“Can you teach a class of 10 to 13 year-old boys?”

“Yeah, I think.”

That may or may not be what was exactly said to me about two months back, but what fun has it been. We have covered topics from commitment to friends to decisions and the resources have varied too. You can learn alot about friendships via Shrek.

This past Sunday I had prepared an around-the-world fantasy vacation game, but only FOUR of our six boys showed up. Disappointing, yeah, but like I said, it’s fun. I created the game in hopes that some of the teams of two would overspend and we would be able to lift their mistake in the air and say, “This is why making good decisions is important. You FAILED!” Ha! No, I think the boys have really enjoyed the class. Well I know they have because instead of wanting class to end I’ve been asked by multiple guys if it will continue on.

It’s also been an opportune opportunity to get to know my friends (and co-teachers) Natalia and Aníbal more. We get together to discuss the class twice a week. What encourages me is the two of them also want to continue working and doing the class. I could take up the class and go at it alone, not that I would want to, but working alongside Chileans and helping develop them as well is part of the excitement. Aníbal and Natalia might never have taken the initiative to put themselves in this position unless someone asked/encouraged/pushed, but it’s worth it.

Watching the boys grow closer as a group of friends is cool too. To have to wrangle them together Sunday mornings on the balcony and to stay in one place is a minor hassle, but to watch them develop relationships between themselves and want to hang with each other is just fun.

Goodness me! I’m sorry I have not posted anything recently. I was just reading my friends’ blog (Blumes in Brasil), which is a very well maintained, updated often blog and it occurred to me “I too have a blog!” No, not really. Just lack of motivation.

Recently (three weeks ago) I began co-teaching for the 10-13 year-old boys of the church. It has been good. I’ll take some photos tomorrow and get’em up as soon as possible.

Sorry for my dilatoriness. What can I say? I’m a putz (sometimes).

Oh how good it is to receive something from home. Recently two care packages arrived from friends and, man, they are good ones. How lucky I am to have such great friends. Thank you to all who have sent care packages during my time in Chile.

From Robert I received: Life of Pi Magazines (fresh from the Hill) Thin Mints Crystal Light packets Blueberry Almond cereal Guacamole mix Playing Cards A&M puffy stickers

and from Jessica: Love in the Time of Cholera Vegetable magnets Grow-A-Pet CD of The Best of Musicals Starburst

One more thing, take a look at the difference in detail of the contents Robert wrote and Traci wrote on the slip.

I am now an official resident of Chile. I can freely go in and out of the country; I could before, but now I can pass through the citizens’/residents’ line. Woo hoo! The benefits extend beyond that though. Now I have a RUT (aka RUN) which is a national identification number that allows me access to many services available only to individuals who have one.

I asked a friend what RUN (Rol Único Nacional) means? On the first hand, translated, it means “National Unique Role.” What the heck does that mean? Well it’s the national unique identity number, kind of like a Social Security Number. I was thinking how many in the United States are opposed to such a thing. I understand the privacy and logistics issues, but still have not formed an opinion on the matter. As a military kid having a personal I.D. lifelong (or until the end of one’s studies) is normal.

If we look at the crisis the State Department has been thrown in over the increase in demand for passports, it presents us, on a micro scale, with what a nightmare such a mandate would create. Chile is a different case. With about 16 and a quarter million people, it’s a bit more of a manageable situation.

If you did not catch it, the United States with the REAL ID Act of 2005 has already set in motion a national standardization of state driver’s licenses. It has stirred up some controversy, but honestly, if you ever have applied for a job or to be a member of Blockbuster, you had to show your passport, Social Security card, driver’s license, etc to apply.

But a national ID card to vote? (See Indiana nuns lacking ID denied at poll by fellow sister) I don’t know.

Well today was the first time for me to give blood.

My father has always been a bit faint around needles which does not give me heaps of confidence about the matter. A friend’s mother is having cysts removed from her lungs tomorrow and has made a call to all for blood donations. So I decided to go this morning. Set my nerves and personal comfort aside to do it.

Well as I was saying to my new friend Marcelo an the way out of the clinic, he didn’t take a good look at the needle - I did, it was more like a TUBE with a pointy end. Squeezing my hand in to a fist over and over reminded me of having my wisdom teeth extracted - they tapped and tapped and tapped to find a good vein for the IV, I was about to scream.

It was a good experience though. Except for the bout of upset stomach that caused me to have to go, accompanied no less, to the bathroom very soon after the needle was pulled out. I got a cup of free coffee and had some great conversation with the excellent staff of the blood bank.

The temperature has dropped considerably recently and rain rolled in yesterday. So it’s most definitely fall. I’m glad to see the tops of the mountains that back Santiago dusted with snow again.

Smog puro…

Well if you look to the left you can see Santiago, or Santiasco (”Santiagross”) to some, well, it’s under that blanket of smog. Santiago, unfortunately suffers the effects of thermal inversion (a layer of warm air traps a layer of cold air beneath it) which keeps air pollution low in the city. Chile has made environmental improvements over the years, but, as many nations, could do better. I, in particular, am a fan of the transit system, although horrendously jammed

sometimes, it’s a good alternative for driving. It does not possess as many green spaces as some other South American cities, but has lovely parks and plazas. Most recycling is left in private organizations’ hands as a way of generating revenue, but many have yet to catch on. One of my personal triumphs on a very local level has been setting up a recycle system with Scott Emery’s support in the church building. Many of the local municipalities and grocery stores have pushed changing light bulbs for energy savings. I’m happy to see Chileans on a trajectory for a better and cleaner country. If you have been following the news, you may have seen that Buenos Aires is in a bit of a pickle at the moment. The city has been blanketed with smoke from nearby farmers burning their fields. Check out more here.

Happy Earth Day!

Today is a great day to start doing simple things to take the stress off of this planet. Try modifying your behaviour with a few simple changes:

- RECYCLE
- Turn off the lights
- Unplug your appliance when away from home
- Use cloth or environmentally-friendly diapers (they contribute 3.5 million tons of waste to landfills annually)
- Hang dry your clothes
- Drink tap water
- Take one paper napkin (not a fistful)
- Walk
- Ride a bike
- Turn off the blasted faucet when brushing
- Purchase e-tickets for travel
- NO PLASTIC! Take a fabric bag to the store
- Buy in bulk
- Compost your kitchen scraps

These are simple changes you can choose over the status quo that can make an impact.

More ideas are available at Wire & Twine

Today is the hollowed Spring day anticipated by thousands of school children across San Antonio. Today is Battle of Flowers. It was started back in 1891 a few days after the event was originally scheduled.

Several ladies of San Antonio’s elite had planned a parade and battle of flowers in honor of President Harrison. As often occurs, the Texas weather turned quickly and rained out the event. Not to waste a well planned shindig the event was held anyway, three days after the President had left town. The tradition still continues, just a parade nowadays, and is one of the highlights of Fiesta. Held on the Friday of Fiesta; it is the big event that kick off the ten days of festivities. Most schools and public offices are closed in honor of the many brave and hallowed souls that never died in battle.

Yes, Fiesta has arrived in San Antonio. Sadly I am not in San Antonio. I never got too much in to the event until high school. I went down to NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio) with my parents to volunteer at a drink booth and had a BLAST! I’m missing the cascarones, King Antonio, El Rey Feo, the food, and the overall atmosphere of the city.

If you’re in town and read this. Smash a few cascarones over some friends’ heads for me.

Learn more:
Fiesta San Antonio
Battle of Flowers
NIOSA

I was able to accompany a group of students from Aggies for Christ to visit two of the churches, Cosmos and Jabour, in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s always good to be amongst the brothers and sisters in Rio and good friends from A&M. I enjoyed gathering around at nights to worship a bit in English (a rare happening). This was my third time in Rio and to work with Abel Azevedo, a half Mozambican, half South African man working with the Lord and who I first met while traveling with the Aggies in 2005. (Learn more about Abel here.) Time with Abel, the churches, and the Aggies was refreshing, a change of scenery.

It was one of the best times I had in Rio. Encouragement is the best word to describe the work we do in Rio. The churches are small, but strong and love the life guests bring. The ‘jovems’ (‘young people’) are full of life and carry a bright future for the church in Brazil. Speaking of the future, Abel has called on me to come work alongside him when my time in Santiago is over. I’m still considering it, truly I would love to work there.

After my time in Rio, I flew South to Porto Alegre, Brazil for the annual Brazilian missionary conference. It was top notch and a great opportunity to meet up with old friends spread over the South American continent. It was good to meet Carlos Castilho,a missionary in Rio supported by MacArthur Park in San Antonio. By chance, we were conference roommates. The men’s speaker was Murray Wilton from Huntsville, Alabama. He spoke on the Spirit’s capability to guide our footsteps and totally falling in love with Christ. I was blessed by his presence and had my first experience of true confession. It was an outstanding conference. (Read more about the conference here.)

On return from two and a half weeks in Brazil, I was host in the home of one of the families who was on furlough to Dottie Schultz of Missions Resource Network. She was the women’s speaker at the conference and came to Santiago afterwards to work with the team. It was a pleasure to be in the presence of such a wise and experienced individual.

The following week was a national evangelistic campaign. Speakers from across North and South America came to work with congregations all over Chile. It was a pain and a pleasure, depending on the day, to be a part of the marketing and Web development for the campaign. The church I work with, Iglesia de Cristo Congregación Providencia, put on a dinner in honor of Santiago’s firefighters, a coping with trauma seminar for an organization that aids parents that have lost children, and nightly mini concerts, talks, and religious forums opened to the community. It was good to see members reaching out to the community. See the campaign website here.

It’s summer time in the southern hemisphere. I had the pleasure of spending St. Valentine’s Day with the oldest member of the church, 85; she had no idea what the day was. Vacation time has arrived and it seems that “out of school” can mean “out of touch” or “out of town” for many of the youth. One would think summer would be the most convenient time, but school keeps people in the city. So youth activities are spread out and sometimes one does not see the value in them. Daily I’m thinking “How can God transform the youth?” Being led by the Spirit, I think one-on-one relationships are the best, not getting as many people together to watch a movie, but really taking an interest and caring about individuals and sharing the bread with those individuals. I can report on more things like events, activities, etc, but the reality is God changes lives through small things that are not easily seen. I’ve seen it and I hope you can as well.

Prayer Requests:
- The Montecinos – Felipe a young boy from a family of four has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and will be operated on later this month.
- Youth of the church – May they be transformed in their faith.
- Floods in Bolivia – For months, Bolivia, Chile’s neighbor to the northeast, has been suffering heavy rainfall since November.
- Return of the Emerys – After two months in the United States, the Emery family has a new supporting church, but the kids are quite ill.

Recent Reads/Listens (Things to ponder):
- What is a Christ Follower? – podcast – “Christianity is not about us being committed to a denomination, creed, lifestyle, or a way of living. It’s an encounter with the living Christ. When I encounter him, I fall on my face and say, ‘Oh Jesus I’m tired of all the stuff…’”
- A Christianity That Works (response 2 and 3) – blog post - “…questions and answers challenge both the views we have about ourselves and our own “righteousness-of-sorts” and the religious structures in which we’ve heavily invested…”
- Christians Wrong About Heaven – article - “Never at any point do the Gospels or Paul say Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven. They all say, Jesus is raised, therefore the new creation has begun, and we have a job to do.”
- A New Kind of Christian – book – “Instead of saying, ‘Hey, they’re wrong and we’re right, so follow us,’ I think we say, ‘Here’s what I’ve found. Here’s what I’ve experienced. Here’s what makes sense to me. I’ll be glad to share it with you, if you’re interested.’”
- 1 Corinthians – Holy Bible – “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

If you are interested in any other things I am reading or have read, please visit my del.icio.us page: http://del.icio.us/tterrag

Last night I flicked on the television to get a quick news update from CNN International and the CNN Heroes presentation was on. These people are incredible. The simplest decisions and methods they have made have impacted so many. I am truly inspired and desire, more than before, to do something that makes this world a bit better for others.

Check it out at CNN.com.