January | February Brief

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January|February 2009

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THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SO “BRIEF” Sorry for the delay, but FINALLY I have assembled a bit of an update for you to, hopefully, enjoy and catch up with what I have been involved in over the past several months. Happy New Year! And for that matter, Happy Election Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and St. Valentine's Day too! Uh...it's been a while since my last update and plenty has happened since my last update (I think it was in May.) I moved in with two of my closest friends in Chile, visited the United States, attended a conference for missionaries in Brazil, received two close friends for a weeklong visit, started a weekly study with one of the members of the church, continued my involvement in my

small group, and much more. Again I apologize for my dilatoriness but I hope this “brief,” as I call, it fills you in on what’s been happening in my life and gives you a glimpse of what I’m going to be doing over the next eight months. Hopefully I can keep it together and continue updating you throughout the coming months. Enjoy,

Garrett 1

“CHA

U ENT!” M T R A P

NEW LIVING SPACES

A

” s! e llo at “He em us o H

“Garrett, tomorrow you’re coming to live with us. Don’t ask why.” So I live with my closest friends in Chile. Christian and Diana

Well the congregation has moved in to a new stage of its life;

told me several months ago that I was going to move in with them

like a child, it's growing up and the parents are preparing it for the

prior to their wedding as to set an example for friends and

future. The missionaries have set departure years and will

family. It has been quite an experience living with a young, newlywed couple. Christian has become more and more of someone beyond a friend for me. He has helped me with some struggles and kept me accountable in those battles. Diana is full of energy

eventually be completely out of the mission in seven

“I enjoy every moment I pass alongside them...”

and likes to throw herself in to several things. We’re the

Christian and Diana were a couple that was called and they happily accepted it. They are strong leaders in the youth and beyond in the church body. I enjoy every moment I pass alongside them growing together

cooks of the house.

READING AND LISTENING

years. There was a recent call to discipleship and

in our faith and friendship.

LIFE OF PI

THE CASE FOR A CREATOR

CORNERSTONE SIMI PODCAST

PODICTIONARY

Good fiction A boy is on a boat with a tiger. I like fiction and I like this book. Thanks Robert.

If you ever wondered... I was having a hard time with the workings of the universe and where God was. Great read.

Weekly sermons Itʼs good to supplement what you are accustomed to with something different.

Podcast for word lovers Want to know how a word ended up in the English language?

cornerstonesimi.com

podictionary.com

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“Los jóvenes” With the recent absence of one of our stronger leaders, it was difficult to see where the youth group was going but God has moved several individuals to take the lead and run with new ideas and engaging their peers. Saturday activities

Nursing home visits

Katyʼs baptism

Luz de Cristo

Carliʼs baptism

So for quite some our Wednesday evening devotionals and worship had stopped. It was hard to only see each other and have a moment to socialize and be together once a week, Sundays. So several of our group stepped up to begin weekly Saturday meetings. Weʼve had varying attendance but at those involved in the organization continue in seeking ways to make it better.

Dianaʼs youngest brother, Byron, got our group hooked up with a nursing home across town. The youth organized a churchwide adult diapers and milk drive. The church was very supportive and brought in dozens of packages of both items. Since our initial contact, weʼve visited multiple times and have grown closer to the residents and staff.

Katy (pronounced “Katee”) Moore is the sister of Christian, my housemate. She was scared off a year ago after hearing a sermon on the cost of following Christ but she could not stay away. Watching her brother transform after meeting Christ, studying with him and her sisterin-law, and a meaningful conversation with Cristian Rebolledo brought the desire to become a follower of Christ.

We try to get out to Luz de Cristo, a local abused childrenʼs home, once every couple months. The churchʼs Hospitality Committee put together an event to celebrate Christmas at LdC and the youth were put in charge of activities and games. We put on a puppet show, painted faces, did makeovers, and just played with the kids. It was a blast and a good experience of giving for the group.

Carli Valle came to us through Manuel Valenzuela. They dated off and on for several months and in that time she got to know Coté. In October, she was invited to participate in a youth retreat.She seemed to have had an excellent experience. Coté invited her to learn more and in the end she decided to get baptized and is now reaching out to her friends through the weekend activities of the youth.

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IDCP.CL

José Pablo answered a call, I didn’t weekly with Mark. Well Mark and his family moved to the United States in make the call, but I was privileged to be placed alongside him to study. April and I was asked to consider In June 2005, I stepped foot in Chile for the first time and I met José

stepping in to continue. I can’t say it’s been the easiest

Pablo, an interesting fellow who rode

study; I can say that I’ve learned and grown walking with my friend. We’ve

his bike across town to church with a little American flag flying above it.

been through the book of Mark, More

In October 2006, during my first internship, José Pablo was admitted

Than a Carpenter, and the book of Acts. José Pablo’s commentary is

to a mental hospital to help him cope

sometimes just a re-phrasing of what we read - not much depth, but he

with his battles with schizophrenia. The youth surrounded him and we would go to visit him almost every other Sunday afternoon. In late 2007 Mark Dean preached a series on what a true disciple of Christ was and José Pablo was

loves Christ and strives to be a true follower of Him. Some don’t pay him much attention but I love him and his family and he honors me as a friend. I hope that God transforms José Pablo and

listening. Mark invited anyone who wanted to know more to find him or

that he always carries the desire to follow Christ and become him to

any other missionary. José Pablo

others around him.

sought him out and started to meet

They feed me well. Change has come I do have to admit it has been a slow process but I have been working on updating the churchʼs website for the past six months and very soon (I hope, as well do many others) the new idcp.cl will be uploaded and online for the worldʼs browsing pleasure. Check it out and send me a note of encouragement if you donʼt see any changes anytime soon.

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ETC...

It had been over two years since I had been in Itu, Brazil. When I first came to South America in 2005, I made some of my closest friends on the trip in Itu. My good friend Guto opened his home to me for the week. The key note speaker was Don McLaughlin from Atlanta. He brought encouragement and perspective in his daily lectures on the book of

C For urren Mis mer M t/ sio nar ac ies

Hebrews along with Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. The conference also included sports (I played soccer ONCE!), separate classes for men and women, and a final banquet with an incredible talent show. The conference was great for a good recharge and recreation. After the conference, I was invited by Guto to his hometown of São João da Boa Vista where we spent a relaxing weekend with his friends and family.

by her Spanish skills from the get-go; she got to the house on a van service by herself! We toured downtown Santiago, hiked in nearby Cajón del In mid-December I received the best Maipo, ate great food, visited the coast, went to Luz de Cristo (the Christmas gift of the children’s home), “The grocery store was quite a culture year: my closest shock for some reason. The store was inside and much more. friends from university, of a mall, and I was always running across The missionaries Jennifer and Robert. It interesting food differences. There was milk were a great help was exciting that I that didn't need to be refrigerated before it was going to have the was opened, and what really freaked me out i n s h u t t l i n g u s opportunity to share a were the condiments, which were in these around at different bit of my life with my squishy plastic bags. I, for one, do not want times. Diana and Christian were to feel the squishiness of mayonnaise.” friends, as well, I was great hosts and looking forward to welcomed them warmly. That may have been observe Robert’s first overseas experience. Jennifer had spent several weeks in the best part of the trip - bringing my best Guatemala in the summer and I was impressed friends, worlds apart from each other, together.

isit

T Coo hai k Dem ing o

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10 First

From Robert:

Jennifer and Robert get a taste of life in Santiago, Chile

USA V

What’s next? In April I will be leaving my home for the last year and a half for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’ve committed to working with missionary Abel Azevedo for six months. More information to come in the future.

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Images throughout this report are provided by Jennifer Cook, Royal Thai Embassy - Santiago, Carlos Godoy, Christian Bradford, Elaine Castilho, , Coté Valenzuela, Diana Novoa, and others.

Second time around, The Brazil Missionaries Conference