Debrief: What I Learned in Chile

This month, I was so blessed to have been placed on team Ablaze and partnered with our ministry hosts, James and Coletta Morsey in Cajon del Maipo, outside of Santiago.

Ministry has looked different every week, and I’m thankful for that. There were times that I really enjoyed, and also times where I just wanted the work to be done.

But through it all, I learned some things.

First of all, ministry can look like just about anything. Many times this month, it looked like manual labor. But other times, it looked like sitting in someone’s home, just spending time with them. And sometimes it looked like helping students with English. Still other times, it looked like loving and encouraging my hosts and my team.

Through it all, God can work wonders if we are obedient and focused on being used by Him for His purposes.

I also learned more of what it looks like to be a long-term missionary. My hosts have served in Chile for 21 years as church planters, and I know it has been a long road. It takes time and effort to build relationships, to become a part of the community, raise up believers, and find local people to take over church leadership positions. But through their example, I know what serving the Lord faithfully over a lifetime can look like. James and Coletta have described all of the difficult times, when they feel hurt or when it was hard to see what the Lord was up to, and they continued in their faith anyway. It was so encouraging hearing from them that He is good despite the visible outcome of their efforts. That was especially good because I struggled a little bit this month with disappointment that I wasn’t doing something where I could see the impact right away.

I also have some pinpointed areas that I want to grow in next month. 

I’ve been fairly consistent at carving out quiet time every morning this month, but next month I really want to be more intentional with how I spend it.

This month I feel like I’ve been reading a lot, which of course is good, but I need to make more space for prayer and reflection as well– actually working to personally know the Father more rather than just knowing more about Him.

I also want to step out in faith more often, and be on the lookout for opportunities to partner with the Lord in stirring hearts towards Him. Whether that means praying for random people on the street or in the grocery store, or being open to times when I see that a teammate or squadmate needs some encouragement, I want to follow where the Spirit leads.

Next month, in ARGENTINA, I don’t know exactly what my ministry will be, but I do know that my whole squad will be together in Mendoza.

I’m looking forward to it, but my experiences and the people I got to know in Chili will always have a special place in my heart.

Please be praying over my squad and I and the city of Mendoza as we enter this next chapter of our story.

I am still in need of financial support– please share that with your friends and family, and donate if you can, and keep in mind that any amount will help me reach my deadlines.

Thank you so much for reading– be on the lookout for my first post from Argentina!