Rafting

Yesterday we went white water rafting through the mountains for TJ's birthday....it was really cool and really fun!!!!! The water was freezing but we had to wear wetsuits and windbreakers and a life jacket so by the time you had all of that on it wasn't soo bad. I had never done that before so I was excited and it all went so well. It was great :). Pretty soon here things will start to get more serious than they have been. TJ is goin back to school tomorrow and things will get back to normal with the church so life is guna be a bit different I think than what I have been used to lately. Last Sunday James spoke at another church...much smaller than the Morsey's. The family of the church is the Mitchel's, the same people that we went and played games with at their house a while ago...we went over to their house again afterwards and had lunch and dinner and played games again...it was really fun! Nothin much else is goin on right now I don't think. I miss everyone so much. It is weird to think that I only have one more month left. Keep praying for the language thing. Everyone is pretty used to the fact that I can't speak it but sometimes they will forget and try and speak to me and I'll just be like...uhhhh what? haha it is actually pretty funny but anyways, hugs and kisses!




here's some photos
http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x228/jmkettenring/Chile/

Valpo and Vina (the coast)

Sorry I have been away for a while. I just spent the last week at the coast. I only expected to be there a few days but I ended up staying 4 more days....it was really beautiful and it was so good to be at the beach again. I am finally getting my tan back, hehe, and loving every moment of it. The sunsets were absolutely beautiful and the days were clear and perfect. 6 of us stayed the first few days in a little apartment about 10 minutes from the water and then James and Coly went home Thursday and the guys stayed at the apartment and the girls rented a room in a Hostal that was like a 10 minute walk from the beach. We stayed till Monday evening and then came home on a nice bus. I stayed with 2 other girls in the Hostal...one that speaks english really well and one that doesn't speak it at all. So we had a bit of interpreting going on, lol. It was actually really great to be able to get to know them a bit more. Still really difficult, however, to understand all that was going on and what they were talking about and stuff. It is really difficult not to feel lost sometimes but they do a pretty good job of trying to make me feel included no matter what is going on...but there is only so much they can do ya know. All in all though that was a really awesome trip.
We are painting the house today and doing the edges and really difficult stuff tomorrow...we already did the main things but we may need to go over it again so we will see. It is actually kind of fun except when you have to get into really awkward positions to get difficult spots and stuff. One of TJ's really good friends came over and helped us too so that made it go faster.
It is TJ's b-day on the 25th and the parents are planning a little trip for that too. It is a surprise...i'm excited...I love birthdays!
I miss everyone alot! I was really struggling last week cuz it was Amy's birthday and I couldn't be there and that really sucked. I had to force myself not to think about it too much on the way to the coast otherwise I would have lost it completely, haha. Such a girl :)...I also really wanted my big brother hug...actually still do. It is hard bein away from the youth group as well and everyone there. Since it is difficult to connect with lots of people here in the church I am way more aware of how far away everyone is and that can be very saddening but no matter what I try to keep my spirits up and just remember that this is where God wants me and He has a reason for me being here! And I am enjoying so don't get me wrong there :) Well I better go, we are heading to the church soon to go swimming. Love and miss everyone SOOOOOOOOOOO much! XOXOXOXOX

Hiking

I went Hiking with the family and some other guys from church today and had an absolute blast!!! The mountains are so gorgeous and it was so incredible to be reminded of God's awesome and indescribable glory. The whole thing was about a 7 mile hike: uphill on the way to a small lake thing but downhill on the way back. As I said before...it was incredible. I was kinda tired after though.
Sunday's are proving to be a bit difficult. I love the people..they are really nice and welcoming but I really want to be able to talk to them and understand them and that simply isnt possible without going through someone who know english and even then it is limited on how much you can actually connect and get to know a person like that. It is really frustrating for me cuz i am such a talker and want to get to know everyone but when I am in a group or something I am forced to be quiet because I dont know what is going on nor would they if i said something. So that is the most difficult part of my journey right now. If you could pray for my strength in that area i would greatly appreciate it. We leave for the beach tomorrow for a couple of days!! I am WAY excited!!!
Love and miss you all!!!

My pinky hurts :(

ok i can't type much cuz i jammed my pinky this morning when i was running and fell so just a little update...1st 'sunday service was good....very interesting seeing as how i understood absolutely nothing of what any of them were saying...but that is ok. It was still good to see people worshipping God in a different culture. And everyone was super nice to me and wanted to come up and meet me cuz i was new...and when i went to help in the children's room one little girl was desperately trying to talk to me and stuff but it was really difficult because she didnt speak english :(.
We are just kind of hanging out this week and tackling tasks as they come up...Working at the church a bit with organizing Awana stuff and cleaning up the house little by little....sorry i cant right more. Hope everyone is doing well....Thanks SOOOO much for the comments!! i LOVE them! Ciao for now! (hehe that rhymes)

God is Good

Well, it has definitely been an eventful first couple of days. My first day here some of TJ's (the son) friends came over to plan their senior trip and afterwards we all went over to the Morsey's church and went swimming. He goes to a missionary school so they all speak english and are all from the states which was really nice for me. It was really crazy however to go from wearing coat and genes the day before and then to be in a swimsuit soaking up the sun. It was AWESOME! His friends were all really nice and fun to hang around too. God has definitely answered my prayers about the family. I have not found it difficult to fit in at all and am getting along really well with them actually. They are a really wonderful family but I was a little worried that it would be awkward with TJ but it totally isn't and we get along great. Yesterday was soooo busy and full...we left in the morning and took the Metro to downtown Santiago where we met up with another missionary family that is here and walked around the city all morning and afternoon. It was soooo cool to see another part of the world and the different cultures again and stuff like that. They have some really cool older looking buildings in the city that are really awesome. While there we climbed this little mountain/large hill that once you reach the top you can see all of the city...it was really cool. So after that we came home for a bit of a power nap and then headed off to the Mitchel's house, the same missionary family that we were just with for dinner and games. That was SOOOOO much fun. They have 2 sons, one TJ's age and one 2 years younger but just as fun, and then they had their neice staying with them for a couple of weeks and she is in her 20's. So yea that was a blast and by the end of it my stomach hurt from laughing so much. I am so thankful to God for how great He is and how faithful He always is. Tonight we will go to another B-B-Q with another 3 families but these ones are actually from Chile so it will be interesting to see how this all works out. I think some of the kids speak english but not the parents. Anyways, thanks for the comments they are ALWAYS grealty appreciated!!! Hugs and Kisses to all!!!