Caroline Schantz

Today was my last day at the Education site. For the last two weeks I’ve been getting to know the kids of Santiago – learning their names, faces, and personalities. As always, we started out by singing their national anthem and praying. Afterwards, it was hot so we combined both the classes to do our Bible story and songs. Today was special because we got to do a puppet show for the kids and they LOVED it. We ended the day, as usual, by doing our craft and going outside  to play on the swings. After the kids had lunch, we all hung out till their parents arrived to pick them up.

For our team lunch today we re-visited the family of one of the children in the preschool. It was amazing because just yesterday we had dropped off ingredients to the house and in 24 hours the mom had turned it into a feast for 20. It was also incredible to see how welcoming the family was. As soon as we arrived we were met with smiles and waves because they were genuinely happy to see and talk to us. While we were there we were not only sharing food together but also sharing the gospel with them via a quick devotional and singing “This is Amazing Grace” in both English and Spanish. We finished the rest of our workday with the older kids at the school. Sometimes we have an English class. But today we were making bracelets.

These past two weeks have been exhausting, but at the same time, so fulfilling. Seeing Vilma, my site leader, handle the kids with both enthusiasm and passion has really been an inspiration. She’s taught me to be patient with anything God chooses to face me with, to be grateful for everything I have, and to not take it for granted. No matter how tired you are, a smile can go a long way, and most importantly there’s always time for a soda run.

One of the things that has hit me the hardest on this trip is how the people are so happy with what some of us would consider nothing. The children at the preschool come in with smiles on their faces everyday, no matter what their home situation looks like. It’s also shown me how much a community can change things even if it’s only a smile or a hello, it can go a long way. That is definitely something I will take home with me.

 

2026-07-03T22:59:28-04:00