A woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

I want to lift up some one very special to me: my mom. My mom came and spent almost a month with us during December and January and it was a super meaningful time to me, to our family and to the church here in Santiago.

Most people go visit their families over the holidays. That's normal. Going to another continent, to a country where the people speak a different language and going with a heart to serve is something very different. My mom came not only visit us but also to give her heart to the church.

In the weeks she was here, mom gave three classes for the "Aguilas" women's group and spent a number of hours with various other women in the church encouraging, teaching the scriptures and counseling people in various ways. She made a huge impact on the church and many people have already asked us when she'll be coming back. We love the church here in Santiago and it encouraged me so much to see how God used my mom, even in the midst of difficult times, to inspire and challenge the disciples here.

Mom, you're an example of faith, perseverance and servitude. Your life never ceases to call me higher. Thanks for letting God use you in so many ways.

Holidays in Santiago

This year we celebrated a very special holiday time with our family. Even though they live thousands of miles away, they made the trip down to Santiago just to spend time with us. It was a blast! Thomas & Tina with their daughter Leila came from Ft. Lauderdale, Rita Hoyt came from Orlando and Dan & Mary came all the way from Kabul, Afghanistan.

We spent a fun-filled week showing them around Santiago and giving them a taste of our life here in Chile. To start off, on Sunday, they spoke at the church here. Thomas met with the Chemical Recovery ministry before service and encouraged that group with a few lessons from his life. Dan and Mary shared about their work in Afghanistan and then Dan preached a great sermon about staying firm in our convictions until the end. After service, Dan, Mary and Rita had a lunch with parents of teens while Tina and Kay gave a class for the Campus sisters. God really used the family to encourage, inspire and call the church higher.

On Monday we spent time together, toured the city and then celebrated Kay's birthday with some ice cream from Bravissimo.

Tuesday we climbed Cerro San Cristóbal and had a picnic. Tuesday evening we celebrated Christmas and shared gifts from all around the world.

On Wednesday we had a special Chilean lunch, Pastel de Choclo, spent time with Christian and Luz who lead the church here and then went to midweek. Thomas shared a few thoughts with the campus and teens while Dan and Mary did split classes for the married men and women.

Thursday we went to Viña del Mar and the family was able to see the Pacific Ocean. We celebrated Leila's one year birthday by taking her to a clinic to see if she had an ear infection.

Friday brought the week to a close with a lunch at Jorge Ivan & Maria Lucia's house. They have become great friends of ours and housed my mom for a week.

Sending the family off at the airport was difficult, but we had savored every moment and enjoyed a holiday time that we will never forget. Thanks to our family for coming to visit us, participating in our lives and giving us the best Christmas present ever: you!