Standing in Antofagasta

'Stand up and walk!' (Jesus).

I neglected to post this from Antofagasta. Safe to say that the pastoral issues preceeded a blog post from the other day.

So. Antofagasta. A busy port, and the second largest city in Chile. Surrounded by mountains and the Pacific, its sloping streets are a gift for the local skateboarders. The one way systems are less kind on the traffic!

As the tour has progressed, it has become increasingly important to recognise that this is not merely a tour of evangelism, but a vocational training ground for the young people.

I am a product of such programmes, and am delighted to be a part of this adventure for MC Chile.

This picture shows two girls on the trampoline - one helping the other to stand, as the older children make life very difficult for this to be achieved. For some of the older children, it is deliberate. For others it is the unintentional exuberance of being able to bounce!

We can forget sometimes that evangelism is the process of letting people stand (perhaps discipleship is about learning to bounce?).

Some people are confident quickly. Others need time and attentive attention. Antofagasta was a place for the team to learn to stand firm in their faith.

It was a place for the leadership team to help the tour members to stand and practice their vocation.

It was a place for the tour members to help others take the necessary steps of faith.

Who are you helping to stand, today?

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