First Semester Complete, Two To Go

I finished my first semester of spanish classes on Friday. I can understand more of what people are saying now but it is still very difficult. I start my next semester tommorrow with a new profesor.



This picture does not do them justice but here are the Andes mountains from my Aunt and Uncle's neighborhood. I can see the mountains from their backyard.



Today Ricardo's nephew Lucho and his family came for lunch. We had an authentic Colombian meal (my uncle and Lucho and his family are from Colombia).

Uncle Ricardo , Lucho and his wife Daisy finish making lunch. Lucho is the pastor of the church plant here in Santiago. Lucho and Daisy have two children, Luis Fernando and Daviana.

Daviana pushing me on the swing and Jonathan and Juliana enjoying their juice together.

Thank you all for your prayers!

-Kristin

School, etc.

I have made it through the second week of spanish classes and my first test. The test went pretty well.

Other than school it was a pretty relaxed week so here are just a few pictures of some things that I am seeing here in Chile.

Jonathan and I as we waited for our lunch from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Juliana and I at the park.

My Aunt Beth and cousins Juliana and Jonathan enjoying their popsicles. This afternoon we walked to the tienda (a little store) to buy eggs and popsicles.

A Chilean schoolbus.

The Metro that I ride to and from school everyday.

Buenos Noches-

Kristin

Last Week In Review (Oct. 3-10)

Last Saturday we went to a sister church of my

Aunt and Uncle's church to help them with an outreach event. It was kind of like a mini-one-day VBS. It was held for the church and neighborhood children. I was unable to talk to anyone so I helped with preperation and one of the games. About 50-60 children attended the event.

On Sunday we went to an authentic Chilean restaraunt to eat lunch. I got to eat Empanadas which are an authentic Chilean food. They are bread pockets with either cheese or meat and other things in them. The people in the picture to the left were at the restaraunt and were dancing La Cueca (an authentic Chilean dance). After lunch we went on drive through the Andes mountains.

On Monday October 5 I started Spanish classes. Classes are going well. For my first week I only had one other classmate but last week was his last week so unless someone new comes this week I guess I will be having private lessons. I don't have school today because It is a holiday. After my first day of school last Monday we went on a city tour of Santiago with the tour guide for the school. The building in the picture is the President of Chile's office.

I made it through one week of spanish class and I even had to ride the metro by myself. In the mornings the metro is like a can of sardines (extremely crammed). I enjoy riding the metro better in the afternoon.

On Saturday October 10 we had a soccer party at Casa Grande (my aunt and uncle's church). Chile was playing Colombia to qualify for the World Cup so it was a big game. We had a cookout and my uncle's nephew preached during halftime. Chile won and on our way home from church you could see that Santiago was alive with celebration.

That was my first week in review! I will try to update you every weekend on what is going on in Santiago, Chile.

-Kristin

Llegue Bien (Arrived well)

The City of Santiago, Chile

Friday October 2, 2009-

Hola from Chile. I arrived safely to Chile this morning after an all night flight from Atlanta. All but one of my suitcases made it to Chile. My aunt, uncle and cousins met me at the airport and we went back to their house where I took a nap. After my nap we went to check out the school where I will be taking Spanish classes. I will be starting classes on Monday. After checking out the school we drove to the top of a mountain where you could see all of Santiago. It is a huge city. The population is 6 million(almost 50% of Chile's population).

While we were on the mountain we stopped at a concession stand where I tried a peach/wheat juice something. It was different but did not taste as bad as it looks.

Yum!?!?!?!

-Kristin