It's the Final Countdown!!!!!

Spanish word of the day: ombligo 

Translation: belly-button

As the first day of DTS (Discipleship Training School) looms ever nearer, preparations are sluggishly being made around the Bontrager house. Suitcases are in the beginning stages of being packed (lying open-mouthed and empty on the bedroom floor), travel plans are being considered (subconsciously at least) and soon-to-be-vacant bedrooms are being claimed by younger siblings desiring an upgrade. 

And in accordance with the prevailing atmosphere here, I feel like something significant is prowling around the periphery of my conscience, and I haven't realized it yet. It's not something foreboding or ominous, though; just the opposite. I feel like something powerful is on its way, a great experience disguised in mission trip's clothing that could be destined to change the way I think and feel about my faith and how I should live the rest of my life. 

At the risk of being repetitive, something great is in the air, and I'm not giving it the appreciation it deserves. What's more, I don't think I can appreciate it until I've fully experienced it. For now, I can only sense that my Father has something indescribable lying in wait for me in these next nine months. Could this be merely wishful thinking? Maybe. All I know is I won't stop searching until my Father reveals His grand design for my life to me.

In the meantime, I'll just remain extremely stoked, pumped, psyched, fired up....... you know what, to give you a more accurate idea of just how completely and utterly excited I am for this new chapter of my life, let me put it this way: an entire tribe of 457 cannibalistic pygmies couldn't keep me from going on this mission trip! 

Aaaaaaanyway, as this will be my last post to be written at home, let me just say to all you good-looking blog followers out there: grab your alpaca, pull up a chair, and join me in the journey of a lifetime! 

A Blog by any Other Name

"Latitude 41? What the---?"

Originally, this blog's namesake was merely the geographic south coordinate of Team Chile's outreach location- Alerce. Actually, to be more precise, Alerce is located at 41˚ 28' South, 72˚ 56' West. Of course, this isn't to be confused with 41˚ North, which, at the same longitude, would put you somewhere around Haddam, Connecticut, and as great as I'm sure Haddam is, let's be honest with ourselves, people- Chile sounds way more exciting than Connecticut.

But what has been on my mind since I named this fledgling of a blog is whether or not its name holds any meaning for me personally or any helpful hints to keep in mind during these next nine months of service. 

Well, for starters, I realized that I didn't name this blog some variant of 'Alerce' or 'Chile' because one thing I'm sure of is that as far as this trip is concerned, I'm not sure of anything. I have no clue yet if I will get along with my group (no offense, guys), no clue if this is even what God is calling me to do, or if I will come back from Chile having learned and grown the way God intended, or- well, I think you get the idea. Anyway, I think the title 'Latitude 41' lends itself to a certain air of the unknown, because it gives me a feeling of remoteness, farther from my admittedly large comfort zone than I have ever been before now. It's much different from using a location's proper name- I think doing so brings with it feelings of familiarity, direction, and certainty; none of which I posses in relation to this trip as of yet. 

But at the same time, this air of mystery captures my sense of curiosity and adventure; I very much want to step out of the metaphorical boat and walk across deeper waters, towards my goal of a more meaningful relationship with Christ. Ironically, Latitude 41 South is about 98% occupied by seas and oceans. 

Call me Peter, but this time instead of sinking for fear of the wind and waves, I want to stand confidently on tumultuous waters, never letting anything distract me from my Savior's gaze and outstretched hand.

--God, give me strength to push all my doubts aside. Calm my thoughts.

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But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," Jesus said.

--Matthew 14:27-29 (NIV)

Ladies and Gents: The Fantastic Five!

Well, here we are, including yours truly, of course.
1. - Beth Hale
Superpower: Armadillo Whisperer.

2. - Jeffrey Eberly
Superpower: Mind Control via guitar music, especially with the song "Kumbaya".

3. - Jean Marie Ropp
Superpower: Marshmallow Peep Ninja (turning "Shanghai" into "Sugar High")

4. - Kirsten Yutzy
Superpower: Known as "The Yutzy Touch", Kirsten can transform any object into a litter of puppies.


5. - Clayton Bontrager
Superpower: Known as "Red Light Immunity", I have the ability to never get stuck at a red light, even in, say, downtown New York City at rush hour.

Fantastic Five, together we take the form of.......

ONE SUPER CRAZY AWESOME CHILE MISSION TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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- On a, *ahem* slightly more serious note, I just want to attempt to express how blessed I feel to have God calling me into mission work, and with what seems to be an amazing group, no less. One of my highest goals for this next 9 months is to come back home with SO much more than what I left with, and I'm not talking tourist souvenirs, here.

God is always more than capable of opening the "eyes of my heart" ever wider to the needs of His children, regardless of whether they know Him as their Father or not. So with that said, I want to devote all of myself to my Father's business during these upcoming 9 months, no holding back.


(Let's hear it for my very first blog-post-thing! Stay tuned for more!)