Chilean news (good and sad)

Hello, MCMC fellows!

This is Felipe, from Concepción, CHILE. Your Chilean friends in Puerta del Rebaño have been very busy. You can see some photos of recent activities on our Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/puertachile

The above photo (the first on your blog!) was taken during a campaign for stopping violence against women ("Un 18 sin violencia"). You can see my sister Valentina singing a Víctor Jara's song. This demonstration was held on the city square.

Do you remember the house we are renting? Well, it's too expensive for us, so we'll be moving to a cheaper place before the end of the year. Carlos and Mónica -our co-pastors, you know- will move to an apartment, so we'll be able to use their house as our new meeting and worship place. I'm not going to comment all the details on a public blog, but I must tell you that they are being extremely generous, and, at the same time, they are feeling really happy for helping the community this way.

The sad news is that Carlos's dad died a few days ago. He was sick for a long time, and the end was not unexpected at all. Funeral service was held yesterday (Saturday). Today, Sunday service was deeply moving: Carlos gave a beautiful and inspiring sermon about the book of Revelations, and the certainty -not merely hope- of resurrection and eternal life.

You've got our emails. You can send me any message to Carlos and his family in English, so I can translate it for them.

Thanks a lot.

Felipe

Greetings from Germany!

Hello friends!! What a joy and surprise it was to get your email inviting me to blog on this site. Thank you so much for contacting me!

It has been a full and busy year since I said goodbye to you all at MCMC. I first moved to Switzerland and worked there for about seven months as a full-time AuPair. A benefit of this job was living in such beauty, and getting to know another culture better--I lived with a Dutch family there! However, this job ended up leaving me quite isolated and lonely.

When I was offered a job at a small Christian international school near home in Germany, I decided to check it out. After praying about the decision, I felt that God was giving me a green light to go ahead and pursue it! I have been so thankful since then as ending the job as an AuPair opened the opportunity to go on a trip with my best friend here in Europe, and since starting the job, I have felt such joy! I get the priviledge of working with an 8-year old boy with a high-functioning form of Autism. He is a pleasure to work with and as was my experience before--working with children with Special Needs--it has been so rewarding! It has also been wonderful to be back with my family for this time!! Praise God! Here is a shot of us here this year together! :)




I have also had the joy of starting to lead a small group of freshmen girls from Black Forest Academy, the Christian International school here in town. They are precious and I have enjoyed seeing them get to know each other! I think it's going to be a great year with them! I am having an "Art Party" (or as I'm calling it: "Art-o-rama") with the girls this afternoon and then going out to dinner with them this evening, because they have a day off today. :) So much fun.
edit: Here's a shot of all of us there yesterday!



It has been wonderful reconnecting with "my kids" here--all of my brothers' friends whom I have grown to love over the last few years!

Other than that, I have been completely engulfed in wonder at experiencing my first fall in Germany.... Here are some photos highlighting some of the colors of this beautiful season!!


edit: sorry, I'm trying to figure out Blogger and how to do the photos accurately! ARRHH HELP!

We are a very busy church

Last weekend was a wonderful time as we gathered to work at where we've been and who we are. Some of the conversation, while pushing us out of our comfort zones, helped us to look a little deeper into the struggles and "turmoil" we've experienced in the past. It was a wonderful experience to look at the time-line, observing how God has worked with us and molded us into who we are today. Although we didn't finish talking about the time-line, we do need to continue that conversation.

My proposal, by the suggestion of several others, is to, in the near future, have a shortened worship service on a Sunday morning with a 5 minute coffee break and then meet to continue the time-line conversation where we left off.

I'm looking for feedback/comments on this idea. What do you think?

Welcome to MCMC's Blog

This is an exciting new way to interact with each other in the MCMC community. Don't be afraid of it, but remember it is public, like speaking in Sunday School, or sharing time. Many times, it is appropriate to continue the messages via email between each other, off the blog.

Please check out the guidelines before beginning.