Tuesday, September 18, is Independence Day in Chile. The 19th is also a national holiday. Because these days fall midweek this year, Monday is also a holiday and the festivities begin today, Saturday! A five day weekend!
The celebrations are filled with family, travel for some, empanadas, barbeque, cueca, the traditional Chilean "Guy flirts with girl" dance. I have hopefully learned it, and hope there will be some opportunities to dance it in the coming days. I started my empanada eating yesterday, with an office lunch! It's been a long time since I've had an empanada, having been gone so long.
For my first day of this weekend, I have chosen to stay in bed this morning, am drinking coffee, and catching up on emailing friends. I realized I hadn't written here in awhile, and don't know if any of you still read. I hope so.
Thursday marked one year since my arrival. I have reflected a bit on what has happened since that day, and am so grateful for what God has called me to be a part of. I continue to see how He is changing me, as well, and am still so glad this world is not our home.
Although I just recently arrived, and said I have no desire to travel soon, I do wish to visit Tacna, Peru, for the first time since I left. I hope to go before the end of the year, to see the ecological project, meet with the new church that has formed in that immediate area, and visit with the young people I worked with. If I do not receive the visa I'm waiting for, I will have to leave Chile before mid-November, so that will be all I need to make me go! There is also a possibility I could serve as a translator for a medical team in mid-November as well, visiting there in Tacna!
Enjoy the photos. They don't have anything to do with what I wrote, but some of you enjoy seeing where I live.
