Chile

Last time we went to Santiago, Chile to train youth leaders I passed out in the aisle of the plane on the flight down (story here - conclusion here).

Next week we're returning to Santiago to help our friends Aaron Arnold and Miguel Faundez encourage and train Chilean youth leaders at the National Youth Leaders Convention. Last year they pulled off the first ever national conference in Chile and this year it looks like the attendance will triple.

They asked us to do two workshops. The first one interests us... it's goal is to guide the leaders through an evaluation of their youth ministry and then provide them with tools to make it more dynamic and effective. The second one makes us squirm... its title is How to talk to teens about sex without embarrassing yourself or them. As if we have a clue. Who picks these topics and how did we get the short straw? :-)

Over the past 3 years we've developed a few mentoring relationships with youth leaders in Chile who are doing creative and transformational work with teenagers and young adults. So we are looking forward to returning and seeing these friends face-to-face.

On Vacation

We just got home from vacation with my (tim's) parents.
I've got a challenge for you... look at this photo and try to guess where we are (click it for a bigger version). It's difficult. If I hadn't been there, I'd be stumped.

One of the Christmas gifts my parents gave us this year was an invitation to go on a trip with them. My dad said, "I know we're old, and when I was your age I probably wouldn't have wanted to go one vacation with my parents, but we would enjoy taking an adventure with you and Annette." Who could turn down that invitation?! So thank you, Mom and Dad, for a great adventure.
(correct answer: Istanbul...not Constantinople)