any either!


Above I posted just a few pics from the farm here for you to see but am in the process of sending some pictures from my last trip to the orphanage through a web album to all of you on my blog list. I can't post many pics on the blog. Hopefully you will receive it.

Next week we will plant more potatoes (papas) , and soon harvest the sweet potatoes. (boneatos) The week before I spent several days at the orphanage in a little pueblo called Ecilda Paulier, just hanging out with, helping, and loving on the kids there. There are 19 of them from ages 6 to age 17. I helped with some planting in their garden, helped with making MANY jars of Fig marmelade (higo marmelado), and peach marmelade (durazno marmelado). as well as the homemade bread they bake in the outdoor oven with wood.

Here is a HUGE PRAISE: We have had 3 days of rain within the past 2 weeks! Also there has been dew in the pastures in the mornings and things are starting to turn green again...We are soooo thankful. Please keep the need for rain in your prayers as this drought has really affected so many.

I FINALLY got a bicycle given to me by the "parents" at the orphanage as they had many bikes in a container that came from the United states for them. I had planned on buying a bicycle here but they are very cheap unless you can spend at least $300.00. I rode back from the bus station on this bike and it was pouring rain. Each time I got spashed I thought, "THANK YOU GOD FOR THE RAIN AND THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS BIKE!!!!) I felt like a little kid out playing in the rain! (its hard being an adult sometimes...) This was the first rain at the end of Jan., and hopefully is the beginning of ending the drought.


Next week I will be joining some of the staff from the orphanage and many others from Uruguay for a project in a VERY poor area in Argentina, south of Buenos Aires. Our group will travel by bus for about 15+ hrs ,and will spend 5 days there with "Proyecto America." You can look it up online if you desire more info.) We will be helping construct needed things (desks for schools, benches, etc, ) painting, repairing roofs and run-down bldgs.....just bringing the Love of God to them by means of this very needed work. There will be about 300 workers like us there from many countries. I look forward to helping in this way!

Please pray for my safely during the travel and the relationships that will be forming...
In Him,
Holly

more from the farm

Well, I have been totally delinquent in doing a routing blog.....time just zips by sometimes and with a shared internet cable, and sporadic service at times I just don't get it done.

The beginning of Jan. we had 10 girls here from the orphanage (ages 11-21) for a camp, which was really fun but busy! We planned an American type camp with activities, Bible lessons and discussions, skits (they were so creative and LOVED dressing up in all sorts of things that were brought from the states), and plenty of free-time. It was WONDERFUL Spanish immersion!! I will get this immersion when I go to the orphanage to help, which I will begin in 2 days. It was a great time of connection with these girls, and some wanted prayer and opened up more than others of course. We just pray that they learned more of who they are in God's eyes and of the love God has for all of us.

Another very special thing about having the girls here, was that it really blessed the "parents" of the orphanage and their helpers as they got to have a much needed vacation. The 4 younger children spent the week with otheres.

We are still in desperate need of rain. Fortunately our cattle (approx. 50) and sheep (just over 100)can go and drink from the arroyo (creek) that we know know is from an underground spring, or souce. We know this b/c one end of it on our property is dry, and the otherend as well yet we still have about the same amount of water which we are using to keep our garden alive. THANK GOD!!!

(Above pics are mealtime, muchachas from the camp swimming in the arroyo and skit time!!!)

We have had to buy rations and straw for the cattle as there is nothing left to graze on due to the drought. Soooo many people have lost all of the crops and cattle/sheep....please pray for them. For many, its all they had. Last week, we took ALOT of a couple types of our squash from our garden to church last week and left it for those in need.

We have been very busy here after the new year and aside from working the garden, and helping with the animals, we continue to prepare for 2 weeks of 60+ youth from Chile and Uruguay who will be having their camp here on the farm. Its Christian group called Youth With A Mission (YWAM), which I am sure many of you have heard of. As a part of their camp, they will also be doing some outreach here to the 2 nearby cities. We had to have a bathroom/shower area built, which is completed except for the final dividers/curtains. We had workers who showed consistently and did what looks to be a good job. Getting work completed has been a struggle here at times, so we feel really blessed to have that done. I have used my "handyman" skills here quite a bit....refinishing a floor, staining, repairing things.....I'm so thankful I know how to do such a variety of things, and that I like doing them.

My Spanish is coming along, but will improve rapidly from the time I will be spending at the orphanage.

Another really special thing that happened here, was the Aurora, who had been serving here for a year, was baptized in the arroyo just a few days before she headed back to the U.S. It was an awesome evening and we had a fiesta afterwards!

Many of you live where there is snow at this time of year, so please do some turns in the snow for me, and I will sweat some for you in our 90-100 degree weather.

Muchas Benediciones (many blessings....)

Holly

2009---WOW

1)Our squeaky windmill ----- 2)The caretakers and our house--3)oven where we bake bread

___________________________________________________________________

I don't know about all of you....but I now agree that as we get older, time somehow seems to go faster....what an odd reality.
Anyway, I hope all of you were blessed with family and or friends and a sense of joy as you celebrated the birth of Jesus....We had a nice time here but I missed going to church. There are no Christmas eve, or special Christmas services at any of the churches here. We went the Sunday before Christmas but I ADORE a Christmas eve service.
Celebrating Christmas and New Years by the Uruguayans, consists of lots of parties, and fireworks on both occasions. No traditional meals like ours....but they do gather with friends and families as well.
We had some busy days in our garden here....harvested MANY onions which we have given to a couple places in need of food, and also we are harvesting our corn right now. Planted more sweet potatoes last week also. My back has to be getting stronger, but it sure doesn't seem like it!
We will be having 10 girls from ages 11-19 from an orphanage her for the week for a camp...We have skits, planned activities, Bible studies and discussions, prayer time, and free time planned for them. I'm really looking forward to it....it will be a housefull of Spanish----just what I need the most! Still no rain to speak of....just a little bit about a week ago, so please continue to pray for it........a farmer in our town lost 70 cows a few days ago as they found some water and drank so much they died from what they decided was water intoxification!!....how tragic!

Thanks for the prayers and e-mails.....

BLESSINGS---Holly