Lambs, crab, thanks, and Id Cards.

Well I am done with school here. I officially finished last week (though we haven't had grades for quite some time now). It feels like I have spent a semester without classes, as I wasn't really challenged ever in class, except for the language, which is hard me for. I like to be challenged and see what I am made of, but school wasn't that for me here. I have my first of my two senior year graduations tomorrow!

Now to the title. Last friday I walked up to my host aunts host to hang out and what did I find, a lamb in the backyard. That is pretty normal here but what made me super excited was when they said we gonna eat it! Now that was just pure joy. That night, my host uncle and I spent a couple hours killing, skinning, gutting and prepping the lamb for the asado al palo (barbecue of sorts where they cool the whole lamb together).  We also drank Nachi (lambs blood with cilantro and garlic) which was pretty cool. I had 7 or 8 big ol spoons of that stuff... yummmmm. We ate the lamb as a family with wine, potatoes, laughter and messy fingers. It was my thanksgiving of sorts. I have also spent the week trying to save the lambskin and use it to make something cool but to my demise, it's not working very well.

Now to the crab. Monday at 4:40 am a friend of mine here in town picked me up and we headed to the docks. We were heading out on his 13m boat to fish crab with him and 3 other fisherman. We were the only boat to head out, everyone else was scared of the wind and waves. Well, they were right to be scared. I spent the entire morning throwing up and trying to sleep off the sea sickness with intervals of watching the guys works and trying to help where I could. By the afternoon I was feeling much better and was helping and chatting it up as we stripped the crab from the nets and pulled up more nets. The day ended as I navigated us back home with a leather sack filled with wine in one hand and the wheel of the boat in the other. Toninas (patagonian dolphins) accompanied the ride home, playing the wake. It was pure good. Unfortunately my camera broke last week so I don't have any pictures but I thinking I am going to head out again and i'll borrow a camera.

Thanks. Its thanksgiving and I am very thankful. To my family here who have taken me in and treated me well. Thankful that I made tomato soup and grilled cheese last night to celebrate America and thanksgiving (a bit easier than the whole turkey thing). Thankful my family is healthy and safe. Thankful for all the prayers and thoughts during this challenging month.

Lastly I have to spend a couple lines talking about my Chilean ID card. I got here 4 months ago and within my first two weeks went to go get my ID card like we all have to. Well through a series of problems with paperwork, strikes, changing of ID card system, and island life, I now finally have my ID card in hand, 4 months later. It expires in 2 months, so that's a bummer, but at least I finally have this stupid piece of plastic!

Cheers y Salud.

1 week later

Well here we are. One week later.

This week has been crazy. Sunday we had all the processions and afterwards, it was a really good time of family. Really all this week has been wholesomely full of family. Lots of big meals with lots of people. Lots of team efforts and family pitching in to help out. This week, we took on the project of cleaning this house.

Years of laziness and disorganization have left this house in horrible condition. The was a continuous drip of water in the kitchen for months. The back yard wasn't enterable as it was full of wood scraps, trash, and whatever other thing you can think of. There was trash and stacks of random things in every corner and a living room full of it upstairs. I wanted so badly to fix it all when I got here but I just couldn't do it alone. I asked for us to do it as a family but with my host dad as he was and my host mom working with mayor stuff, we never did it. Well this week, we are doing it. We are restoring the greenhouse in the backyard, fixing things around the house, cleaning all the junk out and leaving the house in a good state. After 6 full truckloads of trash to the dump, I found a door to a patio upstairs I never knew existed. Tomorrow we have about 4 trucks full of wood to take from the backyard. It's truly incredible how much stuff there is. I am continuously thinking in how much better off I am living simply than with all the junk that the consumerism of today pushes us to buy. We have thrown out bags and bags of clothes, and toys and just random crap that is unnecessary.

I repeat, its been crazy. But I also must say, it feels nice working a good hard 8 hour days. At least, I am working. These chilean guys stop every 45 minutes to drink wine or beer or eat. Every time I raise my head my compadres are drinking something else!

All in all, well it has been a good way to help. However, its definitely still hard. I never would have thought this would be my exchange. If I know one thing about God, its that he likes to break plans and show us we really aren't in control.

Well its time to go eat some more and rest my body. Everything hurts.

Thanks everyone for all your support.

Alder

As I sit by this iron stove listening in peace to crackle of the flame, I am overwhelmed. This last 24 hours has been well... awful.

Late last night a bang thundered through the house. Seconds later, screams followed. My host dad has fallen down the stairs and my host mom was screaming for me to come. I jumped out of bed to see what had happened. I see the staircase, and there, his body. Sprawled facedown at the bottom of the stairs. "What do we do" was the only thought my host mom and I had.

We called the ambulance, my host aunt, and the police immediately. I was trying so desperately to turn him over, to see some source of life. My host mom as well. The silence of her cries flooded the house "don't leave me! Stay here for our daughter! for Tania"

The medics arrived within minutes but with their help we still couldn't move him. At almost 300lbs, it took 6 of us to get him to the Ambulance. They tried to revive him but to no avail. He had suffered a heart attack. I just stood there, praying.

We brought him to the hospital but we all new he was already gone. They pronounced my host dad dead at 3:45 a.m November 8th.

A day full of trying to support my host family and stay strong as left me utterly lost. This family accepted me so graciously into their home and now the man of the house is gone. My sister got in from Santiago at 4 this afternoon and we have spent the whole day at the Wake in the house. Here, they spend 2 days in the house with the body and then go to the funeral and burial. This town has united to support our family and that is something beautiful to see. The future is completely unwritten from here.

Last night I was preparing to head off to my 90km bike race through Patagonia. Now, I am thinking of the man who spent countless meals with me, taught me Truco (a latin card game), talked philosophy with me, and was constantly teaching me patience.

Alder Milla Vasquez, gracias para el tiempo que tuve contigo... y para todo que me enseñaste.

When I first arrived and my room's heating was broken, he sat next to this stove late into the evening feeding the flame so I wouldn't be cold... Alder, now its my turn. God bless.

Please pray for all the Andrade and Milla family.