Random Points of Interest

-There are small earthquakes daily here in Chile. The past few days the quakes have been more frequent and strong. The most recent quake (30 minutes ago was a 5.4 on the richter scale). Most of the people living here are becoming accustomed to the daily quakes, but for others each small quake continues to serve as a reminder of the pain and tragedy that the original earthquake on February 27,2010 brought. The earthquakes come out of no where. Yesterday when I was eating dinner, I heard a lot of noise, as if a train was going to come through my front yard, then everything started to shake. Everything shakes for about 15-20 seconds and then the shaking stops. God has blessed me with no fear in these situations, but I would continue to ask for your safety and protection. Also, pray for the people here in Chile who are experiencing painful flashbacks every time these earthquakes come. Pray for peace in their hearts and strength to carry on and rebuild amidst their current struggles.
-The current value of the Chilean Peso is about 539 Chilean Pesos to 1 USD. To put things into context, it costs 350 Chilean Pesos to ride the local bus. I am no math wizard, but I think that equals about .65 cents.
-The currency in Bolivia is Bolivianos the current exchange rate there is 7 Bolivianos to 1 USD. It costs 1.50 Bolivianos to ride the local bus in Bolivia. That is less than .21 cents. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and the poorest country in in all of Latin America next to Haiti.
-I am currently involved in some serious active nursing care, unfortunately, I am the patient. I have come down with strep-throat. A number of others in my group are feeling ill as well. Please pray. 

Gringa Missionary Snowwoman

The temperatures are dropping. It is getting colder here in Chile as the Southern Hemisphere heads toward winter. The morning air is cold, damp, and anything but fresh. I can see my breath as I walk down the street to Señora Claudia's house for breakfast. I clomp through mud and puddles of stagnant water, thanking God that I have steel toed, rubber work boots. Breakfast is a humble serving of bread and butter along with a cup of boiled water. I am thankful that the water is boiled and I pray that the boiled water has thoroughly cleansed the mug I am about to drink from because I have observed the precious grandpa of the house washing the dishes in cold water without soap. I decline the coffee and tea that is served and I spoon a few scoops of chocolate mix, from my secret stash, into my cup. I realize I am missing an essential ingredient to perfect my cup of hot chocolate, but that is beside the point. Milk is not being served, so with a grateful heart, I sip my warm beverage and thank God that I have something warm to drink and that he provided me with the gift of chocolate mix from a little store down the road.

After breakfast is finished I head down the road looking like a freaky gringa snowwoman with my scarf, hat, gloves, and many layers of clothing. My outfit is completed with my red work smock-apron-vest that says "Youth With a Mission" in Spanish on the front and "Humanitarian Aid Volunteer" on the back. Although I am cold, I thank God for the fact that the cold weather has seemed to freeze my body odor. The cold is a true gift in this regard because my current shower routine has me showering around every 4-5 days.

With my growing Spanish vocabulary, I greet every person I pass on the street. The little barrio (neighborhood) of Santa Clara where I am living and working is a buzz of activity. Huge trucks are coming and going moving piles of rubble and dirt. I hear the clip-clop-clip-clop of horse hoofs from a horse drawn cart that is transporting supplies. Across the street an old man and young girl are digging through the remains of their once beautiful home, hoping to find remnants of treasured belongings. An elderly man struggles to push a wheelbarrow full of wood and construction tools down the pothole filled road. I look at all my surroundings and I am puzzled. It is hard to imagine what this neighborhood once looked like. I am told it was beautiful and lovely, but that is hard to imagine when I am surrounded by destroyed homes. I find it difficult to differentiate between the lines of poverty and destruction from the earthquake and tsunami.
I pass a few more houses with people eagerly waiting outside for my assistance and I assure them that their name is on the list for help and my group will be pleased to help them shortly. But for the moment, my attention and focus turns to the Señora in front of me. I enter her recently constructed home that follows the Chilean government's guidelines for construction of emergency houses and I set to work. I measure, I mark, and I cut the chunks of styrofoam that we are using for insulation. As I continue to measure, mark, and cut again and again, the small home where I am working transforms into a winterwonderland as bits and pieces of styrofoam start floating through the air. I giggle because this missionary snowwoman now has a snowy environment to match her snowwoman attire.
As my team and I finish insulating one tiny home after another, I thank God for the opportunity to be here. I pray that God's love will be with the people of this community and I pray that when the cold, cutting, winter that is just around the corner arrives that these precious people of God will not only be warmed by the home they now have to live in, but that the will be warmed from the inside out because in the name of God, one gringa missionary snowwoman gave what she could to share God's love.

-Every night I sleep in a room 7x9 feet with 5 other girls (1 German, 2 Bolivians, 1 Brazilian, and 1 rocking chick from the Bahamas)
-I am living in a government office building without heat or running water
-I get a 3 minute shower an average of every 3 days (when one of my new neighbors down the street invites me into their home to use their personal shower)
-Wet wipes are my new best friends
-The daily temperatures here average between 40-60 degrees (slightly different than in Bolivia)

-The air is cool and damp and frequently holds the horrid odor or rotting fish that were swept ashore and into the streets by the Tsunami

-The streets are strewn with litter, rubble, mud, old shoes, clothing, everything imaginable

-I eat three meals a day in a Salvation Army Shelter (which actually doubles as the living room of a local family, the family has been gracious to loan their space to feed humanitarian aid volunteers)

-My daily food intake normally consists of 5 rolls, some rice, and a potato dish

-The past few days I have been working with 100 Chilean Marines- they are incredible. They are working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, to construct houses for the estimated 6,000 people left homeless in this area because of the earthquake and tsunami destruction

-There are shipping containers in the middle of my neighborhood even though it is 1.5 miles from the ocean. The containers were thrust onto land by the tsunami
-I am armed with an incredible pile of medicines and have been distrubting medicine to many in my group
-I am healthy, happy, well, and strong serving under the precious wonderful name of Jesus in the Earthquake- Tsunami zone in Talcahuano, Chile!