Wednesday's recap of the ETBU Volleyball team's TAME trip in Chile is provided by Sophomore Madi Chandler.
 
"This morning we woke up, had breakfast, and hit the road at 8:30.  Our time in Temuco was such a blessing, but we were so excited for our next stop in Santiago, Chile. We had a quick 30 minute drive to the airport, got all checked in, and headed for our gate.
 
Our flight only took about an hour and we were finally in Santiago.  We have been blessed with the first half of our trip and how the Lord worked so powerfully through it, and were looking forward of what the Lord was going to continue to do in Santiago.
 
We drove straight to the school, Grace College, and were immediately stunned at the beauty of the school.  We met with the principal, Katherine, who showed us so much gratitude and love for being able to join them. We got a small break before we ate lunch, where we had a traditional Chilean meal which was very good.  Shortly after we headed to the gym to get started with our volleyball clinic.
 
We first started with agilities, getting the kids all warmed up and the rest of our time we worked on passing, hitting, and playing a game.  The kids had a great time and the smiles on their faces brought us so much joy.  At the end of our clinic, Coach Matthews each student to find a player on the team to be partnered up with and to get to know each other.  I was paired with the sweetest senior boy, who was so kind and patient.  We were able to about his favorite traditional meals, all the places he has visited, and what he wanted to do after he graduated high school. He has hopes to go to university and to hopefully join the men's volleyball team and then become a lawyer.  At the end I got to pray over him, asking God that He would help Him in this season of life and bring him peace in his next big steps. He was so grateful for our conversation and said he had fun at the clinic.
 
Once camp ended it was time for "once!" We were each given host homes to be welcomed into and these homes were parents of children at the school. We were grateful for them being so welcoming and kind to us and I was excited for the conversation to be had and the fellowship to be shared.  There was a bit of a language barrier at times with my host family, but quickly we got used to each other and had such an awesome time.
 
During my time at the host home we began to talk about our faith. My host mother was able to share her testimony of coming to know Jesus at a young age and carrying it with her throughout her life. Once she got married she learned that having kids would be a struggle, but remained hopeful in prayer. Eventually she had her miracle child. What a faithful God we serve. Diving deeper into conversation, I learned that this same miracle daughter did not have a faith in Jesus Christ. She had been having some depression and struggles that caused her to not be in relationship with Jesus. Through this, I was able to share my testimony of how the Lord saved me from depression and led me to His glorious light. I was able to share the Gospel with this sweet girl and there was not a dry eye in the room. It was the most beautiful time and I cannot thank the Lord enough for placing me exactly where I needed to be at the perfect timing. I will forever be grateful for that opportunity and will carry it with me daily.
 
Once we got back from our host homes, I said goodbye to my sweet family and we headed to our hotel. Once we got to the hotel, the team gathered around and Avery Reid, Dani Ratliff, Eliana Zepeda, and Anita Hancock shared their testimonies. It was a beautiful time of hearing how the Lord worked in each of their lives. The one thing that remains so evident through all of these stories is how ETBU has changed them and their faith so much. It truly is such a special place and has made our team the people they are today. This vulnerable time with each other was so sweet and the Lord truly worked through it.
 
We are so blessed to be here at Grace College in Santiago for our last few days! The Lord has moved tremendously already and we cannot believe the transformation that has occurred through our team. Chile has become a huge piece of our hearts and we are so excited to see what else it has in store for us in our last few days!