Tranquilo, pues

hola mi amigos y amigas
writing from villa alhue,
I am becoming comfortable here. here at the farm, I understand probably 75% of the spanish, and i find that i don´t have to compose sentences in my head before entering a conversation. dón´t get my wrong, i am far from fluent in this language, but continue to improve. i am aware that when i speak, it is often poorly conjugated and choppy, and i have gained a deep respect for the importance of language and communication.
the farm is one huge ball of blossoming energy, new leaves and colors everyday (actually right now it is damp and cold, yesterday we had the first rain i´ve seen down here), but it is an exciting time, to see the culmination of hard work as fruit forms, vegitables ripen, and the process continues.
i am learning to cook some of the delicous dishes here, little by little, and i made my first batch of bread here yesterday. i can´t speak enough of the food here, and i hope to carry this mentality with me, the mentality of eating good food, of the importance of effort and preparation, and the satisfaction that this brings.

we played soccer with the the local town, Pichi (with under 300 ppl). los lagartos vs the youth of pichi. street ball, anything goes pretty much. 5 vs 5 on a cement court. dreadlocks and pale white legs, out of shape, tin roof siding as walls, and shouting spanish frantically in an attempt to organize. we got whooped 22 to 14, but it was a lot of fun anyway.

i plan to head south at the beginning of november, down towards Santa Juana (small town south of Chillan). close to the coast. we´ll see what happens, what comes my way.
i am aware more and more of the blessings in my life, the people, the places, and the opportunities that i have. also the Lord,s provision continues to amaze me.
thanks for your prayers and thoughts, know that you are in mine too.
-joshua

Valparaiso

writing from Valparaiso, a beautiful port city on the coast of chile. first time seeing the pacific, looks like water.
my spanish is improving consistently and constantly as i become more confident in my speech and comprehension, able to have extended conversations with those who are patient.
the farm is beautiful as the season is changing from primavera to verano, lots of blossoms and new wild flowers everyday.
making adobe mud for the kitchen we´re building, fun work to mix everything together and then smatter it on the walls. i am learning a lot about simple ways to do things, to build, to eat, to plant. there is more connection to place here, making your own tools and eating the food that you grow. not to sound too cliche, but i am appreciating the process that things take when you invest time and effort into where you are.

thank you for your prayers and thoughts, i am doing very well down here and am adjusting well. it has been quite a process and i have learned to let go of time in a way, can´t count the days, just take them as they come.

this is where i am, only a glimpse

p.s. i{ll try to upload some pics sometime, but i{m not really sure how to do it yet.

poco a poco

i{ve made it to october. it feels good to have the passing of a month, a feeling of some kind of accomplishment.
i am living in a little house behind the mail house here at the granja. up at 7 before the sun, then a breakfast of fresh bread, avacado, fresh cheese, jams, and carrot tea.
i am eating like a king, the best i{ve ever eaten in my life probably. lunch is the biggest meal, the main meal, and there is always fresh greens for salads, homemade olive oil, lemons from the surrounding orchard, we eat lunch at a table in the orchard, more fresh bread, and a warm main dish that is always delicious. giulia and manuel, the couple who own the farm, are warm and inviting, and don{t hesitate to make fun of my spanish. i have transitioned from a nervous and tentative foreigner, to almost part of the family. i am truly blessed to be in this place. the lord is faithful, and i am seeing tangibly his love for me as i must depend on him.

the work here is good, i am always sore at the end of the day. digging and setting fence posts, making rock walls for terraces, planting and watering plants, collected firewood and madura for the cabana we{re building. we just got two tipis that we will be assembling in addition to other projects.

the farm is 500 hectares nestled in a little valley surrounded by 6000 plus ft high mtns. the sunrise and sunset are gorgeous and tonight is the first full moon. cactus and so many wildflowers highlight the dry grasses. my favorite time of the day is about 5 when the sun is on its way down behind the mtns. the shadows stretch and the breeze blows from the southest, filling me up with the beauty of this place.

i am blessed to have the companionship of other wwoofers, especially my friend Sam. Sam is from Belgium and is quite a guy. we{ve become friends, as he and i are both here for a couple of months and other wwoofers come and go. he is an answer to prayers, as the one thing ive been worried about it loneliness. the lord is good. i think that now that i have to depend on him, i can see him more clearly. this is new for me, trusting that is. trusting because i have to, not because i want to. i don{t really have an option.

i am well, and adjusting to this new step in life. poco a poco, little by little, i am learning and understanding this new language and place. thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. glory to Him who loves us so much!