A beautiful introduction...

Wow. Where do I begin? I have been in Chile for almost three weeks now, and there have been so many wonderful things I have seen and have been blessed to participate in.

From the moment I stepped off the plane, I have been in good hands, living and working with the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In particular, I owe much debt and gratitude to Sr. Sofia, who I lovingly and jokingly now call "Mami Sofi," as she took care of me when I arrived and arranged for me to spend my first two weeks here serving in Michaihue and Tirúa.

Michaihue is the name of a poor community on the outskirts of Concepción where Sr. Sofi and a few other rscj live and work in projects for children, teens, and mothers. During my first few days in Chile, I had the chance to help out at the Fundación where activities for the kids and the mothers are held. We painted the casita, a smaller house to host more events, and the following day, had the chance to participate in an activity to help young mothers bond with their children. That afternoon, a few of the volunteers helping out at the Fundación offered to be my tour guides of Concepción, and took me to the beach. These have been some of my closest friends here with whom I am currently living.

After a few days in Michaihue, a group of 40 students composed of alumnae of the Sacred Heart and other students interested in social justice headed to three rural parts of Southern Chile, about three hours west of Temuco and 6 hours south of Concepción. The group of misioneros with whom I traveled headed to Tirúa, a pueblo of about 4000 people on the coast. Hidden between the mountains and the ocean, with a clear river that runs through the pueblo and the campo, or countryside, close by, Tirua is a beautiful place to visit. The other missionaries thought I was loca because I started belting out lines from the “Sound of Music” as we were walking along our first day, haha! but that was the first picture that came to mind when we arrived: a South American version of the “Sound of Music,” and just as stunning to me.

Though the landscape was beautiful, the memories I will take with me from my first week in Chile are those of the families we met as we walked throughout the pueblo each day, the children and adolescents we played with in the afternoons, the Mapuche men and women who still practice their ancient traditions of spinning and weaving cloth from sheep and llama. It was strange, and I am still processing this… but while there, I didn’t notice the poverty as I do now looking back at the photos… it was as if my heart couldn’t comprehend the reality that many of these people live each day, as if I didn’t want to accept the fact that the dignity of these beautiful human beings who were so welcoming and kind, so full of life and love, who were proud to share their community with us, was not being recognized because of the conditions in which they are forced to live.

I remember the smiles and laughter and the richness the Tiruanos shared with us, a wealth beyond material things that perhaps only stems from poverty. These are the memories and reflections I am taking with me from my first full week in Chile, and I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful introduction.