The adventure began in the parking lot of the church at 2:30pm on Friday afternoon, March 13th. The team was gathered, the luggage loaded, the excitement building. Mike prayed that God’s grace would carry us through. Then, with Fred McDonald at the wheel, the van rolled out of the parking lot filled with the members of the 2015 Chile VIM team. The fact that it was Friday the 13th got mentioned but wasn’t a huge concern for team members.

Everyone was delighted when Delta airlines was on time in both Birmingham and Atlanta. At 10 PM Eastern time we lifted into the sky for a 9.5 hour flight to Santiago, Chile’s capital city and home to 30% of the country’s population. We arrived in Santiago at 8:30 AM local time (6:30 AM Central time). The flight at 36,000 feet was smooth and for the most part we arrived none the worse for wear. After negotiating the local bus system, we arrived at the Hotel IBIS, where we were to spend the day before catching the midnight bus to Angol, our final destination.

We spent the day resting and visiting some sights in the city before catching the overnight bus to Angol. As usual, the TurBus Supercama Superior was right on time. This bus is a Double-Decker with sleeping facilities so we had a restful trip arriving right on time at 7 AM. John Elmore, our covenant missionary partner, was there to meet us.

After settling in and having breakfast, we went to church at the Emmaus Methodist Church where we were welcomed by the congregation. Those of us who have been before renewed friendships. Those who are here for the first time made new friendships. It is hard to overstate the graciousness of the welcome that we receive each time we come. The worship service was lively and a boost to our travel weary spirits. We were all glad to have a relaxing afternoon for naps, walks and reading as we prepared to start our work on Monday morning.

Once again we have come to Chile to serve with our missionary partner John Elmore. Our task is the same as it always is no matter where we are… to serve God by doing what we can to make the Kingdom of God known in this place. It is a privilege to be a part of doing that in this place with those we have come to know as friends.

~Rev. Tom Duley