This is a picture of the room I am now renting. It’s small, but it will be perfect!
New address:
Jofre 0180
Dept 43 Citófono 243
Comuna Providencia
Santiago, Chile
It has been so nice to finally be settled. Now, its time for a period of becoming familiar with the city before we actually begin serving. Today, Gretch and I went on a mini-excursion to discover new areas. (We are beginning to realize that we could not have chosen a better place to live, as far as location goes! We are so close to everything!) We ended up heading north, which took us through Providencia (the main area of the city), where there is a lot to see! We walked up el Cerro de Santa Lucía (the hill of Saint Lucy) where we had a wonderful view of the city. However, it was overcast, so the pictures are a little gray. But it was still very beautiful.
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The more I see of Santiago, the more I love it! There are parks everywhere, and going for a run in the area our apartment is located, is a very ideal situation. For both Gretch and I, it has been really great! I would like to say, that I may be running my second marathon while I am down here, but we shall see :-) Things change, hehe.
As for beginning our work, we will be starting the last week of October, and I am so excited about our opportunities! The place where we will be spending most of our time is a public health organization called EPES, Educación Popular en Salud. The work the organization is doing relates to so much that I am interested in, including HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, domestic violence, empowerment of women, etc. I have never been exposed health from this angle, in looking more at the issues of prevention and what the underlying factors of sickness are. Treating people, I am learning, is so much more than just having them go to see a doctor. It is about educating them, empowering them, and helping them to realize that most health issues can be prevented. I am very inspired, and very excited to get involved.
We will also be volunteering at an institute for the blind and this, too, and I am truly looking forward to. I have been recently inspired by an acquaintance, who was blind, she was simply amazing. I learned from her that, though one may not see our world nor the beauties that surround us, that does not mean they can not see the deepest part of our souls and open our eyes to the beauty within. I think it will be a completely new experience for me, and I am sure I will learn very much.
We will also be spending time with Con-spirando, a womens collective that writes about Ecofeminism theology and ethics surrounding women. They put out only a couple of publications a year, but they do so much in the areas of empowering women and working to fight inequalities by holding workshops, retreats, etc. I am hoping to get involved as much as possible.
Overall, I know living in Santiago is going to be a great experience. I am excited to see in what ways I will grow and all I will learn.
Here, I am at Home. Here, I am happy.
