Busy, Busy!

        Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since i've written. Well here is a post so you know i'm still alive and well ;)
I'll try to fill you in without overloading you with everything I've been up to! ;)
        I'm pretty sure the last time i wrote it was when Jenesia had come to the decision to go home early. Even though i was really bummed about it i knew it was for the best for her. This left me with three decisions 1) go home early, 2) stay in Vina and help in the English... there i could have the beach 10 minutes walking distance & Starbucks 15 mins walking distance... WHAT MORE COULD I ASK FOR?? ;) or 3) stay in Portezuelo. Portezuelo wouldn't be the same as the first time with Jenesia, and the sister from Mexico, Andrea... i'm by no means fluent in my Spanish; with Jenesia back and California and Andrea back in Mexico i wouldn't have anyone to translate for me! I'd be doing everything, not using English, but Spanish-meetings, hanging out, service. All of it was kind of intimidating!! After a couple of weeks of prayer and thought i decided to stay in Portezuelo. After all i can get the beach, English, and Starbucks in Cali. ;) There really isn't service in Cali like there is here :)
      Jenesia and i had about 3 weeks left until she was headed back home to Cali. I had this time to work on improving my Spanish!! :)) In this span of time we were able to support the service group in Donihue, spend time with the Ponces, make a trip to Fantasilandia (the amusement park here in Chile), and have a kids day for the kids in the cong. :)
     One day when we were in service i had a really good experience that gave me a little more confidence i could somewhat be useful in Portezuelo; I kept going back and forth feeling like i would be more of  a burden than anything. So basically my presentation is super simple in service... i kept to the presentation Jenesia helped me with when i first got here. It consists of a greeting then asking to know their opinion of this scripture..i read Rev 21:3,4 then ask..."would you like to see these changes here on the Earth?" 100% of the people i talked to said "Yes!" and i would leave the tract about the hope for the Paradise on the Earth. Well one month we were encouraged to use the Bible Teach book in our ministry. Could i have a presentation that would require me to understand what the householder was  saying!!??? I do understand more or less but i was nervous i wouldn't be very effective if they were saying something super important and i didn't understand! But one day we were in service... and after a few doors i prayed about presenting the Bible Teach book. The next door i found a guy home and shared Rev 21:3,4 and asked if he'd like to see these changes on the earth. he said that it was a nice idea. So i assured him that since it's from the Bible it's a promise from God. Then i pulled out my Bible Teach book (praying that i'd be able to understand all of his responses!) and showed him the the Table of Contents and asked which question he'd like to know the answer to most. He chose the chapter about "where are the dead?" so with his help and the help of the sister with me. we went over 6 paragraphs and were able to find the answer in Eccles 9:5,6,10. it was  so neat to see him really thinking about everything and answering in his own words. When we left i was so excited. Just goes to show if we put forth the effort Jehovah helps us the rest of the way to help other people learn the truth. I haven't been able to catch him yet again. but it's my goal before i leave Chile! :)
     Saying goodbye to Jenesia was sad. My travel partner that i was with 24/7 for the past couple months was leaving! It hit me then too, that everything i would be doing... i would be doing on my own. Planning my trips... and finding out where to go and when to go. The friends have been a major help! and also Jenesia's map she made me of the bus stations has been helpful. ;)
    Fortunately for my first long trip without Jenesia, i had a lot of help. On my way back to Portezuelo, Vanessa took me to Rancagua (about 45 minutes from Donihue) and made sure i found the brother and sister i'd be riding back to Portezuelo with. They offered that i ride back with them after they went to the assembly in Santiago (near Donihue). Such life savers! :) My first week and a half here was pretty amazing. I'm staying here with Claudia Avilez, who has got to be one of the coolest people ever. she's super laid back and totally has helped me feel right at home! :) I've gotten some return visits in service and been able to learn a lot from the pioneers here. The taste of the service here makes me look forward to pioneering again! :)
   I'm sure i mentioned it before, but there are 13 publishers but there are always more at the meetings:) Still it helps me work on being EXTRA prepared for the meetings. Studying in English and Spanish and preparing comments to support commenting doesn't allow me to be lazy! ;) Its encouraging too, the friends here have told me they notice my Spanish improving A LOT... haha  They even said i'm sounding like a Chilean! :D So that's encouraging to know. Although its not much time i really have enjoyed and look forward to the time i get to spend here getting to know the brothers and sisters here. almost everyone has moved from a comfortable life style to live here and help where the need is great. The pioneers all have quite a few bible studies each so its so neat to see there are so many people with the desire to learn about the Bible! :)
   Just this last weekend i was able to travel (BY MYSELF!! :D) to Donihue for Stephanie and Juan's engagement party. On the bus ride there i was able to talk to a kid, named Christopher, that was sitting next to me on the bus... i was studying for my Watchtower about having zeal. I'm not as talkative as i used to be... usually on the bus or the plane i like to keep to myself. But i ended up asking the boy sitting next to me if he liked to read. he wasn't really looking to enthused about it... but i asked him if he'd like a tract to read. I gave him the tract "Who is Jehovah?" and asked him if he knew God's name. he said no, that they hadn't learned that in Catholic school :) so i showed him in Psalm 83:18 and it peaked his interest. He read the tract front to back while i was studying and after he thanked me for the tract and said it was beautiful! :) some time passed by and i had finished studying. i figured if he liked the tract why not take advantage of the time to share a little more? So i showed him the Bible TEach book and we looked through it... then he kinda just took it and was looking at it then started reading it for a couple of hours. he would ask questions in between reading. One of the questions he asked was what the difference is between Jehovah's Witnesses and other religions..."they're all the same aren't they?" i told him that one of the major differences is that most religions teach that we live on after we die... but we read Eccles 9:5,6,10... and i started telling him that even though when we die we return to dust, the bible holds out a hope...and he said(in Spanish:) "Oh! the hope of living in a paradise like it was talking about in this chapter?" and he turns to the chapter talking about the resurrection hope. i was totally impressed. Once we started talking i learned he was quite a chatterbox. :D he was telling me how he's a scout and when he grows up he wants to be an engineer.. and he LOVES futbol. So precious. Towards the end i told him to keep the book and take care of it... he was shocked and grateful.
           a little later during the bus ride there was a blast of shattering glass two rows ahead of me. i was pretty freaked out because i didn't know what had happened, but Christopher saw there was some kid that threw a rock at the bus window.Thankfully nobody got hurt, the worst that happened was people were covered in glass. since we were a couple rows back we had small pieces of glass on us but nothing major. That WOULD happen my first long trip alone:D Anyway, finally i arrived in Rancagua safely and Patty was waiting for me :) It was so nice being able to see the Ponces again, and to be able to spend time with Stephanie getting to know her better and SPEAKING ENGLISH!! ;D There were about 5 of us gringas total at the fiesta. it was a blast :) Vicente one of the young brothers in Donihue had gotten baptized while it was gone, so it was nice seeing him and his family too! :)  Now i'm back in Portezuelo... i'll be here til the 26th; i get to go to Machalee to visit where Claudia (the sister i'm staying with) is from. After that weekend i'll be heading back to DOnihue, then Vina to say one last goodbye, then March 10th i head back to Cali. I can't believe i only have 4 weeks left. this trip has flewn by!!
       So that's what i've been up to. Sorry it took me so long to update!! and i hope that you guys are all doing okay! much love, Corn ;)

    

Puertezuelo :)

  We made it! to Puertezuelo:) time has flewn by so quickly and we only have one more week left here! :( it has been a really upbuilding past couple of weeks! I guess i will start of by telling you where we're staying. Andrea kindly invited Jenesia and I to stay with her until she moves out of the house. She learned the truth in Mexico and went to the English congregation...but for the past couple of years she's been able to help here in Puertezuelo. So in the house it's Andrea, me, Jenesia and Barbara. Barbara just finished school and decided to move here to help the congregation. It's her first time moving from home (which is about 3 hours away)... Four girls in one house!! :D It has been a blast, i couldn't have asked for better room mates!!! (even if they don't always like my music;)
   We planned it out so that we rotate nights cooking, so we all have been getting practice. :D Since there aren't really any big grocery stores around here we go to Chian (the town close by that has seriously just about everything...even a blockbuster:D )  and do one big shopping spree for 2 weeks to cut down on having to travel there a lot. From the pictures you can see we LOVE nutella and peanut butter...and chocolate. hehe. they say I'm bad association for bringing all the unhealthy stuff... but its irresistable, so they love it anyway;)
   The congregation here has 13 publishers. (now including Andrea's studies, Pamela and Veronica:)  There are fewer publishers but at the meetings there is always at least 25. Everyone's so loving, its so easy to feel at home right away! :)
   We have been out in service almost every day since we've been here. its nice to have days off where we can relax and exercise, do laundry, clean.... and make cookies and watch movies :D.... As for laundry, we don't have any washing machines so we wash our clothes in the sink and hang them out to dry:) Anyway, back to service! Around the town everyone is super nice and willing to listen. A couple of days we got to go to the rurals and it was such a neat experience. Pamela and Andrea were able to talk to one lady that liked so much what she was learning and told them not to take their time in coming back! :) Jenesia and I were able to have a conversation with a man who was very zealous for the Bible and we were able to share some of what we've learned with him, so that was really encouraging too! :)
  Anyway, i'm sure the pictures will tell the rest. Jenesia is going home early so i haven't completely decided where i'll be the rest of my time here.. but i'll keep you posted. I miss everyone! hope everything is going well! much love,

Corinne :)

Argentina

Before heading to Argentina to renew our visas, Jenesia and i were able to visit Bethel in Santiago, Chile! It was really neat seeing how everything works there. On tour with us were 3 other witnesses and four were bible studies. They were really impressed with everything and were asking all kinds of questions about how everything worked. There was just a new portion added on; in addition they have a new fire department which i thought was pretty cool that there are brothers and sisters that are in that department :) The tour was in Spanish so i didn't understand every detail, but Jenesia helped translate. :D  We ALMOST were too late for the last tour, but i'm so glad we made it! :)

To renew our visas Jenesia and i had to leave Chile and come back over the border- thus Argentina! Jenesia has a friend, David, she met in Puertezuelo who is from Argentina; he kindly arranged for us to have a place to stay. We ended up staying with a couple, Mariela and Pablo. they are both pioneering and just found out recently that she is four months pregnant! :) Even though we were only there for four days everyone was loving and accomodating and tried to show us as much of Argentina as they could! :D Argentina is beautiful but we were so happy to go back to Chile!:) now we're in Puertezuelo (since Tuesday) i will post soon about everything here. i LOVE it so far. i've been able to change up my presentations in service; so little by little i'm improving ;)  hope everyone is having a good day! much love, Corinne... aka Corina, Corn chowder, maiz ;D ciao!

Viña Del Mar

    So yesterday we arrived safely back to Donihue!:) It was super sad to leave Vina where i met a lot of new friends but the week was a blast. We were kindly invited to stay with a super fun couple, Daniela & Miguel. Miguel called me and Jenesia his daughters while we were there haha. They are helping in the English congregation, so it was nice they wanted us to speak English to help them practice.  The congregation has about 40 publishers; so with a smaller congregation everyone is close knit! One thing that was kindof neat about visiting was hearing all the different talks from different brothers and sisters with accents! Some from South Africa, some from New Zealand, some from Canada, and the rest was either accents like ours or Chilean accents:)

   This last week mostly consisted of being a beach bum, hanging out with friends, going out in service and the party on Saturday. One day in service we did telephone witnessing. it was a little scary for me because after i asked (in Spanish) if there were any foreign English speaking people living in the household...if they said more than no...it was hard to understand :D but it worked out. Jenesia was able to talk to someone that was interested in what she was saying. She was able to share Matt 5:3,  placed the magazine about finding contentment and he wanted someone to stop by to share more! Another time we did informal witnessing walking along the coast and were able to meet a nice lady from Poland who was only there for the day. So even though it's a little more difficult because they have to find English speaking people... those kinds of experiences make it all worth it!:)) this week was super encouraging, learning how the different ones in the congregation learned the truth in a totally different part of the world and how they ended up in Chile. :)

 anyway, this week we are back in Donihue... thursday or friday we leave for Argentina to renew our visas and after we leave for our ultimate destination Puertezuelo!:)

  Jenesia taught me how to do a slideshow, so the pics are a little more organized this time ;) i hope everyone is doing well!! much love, corn <3





Doñihue Life

So far its been such a nice visit in Doñihue! I love the pace of life here; it's much more relaxed. But i think the part i love the most is how satisfied the majority are with the necessities! Service has been nice. Most of the area is country so the way we do here is we stand @ the gate and say "ALLo!" and wait for a few minutes for someone to come.  the first time i think i pretty much sounded like this: "heLLO?" hehe. We almost always have found someone home... and when we do the people are super appreciative for bringing good news:) (for the most part;)
The congregation is super nice! This weekend we had a 2 day assembly and were hosting the district and circuit overseer, so it was nice timing to be there...although, the language part of it is still a little difficult.  Funny story... so the D.O and C.O and their wives were coming over for lunch to the family's house we're staying at. The D.O's wife was in the kitchen already talking with a couple of other sisters. When i went into the kitchen the first question she asked was "Tienes hambre?" but i didn't completely hear her and assumed that since it was the first thing she asked, she was asking "Cual es su nombre?" So instead of answering her ACTUAL question if i was hungry, i told her that my name was Corinne. haha. pretty embarrassing. :D anyway...It was nice to see how down to earth they are. Its also encouraging to hear their stories...how they learned the truth and how they met eachother <3 ! Definitely motivates me to stay focused:)

The 2 day circuit assembly was super encouraging. It was one we had in California about protecting your spirituality. Such good reminders! (Jenesia already had her notes in English from the States so it helped me to follow along:)  and i was able to practice my Spanish a lot! :D Next week we go to Vina Del Mar from monday to Friday. It will be a mini vacation. I'll have the beach, Starbucks and we'll be going in the English! woohoo ;) So i will let you guys know how Vina goes! Ciao!:)

here are some pics...and i learned that in order to even rotate my pics... i have to save them to the computer. hehe... so no more sideways pics. woo!

game night and dinner with some friends in Donihue:)

Nichole, me and Betsy:)



Jenesia:) with the view we had one day in service











all ready for the assembly on Saturday! (we were on time for the bus this day;)



assembly stadium



baptism pool




Silencio!

























Nichole and her Mom;)



new friends:)



 



  

<3







lunch with the Ponce family :)





can you tell there's two different people taking this pic? hehe




the bus ride home :)




Patty and Vanessa practicing their English, they're doing so good!





me practicing my Spanish... not doing so good ;)







Jenesia is our teacher :D



the driveway of the home we're staying in:)



my FAVORITE homemade strawberry juice







Jenesia's homemade apple pie, YUM! :d

 

a cute little beetle

















KH build:)

Today was successful. Jenesia and Patty had a pioneer meeting and i was able to go with Patty's in-laws to a KH build that was a couple of hours away. It was a beautiful drive! Here are some pictures so you can see:) There were at least 25 people that volunteered their time to be there and help:) i wish i had taken a picture in the beginning of the build, but when we arrived at 9:30ish in the morning there was a slab of cement for the Kingdom Hall to be built on, and by the time we left around 5:30ish..you can see in the 2nd to last picture below there was that much done already. Despite the language barrier they were able to find me a job, which was a relief! :D i was removing the nails from the boards; as the day went on there were four of us to help the job be done quicker:) After being here for a couple of days my one regret! is that i didn't practice my Spanish more fervently!!!!  i've had enough Spanish that i've remembered to help me get by though. I've been able to understand the stories of how different ones have learned the truth and their life story :) I hope you guys enjoy the pics! Ciao!! :) (btw: SORRY!!!!!! again about the sideways pics. hehe;)

 

Chile:)

hey everyone!
Just wanted to let you all know i made it to Chile alive and well! :) The flights were ok, nothing special. but I actually finished a whole book! (first one in about a year)
Everything else went as planned. i learned a couple of things, when paying your entrance to Chile they don't let you bring in almonds...and BE SURE to carry your luggage yourself. if you let anyone help you they expect some pesos! even if its 10 steps to go around the corner!!
Jenesia and I rode three busses to get to the Brother and Sister's house we're staying at here. The longer the drive went on the prettier the scenery was! In Donihue, where we are staying, it's surrounded by mountains and very green. I will take more pictures tomorrow!


I apologize in advance for the pictures that aren't rotated the right way! This usually drives me nuts, but the way i usually rotate, it didn't give me the option. :(
                                    the first picture i took just recently after the meeting tonight. to the left is Jenesia, then is Patty and her husband and to the right is the Aunt and Uncle of the household. :) This family is SO super hospitable, it has been nice learning about them! One evening we were able to go over the daily text in English and Spanish. The parents are trying to learn English so we were all able to practice our English and Spanish. i hope we get to do that more evenings!:) next is the mean turtle. Jenesia says he bites, and when i walk by sometimes he looks like he's just taunting me to get closer to his tank. hehe
the orange stuff in the cup... i can't remember the name of it but its a typical dessert in Chile. SO delicious!!! It consists of cooked wheat and apricots, with water that combines the flavors. The last picture is me and Patty:)

Tomorrow Jenesia has a pioneer meeting along with Patty and I'm excited i get to go with the grandparents to a KH build. I just hope that my Spanish will be good so i can actually be useful!:) Well that is all for now. Take care everyone! i'll try to update my blog soon:)