Calama

This week we are working in a city in the middle of the desert (which also happens to be the driest in the world, can you say chapstick??) We are here supporting the work of a group of people who really desire to see changes and want action to be taken.

The first day that we arrived they pulled out a map and started planning how we can best reach the people of the city and what area had the most need. We have spent all week working in a sector of the city that has the most drug traffic and prostitution as well as many broken and violent homes. We are just making relationships with the people and listening to them and speaking truth into their lives. It can feel a little odd sitting in a strangers home and having them open up to you with tears flowing down their face but it has been really beautiful the opportunities we have had to share with people and also to support and encourage the people who are doing this community project.


I have to say that God´s blessing and provision never cease to amaze me. Last week was so incredible for us, I can’t even believe the measure of what we were blessed with. Like I said in the last blog it was by a last minute change that we came to Calama. This part of the desert can be very hot of course but also often drop below zero. None of us had any warm clothes with us becasue we had never planned on coming to this area. Somehow, by the end of the week each one of us had beautiful winter jackets, sweaters and scarves. One lady even gave me the jacket right off her back! I couldn´t believe it.

I had never seen a church like this before, they gave generously without thought and they were a community that really took care of each other. It was really encouraging to see the church work in this way. I remember my pastor from home once saying that when the church works like it is supposed to work it is a beautiful thing.

Today we had a break in the afternoon and we went to visit San Pedro, a touristic town nearby as well as Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley.) The valley is famous for its resemblance to the surface of the moon and it was so gorgeous! It was really nice to relax as well as to get the chance to go to these places that I´ve been hearing about.

Well, in exactly 2 weeks we will be back in Pichilemu. I can´t believe how fast the time has gone. We just have one more church to work with next week and then a few days of debrief and thats it! Please pray that we would finish well and for continued strength.