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Versiculo del Dia:
"Alabad a Jehova, porque el es bueno, Porque para siempre es su misericordia." Salmos 136:1

El Dia de Accion de Gracias
I love the way "thanksgiving" is translated in Spanish. Literally, it says "the day of action of thanks." True thanksgiving leads us to action; it leads us to change our perspective, to act in generosity, and to consider every trial and treasure of life in the light of gratitude. As a wife, how can I really be thankful for my husband if my actions never reflect that? As a teacher, my presence in the classroom should show the gratitude I feel to the Lord for this vocation, and my interaction with my students should be an example of thankfulness to them. I think too often I have considered thankfulness a feeling. And there is an element of emotion for sure, but the only way to demonstrate that emotion is through action. Through the giving of thanks. Through the giving of our resources, time, and love. And praise Jesus we have His ultimate example of what it means to GIVE, as we learn to give thanks.

I will be honest that Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. It isn't that I don't enjoy it--sitting around the table, eating food, that's fine. But I remember last year telling Chris that I would be happy to spend every single Thanksgiving in Hawaii eating seafood if I had the choice. As someone born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, November is about the time that fall begins to lose it's charm and the reality sets in that we are facing six months of cold, wet weather. Chris was shocked that I didn't have a better attitude toward his most favorite of holidays (yes, Thanksgiving rates above Christmas for Mr. Wheaton). For him, this is a day about family, good food, taking time to slowly enjoy a meal, and reflect on life's blessings without the pressures that Christmas and gift-giving can bring. So this year, as we are in a setting that, while not tropical, is very sunny and warm, I suppose I am wishing I could be in a rainy and cozy dining room filled with our family tomorrow. Instead, Chris will head off to work, I will go to the school to teach English (and likely sweat on the walk to the metro), and we will return to eat at the California Cantina, a local restaurant that has a turkey dinner for all the ex-pats of Santiago. And Friday will be another work day, no huge sales here in Chile, though the malls are decorated with Christmas trees and garlands. So my challenge to myself is to remember that while the family, home-cooked experience may be missing this year, my accion de gracias should not be. My prayer is that as I go through these next few days, my actions would reflect that I am a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, and friend of gratitute.

Vienen los Padres!
High on the list of what I am thankful for is of course my family. I remember the first weekend or so when I was feeling especially lonely in Santiago, my mom said, "We'll be there in 8 weeks!" That felt like forever to me, and alas it flew by, I have found community and a sense of purpose in the city, and I was so excited to show that to my parents. Chris and I picked them up at the airport Saturday morning, and since my parents are machines and an overnight flight with only 2 hours of sleep does not slow them down, we immediately took them downtown to rent bikes to tour around the city for the day! One great feature of the city of Santiago is that along the "river" Rio Mapocho, there are lots of public parks connected by bike paths. So, we could ride the entire length of the city and enjoy different parks and scenery.

Chris: "Hey Dan, I'll take your picture. Just move to the left a little. Perfect." Dad... completely unaware of the mural behind him. For shame Christopher!

Sometimes Chris and I butt heads. Good thing we have helmets and yummy pisco sours at Bar Ligueria to protect us!

That evening we went to one of our favorite neighborhoods, Bellavista, to eat a tasty meal. Chris and Dad ordered the Chilean sea bass, which for some reason was served with brandy and fire...

Monumento Nacional El Morado
Sunday, we made the journey into the mountains to a national park called El Morado. Before setting out on the hike, we decided to have some beer and empanadas. It was my parents first experience with a Chilean empanada, and they really enjoyed them!

You can see the kind gentleman who served us, as well as the large oven, in the background of the picture.

After our power snack (or lunch), we headed to the ranger station. We were informed that since it was 1pm, we would not have enough time to reach the laguna and return by 6pm, and he also said that my mom's tennis shoes were not sufficient for the rocky terrain. We set out to prove him wrong, and we certainly succeeded. Not only did we reach the lagoon, we relaxed there for awhile and returned by 4:30, and my mom never once fell! (I will keep the time she skidded down the hill a secret, as well as the words that slipped from her mouth as she was gracefully regaining compusure). As you can see, the landscape was vast and starkly beautiful. There aren't any trees, just low bushes, wildflowers, and rocks. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday in November.

That evening we stopped for dinner, or we hoped to stop for dinner, at a resturant called Casa Bosque, however since we arrived at 5:30, they were just closing lunch and wouldn't open for dinner until much later. Luckily they let us come in and enjoy some salad and snacks after our hike. And pisco sours, of course. The architecture of the building is especially interesting and has a Disney-elf-land-forest feel.

Cabalgatas!
When researching ideas of things to do with my parents, TripAdvisor had a particular horseback riding company that was ranked nearly at the top. The reviews were generally raving, describing a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime experience in the mountains of Chile. I chose to overlook the review that said, "Not for the faint of heart... high above a river..." etc. and trusted my mom could put her vertigo on the shelf for the afternoon. We started out from the horse pasture, my parents, our guide Rodrigo, and I, with lunch packed and the sun on our faces. The scenery was incredible and the heights were thrilling. At times, almost too thrilling, even for me. So after about an hour and a half of hugging the mountain high above the river, Rodrigo steered us in a different direction to have lunch near a nice waterfall fed pool. I am so proud of my mom for her bravery, and thankful that my parents were willing to embrace adventure with me for the day! And I am grateful to Rodrigo for the great palta y queso sandwhich he made us. And the beers, though somewhat warm, helped take a little edge off as well.

Un dia en la Ciudad
Before their arrival, I told my parents that about one day would be sufficient to see much of what the city had to offer. So, Tuesday was our one day in the city. We took a walking tour through the older neighborhoods of town to start, and had lunch at a barber-shop/restaurant that has been in operation since the 1930s!

A highlight of the day was our visit to El Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, or the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. This museum documents the human rights abuses that occured during the military dictatorship of Agusto Pinochet, from September 11, 1973 until 1989. It was inagurated by Michele Bachelet, President of Chile from 2002-2006. Her father was a military man oppossed to Pinochet, and for that he was murdered. She herself was imprisoned for a time as well, so the fact that she came to be President shows the shift in the country. The museum is sobering. It includes video testimonies of tortures, letters and pictures by children to their missing parents, uncles, and aunts. There are old news videos to watch, and newspaper headlines to read. It was difficult to think of all of this happening in the current generation, in an economically progressive country. Of course, there are always many facets to each story. I mentioned to someone that I would be going to this museum, and they told me it was "communist propoganda from the left." I have noticed that Chile is still a very divided country between left and right, rich and poor. All in all, it was a time well spent in the museum, and it was helpful in further understanding the history and events that have shaped the Chilean people.

Our walk around the city also included climbing Cerro Santa Lucia (which we followed with ice-cream), and a stroll through the Plaza Central.

It was also nice to cool off our feet in the small rooftop pool where my parents were staying!

That evening we had a delicious meal at a well-known seafood restaurant, Aqui Esta Coco. It was wonderful to share delicious food and conversation together in Chile!

Valle de Casablanca
Since my parents had been such troopers and gone bike riding, hiking, and walking the city, I figured by Wednesday it was time for a rest and we would explore the wine region of Casablanca Valley. Located west of Santiago, it extends from the mountains to the sea, and specializes in white wine grapes, because of the cool sea air. Our first stop was Emiliana Winery, which is especially famous for being organic and biodynamic. Not sure what biodynamic means? Neither were we. Apparently it has something to do with using certain fertilizers and farming practices for the vines that correspond with the stars and astrology. We opted out of the tour and went straight for the wine tasting, so whatever that process really is, all we know is that it makes good wine :)

A chicken came into the tasting room!

And then I fed a llama :) Our next stop was Casas del Bosque Winery. A bit larger than Emiliana, they took us through their wine making process and barrel rooms before we tasted yet more delicious Chilean wines.

After all that wine tasting, we certainly needed lunch, and enjoyed a tasty Chilean feast in a home-turned-restaurant in the town of Casablanca before our final winery tour and tasting. Loma Larga, which means long hill in Spanish, was the last vineyard for the day. It's a small, family run boutique winery specializing in not only white, but red grape varietals as well. It was a charming place, and we were the only visitors at the time, which made the experience extra special.

On our way home, we had two short detours: A visit with a red Chilean trantula, and a visit to a Chicha distillery (essentially a less-than-tasty wine/spirit popular since the time of the Spanish conquest).

El Instituto Agape

Thursday I had mentioned to the director of the school that I would like to bring my parents by so they could see the place where I volunteer and meet the students and teachers I have grown to know and love. In my mind, I imagined arriving and spending at most 40 minutes showing them around, introducing them to people, and sharing in conversation. Clearly, I still have much to learn about the extent of Chilean hospitality. We arrived at the school and walked into one of the classrooms and were greeted with cheers, music, and "breakfast" (plates of bread, cheeses, yogurts, cookies, coffee, juices, and more). I saw tears forming in my mom's eyes, and of course as I walked around the room greeting the students I started to cry a little as well. The finality of our time here is becoming much more real, and it will be difficult to leave this place and the people who have come to mean so much to us.

We had a time of worship together, and then Larry, the director, wanted to welcome my parents and say a few words of thanks to me. It was such a humbling moment to have students share about how they have grown and what the year has meant to them, and to offer me thanks and welcome my parents. Honestly, sometimes I struggle with my volunteer work here. The school is a private Christian school, but not sanctioned by the state education department. Basically, students register as if they were being home-schooled and then come to the Instituto Agape and have classes together, and at the end of the year they take exams to see if they have passed. It is essentially a co-op of sorts with teachers who are willing to take a significant pay cut because they believe in education centered around the love of God. The vision of the school is beautiful, but often my type-A teacher personality cannot handle the laid back nature of classes, the relaxed schedule, and the frequent breaks for celebrations and drum playing. I am used to an education system that maximizes time, fills students days with transitions and instructions, and certainly does not stop class to give a party to parents from another country. Yet these students, however lax they may be academically from my U.S. standards, have beautiful servant-hearts and selfless love for each other. (And, as they have been taking their exams and doing very well, apparently good learning is happening too). All that to say, the day with my parents was such a blessing and I am so grateful that God brought me to this place to grow with this community and learn from them what it means to focus on being present instead of productive, and valuing the cultivating of character over the raising of grades.

Following our time of sharing, of course the Cueca had to be danced!

That afternoon, we went to Los Dominicos, a handicraft center not far from the city, and ended our afternoon as any good afternoon should end: with ice-cream!

El Meson Patagonico
Chris loves lamb. Chris loves barbeque. So, barbequed lamb is the ultimate treat. One particular restaurant has come to be a favorite (we have gone there three times now), and they cook lamb on an open fire. They also have fantastic crab and seafood from Chile, so it is a true crowd pleasing place. For our last evening in the city with my parents, we knew this dining experience would be perfect.

The look on Chris' face shows it all :) Actually, it may have been a result of him taking a bite of my crab risotto (something lost in translation, I had no idea there was crab in it! But he suffered no ill effects, promise).

Mas Vinas
True to springtime fashion in Santiago, Friday morning was cold and cloudy (after a very hot and sunny Thursday). So, instead of climing a hill to have a lookout of the city, I arranged some more wine tours with my parents, this time in a region within metro distance of the city that specialized in red wine production: The Maipo Valley. Our first stop was Cousino Macul, which was a winery that has been in the same family for 6 generations! The Macul family are quite a dynasty here in Santiago, with streets, communities, museums, and businesses that bear their name.

After our tour and tasting, we went to Concha y Toro for lunch, and then returned home to get ready to go to the beach for the weekend!

Maitencillo

Located just over an hour (or 2.5 hours in Friday night traffic) from Santiago, Maitencillo is a quiet fishing town right on the coast. My parents rented an apartment for the four of us for the weekend, and we loved the fresh sea air, sunshine, fish markets, and beaches.

The BEST discovery of the day was a beach trail that extended for at least three or four miles along the coast. It was amazing to be that close to the water, see the homes on the hill, walk along pathways filled with flowers, and discover beaches and coves. The perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

That evening, after a few games of cribbage of course (the Wheatons ultimately proved victorious!), we went to dinner at a small beachside restaurant. Before enjoying our meal, we climbed a hill to view the sunset. What a beautiful landscape!

Domingo en la Playa

Sunday we continued our beach trek further south, making our way to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. Along the way, we saw fantastic rock formations, more gorgeous beaches and waves, and we may have stopped for a Starbucks latte. It was strange to see all the familiar Christmas decorations and mugs and be so warm.

We ended our trip with a delicious lunch overlooking the homes and harbor of Valparaiso, and then it was time to return my parents to the airport for their evening flight. It was an incredible week and a wonderful time to share a slice of the Chilean life Chris and I are leading. Granted, we don't live like tourists all week, and this week I am back to the school and Chris keeps working hard, but it was wonderful to have a reason to show people around. I am grateful my parents made the journey, that they too have fallen in love with Chile, and that we have someone we can talk to and say, "remember when?" in the states. Now we have less than three weeks before we return... the time has passed so quickly. This was a difficult decision for us to make at first: leaving behind our home, family, and me leaving my job. However, we both see so clearly that this was all part of God's perfect plan, beyond what we could have imagined for the beginning of our marriage. And this Dia de Accion de Gracias, being here in Chile with my husband, life partner, and best friend, is what I am most thankful for.