February 13, 2025

We have left Peru and continue our voyage visiting eight ports along the long coastline of Chile before reaching Ushuaia, Argentina commonly referred to as “the last place on earth”. Ushuaia received its nickname because it is the last port before crossing Cape Horn and Drake Passage notorious for its extremely rough seas. We will finally reach the Antarctic and spend five days exploring this natural wonderland. We have an exciting journey ahead. And so do you!

Arica is Chile’s northernmost city, being located only 18km, about 11 miles, south of the border with Peru. Arica is an important port because it serves as a free port for interior Bolivia and manages a substantial part of that country’s trade. Similar to the city we just left, Piso, Peru, Arica has an extremely dry climate, with almost no rainfall. Even so, the frequent maritime wind from the cold waters nearby renders a moderate desert climate. Its mild weather has made Arica known as the “city of the eternal spring” in Chile. Its sandy beaches are frequented by Bolivian society.

Our mission today was to meet Lorito Delgado. Loreto attends the Berean Presbyterian Church in Arica.  As a child, she attended a Korean Presbyterian Church in Arica, although she is Chilean. That fact was of great interest to Chongae wondering how a Chilean child came to attend a Korean Church. The work of Thirdmill in Northern Chile is just beginning. Loreto will likely be the first student that will eventually enroll in the Thirdmill Institute classes.

There was one slight problem. Lorito does not speak any English and although improved with travel my high school Spanish serves me well for getting directions but surely not polished enough for long meaningful conversations. Yet, travel is supposed to be an adventure and Chongae and I are always open and usually excited about what lies ahead.

We decided to meet at McDonalds a place I have not stepped foot in for over 25 years. (They seem to be about the same) A woman approached us and gave us big hugs as if we were long lost friends. I learned by using goggle translator that Lorito, the first person to ever graduate from college in her family had a degree in engineering and worked in the agriculture industry. A single mom, her 24-year-old son also works in agriculture. We also discovered that there is a small Korean community in Arica and because of that fact the Korean Church became an outreach to the community. I soon felt, however, that goggle translator was going to limit any meaningful conversation that I had hoped to have with Lorito.

To our surprise an assistant manager at McDonalds came over to our table to join us for lunch-and translate! Karla Hermosilla, also a college graduate with a degree in Physics spoke great English but because of the poor job market in Chile found herself having to work at McDonalds. Karla was also a single mom, and like Lorito, the first college graduate in her family. She attended an evangelical church in Arica.

For the next 2 hours, we all conversed like best friends. Telling stories, laughing, sharing hopes and aspirations and just had a wonderful time of fellowship. Lorito shared how she had just started using the Thirdmill materials and found them very useful and was looking forward to her continued study. This perked an interest with Karla, who had not heard of Thirdmill before, but was likewise interested in expanding her study of the Bible.

You may think this is all circumstance. I don’t. I have had far too many experiences in my life like this one to think otherwise.

One of my favorite Bible passages is Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” I believe this encounter was ordained. it was meant to happen according to God’s perfect plan. He went before me and made the road smooth. For that I am grateful.

In closing, I asked Karla what her dream was. With her interest in Physics she said, “I would love to go to NASA”. What she didn’t know was that we live less than an hour from the NASA/Kennedy Space Center. We return home to Florida on June 7th, and we are talking about Karla coming to Florida this summer and staying with us to make her dream come true.

You just never know what might happen at a McDonalds.

Maybe I shouldn’t wait 25 years before I return again!

Thanks for traveling with us.