what lies ahead

I have never been to South America before. Actually, I have never been south of the equator at all. I have never lived outside of Texas. I have never gone to another country with no contacts in my back pocket. I have never embarked on a journey like the one that awaits in Chile. Granted, I've done a decent amount of traveling to Europe and around the U.S. but never alone.


On Wednesday, I will board an 8 hour flight to Santiago, Chile as a part of the program I am participating in called Veritas, which couples mission work and studying abroad. My original intentions when I began planning this summer were to take classes and serve a community outside of my comfort zone, which I'm often too afraid to step away from. So when I found Veritas, I knew that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to live in Viña del Mar with a host family, attend classes at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, and do mission work. Although it is a little daunting that I don't know my other travel companions yet I'm looking forward to meeting them on our flight together and over the next 5 weeks.


With no experience in studying abroad, I'm relying solely on the call that God has placed on my life to go. I was reading Psalm 18 in February and verse 49 particularly solidified this inexplicable desire as it reads, "I will praise you among the nations, O Lord; I will sing praises to your name." It hit me like a ton of bricks: the nations. The creator of our expansive universe showed me how to fulfill this calling--leave what I know and proclaim His name above all else. By setting my reservations and doubts aside, He has shown me the path I get to walk down toward the abundant riches Jesus bought for each of us with His blood. 


Now, don't be fooled. I'm more nervous than ever to go against the grain and possibly open the door to my future. For the past 11 summers, I have spent a majority of my time at Laity Lodge Youth Camp which I have been blessed to call a second home. But for the first time that I can remember, I will be pursuing the Kingdom by the Pacific Ocean instead of the Frio River. Right now, it's hard to wrap my mind around that thought but I also know that the Lord doesn't call the the equipped but rather that He equips the called. I will admit that I have mixed emotions about the unknown I'm also confident that the Lord wouldn't drag me into a foreign country just for kicks and giggles. 


I have never blogged before and my hope behind Chilean Chatter is to shine a light on the rich Chilean culture I will experience and how I will inevitably embarrass myself on the daily trying to figure it out. I also hope to show how the Lord is working both through the work we will be doing and in me. Stick with me as I figure out how to navigate the blogging scene and report back on a day in the life in Chile!