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