Saludos (greetings) from Santiago, Chile! This is Heather Myers reporting for the Vision for Chile internship team that is serving at the House of Hope for six weeks in May and June. This year’s summer internship “team” actually consists of just two members: Joann Anderson, who is a Spanish teacher from Texas, and myself, a student from northern New York studying Spanish and Communication Disorders. Joann has participated in three previous Vision for Chile trips, while I was part of last year’s summer internship program. One of the purposes of this year’s trip is to serve as friends/mentors/English teachers for the five girls who live at the newly-constructed House of Hope. We are also here to teach English to some of the members of local Alliance churches and staff from the Hogar (girls’ home).
It’s difficult to believe that we have already been here at the House of Hope for almost two weeks! After arriving in Santiago on May 17, we didn’t spend much time adjusting before we began our new responsibilities. During the first several days, we stayed busy helping the girls with homework, planning and teaching English classes, and clearing rocks from the front yard. One of the highlights of our first week in Santiago was the dedication ceremony for the House of Hope. It was amazing to see all of the people that God has brought together in order for the dream of the House of Hope to become a reality. During our second week here, we have started to establish a schedule for ourselves and have enjoyed getting to know more about the girls and the students in our English classes.
The five girls at the House of Hope are a lot of fun to spend time with in addition to being godly young women who enjoy serving others. They, along with Willy and Patty (who currently serve as the caretaker, cook, and all-around hard workers), have made us feel very welcome and have ensured that all of our needs have been taken care of. The students in our four different groups of English classes have shown a refreshing interest in learning more about another language, even if that language is often difficult for them to pronounce! And, as I discovered during my trip to Chile last year, the ability to fellowship with other Christians is not limited by language barriers. It has been great to pray, sing, and share with the believers here in Chile.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting us with your prayers! We ask that you would continue to pray for us and for Vision for Chile, since it is only by God’s work through us that we will be able to accomplish our purpose here.