Merry Christmas from Chile

Hello from Chile,  and Feliz Navidad....almost.

        Its just 9 days until Christmas and it just doesn't seem like it can be true.....Have I really been here almost a year?   Summer is trying to arrive here but we have been having such cool days in between.....and there are minimal outside decorations which also makes it hard to feel "the season"!!!!
        I am soooo blessed!  My friends who I have visited a few times in Santiago are Jews and returning to their homeland at the end of Dec.  They have invited me to spend one last visit with them, so that is where I will be for Christmas.  I will then be meeting up with my friend Yanet,  who is actually a missionary in UY.  I will spend some time with her and her family also near Santiago over New Years.  I spent time with her last year when I arrived here to Chile.  I am REALLY looking forward to these special times.  

Loren and Doreen Cunningham- founders of YWAM

      Wow....have been involved in many things since the last blog.  We had the 50th year celebration of YWAM with the founders here at this base, then the "March for Jesus", which was basically an annual parade  to declare His presence and our love and committment to Him.  We have also been involved in various ways in the community helping and loving people...from home to hospital visits.  I am no longer involved in building homes but that ministry continues.  There are still MANY needs after that earthquake on Feb. 27th.  We have had many recent tremors again, and there is a fair amount of rumor of another....we will see. 

Teaching about the "Wall of Rebellion"



I am finished with any classroom teaching and in the last week, we all had to teach a section of what is called the Divine Plumbline. I had the chance to use a translator, but opted to teach in Spanish, and I was encouraged with my increasing ablility to speak in Spanish! Hooray.



This will be my new home from Jan.-March
Classroom upstairs and 4 rooms with 6-8 beds downstairs





OUR CLOTHES DRYER




       In my last blog, I didn't know the next steps I would be taking past the middle of the month but now I know! I am committed to staying here in Pichilemu until March 6th now. I am on an outreach team here as the final part of the counseling school. Three other teams went to 3 other Countries (Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). During the month I January, I will be working with a women's conference for a week, a marriage seminar week, a counseling seminar week, and another one involving general missions and "king's kids", which is a week long camp for children.
           In addition to this, my team is in the process of opening a counseling office in the main building. One of the permenant staff here is going to be doing to physical therapy for those in the community with that need, and we are praying about how I can also use my nursing to connect with people as well. We will also be sharing on the local radio station here--(better keep practicing my Spanish).



This is my Runny buddy...named her " Baby-girl"



Chilean dance dress




This is my update for now......may you all have truely a special and blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!  My prayer is that He is known to each of you during this season in a way that surprises you....that you will KNOW his amazing  love for you in a personal way you hadn't thought possible....
                                                                                                     Love, Holly

                 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANKS FOR YOUR E-MAILS/PRAYERS/SUPPORT 



WHAT A COOL MAP!!!!!



mission update

parade with children showing traditional dress

typical Chilean dress

            Hello!

I love these hugs!

Well, I am still here in Pichileumu Chile….and I am overdue in sending out a blog.  Needless to say, I have been very busy here, and we have had no internet on the base.  I aslo have to admit that I am tired.  Its been both a fast nine months and a slow nine months at times as well. I  I have been involved in many things here at the Missions base, and outside of the base as well.  Oct. 18 here in Chile ...and several days before AND after the Chileans were busy celebrating 200 yrs. of Independence from Spain.  There were Chilean flags EVERYWHERE!  I have never seen such Patriotism!...and the customary dress and dances were incredible!
   
  I was even in a parade here in Pichilemu as part of the celebration. The last week of June,  I began working as one of the staff for a new Discipleship training school. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the changes God is making in the lives of the students, and in my own Spiritual growth and intimacy with Him as well. There is ALWAYS more to know of Him. In missions, you have the mindset to serve, but God is always giving to you personally in different ways...His ways. This has been a blessing to me.  Yes, God is an active God who transforms us when we seek and invite Him to do so, but who will never force Himself on us.

     Our Discipleship training school went on a mini outreach for 10 days, in a “campo”—which means a very rural community a couple hours from here by bus called El Tambo.  We worked with a church there and stayed with families.                                 

Discipleship training students with El Tambo in background

sharing devotional on mini-outreach

  The families embraced us and poured their love out on our team.  We spent time worshiping,  with the youth,  with families, and times of ministry through drama for the community in their plaza.  Students and staff also shared devotionals from Bible passages, and testimonies of the faithfulness of God and what he has done in our lives as followers of Jesus! The students and 3 other staff are now in North Chile for part of their outreach.  They are near where the 33 miners have trapped since August. They will return the 3rd week of Oct. here to the base where we will be having a huge gathering of over 700 people from all over South America to celebrate 50 yrs. of JWAM.  This will be a very busy time for us serving here. 

        

     I have also been helping construct homes with a project called Homes of Hope as most of you know from previous blog. It has been great working with other teams from other Countries who have come to help construct homes after the earthquake. These teams provide most of  the finances for the materials to build the home.  The last team was from a mission base in Switzerland, but most were Korean.  It was interesting communicating at times if they didn’t speak Spanish or English but we all managed to get the house built!  I loved hearing them pray in their native language.  The next team that will come to help construct is from New Zealand, so I am not involved in any building projects right now. I sure slept well after days of hanging drywall inside the house….its hard and heavy work....but if you know me well, you know that I like to work physically as well.            

house construction in progress

helping construct the house

        I have been struggling to get these photos in place to write around them but was unsuccessful.  Due to limited internet and time I need to just send this as is.  Will attempt to attach several photos at the  bottom to share!
         Oct. 18 here in Chile ...and several days before AND after the Chileans were busy celebrating 200 yrs. of Independence from Spain.  There were Chilean flags EVERYWHERE!  I have never seen such Patriatism!    I was even in a parade here in Pichilemu as part of the celebration.

         During this time of a break in the construction, I attended a "seminary section" of the counseling school which was tremendous.  I was going to only attend these 2 weeks as a student but God has been very clear with me that He wants me to receive the training in this area.  I know there are areas He wants to heal me in as well.  So.....I will be attending this school until the end of Dec.  I kept thinking God was possible going to lead me to another place during this time but, I now believe this is right where He wants me still.  There is no doubt that if I should return working as a nurse in missions, or out of missions this "counseling training" will be a blessing to others.
        I didn't know how long I would be here, and I still don't.  All I know is that God will guide me and I will go.    I do so much miss many of you, and I do miss Colorado, and many things back in Colorado.  My Spanish of course is getting  better and better....hooray!   

        Bless you all and please keep me in your prayers!  Holly

part of construction team from Korea

seeking warmth after working

Team from Switzerland...Korean team's last day constructing

scenery in El Tambo

 

Update from Mission life in Pichilemu, Chile

Santiago Chile-cordillero de los Andes in background

Hola de Pichilemu, Chile!
I have been involved in many things since I wrote the last blog, (my computer is broken so its been difficult to post a blog) but now, I am going to share about it!
It is Winter which means RAIN and cold.....but it also means a little place that is now calm and mellow.  It is totally different than it is in the Summer when it is filled with tourists for the nearby beaches, despite that it is usually quite windy.  It truely is beautiful and I am taking advantage of empty beaches on the weekend when I
can go for a nice long run. I am so thankful for my health and my passion for running!

Pichilemu sunset from the beach

home sweet home

   I am living in a tiny little apt. just one  street from the base as I opted out of thecommunity living with the students.  I eat lunch at the base, but fix my own breakfast and dinner.

near finished home with paint and electricity!

          I am working as staff part time with a Discipleship training school that started at the end of June.  I am responsible for the sports time we have in the school which is 2 nights a week, and also working in hospitality for the school...which means being in charge of tea/coffee, and possibly some cookies during the class breaks, and attending to the speakers and their needs.  We all take turns in sharing devotionals, and as all staff, I work a full day in the kitchen each week as well.    I am also working with a mission here at the base called Houses of Hope. We are building homes for those who had theirs destroyed by the devastating earthquake in Feb.and I love the physical work and being part of something that is such an incredible blessing that demonstrates God's love.

Working with Abbie, who works full time with Homes of hope

Paulina-she will be living in this new home we built

 





         

My visit in Uruguay

As the law requires, I have to leave the country every 90 days, so at the end of June, I got a bargain roundtrip deal for Uruguay, and spent 5 days there with my "family" at the YWAM base where I spent 3 months last Summer.  It was soooo wonderful to be able to actually know the others better  now that my Spanish is at another level.  I also got to love on Anna Clara, the sweet baby of one of my friends there. It was a wonderful surprise that I was able to go.

Celebrating the Sabbath- "Shabot"

Last Thursday, I took the bus to Santiago (3 1/2 hrs.) to spend some time with some friends from Massachusetts who have moved here for the next year with their 2 children.  They asked me to come and help them with the language, getting around the City..and with the kids a bit. This is their first time to Chile, and  Lisa is going to teach English.  Her husband Mike is going to keep working via computer.  I also got to spend some really special time also with my friend Lior and his family who live in Santiago.  They are Messianic Jews, and I learned  much about the Jewish faith. ..celebrated the Sabbath in their home, and went to the synagogue with them.  I now have a different perspective when reading my Bible about God's Chosen people. It was nice to see some of Santiago, and also friends!
I have committed to serving here for 2 1/2 months more, and then.....wherever God leads. Thanks for your love and prayers!    
  In His amazing, amazing love, Holly

Holly with Berto and Gabbi in Plaza Brazil, Santiago

View from Cerro de San Cristobal, Santiago

Finished with Discipleship Training School

r

My dear friends,


I am back at the mission base here in Pichileum after our outreach part of the school, and we had our graduation on the 9th of June....yes, I graduated!   We did have tests, projects, reports, etc....like a university and if you read the blogs when the school began, we had a very full and rigid schedule.  It has been 6 months of great times as well as very hard times, (including the earthquake/s), but an enriching time.
     The main point of this school is to KNOW God    intimately...and the the outreach portion is to continue knowing Him more as we learned in our theory phase, and to put it into practice and share through the outreach.  We spent time with children, families, churches, the elderly in a mix of places.  The people were generally soooo loving!   It has been a time of God working in my character and of me truely discovering really who He is and accepting His love  as his child.

  I am going put several photos of places in South Chile where we were to share.....The last week we were with a church in Puerto Montt where the pastors were with JUCUM  (YWAM) for 15 yrs...they allowed us time to just reflect and enjoy more than anything which was such a blessing as we were quite tired.  We moved to 9 different places during these 2 1/2 months....   You will see pics of Volcano Orsorno where they took us and we got to climb up to the snow level. There is always snow on the top third of the volcano, and its actually a ski area in the Winter.

I have the hardest time working around these photos....ugh!  lots of wasted space I can't seem to change...

 This is a photo from my Birthday run with my friend Myriam from Switzerland.   We were in a place where it wasn't safe to even walk around the neighborhood even in pair....so we took a bus into the Center of Puerto Montt where we could run..I have to say, I got some good exploring in through my runs when time allowed.....there were sooo many wild blackberries in South Argentina and South Chile......and I ate more than my share!

This picture we took on our way to hike up volcano Osorno...there are 2 volcanos here that are just gorgeous to look at.....I was in heaven having a day in the outdoors and with exercise....yippee!!




   Local Meat market where you can take home an entire pig head.....no, we didn't buy one....

This is lake Llanquehui, and these 2 statues of geese are here because as the legend goes, there used to many here in this lake before the people living there killed them long ago.....so, this is a reminder of what used to be.

  After listening and praying about my next steps.......I will be staying here at the mission base for at least the next 3 1/3 months.....I want to grow in my intimacy with God and hear and soak up many of the teachings of the classes again.....Want to be firm in my walk and the things that God has been revealing to me about Him...and His love for me.  Am just really beginning to receive His love like a father for me......
    I have been welcomed here to work with the next Discipleship training school...will work part time there...won't be pastoring anyone like most of the staff as I desire more time in my own growth.  I may be the person in charge of the sports that the school does.... I also am going to work part time constructing prefab homes here on the base where they used to play soccer...its been converted for this after the earthquake.....homes of hope the project is called. 
       I got a taste of the winter type mud that happens here......we had a day and 1/2 of non stop heavy rain and many of the roads are dirt....the ones here on the base are too.....talk about muck...and its the type that clings to your shoes/boots and before you know it you are walking ...trying to walk on a mud platform....ugh!   Winter will have many days like this from what i am told...its still late fall here....  its cold in the houses and the buildings.......no heat and humid air.  Wearing hose type tights under my pants for warmth. (They have never heard of longunderwear).....I will be wearing lots of layers...and will feel so light and trim after winter!

                           GRADUATION NIGHT                     RECEIVING MY DIPLOMA from our director
  Thank you all so much for your interest in following what God is using my life for and for you support....both financial and prayers.  I will be needing more financial support to continue with missions so I would like to ask you to pray about that and if you need information on how to make a tax deductible donation please e-mail me, or scroll back to the left corner of the blog for the information and address for the foundation that is set up for my missions work.
Blessings from Pichilemu, Chile!   In God's amazing love.......
HOLLY

          

4 weeks in Argentina, and now heading to Chile

Hello  from Bariloche Argentina!
      My team for outreach has been here for almost 4 weeks now. There are 8 of us counting 2 leaders.  We have been very blessed with places to stay, (4 different places), all with mattresses and hot water to shower....plenty to eat, and plenty to do.!!!!  I have no way of sending any pictures on this blog so....sorry!
     We have worked alongside and with 4 different churches, and the YWAM base here which is VERY small....8 of them right now.   We have worked with children from a very poor Barrio (neighborhood), spent time with people in a Senior Center, hospital visits, involved with youth, helped start build a house, and taught what we learned in our theory phase of school about evangelism in the churches that wanted that teaching.       
       We also have done dramas and dances in the streets, at a school, in the churches and at an event called Heart for Chile which was to raise donations of food for a team to take to the people in need in Chile who are struggling after the earthquake... Also it was a very impactful event where in Prayer, Argentina asked forgiveness for the hatred some have for Chile and  prayerd for reconcilliation.  This stems way back in time which involved the "owenership" for the Malvinas Islands.
       Its been amazing to be part of what God is doing here and it has definately been transforming my character which is part of the purpose for this 3 months of outreach after the 3 months of classes...putting things into practice and knowing God, really knowing God and seeking Him each day.  Our days still start with 1 hr. or quiet time with Him....a big portion of it is LISTENING TO HIM.......its so easy to pray and do all the talking but to hear God´s voice....you have to listen.  Just like a friendship...it won´t be too deep if one of you is doing all the talking.
       Anyway, our team heads by bus for 7 hrs. tomorrow....we will leave at 6:45 back to Chile but South, to a place called Osorno.  We will be there doing .....whatever God leads through our connections...Please continue to pray for me.  My health has been wonderful, Praise God, and also pray that I con´t. to receive God´s love for me as a daughter, and that I know Him more and more....that each day I am being more transformed in His likeness....Also pray for my Spanish, that I understand and can speak more and more.  I feel frustrated and somewhat isolated at times......
        Will blog when  I can again.....Thanks for the e mails and prayers and love!
In God´s amazing love,
Holly
     

traveling South for next 3 months

Hola mis amigos!
This may be my last blog for the next 3 months as I will be traveling for the outreach portion of this school. I don't know if I will have any computer access, or how rural we will be at times.

The pictures some of what life is like here at the base....kitchen duty, making bags of soap and sorting clothes to distribute to those in need after the earthquake, sleeping outside after the quake. After the earthquakes, there are so many physical needs for the people in this Country.  This mission base is putting together resources and teams to help repair or build replacement homes people here who lost their homes.  Also we have been receiving and distributing basic needs...including food, clothes, toiletries etc...

We continue to experience many aftershocks here, but the last earthquake of 4.8 was 6 days ago (march 11) around noon, and the epicenter was just 1 1/2 hrs. from here. We thought is was another aftershock, but it got stronger AND continued...one of the desks even flipped over from the movement when we were trying to get out of the building. We lost all electricity for the next 28 hrs. and there were some good cracks in the ground afterwards, but once again none of our homes or buildings were damaged. PRAISE GOD!!! We spent the next 2-3 nights sleeping in tents again until things settled. (if you know me very well, sleeping in a tent is something I like ALOT). It felt like a bomb went off at the end of the quake...so strange. I never felt very afraid mentally, but I have to admit that I felt restless inside after the 2nd one.....can't really describe it. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PRAYERS!
      Several of us from my school at the beach 2 days ago so we took this "pyramid" pic!  This is such a beautiful place where there a beach that is so close to pine trees as well.  With school there has been no time to enjoy the beach, but I was blessed to have time to go for long runs on Sundays after church...the only free day we have. The penguin pictures are from last Sunday when I was on a run with 2 friends. This little penguin was trapped in this orange plastic....after wrapping t-shirts around his head so he couldn't bite again, he was freed, looked at us is saying "thanks",  and waddled to the water, dove in and swam away....wow! Poor little guy.....wonder how long he had been like that???

I just finished the "theory" portion of this Discipleship training school, and will be leaving in 2 days for the outreach for the next 3 months. We have 3 different teams. One team is going to Venezuela, one to North Chile and North Argentina, and my team is going to Southern Argentina and Southern Chile. This is when we will be living out many of the things we have been learning...things from the topics I listed a couple of blogs ago. We will experience times where our faith and dependence on God will certainly be tested, and I know He is going to surprise us in many ways during this tiem. We will be serving and sharing God's love in a variety of ways! Please pray for the safety and unity of each team, and that God's love will impact the lives we will be spending time with.
There are 8 of us on my team, and we are from 5 different Countries. (Columbia, Switzerland, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and the United States.) We will be traveling by bus to 3 different places and we will spend about a month at each place. We will travel South in Chile and then cross over the border into Argentina and end up Bariloche, after about 24 hours. After Argentina, we will travel back into Chile to a place called Osorno, and then to a place named Puerto Mont. We aren't sure of the destruction in these areas after the quakes, but we know there are many hurting people and many needs. We'll be hosted by churches and helping serve in many ways......in schools, hospitals, churches...wherever God leads us.

These 3 months of outreach are a time when we will each individually continue to grow in knowing God in an intimate way, and to bless places as we share His love ..by being  His hands and feet by loving and serving. We will We will also be sharing about Jesus and His love through teaching times, drama & dance.
Please keep us and Chile in your prayers.  There are so many whose lives have been severly impacted from the earthquakes. I will send out a blog if the opportunity arises....
In His AMAZING love,
Holly

After earthquake.....

This is a long blog so....a pre-warning! (smile)

What a time it has been after this devastating earthquake of 8.8 that shook Chile on Feb. 27th!!! Thank you all soooo much for the prayers, the e-mails, and even contacting the embassy or other JUCUM bases to find out if I was ok.….thank you for your love and concern!

It was 10 nights ago that we were all shaken up (literally), and it’s a night I will never forget! It all happened so fast of course..I awoke & found myself trying to grab the wood of my bunkbed for something to hold onto.....unable to even get out of the bed…. the windows and roof were making so much noise that I thought we were in the middle of a huge hail storm…(it was 3:39 on my watch when it was over)…When the ground stopped moving and nothing else was falling or breaking, I made my way to the window and looked out... …. the night was clear and the stars were out….almost a full moon. It took awhile for my mind to register what had just happened. All of us here spent the next 2 nights sleeping outside until things settled a bit, then by the 3rd night the majority of us returned to sleeping back inside. We had many strong after shocks, and still continue to have them which has made getting good sleeping difficult.

This mission base where I am living is built in what is considered the safety zone of this city. Praise God! It is up on a hill and the highest point is about ¾ mile above us…. The night of the quake there were families swarming to climb to the highest point in hopes of safety. We aren’t close enough to the sea to have worried about a tsunami, and we didn't know the destruction the water was going on there, but this is why there was such a mass exodus in the dark of people, and also bumper to bumper cars heading out of the town…..Other than the moon, all was pitch dark except for these headlights and the campfires people started to help keep warm. We had intermittant information on a radio about what was happening. We also praise God that we always had water and enough food, and also had many from the community "camp out" here with us. We were without any light or power from Sat. until Thursday, and then we had electricity back intermittantly. I have had just short periods of writing this blog but am determined to get it sent out today to let you all know about what is going on for me.


The above pics are some from the damage here in Pichilemu the day after the quake when a couple teams of us went to help people here locally near the water. We were in the severe zone, about 90 miles north of the epicenter but this town was amazingly blessed to not have really received much destruction. Last weekend I was part of a group of about 28 of us who travelled to an area about 1 hr. from where we are to help some of the people clean up the destruction from the earthquake. We helped stabilize homes that are just made of mud bricks, and helped clear some of the damage. Its still very dangerous and walls/roofs continue to fall with the aftershocks. There are many homes made just of mud bricks in this in this rural "mountain" community--- the damage was devastating, and many died.
I'd like to share a passage from the Bible with you:
Psalms 46: 1-3 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way,

and the mountains fall in to the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,

and the mountains quake with their surging.

In an event like this, you realize how truely small and powerless you are. I am so thankful for His protection and His peace. You also realize face to face the immenseness and awesome power of God.... His faithfulness, His amazing love and His character that NEVER changes despite the circumstances we may have in this life....(earthquakes, cancer, loss of jobs or family etc).....God is the only one who can brings peace, restoration, comfort, and hope in times like this, and He uses other people to do this. I am privledged to be part of God's desire to bring help, love, and the message of salvation through Jesus for people who have never heard, or want to know more because they don't understand.....

I can't keep quiet about the BEST thing there is in life..The ONLY thing that truely matters and is of eternity so I'm going to share it right now. Many people have just died here in Chile, and undoubtedly many died without a relationship with Jesus, or the knowledge of who He really is...a Savior, best friend and sooo much more that goes along with that. I'm not talking about religion. Religion has destroyed and misled so many! I'm talking about a relationship & its a very different thing! Many people live feeling a void in their life that their work, pleasures, or material things haven't filled..... something is still missing and they don't know what it is. If this is also you, I want to tell you that the void in your life is Jesus. Not religion, but a personal relationship...a friendship with the one who thought of you before you were born, created you. He desires a friendship with you, and has the power and desire to bring you truth, transform your life, and give you purpose beyond what you know if you ask and allow this....to become a Christian and let Him guide your life....(I promise its anything but boring or about rules!!!) At least give Him a chance.....find a Bible based church (First Presbyterian Church, or Flatirons Church in the Boulder area)....and seek a pastor or someone to talk with......

Back to my time here:

I am in my last week of Discipleship Training School, and will be leaving in 8 days on a team for our outreach.

I will write more just before I leave but may not be able to send any blog for 3 months depending on what happens, and where we are....but I will try!

Thanks again for your friendships, prayers, and love.

In Him....Holly