Stride: Bible college electives

Mark Hawkes did his Bible college elective with the Anglican church in Chile.

In a garden in Portugal in 1993 I sat reading James 1:27 about widows and orphans. I was about to go off to Bolivia and Colombia, but in my head I heard the lines of a song by Sting - 'they dance alone' - talking about the mothers and daughters left alone as the men had been taken away in the coup of September 11 1973 in Chile. I really felt that God was speaking to me and that I had to go there - but when?

In 2002 I applied to go to All Nations Christian College as a training stepping stone to Latin America - hopefully Chile. When I was preparing my block placement (part of my training, and an opportunity to test the water for future ministry), I met Daniel from Latin Link at the All Nations mission fair. He had just visited Chile and was planning to go there longer term himself!

So I went as a Bible College elective through Latin Link's Stride programme and spent eight weeks in three parts of Chile with the Anglican Church, under the supervision of Terry Barrett, pastor in Viña del Mar.

I spent time in Viña with the youth group; gave a message to a widows and divorcees group on weakness; worked hands-on with a poorer local church plant, helping to build their new church, sharing my testimony there; and developed Terry's complex database on training contacts throughout the world.

In Chol Chol, I helped in some school computer lessons, took a plethora of photographs of the school for a presentation of their work with local poor kids, and played the odd game of football!

Finally, I attended the annual conference of Anglican youth in Santiago, all in Spanish, and discovered the culture shock of how hard it is to understand the local language in the classroom, like my fellow students from around the world learning in English at All Nations!

In between I managed to go white water rafting at the phenomenal Iguazu Falls, went snowboarding on the Argentinian/Chilean mountain border, played golf with a naval officer, and made friends with a host of great people from all round the world. I visited a marvellous jazz club in Valparaiso, fell in love with the famous port, and pictured church plants in the town where once there had been a stronger Anglican presence.

I really enjoyed seeing the passion of the church for Jesus, their commitment to each other, to the gospel, to lifelong training as a Christian.

Despite a GCSE in Spanish, I found the language barrier and the lack of a role in this new place a struggle. I could belong, as the people were accepting, but I could not yet relate well, as I could not communicate well. I had abilities and gifts, which could not function without the language or without better knowing the culture. College, however, had taught me to expect these things, so I could take a step back and recognise that the in-country training was just beginning!

Having finished college, I am about to spend a year in Switzerland with my new wife, and we will be looking at where God leads us after that. Chile is still a contender!