HoveyServinGod

Brian and I have been blessed beyond measure this Christmas to be able to be in our home state of Minnesota.  We have enjoyed spending time with friends and family.  There are two MN traditions that we want to highlight this year......in Minneapolis, on the 8th floor of Macy's, there is a Christmas display entitled "Santaland" that we were able to go to while we were home.  Here are a couple photos......  We got a photo by the giant wreath on our way out of the display too!   Another Christmas tradition in Minnesota is the Holidazzle Parade....we remembered "Chile" in our hearts as we were watching the parade on a " very chilly" night.  As you can tell by our attire, it's a little cooler here in the Midwest.  We have included some pictures of the light show that ensued after we were thoroughly cooled to the core.....hope you enjoy!  It is a tradition that is to be discontinued after this year in Minnesota.....no parade next year, so w

Our flight was a little longer than anticipated....it was a 24+ jouney, but we are in Minnesota!!!!  Whoo hoo!!!!  We slept in QUITE a bit today and spent the day trying to unpack, get settled, get adjusted, get acclimated, get acquainted--or should I say RE-acquainted--and all that good stuff!  Thanks to all for praying! We made it!!!

On December 11th we got the opportunity to go to the Pacific Coastline with our friends, Jon and Pam Sharp. What a blessing! One of the sights they said we HAD to see was the giant floral clock……I didn’t know what to expect, but can you believe this??? It even works!!! How they got a clock’s mechanisms inside this hill is beyond me, but it was SO neat!!! Brian took some close-ups of the floral arrangements so our readers could admire the beautiful landscaping.   Here are our friends, Jon and Pam.   Pam has been my mentor since shortly after coming to Chile.   We meet once a week or so to pray and share what’s happening in life and ministry.   Brian and I were paired up with the Sharps when we first arrived in Chile as our big brother-big sister……they have taken us under their wing, and we have learned much from them!   Pam and I sang hymns in Spanish and some in English on our car ride out to the coast……it was a treat!   The waves against the rocks were simply spe

This past week was the last week of classes before the summer break....remember, since we're south of the equator, the seasons are opposite.  The school will have about 2 1/2 months off of school, so I wanted to take a picture of them to see how they grow and change.  Here is our first attempt......     Here is our second attempt......(they had permission to be silly)  On the day before break, there was a Christmas program that all the kids were a part of.  The title of the elementary portion was called, "In a Galilee Far, Far Away."  I was so proud of the Kindergartners!  In the photo below, you can see the elementary choir singing and the layout of the stage.  Brian was a HUGE help to making the set....he made platforms for the children to stand on, and he also helped with the spaceship control panel you can see in the middle. There was a time of fellowship after the program....the night was a huge success! On the last day of school there was a Christmas

 We were truly blessed to spend our Thanksgiving with a great group of people and in wonderful place.  Thanksgiving is a highlight here because we were all able to unplug from the constant demands that are around us.  The ABWE missionaries here in Chile all go on a retreat over the holiday up in the mountains as a team building activity. There was an English speaking preacher (he has been a pastor for 45 years and had some tremendous things to share) who served in Chile for many years some time ago....that was SUCH a blessing to hear the Word in our native tongue! That is something we have really missed since we've been in Chile. There were also team members that shared their testimonies and special music. It was just nice and refreshing....we had a Thanksgiving meal too!  Yup that is Phyllis sharing some Special music! Each night there were always a few up for playing games!  We had the opportunity to learn a few new games, but ultimately the time of fellowship was

We would like to write a quick note and wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!!  This year we are spending our Thanksgiving with the whole ABWE Chile team up in the mountains.  There are 50+ of us when we count all the kids.  We thank God for the many ways He has blessed us including each one of you!   We are unable to share any pictures at this time because the internet is very limited, but we look forward to sharing some stories and pictures once we get back to Santiago.  Many blessing on your Thanksgiving!!!

This last week was the high school's turn to take a field trip. The focus this time of year has been history. All of the students are taking part in a history fair and the purpose of this field trip was to show history throughout the city we are in (Santiago). I (Brian) was asked to go along to help with the 40+ high schoolers that went. The day started by us breaking into groups.  So, I was given 7 kids to be responsible for throughout the day. We then left the school and walked to the metro (subway) to get to our first destination. About an hour later we all gathered together again and loaded up on a double decker tour bus. The tour bus took us through some of the well known parts of the city and talked about some of the history of specific areas. We did take a break at one of the historic districts and walked through the square. This area was very crowded and from the looks of what was going on a typical Chilean protest was going to happen. The riot police were alrea

As many of you may know or may have heard Phyllis and I have been considering staying here at Santiago Christian Academy (Chile) for another year.  We would like to share that we have made the decision to stay here another year if the Lord allows.  This is a big decision for us and has not been one that has been made lightly.   We thank you for all those who have prayed for us! Since we have decided to pursue another year we must also raise money for the second year.  We have decided to come back home to Minnesota over the Christmas/summer break to begin raising support and testifying to what God has been doing in and through us.   Would you consider partnering with us in the ministry God is doing here at SCA? We are going to be flying into MN on December 17 with a plan of returning to Chile in the end of January.  During this time we would like to meet with any and all who are interested in supporting us or are interested in hearing how God is working in Chile. With any questions p

Last week we took a field trip to a local bakery.   We had been studying about community helpers earlier in the school year, and now it was time to see them in action!!!   The children were excited about it, as you can imagine.   We went on a Wednesday.   The bakery was within walking distance, so after snack time and bathroom breaks, we started our trek! Here is a picture of our two class groups.   I have a class of thirteen, and I am fortunate to have a teacher’s assistant too!   We thought it would be best to divide and conquer……..   We went with the preschool class as well.   Inside the bakery, the first thing we were asked to do was put on hair nets.   The hair nets in Chile are heavier and more like a cap, as you can see in the photos.   While some of the children were apprehensive at first, it helped that the teachers had to wear them too! "Look at that teacher over there!"   We started out from the top……………we were in the President’s office!   The kids

Over the course of our time here in Chile, Brian has made a number of improvements to the school.   I wanted to take the time to give you visuals of just a few of them so that you can SEE some of the things he has been up to….. This is a lunch tray holder.   Previously, the old lunch tray holder was a bench right outside the office door.   Brian saw the need and DID something about it!   When he started the project, he just had raw materials.   As you can see, there was a lot of measuring and putting together that came along with this tray holder.   What I thought was the most mind boggling thing about the whole thing was that nobody asked Brian to take on this project.   He noticed that things weren’t very efficient how they were, and he just came up with a better way to do things!   The mind of an engineer……I love it!   Another project he has had his hand in was making some new cubbies for the Jr./Sr. High School.   On the left you can see the new, improved style of storage sp