Chile - Dreams come true
Surprise
Waka waka .. back in 2010 Soccer world cup we watched Uruguay vs Chile.
Dressed up in red white and blue we chanted CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE Viva Chile!
The dream was born. I wanted to visit the chili shaped country called CHILE!
4 years later deciding which Global Challenge Journey to choose I remembered how much I wanted to go to Chile and so the decision was easy...
Hidden Worlds journey to South America.
We got the planned itinerary ...
No Chile!
Not that I could complain with 14 countries jam packed into 8 months I was bubbling with excitement but still kept hoping, with Uncle Joe's prophecy we would somehow somewhere be able to go to Chile!
8 Months later
We got to the Bolivia border and knew we needed visas but with all the extensive research our travel team did we thought the visas were free.
The visas were not free.
R1200 for each person to enter the country.
The bus we were on could't wait for us, we tried to draw money and the ATM's didn't work for the first time on the journey.
So there we were, stuck, what to do but pray!!
Our leaders decided to get everything off the bus, so we bid farewell to our 1800 comfortable bus seats and waited for the new plans.
After much prayer and sidewalk cups of coffee the leaders announced we will no longer be going to Bolivia but to CHILE and Argentina!!!!
I could hardly believe my ears!
This is exactly what our team needed, a sudden twist in the tail of our journey to keep us on our toes!!
With no contacts or plans it was time to step up the faith, trust God to open and close doors to guide us where He wanted us, to provide host and use us in His plans for Chile! What a privilege!
So to give you a short summary we traveled for 2 days to Antofagasta, slept in a bus station, chilled in a skate park and shopping mall for 2 days.
Our leaders were out in the town speaking to the municipality and churches, trusting that God would open and close doors to guide them along His path and He did.
A man in a Chrisitan bookshop stopped his work and began phoning all the pastors he knew to find us a host.
We were met by loving host families in a Spirit filled church.
God blessed our time there and prepared the way all the way.
For example-
- October was missions month in Chile, we arrived into Chile on the 1st of October.
- The Sunday before we arrived Pastor Rene, not knowing we were on out way to him, gave a sermon on missions and being prepared to host missionaries.
- The day we were connected to the church the youth meeting took up offering for missionaries in Chile.
- Personally many of the sermons and discussions we had were exactly what I had been thinking about and asking questions about.
- The municipality organised ways that we could serve the community, planting trees in the dessert, repairing houses, visiting a home for the disabled and working in the soccer stadium. We even performed Jabulani Africa for Antofagasta TV!
- Working with the church and the municipality opened up many doors for Pastor Rene which he was trusting God for and our visit inspired him to mobalise the church in their own community.
As Pastor Rene said "Why do people from the other side of the world have to come to help our community. We can do it!"
- Each host family seemed to be a perfect fit for the team member they relieved. I enjoyed living day in day out authentic Chile.
Waking up at 7am and having to speak Spanish before you have had a cup of coffee was almost as strange as the Skype call I had for my host family to meet my real family (me being the translator!)
There is no doubt in my mind that God planned this from the beginning and that it is the start of greater things to come for Chile and Global Challenge!
Thank you Lord that you know how to make us come alive in every way and there are not enough containers to contain the blessings you lavish us with!
Ps: We also did a Luke 10 Journey through Argentina to get to our next host in Paraguay! It is not our till the fat lady sings "Don't cry for me Argentina!"