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I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me, my strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. 

~ Psalm 138

We hadn’t seen another vehicle on the road for miles. We were in the middle of the cold desert well before daybreak hoping we were headed in the right direction. Slowly we avoided major dips in the dirt road and cautiously ascended hills that we couldn’t see if the road continued on to the other side of them. The shadows from the moonlight made us aware that to one side of the road was a decent drop-off.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when we got back to the main road and saw other vehicles. On our return trip in the daylight, we saw that intersection where we exited the rough road. It had a warning sign that read, “Camino en mal estado,” or “Way in bad state.” That warning wasn’t there at the beginning of the road!

Following God sometimes requires going down some dark, bumpy roads. We don’t always know when it will end or what the purpose of the trip is. We might not know this side of heaven. When we are on the rough and sometimes painful road, can we really say what the Psalmist said? No matter how hard God’s work is in our lives, don’t forsake it?

God’s work in our lives is always good, and He is always loving and faithful. When the road gets bumpy, we can call on Him to “increase the strength of our soul.” We can praise Him for that during the journey and give thanks when we look back at how far He has brought us. Thankfully, this journey hasn’t been too bumpy, but it was a good reminder that God challenged me with as I continue this ministry.

So, was that bumpy road in the desert worth it? Absolutely! In the early morning light, we walked around in what looked like another world. Geysers venting steam were all over the valley, and the snow-capped mountains were the backdrop. As the sun came over the mountains, the effect of the back-lit steam left us in awe! This was part of a long weekend Easter retreat with other missionaries to San Pedro de Atacama. We were constantly amazed at the variety and beauty of God’s creation and his care for it even in the dry Atacama Desert!

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It’s hard to believe I’ll be leaving here in under a month. I have so loved my time here, and it has really become like a second home to me. I have enjoyed getting fresh fruits and veggies from the feria (market) on the weekends. The new fruit that I have been enjoying is a kaki or persimmon. They still have a good selection of fruit despite going into the winter season.

Right now the nights get down into the upper 30’s. Since there is no central heating, I run my propane-powered space heater to take the chill out of my room before I crawl into bed with a heated mattress pad. The plus side of the colder weather is the mountains get snow on them. It’s a pretty backdrop for the school where I spend a lot of my time!

One of the main ministries here in Santiago is Santiago Christian Academy. SCA is taught in English and has missionary kids, Chileans, and international students of all grades. There is always something going on with the school, and I enjoyed going to the high school banquet recently!

I have been working on several videos for the team here. Some are for in-country use and some will be for recruiting and support-raising in the States. I was getting close to finishing some of them, but a technical issue set me back a week or two. I am hoping to get that resolved by next week and get back on track!

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Thank you for your continued support!

Prayer requests:

• The Storytellers Abroad team arrives in Chile on June 22nd. Please pray for all the logistics as there are lots of details that need to be managed before they arrive and as things come up during that week. Also pray for safety as they travel around with all their equipment as theft is a bigger issue here. Lastly, please pray for impacted lives for the Kingdom – both in hearts of those participating in the trip and for the impact of the stories produced.
• Please pray for me as I work to finish up some videos – especially that I wouldn’t run into any more technical issues!
• I leave for Colombia the night of July 3rd. Please pray for me as I wrap up my time here, say goodbyes, and transition to another country!