Christmas Tidings

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing you all a Christmas full of love, joyful expectation, and Christ's peace that passes understanding.  What a beautiful season this has turned out to be, and how blessed we have been, with so much love, family, and new beginnings.

Both Matt and I have been blessed with the gift of work, and believe me we both understand just how blessed we are in this economy.  I started on as a social worker at a nursing home in Federal Way (just North of Tacoma.)  I'm doing mental health and crisis management, and helping people on rehab return home safely.  I had no idea how much this job would keep me on my toes. There is definitely never a dull moment!  Matt is a supervisor at a small factory in Lakewood (just South of Tacoma) with a company called Greatwide where they repair pallets.  He's enjoying the smaller atmosphere, more leeway for making his own decisions and the bliss of having 1 boss instead of 6.  He's getting to use a lot of his Spanish, and learning the invaluable Mexican idioms and dialect differences.

It has been so nice to be home and share Christmas with our families again, and all the little things about Christmas in the US that are so North American, like snowdrifts, candy canes, Christmas carolers, and old Dean Martin favorites.  It has been so wonderful to share in the excitement of the season with our nephews for the first time, and to just cherish each special moment.  Being able to go to Aiden's Christmas program was precious.  He was so animated and had so much fun.  No one can replace our girls in Chile, but it's amazing what a dose of the kidos with all their wonder and excitement can do for a home sick girl.

Still, I can't help but wonder what the girls are up to, how they're doing, or think about their beautiful smiles... especially now - not only is it Christmas, but Summer vacation just started!  Many of you have been asking if we have heard how the girls are doing.  We have sent down cards, and a big Christmas package too, but haven't been able to call much, so we don't have many details.  The girls have been doing well though.  They have all been going to full day school with more time to complete their class work at school.  Last year the girls would only have about 4 hours at school, and would have to catch up the additional class work at home - in other words an OVERDOSE of homework.  More of the girls have been involved in after school activities too and really enjoying that time.  Paloma was able to return home with her mother a few months ago, and we are so happy for her.  It was a big step, and I know that it was a good one.  We'll keep you posted as we hear more!

Sister Rosita finally got the money for the playground toy through to the Chilean account on December 15th.  She is hoping to get everything built and in place as soon as possible.  The first step will be preparing the ground site, flattening the little hill out, getting the retaining wall in, and putting down the pea gravel.  We will keep you all posted on the progress. Every time I talk with her, or write her, she always asks me to thank EVERYONE who helped make this possible, and all the generous donors.  The girls are so excited and so thankful!!! It's hard to believe that just last Christmas the dream was just beginning to form.  Very soon it will be a reality!  It really means a lot.  So thank you all again soooo much!

We hope that this has been a beautiful Christmas for all of you as well, and that you have found the time to slow down, cherish the moments, and reflect on the beautiful miracle of His birth. May the joy and love that welcomed Him into the world all those years ago, embrace you today and always.

Blessings and much love, to you and all your loved ones.
Love,
Janelle and Matt

A word from some VERY thankful girls!

So... we sent the check down just 2 weeks ago.  Sister Rosita received the check and the great news about the playground toy, and this weekend she just told the girls!  She says;

"I will tell you, that the girls at Hogar Ines Riesco Llona are very happy about the news that we will be able to begin construction on the toy.  I have included a letter from them.  All the girls that I saw on Saturday were very happy, especially the youngest ones, the girls from your house..."

 

A quick translation:

Dear Uncle and Aunty,

Well, First of all we want to tell you that we miss you very much, and that we are very grateful for everything that you have done for us.  You were very generous with us in every way.  

Here, we miss you very very much, we hope to see you soon, and hope that you are well. 

Say hello to your parents, for they are very dear to us as well.

What else can we say.  We hope you are very happy, like you were when you were here...

Much love and kisses

PS. Thank you for building the playground toy that will be very useful to us so that we can have more fun.

With love, Romy and Cecy

I hope you remember us and if you remember, remember for ever

Good luck!

 _____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you again from all the amazing people and congregations that made this dream possible for these girls.  Thank you St. Pius X in Quincy, St. Rita's in Tacoma, and Othello Nazarine!!!  We couldn't have done it without you!

Big Toy goal Reached!!!

We have wonderful news everyone!  We have reached our Goal!!!  

The Big Toy will soon be a reality for the girls at Hogar Ines Riesco Llona!

Just this last Sunday, we traveled back to Othello to talk at the Nazarene Church (and get a wonderful dose of Othello Fair and Rodeo too :).  I truly believe that we were God's instrument, and that His love shined through us, as we talked from our hearts.  A special experience was being able to minister to the youth there.  I can remember when I was their age, and so eager to hear about different missions, and wonder excitedly where God may lead me some day.  God is truly at work in their joy and excitement, as they dreamed about the possibilities in their own future.  It was so beautiful and refreshing.

When we talked in Othello, we needed an additional $500 dollars to reach our goal.  We were blown away by the response!  Through their amazing generosity, we raised a total of $1,221. Praise the Lord!!!  The additional $721 will be sent down to Chile as well.  If there are any unforeseen costs on the Big Toy, Sister Rosita will let us know, and the money will be used for that.  When the project is completed, any additional funds will be used as the foundation money for our next exciting project - A Higher Education fund for the girls from the Hogar.  (More to come soon on that.)

Both Matt and I are so happy and content, beyond words.  We want to thank EVERYONE so much for your prayers, your support, and for opening up your communities to us.

There is much work still left to be done!

Stay connected with us on the journey!  We will be posting up dates on the Big Toy's progress!!!  

2nd presentation: St. Rita's in Tacoma

The weekend of September 12th, we were pleseantly surprised with an impromptu presentation at the Holy Names Society breakfast at St. Rita's in Tacoma.  It was wonderful to finally share with a community here in Tacoma, and we received such a warm and energetic response.  We raised a total of $170 and met wonderful and knowledgable people excited to work together with us on future fund raising projects.

A big Thank you to Holy Names, Fr. Saco, and to everyone that donated.  Every little bit counts, and helps make the ripple bigger, touching more and more people each time.

It's all very exciting.  Stay tuned for more updates!

First Presentation in Quincy

So we finally bit the bullet and did our first presentation about the Girls and the Hogar at the Quincy Church.  We thought it was fitting that Quincy was our first stop, as they had sent us off to mission almost 2 years ago when we started this journey.  It was a wonderful experience.  Wonderful to share our experience in a meaningful way with a community that means so much to us.  I had forgotten how many amazing and loving people had touched our lives in Quincy. 

I also wanted to give everyone an update on our goal of raising money for the Playground Toy.  We need a total of $2,000 US dollars.  We started with $600 dollars from donation gifts for last Christmas.  In Quincy we raised another $650 dollars, and another $80 dollars from talking with various people.  From all these amazing generous people, we have raised a total of ... (du, du, du!) ... $1,330 dollars! 

So, we've only got $670 left to go!  We'll be posting more news as the project progresses.  Keep watching!

The next Chapter & Big Toy!!!

What does it hold?  Where will we live?  What jobs will we find and what direction?  So many unknowns face us as we move back to the Northwest... many more than when we decided to swap continents two years ago. 

One thing we know for sure, there is still much to do for our girls.  Before we left Santiago, we worked closely with Sister Rosita and a wonderful handyman, Maestro Hugo.  The great project? (drum roll please) A Playground toy for the back patio at the hogar.           YEAH!!!! :)


I strongly believe that one of institutions biggest struggles is providing stimulating environments for their kids.  Lack of climbing toys, photographs, and access to books are common, if not the norm.  It is no different at the Hogar.  The girls do not have a safe place to play, climb and be kids. They use what ever is in their environment, and hang upside down with only bricked patio to break their fall. 


Our first inspiration for the Big Toy, came last December.  An amazing family, with big hearts, donated enough money for Christmas that helped us dream bigger than we had ever before.  We wanted to do something fun with the money, and just for the girls... after all, it was a Christmas gift!  In January, at the peak of summer vacation Matt and I started talking with Maestro Hugo.  After a lot of research into playground safety standards, and consulting of many 5, 6, 8 and 12 year olds (as well as a few staff and directors) we had a good plan. But, best laid plans... can easily be thwarted by the 5th largest earthquake in recorded history. Playground plans were put on hold. 

Well, we're back!  And we're hoping God is smiling on our dreams.  We would love you to help us make this dream a reality for these special girls.  We have $600 and are now asking for your help to raise another $1400.

Here's the break down:

* Platform 1.2 meters tall, and 1.6 x 1.2 meters wide

* Tobagan Slide
* 2 meter long hanging bridge, ending at a Fireman's sliding pole
* Wood and chain climbing 'ladder' leading to platform
* 2 bars for swinging/pull-ups
* Play steering wheel on platform
* wooden rung ladder up to platform
* Roof and hand railings for the platform

The area for the big toy is currently a slanted slope with a small patch of grass 5.8 meters by 4.7 meters. (in picture; directly behind the girls).  Maestro Hugo will even out the land  here, put up a retaining wall on the bottom side, along with a fence to protect the girls from the drop.  The final safety feature will be 9 inches of pea gravel to soften falls. 

Quite the improvement from our previous situation wouldn't you say?

Any questions, feel free to email us at janellecostanti@gmail.com

To make a donation mail a check to:
Janelle and Matthew Costanti
860 S Crestline
Othello, Wa 99344

Don't forget to write Big Toy in the for line.

Hard Decisions and Good-byes

We had a very hard decision to make just one and a half months ago.  A decision that would dictate how close we could be to our girls, where we were going to start our family, and basically the direction of the rest of our lives.  It was hard to un-plug and get perspective in Santiago, so Matt had a great idea to go skiing for our anniversary again.  This year was a working anniversary.  As we swooped down the slopes and admired the amazing view of the Andes, we worked through all the pros and cons of either decision. 

In the end, we realized that the restraunt we were looking at in Santiago was a bit too rich for our blood, and had a few too many risks with it.  In order to think about opening our own restraunt, we would have to return to the US for more experience.  Once we made our decision, a huge weight was taken off our shoulders, and we were happy to finally have a decision. 

But the funny part is, you can know a decision is the best decision for you and your family at this moment in time, but it doesn't mean that your heart will be convinced.  In the weeks to follow, we had to say some very very hard good-byes.  How do you tell Escarlette, who always asks if we're going to our country in a plane, that we are leaving for a very very long time?  Does she know that we still love her more than anything else in the world?  How do you tell Cinthia, who is 15, and see that knowing look in her eyes?  She knew this day would be coming sooner than later.  She still loves us, but it's no wonder it takes so long for them to grow close after so many people come in and out of their lives. 

I know that we're not just another non-descript volunteer that comes and goes.  I know that they will always be my Yenny, my Millaray, our Laura, our Cinthia.  I know that we will always write, that our international travels will be limited now to one country, and that the mission and the mentorship will never die, even if from far away.  I keep telling myself that God works in mysterious ways, and that we can do so much for the girls from the US, things we couldn't do as effectively from Chile.  But how do you convince a heart?  You may think you've fooled it for a bit, but it never lasts long.  I guess there are just some things that only time can touch.  Some things you just have to accept, like the fact that our hearts will always be held captive in Chile. 

Hasta pronto mi chiquilla.  Siempre te amaremos, y nuestro deseo y oracion para ti es que vives tu vida con sinceridad, dignidad, y amor.  Hay un bello futuro, esperandote. No lo dudes, lucha por ello.  Con la ayuda de Dios, y su Gracia, tu puedes alcanzar tus suenos.  No es adios, sino hasta pronto.  Te amamos para siempre. Tus Tios, Mateo y Janelle

Matty's Reflections on Mission

As a married couple we face interesting and different challenges to mission life.  However, the benefits are worth every last ounce of strife.  My wife and I can definitively say that our marriage has been strengthened by this experience.  God has gifted us with more patience for each other and an interdependence that is only achieved by much conversation, action together, and sacrifice.

During our experience, Chile was struck by the 6th largest earthquake in recorded history.  The effects were devastating we worked with those affected and provided support as a gift of solidarity that we offered through the foundation of Las Rosas.  We were able to touch people that other wise would not have received that kind of loving support.  This required much sacrifice on our end, and we were exhausted by the end of this service.  However, as a couple we faced those challenges together and we grew together.

Sacrificing your time, your energy, your comfort, and your professional life, gives one the ability to see what is truly important here on earth.  Which is of course fulfilling the mission of Christ, in serving others.  This is achieved by individual works of kindness and love.  It is not the responsibility of organizations and governments.  We firmly believe Jesus' message to love one another as he loved us.  It is a message to the individual, a call to action, saying love each other, be kind, be generous, be tolerant.  It is in mission that we have chosen to try and follow this path, it is not easy or for the faint of heart as any religious will tell you { Especially sisters and priest that are Salesian or Jesuit} But this path is the most rewarding path of all others.

Therefore, the tangible gifts that God has given us are new language skills and abilities, new cooking techniques, a greater appreciation for culture, a love of God's children.  The most intangible gift is greater love and service to others.

Mi Cara de mono!!

Matty finally gave in and we took Yenny and Escarlet Chica out.  The plan: go out for lunch at our picada in Maipu, then big toys, and maybe a movie...

When we took Diana and Escarlette out they surprised us by telling us they were both vegetarians.  With Yenny and Escarlet Chica this was not a problem at all.  When we asked them if they wanted meat we got a big Yeah!!!! Si, Si, Si!

I was a little bit worried about taking Escarlette to a restaurant, and if she would be able to stay in her chair for that long.  She surprised both Matt and I and her little bottom was stuck to that chair.  She had so much fun soaking in the new sights, ordering, and figuring out how to put dressing on the salad.  We got her the special, which was a full adult serving.  The poor girl is used to having to eat ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING on her plate.  She must have asked me 7 times, Tia, can I leave a little bit of the food on my plate? 

After a fantastic meal, we were talking with the girls about what they wanted to do.  Yenny shyly asked, Tia... do we have to go to the movies? ... couldn't we ride the go-carts instead?  When my family was here in December we took Yenny out and found the go-carts.  She had so much fun that we got a special request this weekend.  Go-carts Take 2!  What fun, and much more relaxing (and kinder to the pocket book) than a movie!

Such a simple day.
Lunch, go-carts and then
a park.  but so much special 

one on one time to spend 

with two very special girls.


More pictures along with pictures of Sofia´s Baptism (so beautiful!) here.

Más fotos y también fotos del bautismo de Sofia Ignacia aquí.

Sole and Ese take 2

Ok, so I finally busted out my camera again.  It´s not the same with just words!  Here are our two latest adventures with the girls;

Esmeralda and Soledad returned to normal 12 year old status and decided they´d like to go to the mall instead of visiting the nursing home again.  Here´s Esmeralda wishing she was 4 again.





After the mall we went to get a bite to eat.  The one criteria for the girls... somewhere where you can get a toy with your meal.  Burger King it is (pronounced Boogir Keeng).

The highlight of the day: The museum at La Moneda had an exhibit on the Terracotta Army from the tomb of the first Chinese Chin (Qin I guess is how you spell Chin... and to think I´ve been spelling it wrong all this time.)  Esmeralda was blown away when we figured out that they weren´t all just replicas.

and we´re beat.

Home time!

Sundays with the Girls

Here´s a little look at what we´ve been up to with the girls on our Sundays.  It´s been so good to make our Sundays an important part of our routine.  It helps keep us connected and you can´t help but laugh and feel content after such nice days. 

After Easter, the next girls we took out were Esmerelda and Soledad.  We went to Polo´s Pollo to try the best brosated chicken in all of Santiago.  They loved seeing Uncle Matt in action on the grill and Erick introduced them to some wonderful people whose daughter just happens to be a famous Chilean singer.  They were real down to earth people and talked to the girls about the importance of education and faith.  So often the girls idolize Hollywood stars with... shall we say, less than perfect track records.  It was so wonderful to show them a healthier face of fame.  After lunch we decieded to walkto a little park, but on the way we got distracted by a nursing home of all things.  The girls practically begged us to go visit the ´abuelitos.´  We went on in, introduced ourselkves and explained that we had volunteered at a sister branch in southern Chile after the earthquake.  The girls made friends really fast with a couple of lively old grandmas.  When it was time to go, the girls were still full of questions, ´Where do you sleep?, Do you share a bedroom?  Whats the food like?´ In so many ways their experiences of living at a home are similar, and the girls felt connected.  It was yet another beautiful encounter to top off a beautiful day. 

The next weekend we took Diana and Escarlette to go window shopping at the mall and wander around a bit.  Diana had a better plan however, and she took us to  the largest dollar store in the world.  It´s called Mae, and  it absolutely blew my mind how much you can buy there for 4 bucks.  It´s so good for the girls to get out, to get a change of scenery, and to forget about the stresses of living at the hogar.  They came back feeling refreshed.  And it´s not like it takes much.  The most important ingredient is time.

Week four was mother´s day and we had an inkling we´d like to help Laura and Cinthia do something to celebrate.  It turns out that it was Cinthia´s friend Diana´s birthday that day.  We decided to bake a cake for her.  A chocolate cake with more chocolate on top (my kind of girl!).  Cinthia was sooo excited picking out the whip cream and sprinkles.  Unfortunately, the cake had a bit of trouble... it´s quite the challenge trying to bake in a gas oven, with no temperature gauge, that doesn´t self regulate.  Instead it continues to get hotter and hotter...  Needless to say the bottom burnt and the middle was barely done.  We patched her up pretty good, but then the hour bouncing around on the bus back to the hogar did her in.   Reports back from the battlefield are that Diana loved the cake.  Mission accomplished! :)

A leap of faith

Wow, it´s been a busy last couple of months.  When both sets of parents ask you where you´ve been hiding out, and you have to catch them up on... well... everything, you know it´s been crazy.  But although stressful, even the stressful parts are wonderful, which is quite the new experience for me.

Matt and I have both really enjoyed working at the chicken restraunt in Ñuñoa.  Especially Matt.  It´s so nice to see him in his element, enjoying the little moments, deep in conversation with customers or running around during a lunch rush hooting yee-ha!  Erick gives him free reign to try new ideas, and implement things he´d only studied in business college. So far, he´s supersized the vegetarian sandwich from Avacado/Tomato, to falafel with the works, and he´s been tracking sales on pop and trying new strategies of loading the cooler to increase sales.  So basically, the hippies and the coke adicts all love him!  Not bad for the first 3 months of work!

I´ve started teaching private English classes and have really enjoyed it.  My yoga instructor sent out a mass email for me, and who woulda guessed it, yogis are really into expanding their horizons and continuing education.  Most Chileans have had English classes since kindergarten, so they often just want the opportunity to talk with someone who will help correct their mistakes and... well, just talk.  I haven´t had any trouble doing that one!

I also found a wonderful prayer group.  Did you know that there are 2 words for prayer in Spanish?  One is basic praying of any kind (rezar) and the other (orar) is intentionally searching for that deeper encounter with God and meeting him in prayer.  In our ´encounter with prayer´ we learn and practice new strategies in prayer to help strengthen that encounter.  I have also been so blessed in having Sister Rosita in my life.  She encourages Matt and I and supports us in such a complete way.  In our crazy schemes and dreams of continuing to work with the Girls and the Hogar, she´s our biggest chearleader.  She also hooked me up with her spiritual director, Father Mario.  What a blessed gift from God!  We meet once a week and he accompanies me on my spiritual journey.  It is the first time I have felt this supported spiritually.  Yes, through the years I have had a lot of support, but it has always been in little bursts.  Life happens each day.  We grow each day.  It´s a process. Spiritual life is no different, in order to be real, it must be real each day.

When Matt and I decided that our time here in Chile was not finished last February, we didn´t exactly know why.  It was more of a feeling, and we figured what the heck, we could both do with a little more intensive Spanish. We have been so blessed these last 4 months.  Being able to help and support in the aftermath of the earthquake, each special weekend we spend with the girls out on the town, Matt being able to dabble in his dream of running his own restraunt, and me taking a fresh step in my spiritual journey, and trying my hand at being an entrepreneur.  It´s amazing how God can help you along in so many aspects of your journey if you listen to his wispers and then take a leap of faith.

I wanted to close with a picture that Esmerelda took 2 Sundays ago when we got to pamper her and Soledad.  She was having so much fun with the camera, and my nervous Nellie side of me said, ok, maybe that´s enough... but I didn´t say a word, I just enjoyed watching her joy.  This was the last picture that she took.

Easter eggs and Pascua bunnies

We got back to Santiago right in time for Easter.  To tell you the truth, I wasn´t so psyched about celebrating Easter at first.  It seemed like another day in the life, and it was so strange being away from family for Easter.  Last Holy Week we were able to share with Matt´s folkswhen they came to visit, then my folks and Emily came right before Christmas and so we celebrated with them and again with the girls.  New Years we had a blast with Tía Veronica´s family... but this Easter?  Erick and Gloria were working at the Restraunt, Celia and Alberto were down in Chillán...

Well, Saturday I finally got to thinking about all the things I love the most about Easter... and started to get excited.  We scurried on over to the Hogar early Sunday to pick up Laura and Cynthia and so the fun began!  Every little moment of the day was something new and exciting for them.  We hiked up to mass at the top of San Cristobal Hill in the morning.  At the very top there is a large statue of the Virgin Mary and an outdoor church with rows of potted flowers in front of each bench.  The view is breathtaking and looks out on the whole Santiago valley.  After mass, we rode the tram down the hill, and headed for home.

Right away we got to cooking, and Laura helped me make cinamon rolls, while Cynthia and Matt headed out for some forgotten groceries.  Neither of the girls had ever dyed eggs before, but the real party started with the egg cracking contest.  Those girls were good!  Matt and I now officially have never won an egg cracking contest on 2 continents!  In the end Cynthia beat Laura by a hair.


It was so nice to be able to spend the day with them. I had forgotten how much fun we had had, and how much we would laugh.  It was so nice to spend time with them on our own terms, in our own space, and just enjoy.  Cynthia told us at the end of our day what a nice environment, and how relaxing it was at our new house.  The sisters at the Hogar were so greatful, and it was so wonderful to get the girls one on one.  We´ve got it all planned out now, and we´re going to take 6 girls out for a day each month, in sets of 2 (or 3 different weekends).  I can´t wait for next Sunday!


Here are more pictures to check out.  Cynthia made me promise I´d upload them ALL! :)  Enjoy.

Vacation time! (it finally arrived!)

Ok, so I felt really guilty about taking some time for ourselves right after the earthquake.  We needed to be with Chile, with the people, but after 2 intense weeks at the Nursing Home, a relaxing week in the mountains, with a peaceful lake, a smoking volcano and hundreds of beautiful waterfalls sounded like just what the doctor ordered.  We picked good!  Pucón was amazing.  The first picture is the view of the lake from our little cabin we rented.









The scenary was amazing.  There are wild fuchsias, a wild cousin of the rhubarb plant with enormous leaves called Nalka, and the same great sour flavor.  We saw our first wild Copihue flowers in full bloom (the Chilean national flower).  We even happened upon a large grove of blackberries, and took a big bag home to make blackberry pie!  Around every corner was a new beautiful surprise.

The highlight of our trip was.. well, actually sleeping in til noon... but beyond that... the highlight was definately hiking up an old lava flow from 1974.  It was amazing being in the middle of the flow, and imaging the power, how alive it had been, and how it had changed the whole landscape of the hill and valleys around it.  To physically be present in that space and feeling so small, you appreciate in a new way (once again) the awesomeness of God´s creation.  I wish I had a better picture, but hope this gives you an idea. You can ski this whole area here in the winter, about half way up the mountain.  I would love to go back and ski this same flow.  It´d be like returning to a new mountain, and experiencing it in a whole new way.


Our last big adventure was to the 80 meter waterfall. There was this deep revene, and standing just 20 meters away from it you´d never know it was there.  The cliffs were so lush and green, it was like out of Jurasic Park, or a mini Niagra.  We put on our swim suits and walked over to the rocks on the far side of the waterfall.  The water, even though it was really the size of a stream, had enormous force.  The wind the water created when it hit the pool must have been near 80 mph.  we were soaked through in 2 seconds. The intensity of being in the water´s domain was amazing.  You could only be in the present moment, all other thoughts were imposible.  It was like a crash course in intense nature meditation, leaving you energized and refreshed.

Definately worth the trip.  You all should come next February... Eric and Gloria have promised to go with us and they´re bringing the tent!!!

More Pictures Here!  Más fotos aquí!

A small fishing town named Arauco

We`re in a small down called Arauco about 1.5 hours south of Concepcion, which was one of the hardest hit cities. Auraco was lucky because it was protected from the tsunami in a cove and also by an island, Santa Maria, that acted as a break water. We were welcomed with amazing hospitality by the staff and Dominican sisters at a nursing home where we have been helping out. Half of their building is uninhabitable and will have to be demolished, and they are still without water.  We´ve been hauling a lot of water, using outhouses and taking spounge baths. Imagine giving 85 grandma and grandpas spounge baths by heating water on a campfire in the back yard. The other place where the work has increased by 3 fold is the laundry room and I´ve learned to wash by hand MUCH faster :).  

Yesterday we were able to go with the Catholic youth group to a small town south of here named Llico that wasn´t as lucky as Auraco.  The tsunami lifted up half the town and broke them like toothpicks.  Most the debree doesn´t even look like houses. There are some 400 families living in tents up in the hills.  They have all the basic immediate needs met by donations including water, food, clothes, tents and even toys for the kids and psychologists for everyone.  A young mother we were talking with said that there have been so many generous people come with donations, good humor, smiles and laughs.  They are so well organized, divided into seperate camps with someone in charge of each one, and a counsil of camp representatives to make community decisions.  They are now moving on to the next step, which is starting demolition and trying to begin to rebuild, which turns out to be very complicated.  The winters are really rainy here so it´s a pressing concern. 

We have seen the same Chilean strength of character here as we did in Santiago.  Another mother we talked with was so positive and upbeat, joking about everything, and talking mater of factly about their situation.  She told us about how her little boy, Manuel, has lots of questions she doesn´t know how to answer, and how he´ll play with his new toy trucks and reinact the scenes that he saw on the highway after the earthquake.  She said that she doesn´t want to go and even see where her house was, as she feels she can´t deal with that right now, she´s only looking to the future and meeting all her families´ needs. 


Manuel´s little cousin was there too.  Her name is Millaray.  She was such a beautiful little girl and made me think of our Millaray back at the Hogar in Santiago.  It made my heart break to imagine our precious little girl having to go through all this... loosing her house, all her belongings, her stability, her whole world being turned upside down again.  This little girl, this little family, could have so easily been any number of so many people we love so much.  Life is so fragile, and you don´t truly appreciate what that means, with all of it´s facets, until you live it up close. 

Give thanks each day for EVERYTHING. 

From the moment you open your eyes,

you turn on your faucet,

you walk out your front door,

you ask your neighbor how they are... really ask...

until you tuck your children into bed at night,

... Give Thanks...

Change in Plans

One Year later and we are still enjoying Chile! Our Mission time at the Hogar has ended, but the adventure continues! The major earthquake here in Chile has affected 80% of the population, taking over 800 lives, and destroying thousands of buildings.  We have had a change of plans and instead of a vacation, we are dedicating the next 3 weeks to helping the victims in the aftermath.  After our 'new' mission is ended, we are planning on returning to Santiago to look for work and to continue accompanying the girls at the Hogar. 

Love and Blessings to all.  Keep us in your prayers and we will do the same.

 

Un año ya ha pasado y todavía estamos disfrutando a Chile!  Nuestra misión en el Hogar para niñas en Maipu ha terminada, pero continua la aventura!  El terremoto aquí en Chile ha afectado a 80% de la población Chilena y ha reclamado más de 800 vidas.  Miles de edificios están al suelo, o simplemente ya no existen.  Hemos cambiado nuestros planes, y en vez de tomar nuestras vacacciones, vamos a dedicar los siguientes 3 semanas a ayudar a las victimas del terremoto.  Después de terminar esta nueva misión, nuestros "Planes" consisten de regresar a Santiago, buscar trabajo, y seguir acompañando a las niñas en el Hogar.

 

Amor y bendiciones a todos.  No nos olviden en sus oraciones y no olviden que siempre estén en nuestras.

Is there life after the Quake?

 Last week was like having jumped down the rabbit hole.  The buildings and roads had taken on new shapes, conversations and the community atmosphere changed so much.  That little bottle that said 'drink me' definately had a shrinking effect, because everything seemed much bigger.  I was waking up to every little noise at night. There was so much to process and to absorb.  Now I'm not so jumpy or stressed out, things seem to make a bit more sense, and life all around us has quickly returned to normal. (what ever that is! :)

We are safe, and in very very good hands in so many ways.  The 5 and 6 tremors, and aftershocks are nothing compared to the 8.  We're sleeping through them now and hardly notice them.  there's a little bit of movement, but there aren't any risks of buildings falling down or loosing facades.  It's so funny to say, but a 6.0 earthquake feels like nothing! :)  Thank you sooooo much everyone for all of the prayers. 

The Chilean people are so resilient.  It is amazing how earthquakes have formed a part of their culture, of their character.  Everyone lives through about 3-4 major earthquakes in their lives.  Right away, as soon as they can, they get up, rebuild and move on.  Have a party, laugh, be immensely thankful for being alive, get back to work, and don't forget that pilates class.  Most all the kids started school today, and a sister here started College today... we're trying to follow suit (although a bit more wobbily :) and are working on moving on with our lives as well.

We went to a birthday party Friday night, were able to relax all day Saturday.  We caught a benefit concert yesterday for the Red Cross and got to enjoy some great Andean music with friends.  We're working really hard to get connected with an emergency relief organization to start help building temporary shelters or delivering food and water. I am sure that our perspective on everything will change again when we start heading south again.  I can't imagine what the next 3 weeks will be like for us... but the important thing is to reach out in solidarity and love to the people here that are in so much need.  We have been amazingly blessed with this available time, and we plan to use it well.  We talked with Sister Mary Gloria in the States and she has agreed to extend our medical coverage and keep us on as VIDES volunteers with the Salesian order.  And we thought our Mission was over!  I have a funny feeling that it will never be over... not really.  Mission is a way of life, not a short period of time.

Peace and God bless to all.  We will write more soon.

Still Pictures are up- Ya Subimos Las Fotos

Check out the still photos of each of the towns we have visited.
Aquí se puede ver las fotos de cada ciudad que visitabamos.
Santiago, Molina & Santa Cruz, and Talca & Linares .

I know that we haven't been able to write much about this experience, and the experience of the after earthquake.  There is so much to absorb and process, and still moving forward with regular life.  Soon I will write more.

Cuidad Talca Colegio Santa Teresa Terremoto

This is the city of Talca and the school. It took some serious damage

TERREMOTO MOLINA Chile Colegio Escuela Nuestro Señora del Transito

This is the school at Molina. Thank God no one was hurt.

Liceo Maria Auxiliadora Santa Cruz Coleigo Chile 2010 Terremoto

The school at Santa Cruz

Chilean earthquake number 1_0001.wmv

Ok this short little video might explain some of the things that we have talked to you about or that we have written on facebook. Thank God for modern technology.

Summary of a Year of Donations

Check it out!  It's pretty impressive :). 
From Feb.2009-Feb.2010.

Food and celebrations:
- Food supplies for Sunday Lunches (all year long)
 - Birthdays presents and cakes for about 25 girls throughout the year
- Birthday party bash for January and February b-days
- various snacks for "potluck" style celebrations at school
- End of year field trip for kids graduating from 8th grade

Equipment for the Hogar:
- Washmachine
- Refrigerater
- 3 Armours/Closets, one for each 'house'
- Potato dicer and a real can opener

Projects at the Hogar:
- Music CD's for relaxation and ballet/Yoga classes at the Hogar
- Ballet slippers and costumes for the performance last May
- Picture collage for each child (15), and 1 large picture collage for the house
- Gardening supplies and vegetable/flower seeds

Medical:
- Doctor Appointments for the girls
- Additional sessions with a psychologist

School costs:
- Help with additional tuition costs
- Additional sessions with a learning specialist (teaching learning strategies)
- Additional School supplies for art projects

 Extracurricular:
- Fees for swimming Classes
- Visit to a planetarium
- End of year Concert and theater shows- costume for end of year dance performance

Wish list for Future Projects at the Hogar

And the work continues!  We are going to continue to accompany the girls at the Hogar in every way we can, on the weekends, and with ambitious projects geared towards making the girl's lives just that much more enriched.  Here are some of our ideas and dreams, we hope you can be a part of them as well!

- Large play toy in the back yard for the girls
- Weekend outings for girls who rarely leave the hogar
- Continued support for Extra-Curricular Activities at School
- Supplementing the girl's weekly diet with yogurt, milk, fruits, and cheese
- Bed covers for the girls' beds

Do you have any ideas, or fun suggestions?  Leave a comment!

Christmas_0001Vina Del Mar.wmv

This is a little unusual considering that we just had a huge earth quake but we had no internet for a while, and I had time on my hands so We made this video.

Barb and Mike Costanti Vist Hogar ines Riesco Llona

The first video I made I know it needs a lot of work but I got better with time, and a new camera.

Frenchfry Making in Santiago Hogar Ines Riesco Llona

The first part of french Fry making fun teaching the Girls how to cook.

Hogar Ines Riesco Llona Feast of the Magi_0001.wmv

A couple of days after Christmas a few donors made the fest of the Magi an excellent event at the Hogar. Thanks again

Hogar Ines Riesco Llona Navidad 2009 Short part1 youtube_0001.wmv

Christmas the first part and Christmas morning.

Hogar Ines Riesco Llona Navidad 2009 Short part3 youtube_0001.wmv

Christmas the third chapter.

Sor Luisa_0001.wmv

This is a video of a sister we worked with named Sor Luisa. Here she is taking her first vows. It is like becoming engaged for the rest of us.

The Braunwart's Visit the Hogar Ines Riesco Llona

This this our family in the Hogar and all of the things we did together.

Hogar Ines Riesco Llona Braunwart Visit_0001.wmv

This is when the Braunwarts came to visit, sure was fun.

French Fry Making Hogar Ines Riesco Llona

French Fri making at the Hogar

For we walk by faith, not by sight....

How do we find true faith? To be able to say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”? God asks very different things of all of us, and we never know what other journeys He is preparing us for. We must have faith in His wisdom.

When my husband, Matt, and I decided we wanted to come on mission, we were walking by sight, and trying to guide ourselves with human wisdom. We had very specific goals we wanted to accomplish. Now, as we reflect on our year I am filled with gratitude and great awe. While our time here has had many great challenge, it has also been very rich and transformative. The ways in which we have grown in wisdom, strength and faith, both individually and as a couple, far out weigh the difficult transitions and struggles.

To our great surprise, the most beautiful gifts that we have received are not the things we initially set out to accomplish. We could not have seen these benefits before coming into mission. We could not have written them down on our Pros & Cons list. If someone had related their similar experience, it would not have been the same, as each gift is personal. They are things God could not have revealed to us either, His Wisdom being far beyond our grasp.

The only way to receive these gifts was with Faith. You must pay the piper up front, not knowing what you will find in that box, under all those ribbons and pretty paper. But within the mystery is it’s beauty, and the prize is deeper love and true joy. It is a true miracle, that triggers an immense desire of the heart to leap with joy and thanksgiving.

New Photo Album - Nuevo Álbum de Fotos

A picture says a thousand words :).

Hágase clic en la palabra ´picture´ a aceder.

Sunflowers!!!

As promised! Here are the pictures of the sunflowers in bloom! Enjoy.
We couldn't just leave the Hogar with a weedy garden! All the girls pitched in and worked hard to spruce it up before we headed off on vacation. They have also taken a solemn vow to water every day.

Donation Updates

Hello, all! This is a little late, but better late than never! I wanted to catch you all up on some of the awesome work that your donations have done here in Chile.

Sunday Lunches
Matt continued to cook weekly meals for the girls all the way up through our last week at the Hogar. The last few weeks we had pizza, lasagna, and hamburgers. Matt was still getting lots of requests for another pizza day so we figure we'll have to do an encore when we get back to Santiago from traveling South. All the food for these meals was bought fresh thanks to your donations and helped supplement the diet and the food budget at the Hogar.

The girls helped out and had a lot of fun, and learned good skills in the kitchen too!

Who Says School is all Math and Reading?!
During the 2nd semester of school, we saw the need for more funds for extra curricular education costs. For 4 months, from September to December, we gave $100 each month to the sisters to use to this end. Here is a short list of activities the girls were able to do that they would not have been able to participate in without your help.

- Visit to a planetarium- End of year Concert
- Theater Show
- costume for end of year dance performance
- various snacks for "potluck" style celebrations
- Additional sessions with psychologist
- Additional sessions with a learning specialist (teaching learning strategies)
- End of year field trip for kids graduating from 8th grade
- Additional School supplies for art projects
- Help with additional tuition costs

Saying Goodbye and Celebrating A Year!
For February, we decided to have one big birthday party for all the February birthdays, 7 in total (plus 2 more who were on vacation.) We celebrated on our last day in mission at the Hogar, Feb. 15th, and had a blow out party.

We also made a simple picture collage for each girl to hang in their bedroom, and a large collage for the house. Pictures are so important to remember all the good memories we have, and help make a house feel more like a home. This was our parting gift to the girls.

Here the girls are helping put the last finishing touches on the collage with stickers.

We wouldn't have been able to do so much, or be so generous without all of your help. Know that we hold you all dear to our hearts and in our prayers.

And the MISSION CONTINUES!!!!
Our Mission time at the Hogar may be over, but we have just only begun to accompany the girls at the Hogar. We will be in Santiago for another 5 months and will be going to the Hogar on the weekends to accompany the girls, take them on field trips, cook meals and tend the garden. We are also working on a project to help build a climbing toy for the girls in the back patio. Currently they do not have any safe place where they can climb and play in this way. We will keep you all posted and let you know how you can help!

Growing gardens

As promised! Pictures from the garden.

This is Nino and Cinthia doing some late night planting. We finally found some basil, oregano and tomatoes we could buy close to the Hogar and jumped on it.

This is Connie, Denise and Javiera. The sunflower have been the biggest hit in the garden. The seeds were a gift from a friend from Vilches and one of the girls ended up planting them all for me. The other girls got so jealous once they started growing so wild, and wanted to take some ownership too, so we finally 'gave' each girl a sunflower to take 'special care of' and watch grow. In Spanish sunflowers are called Maravillas, or 'wonderous' which seems perfect to me.

My favorite story recently from the garden is when the kids suggested they should pull the weeds growing up under the sunflowers. Cinthia, who has been helping us water and plant, was so torn, wanting to keep the garden up and help in every aspect, but also wanting to take care of every plant, including all our weeds. Finally the sentimental side won over and she defended the poor defenseless weeds, and besides, they looked so nice and pretty.

We've got some twine for a little fence in our garden to keep little feet from trampling the plants. The bicycles have added an extra challenge to it's stability, but when ever it falls down or gets pushed around the girls fix it right away and make sure everything is in it's place.

December & swinging into 2010

I have been meaning to write about our Chrismas season for a while. The well intended Christmas letter never got to the drawing board, and neither did the New Years letter. Now it is the end of January and we are already starting to work on our transition of leaving the Hogar. Our official last day will be February 15th and I try not to think about how that is in 3 short weeks.

So we'll stay in denial a little longer and share some Christmas stories! Our Christmas started early with the visit of my parents and sister Emily. We decided to celebrate Christmas on the beach and take advantage of the summer time. It was beautiful.

Here we are on Cerro San Cristobal. It's a large hill in the middle of Santiago with an open air chapel with a beautiful statue of the Virgin above. When you sit to have Mass here, there are flower beds between each row of benches. It is truly an amazing place.

Here is Cinthia with our Christmas Tree! I was nervous we wouldn't have one, but about a week before Christmas Sister pulled it out of the cellar. You've got to love the crooked star. I personally think it gave the tree a lot more character.

I couldn't imagine Christmas with out Christmas cookies. No snow and 90 degree weather... that was a stretch, but definately couldn't do without the cookies. It's not a big tradition here so I had to search out the little packets of spices and make some substitutes for gingerbread cookies. The girls had a blast and loved them!


New Years Eve we had the wonderful pleasure of being invited to our good friend Veronica's house. The party started about 7pm and we kept going strong until 5am. I tell you, they know how to party here in Chile. Then on New Years day we kept celebrating and eating more amazing food. It was so relaxing and felt just like home.
A new picture for 2010 of the girls in our house. Some faces have changed as they've been trying to mix the age groups more so that it feels more like a real family structure with older girls helping out the younger ones. They've been enjoying the summer months and vacation so much as have we. More time to relax with the girls and enjoy the little moments.