Three Phase

In Santiago we are trusting God to raise up student led movements on every campus. After one year we have a presence and student leaders on three campuses. While we could easily spend all our time trying to build up those ministries we don't want to build ministries, but rather be used of God to mobilize students.
During the next month we have a three phase process to identify and focus on three more campuses. The University of Chile and the Univseridad Catolica are the two most prestigious schools. The first phase is to visit 8 different campuses of those two universities. We will investigate the campuses and look for opportunities and key contacts on Friday. Phase two will be to explore another 8 campuses of private universities. We also will try identify where the 15 summer project students from the US can help launch movements in May and June. Phase three is to focus on 2 or 3 campuses where we see the best opportunity and contacts.
I am confident that we will find students who share our passion for seeing lost students become Christ-centered laborers. Through personal discipleship and our community of leadership development, Raices (from Psalm 1, roots) our team is being used by God to prepare students for living out the great commandment and great commission.

Weddings and Chinese Food

One year ago I was curious about the large corporate building across the street from my apartment. I asked a guy on the street what the company Endesa does? Pablo informed me that they were an energy company. It turned out we lived in the same building. A friendship was started and through the influence of several people Pablo eventually decided to follow Christ.

Friday my friend Christian and I met with the owner of a chain of Chinese restaurants for dinner. Chen is Chinese but has lived in Chile for 20 years. He is a friend of my former neighbour Pablo. I met Chen for the first time at a discotheque, celebrating Pablo's birthday. We shared with Chen about the ministry of Vida Estudiantil and invited him to invest with us in reaching college students. He was excited to hear about what we are doing. This Wednesday we will meet again at the national office of Vida Estudiantil.

When I arrived at church today I saw Pablo and Karen sitting towards the front dressed a little better than normal and I immediately knew... they were going to announce their engagement. Pablo and Karen had gone to Brazil for their summer vacation last week. And I suspected that he was going to propose. It is a joy to see Pablo continuing to grow in Christ and being blessed by God.

Freshmen Orientation

This week I have been getting together with the guys who were involved with Vida Estudiantil last semester. We have been in touch with most of them throughout the summer. It is fun to see what develops as we invite them to trust God to reach their peers. Students have a better feel many times for where to be, when and who to talk to than we do as outsiders. Yesterday we were on campus because when I met with Jorge, a sophomore, on Tuesday, and he told me about a freshmen orientation event for his faculty. So we showed up to see what it was like. After a formal meeting with all the freshmen there was a breakfast where the student government and other student representatives got to present themselves to the students. We asked for a couple minutes to present Vida Estudiantil and invite them to our first event, "How to Get Better Grades and Have More Fun". Jorge is still just getting involved with us, but he opened some doors and got to see how he can reach out to his peers.
Next Monday classes start, but it will be a relaxed week, with lots of parties and the typical freshmen hazing. There is lots of talk about new rules limiting what the upperclassmen can do to students. We will see how that turns out.
Since mid-December we have been trying to get a meeting with the student activites director. Juan Carlos, one of our chilean staff, and Patricio one of the students leaders at USACH, will finally get to sit down with him Wednesday the 12th. This will be an important time for establishing a relationship with the university and getting access to information, opportunties, funding and meeting space on campus.