HoveyServinGod

Team Chile has a great team building experience called "The Annual Retreat."  It was held this last week at the "Casa Colonial."  I would venture to say that a GREAT time was had by all--once we got there, that is......there was a car that broke down, a car that had a flat tire, two drivers that got sick last minute, lots of last minute packing up, and several other challenges to get there!  HOWEVER, to God be the Glory, those who set out made it there safely, and it was a good time of relaxation and reconnecting with fellow team members! When we got there, there were designated rooms for each person/couple/family.  Each room even had a little sign labeled to help show people around!  Here is a glance at one side of our room.  Brian was trying to establish internet connection so that we could blog, but it was to no avail.....so?  Here we are blogging about it this week!  They must've known that there are now three in our family because they gave us a b

Our FIRST Chilean wedding experience was this past weekend!  Boy, was it ever memorable!  It was an outdoor wedding (as it's summer here), and it was breathtaking!  I'll show the pics with captions and give you an overview and then share a few thoughts at the end.... The entrance into seating area...  The seating for the ceremony....  The awning under which the couple would later say their vows....  Another happy couple....this one was just in attendance!  The guests seated and ready for the ceremony to begin....it was DEFINITELY a formal occasion!  The groom and his mother preparing to walk down the aisle....  The proud father of the groom shooting pics from his phone of his son along with the photographer..  The flower girls....  The ring bearer and jr. flower girl....  The bride and her father....isn't she beautiful???? (She is one of our co-workers at the school...)  A closer view of the dress....  The bride saying good-bye

While summer vacation has provided some opportunity for rest and reprieve for many, the work has also continued for Brian.  Summer is a prime time to tackle projects that need to be completed in high trafficked areas.  Pictured below, you will see the steel posts for a shaded sitting area for High School students.  Eventually, there will be malla put up to provide shade, but this work needed to be completed in order to be ready when the cement truck comes.  At the base of each post, there will be cement pillars to stabilize the beams.   Here is a closer shot...  Two of the seminary students, Sebastian and Alvaro, have been helping Brian the first part of the summer.  (The seminary is the blue and white building in the background in the photo above)  It's been a huge blessing on both parts to have them helping out!  Here, the steel posts are set and stabilized for now.  The wood before was just keeping them in place.  Looks like a good start, right?...but still much mor

We had a great Christmas and a grand New Year as well! Here are some of the highlights...... We were able to share a home cooked meal with our ABWE team in Santiago, Chile on Christmas Day.  The meal was complete with cheesy potatoes, salads, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie!  However, the best part of the meal was the great company to be had with our fellow missionaries. In the morning on Christmas Day, we had the privilege of attending our first baptism since being here in Chile.  Our church facility doesn't currently include a baptismal, so the church was blessed to be able to rent a plot of land outside the city that had a pool in order to accommodate those who wanted to follow the Lord's command to identify with His death, burial, and resurrection in the act of baptism.  The neatest thing for me to see personally was the wide age range in those who were taking up God's command to follow Him in this way.....all the way from elementary age up to adults in t