So this week we have been having more classes and seeing more ministries. On Tuesday we had our first "evangelism training" lesson, which is combined with an arts ministry. We were doing some improvisation excercises and learning how each of us views creativity. It was really encouraging to see how each person has something different to offer. It was also alot of fun making fools of ourselves! On Tuesday evening we had our first propper encounter with the homeless people of Santiago. We met Natalia and Roel who are heading up Agape Santiago - a Christian project reaching out to the homeless community. They told us that usually they take bread, tea coffee and soup out to them, and will talk and pray with them. We didn´t take any food, but they did take us to meet people and to pray with them. It was quite a shock for me. One of the first people I met was a man who was clearly quite drunk and had been lying in something on the groud which was now on his face, he kept trying to talk to me and hold my hand, and did make me feel quite uncomfortable. I couldn´t understand what he was saying, and even Natalia couldnt understand him (she is from Chile). I felt I went out in my own strength that night, and it was clear that I couldn´t look on these people with love, I need God to use me and to show me how he sees them. I did meet some really nice people later on in the evening, who were alot easier to communicate with even though they spoke no english, I was alot more comfortable with them, but as you can tell I was extremly challenged by this earlier experience.

I have also had my first meeting with my mentor - Lise. It was a really good conversation and I think it will be really great to have a friend outside of the team situation to get a different perspective on some things. We got on really well, and I think she will be a big part of my next 9 months!

We have also been having training for working in the Hogars, ways in which to entertain them - they have been teaching us songs, simple drama techniques, games and also some arty stuff. It has been alot of fun because we can just pretend to be kids for a couple of hours!!

This evening we were introduced to the Skate board ministry. We went down to the local park and met some of Yerko´s friends. I didn´t actually get on the board, some of the other girls did but I think I will try it at home (yes we have effectively a half pipe in our garden) before I show off my skills to the pros!! There was so many people there, and it really was a great atmosphere. I think that even if I don´t do the skate ministry I would love to hang out there and get to know some of the girls from the area. We also got chatting to a guy called Phillip, who was so interesting. He wasn´t a christian, but had some really big ideas about who he thought Jesus was and what he thought the bible was about, some of his ideas were just not biblically sound, but he did know his stuff! He had actually thought about it and come up with some ideas about what he believed. It was quite encouraging and at the same time quite sad actually he said that we were the first Chrisitians he had met that he actually connected with, and that he found most of them to be "Nazis" and just wanted to condem him and brain wash him.

This has been quite a long blog entry! I hope I havnt bored you all. I must remember to update this more often so it´s not such a marathon entry!

**Please pray for the hogars we are working in, some of the kids really have come from bad homes and have very little respect for themselves or anyone/anything else. Please pray that we can be role models for them and that somehow we can show Gods love for them though the programmes we will be leading.
**Please pray for Agape Santiago, that they will continue to reach out to the homeless people of Santiago. Please also pray that God will use me in this ministry and will show me how to love them and will show me how he sees them.
**Pray for the relationship between me and my mentor, that God will continue to be in the centre of that and that he will teach me things through that.
** Pray for the skateboard ministry that Yerko is heading up, pray that he will continue to form friendships with the guys at the parks and that when they come to our house with him to practice in our garden they will learn something from him and that they will ask questions about Jesus.
**Pray specifically for Phillip, that we will see him again, and that he can maybe stay in touch with Yerko and can continue to explore what Christianity really is.