From summer over there to sweaters and smores over here, life is so very different. Happy Summer break you guys! Enjoy the long days and warm weather for me, as I whip out the wall hearter, my  electric quilt, coats and wool leggings. Yea, its bondfire's and snow covered mountains over here in May! It still seems a little strange, but then again the thought of being at a beach seems even more strange. I will admit I am a little confused in these climate/season changes!

Speaking of differences, this semester has been such a whirlwind or differences, from changing my curiculum in the classroom around a little bit, to trying to give equal amounts of attention to now 10 little people instead of 9- I got a new student 2 weeks ago. The 8 hours from the first bell to the last are always filled with non stop, " Oh that's such a pretty picture" " Yes sweetie you can go to the bathroom" " No hunny aliens are not real and you need to wash your hands" to the  "Im so sorry...tell me whats wrong's" " You need to share" "I will be right there" "Miss Candace Miss Candace Miss Candace Miss Candace Look!" As well as trying to have answers to the endless amount of questions their little minds come up with. Giving equal amounts of love and attention is a balancing act for sure, and this semester I feel has been the most challenging because simply put, these children all have such energetic, affectionate, strong-willed personalities. Of the 10 students I would say only 2 would be considered quiet personalities, but even they need me to notice their improving handwriting or handmade Jewlrey made from construction paper. I realize the brevity of my responsibility in nurturing these little minds to use their, imaginations, creativity, to feel special and capable, and to most importantly, show these children Christ.

Though its been challenging with such strongwilled/leader personalities, it has been a blessing and such a special class. There are always moments in my day that make me whisper prayers of thankfulness to the Lord for His hand of guidance in bringing me here. One of those moments comes daily now due to my boy's discovering the little white weed/flowers outside make their teacher smile. Daily now I anticipate a fresh batch from all 5 of my boys after recess time and right before nap. And these are the same boys who wouldn't barely come near me, gave mom a hard time on the way to school in the mornings because they didn't want to come and who visited the time-out chair...often. Yes, It touches my heart when their 5 happy smiles come through the door and right up to me, stretch out their little hands ( and wait for me to act like I have no idea whats inside), and then give me crumpled up, smashed and a tad bit pitiful looking flowers...that still end up in a vase, everytime! Its little moments like that...

Over the past 6 weeks we have learned about Planets, the Animal Kingdom, plants, climates and a fun one we just did was, Jobs. And we made it more specific to "What do our parents do". At the end of that week we invited the parents to come in and talk about what they do or have some sort of presentation for the children. One mom came in who is a hair stylest and fixed all the little munchkins hair. Well all with the exception of my Aaron- he would not allow her to touch his hair..no way, no how!! However the next morning upon walking into class with a gaping hole where hair used to be we realized he was taking it allllllll in, and had even felt a little inspired.. Oops...
We had another parent come in who is a Asian chef and she made sushi for all of the students, and let me tell you, whatever my students didn't want ( I am pretty sure it was some of my students first time to even lay eyes on sushi, and for some it will be their last)...their teacher ate! Oh, and I learned how to make it! :) Learning to make sushi by an Asian chef...in Chile. Who knew?!


My assistant and I both also got our hair cut too!

The week we learned about the animal kingdom we got to go on a field trip to an awesome zoo right outside the city and that was a real treat. The favorite animals were the hippo's and the lions. A classic " Write that one down" comment came from one of my little boys as we were walking into the section of the zoo titled "Africa". As you may assume, each section was a different continent, and... well to a literal minded 5 year old...these different signs could be confusing. Are we really in Australia now or is this still Chile?!?  As we were walking over the bridge from Asia to Africa I hear a voice filled with excitement say, " Oh WOW Miss Candace!!! I've wanted to go for my whole life to Africa! I am so excited we are here!" I almost wanted to let him believe we really were there, like I wanted to let them think the giant stuffed elephant was real ( because the real ones at this zoo were hiding somewhere and weren't to be found?!?!) Well anyways, that was one of those moments of mental conflict of, do I let him think something is real that is not, or do I burst his bubble and tell him the truth. I do not enjoy those moments!!

At the Zoo we ran into some trouble...long story short, their cuteness got them out of their arrest.


 

I am constantly amazed at how much our adult conversation make it into a 5 year olds mind, and comes out...interpreted sometimes vastly different, and sometimes pretty on point. One of those "interpretations" came out in discussion round the coloring table. The topic of conversation was forgiveness. One of my boys piped up and said very matter-of-factly," Well Miss Candace my brother makes my brain come out of my mind."
Have any idea what saying he was going for?! " You are making me lose my mind." I almost died it was just too adorable.

I was asked to sing at a Bible Study coming up this Friday and will be singing Shout to the Lord...in Spanish! Yikes, though I am speaking much more these days, it is still a bit unnerving for me. However, I know that it is a priviledge to have the opportunity to minister through music, to a group of people in their own language, and it always gives me a new perspective on what the worship in Heaven with all the different peoples from all the different lands lifting up their voices in praise to our Lord, is really going to sound like.

The Lord continues to show Himself faithful to me here in Chile, and I appreciate so much your support and prayers for me over this last 6 weeks.  He is faithful, and His love for us never fails and nor is based on anything we do.

I also want to shout out to my beautiful, caring, thoughtful, compassionate, wise mother as mothers day approaches! I am so thankful the Lord gave her to me. She is a gem!

Ok, until next time!  :)

This was taken at my very first Chilean Wedding! There were some "differences" that after I went and penned down. :)

Through their Eyes: God's protection was the theme in art. One of my little girls Matilda colored a picture of a man sitting at a desk with little stick figure people with wings drawn over the man's head. She said " The Lord protects me by protecting my dad with angels while he is at work." Wow. She is 4.

Gods Provision: Was what was on one of my little boys minds as he colored a boy inside a house, and told me" Lord will help me and my family find a house. " Knowing already their need for a house for many months now I already knew it was on the minds and prayers of his parents and us teachers, as of today I know, its on his little heart as well. But he, he is trusting that the Lord will protect his family until they find one and provide them with one!


What is Creativity: It is seen when observing a 5 year old's artwork, the stories they create while playing in toy center, the way they all can have the same template but have 9 different interpretations,outcomes and designs ( 9 different  ladybug puppets all using the same 3 colors and amount of spots was pretty impressive). Their creativity was on display again in what they chose to bring for their one toy on Show-n-Share Fridays! The theme for this past week was Insects and Mammals and one of my youngest ( just turned four the end of Jan) brought in a horse with paper wings and a black and yellow striped paper taped around his belly. Under the horses stomach was taped a piece of paper that was colored yellow. As she approached the front of the class to show her show-n-share, I was thinking she was completely condused and I had completely failed, until she proudly proclaimed that she had brought in a "Insect Mammal" ...that came complete with a honey sack ( the little yellow paper hanging from the horses belly, duh Ms. Candace!) She then went on to say it was "Make-believe" and her older sister had helped her design the original, Horse/Bee. I felt a little better about my teaching abilities :) haha Then there was Gabriel who came to class with a list of about 8 memorised facts about Spiders to share along with hand made spiders for each student.
Another little girl brought in pictures of herself as a baby and began by saying " This me, and I am a mammal."
It was also cute to hear them going around the school saying things like, "A dog is a mammal because its babies aren't born in eggs." " Insects live in flowers and trees." " We live inside other mammals live outside."  :)

I've decided that teaching about Insects, Mammals, and this week Birds and Reptiles, is so far, the most enjoyable theme's I have taught thus far! God's creation is encredible as is, but to see it appreciated in the eyes of young ones, just re-reminds me how amazing it truly is that, a flamingo turns pink by eating shrimp, An ostrach is a bird that can't fly, the daddy Penguin gaurds the baby for ....months, the mamma Girraff kicks her baby once its born to make sure it can stand in case it needs to run away and protect itself, the female cardinals are brown and birds only have 1 (cough cough) husband and wife for life, butterflies truly do begin as an awkward chubby little catapiller, all animals have something to proect themselves with, ant villages have leaders, and on and on. The way their eyes light up with these facts makes me think. I "know" and have known these facts, but when I see a picture of a pink flamingo, or a butterfly, do I appreciate it like my 4/5 year olds do? Do I think the creator of these creatures is as awesome as I heard my students proclaim? I am understanding more and more why scripture refers to how we need to be as little children, and mentions it more than once.
Whether its trusting the Lord to provide something material as Gabriel was or praying as Matilda was for protection over my own daddy while he is in his waging spiritual battle at work. Oh, just to have a fraction of some of the awe and trust that my students have shown me this past 2 weeks as we have dove into the Animal Kingdom!
I am so excited to top it all off in a couple of weeks with taking them to a HUGE zoo!

Just some inspiring moments through their eyes that I thank to Insects being so complex, and their little interpretations of God's creation being so correct.



My little ladybugs, Gaeun, Gabriel, Ming-Zhi, Susan, Adelaide, Aaron, Matilda, Berkant, Amaro
Holding their LadyBug puppets!



 

Did I really do all of that in 2 weeks?! That is the sentence that forms in my head and comes out of my mouth when reflecting over what to write to sum up not one...but two weeks I have already had here in Chile. Crazy how quickly time flies.

To be honest, sitting down and writing this is the first time I have had to sit down ALONE to really reflect...since I returned. Now, anyone who knows me knows that is definitely not a bad thing (always being surrounded by people) but nonetheless, it makes finding time alone quite a task!

 My two weeks back began on a late night flight out Monday evening that had me arriving the following Tuesday morning. On paper it said 10 hours total...22 hours later...what a sweet site it was to see some of my closest Chilean friends waving at me from the Custom's window in the airport, ready to hug me hello after my ordeal complete with rough airplane meals, a couple hours of sleep (sleep is said very loosely) and the initial "culture shock" that still hit (and always will whenever you leave the States),  my dazed and dishevelled  self was sure happy to see those familur faces.

After arriving back to the Hagerty's house a nap was possible but not practical.  I immediately began packing up my room that I had lived in for the past 10 months, and it hit me again as I was packing everything up, my "Home" will be wherever it is the Lord makes it clear I am supposed to be. Granted, it may not be easy or convenient to move 3 times in 1 year, but I’m learning to be content and just go with the flow. Emphasis on the “STILL LEARNING" part. :) A lot of memories were in that little room in the upstairs floor of my Principal's house, many family meals around the table and talks on the ride home. Things will be different. Life is always changing. I am learning to just take the good memories, and move on.

The same friends that picked me up at the airport with welcoming smiles and hugs, threw  a little poolside cookout my first evening back, and after what felt like a somewhat draining and tiring day of packing, I ended up playing Gestures ( in English) with 4 Chileans until 2:30 am!! The Lord knew I needed friendship and laughter to close the chapter that had been my life for almost all of last year, and so I knew that game night was from Him. Where I sleep may change, but the people in my life will remain the same. Thankful for that.

 Two days after landing in Santiago, I boarded a plane with 3 other missionary friends (Sharon, Sonya and Jean) down to Punta Arenas and Patagonia Chile. This had been a trip I had wanted to do ever since a couple years ago I saw it as one of the destinations teams from The Amazing Race went to. I remember thinking it would be awesome to go to the southernmost point before Antarctica and of course..See the Penguins. Who knew, I would end up there...and who knew that the town would have one main resteraunt that liked to close before 6pm?!?! We never caught on to the "eating a big lunch and bread for dinner" thing! I don't know how they do it!!

 Some highlights I’m sure to remember

1. The way the mountains looked from outside the tour bus as we entered Punta Arenas. They seemed to reach into the heavens and were a deep purple with the brightest white snow covering them I had ever seen.

2. Getting to not only see but stand very close to a Glacier
3. Touching the Strait of Magellan
4. Almost touching a wild Ostrich, and Lama but chickening out ;)
5. Eating chips and salsa for dinner on our hostel floor indian style because we wanted to save money...and felt like it!
 6. Eating fish caught from artic waters
7. Having someone bang on the door as Im enjoying a shower and being told to get out because my shower was washing the downstairs living room walls as well as me! Ooops. Hey, we weren't expecting much with paying 14$ a night!

8. Meeting Carolina on the airplane, striking up a conversation that quickly got pretty deep and being able to present the gospel to her, getting her number and hearing her say she really wanted to get together. Please be praying.

9. Spending some more quality time with my sweet friend Sharon, who recently informed me she will be moving far up north in April. My first friend I ever made here in Chile moving away is a thought that saddens me, but makes me not only excited for her and the new ministries she will have, but thankful for yet another sweet time we were able to share together.

10. Standing 6 feet away from the ledge of a HUGE waterfall! Yea, in Chile they don't have guiderails, you could jump right in if you wanted. :) Don't worry mom, that idea didn't strike my fancy and Im alive :)
11. Walking...walking some more...and walking.

Once we returned from the south of Chile School meetings immediately began! I learned I will have 9 students this semester! My class has grown 4 students, and that I know of, only 1 of the new students speaks English ;) My classroom is all set up, dusted and cleaned, the billboards are all decorated with the alphabet and bright colors, desk name tags are in place, and the beloved prize box is filled to the brim! I am so very excited! Oh and two field trips are already planned. One to the Zoo and one to this really cool "Hands On" children’s museum downtown ( That I will admit I planned for myself just as much as for the kids :))!

To end this entry on the past two weeks, I want to let all my prayer warriors know that the Lord truly worked, and answered a prayer of mine in regards to a different ministry opportunity for my remaining time. This morning I received a phone call from one of the head missionaries here and the conversation basically went like this, “My wife and I really would like to take you under our wing and we would love if you would pray about coming and ministering through music and with the young people at our church. I don't want to pressure you but the Lord has had you on both of our hearts and we really feel your personality and gifts would be used and a blessing to our church." Wow. I didn't say a word for what felt like minutes....and this is why.

This exact church was a church that over the 3 months I was home was often on my heart. I have never visited this church ever. When I had returned to Chile, one of the first things I told my roommate was I felt called to visit this SAME church!! To get that phone call this morning from one of the missionary pastor's, it not only gave me Goosebumps but left me completely speechless. In fact, my response to him was (at first) sheer laughter! I just couldn't believe it.  He also said he and his wife would pick me up every Sunday morning and bring me back. Not having a car....that is a huge blessing. It’s like the Lord just put it all in my lap and said, “Here you go Candace, this is what I have for you to do for this time." He doesn't always answer so quickly and obviously, but I'm thankful with this daughter of His, He chooses to every so often. :) He knows His children so well...

 This church is actually in a very upper class part of town, where being American, I will Lord willing have doors open (with the class segregation the upper class are not always welcoming to other classes) and I will be able to invite friends of mine to this church, who would otherwise not of visited church's in a different part of town. This will actually give me a whole different outlet to meet people, make connections and learn even more different traditions that is brand new, as I have not spent much time in the “Upper Class” world. I am so at peace and just excited. Leading worship in Spanish....yikes!! Please be praying!! My friends finally coming to this church with me!!!! Please be praying!!

 

For all of you who have been praying with me leading up to returning, and praying since I have been here. I feel it! I've adjusted to my new little apartment with Sonya, we put up pictures on the walls, got a couple matching rugs, and made what had been a man’s apartment for years, a very cute feminine nest for us ( a couple tossed box's worth of things later). I enjoy living back here at the school because it’s close to the local outdoor market which is very cheap and a great way to connect with the Chilean people, the metro, and work. We both have mentioned how thankful we were to of already known each other, lived with each other at the Hagerty's and been friends. Another answer to prayer!







Thats all for now folks, thankful for you all and remember, if the Lord continually places something on your heart...it most likely is for a reason. :)

Accomlishment:
Has it really been a whole month since i've been back in the states?! This is honestly baffling to me. The whole concept of time and the reality of how quickly minutes of ones day slip by so suddenly, leading to weeks coming to an end far to quickly..has really got me to thinking. What are my minutes, my days, my life this past year and this new one to come...truly accomplishing...for Christ? No, not accomplishing in the worlds point of view, not in the standards of my fellow peers and even loved ones, nor accomplishments based on my desires for my life. But what am I accomplishing that I will be proud of when I stand before the One who died so I may have life at all. On that scale and measurement of accomplishent...what am I proud of in this last year? How many times do I see I let the Prides of Life stand before or at the tale end of something that all glory and praise belongs to the Lord.
I was reading in my devotions and came across something that made me not only shutter at the reality of such roots of pride, that have sprouted and sometimes affected my potential impact for Christ, all while ministering and living a life that, in the last 4 weeks alone has been called, "Brave" "Difficult" "Admirable" ect.
 If I could only be as Jacob was in Exodus, wrestling with God Himself and coming out on the other side, still faithful in the site of God. That life, one of wrestling constantly against my prideful and weak flesh, and choosing Christ's...always, is one thats minutes, hours, and days, will be an "accomplishment" a life of eternal value and joy.

I want to share Spurgeon's words that stirred in my heart the awakening of a spirit that was and is still quick to pat myself on my shoulder and accept the words of admiration and praise that war against the knowledge I know to be true which is, But for Christ, I would be nothing. No Purpose, No Accomplishments, No life at all.

"It will be humbling and profitable for us to pause awhile and see this sad sight. The iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality, luke-warmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forgetfulness of God, what a full measure we have there! Our work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, neglect, sleepiness, and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth is there! If we looked more carefully we should find its iniquity to be far greater than appears at first sight. Dr Payson, writing to his brothers says, "My parish, as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the sluggard and, what is worse, I find that very man of my desires proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds which overspread my garden, and breathe out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts the wish? It may be that i may walk out and say to myself, "In what fine order is my garden kept!" This is pride. Or, it may be that my neighbors may look over the wall and say, " How finely your garden flourishes!" This is vanity. Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds just because I am tired of pulling them up. This is indolence ( laziness)." It is so, then, that our desire for holiness could be tainted by evil motives. Under the greenest sods worms hide themselves; it doesn't take long to discover them. How comforting the thought is that, when the High priest bore the iniquity of the holy things, he wore upon his brow the words, "Holy presents before his fathers face... not our unholiness, but His own holiness. O for grace to view our great High Priest by the eye of faith!"

In Ecclesiastes 3 we read about all the ways God has appointed everything under the sun, and but for Him, there everything would be futile, worthless, lifeless. But those things that are done for Christ, they are what will withstand minutes, days and years.
" He has made everything appropriate in it time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor-it is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:11-12.


God has called me to go and serve Him, has it been scary, difficult, an act of faith, yes, but I am no more brave, courageous, or godly than any other saved by grace follower of Christ, who is trying to accomplish something more...for our Lord. I just obeyed.

Don't get me wrong, the words of affirmation and encouragement have been a source of water, in the area of my heart that had become a little dry and parched over the course of 10 months away. They have always served to remind me that Christ has called me to go, and so I will continue to go. But you, you in your work place, your neighborhood, with your children, with your friends, with the cashier at the grocery store or the waiter who your kind words may be their first in weeks, you can be just as "Brave" "Courageous" and "Faithful". The states is becoming the #1 country that believers from OTHER countries are sending missionaries to. I think there is something to be said for that.

I may be going to Chile, Thailand, Kenya or a faraway land, but you my friends..you can be reaching the unbelievers in our land, America.