Los Padres de John

Our last few weeks have been some of our busiest times in Santiago, for us as well as the church. In addition to the inaugural service a few weeks ago, we also had my parents in town for a 2 week visit! They arrived on Monday, March 13 with Amanda as she returned from being with her mom. Their first week was full of activities as we went to several universities as an intern group to advertise our Friday night English classes, had the Voces concert in the plaza and helped prepare the building for the inaugural on the 19th. We also took them sightseeing to several spots in Santiago such as Santa Lucia, an old Spanish Fort in the middle of downtown, and San Cristobal hill, a popular place with several gardens, fountains, restaurants and views of the city. We rode the teleferico (gondola) part of the way to the top, and back. The second week was somewhat more relaxed as we took a few days to visit Vina del Mar on the coast.

Bob and Pam Mann in Vina del Mar


Their last Sunday in town was the fairwell church potluck for Eduardo and Jill Del Rio, as they were relocating back to the states on the 28th of March. It was fun having my folks here, and provided them with the opportunity to see what out lives are like on a daily basis here in Santiago, as well as meet some of our Chilean friends. They got all the experiences from walking several miles a day, riding the roller coaster ride that is the Santiago bus system, and being squished in a subway car with a million Chileans on their way to work. Their time in Chile was also good for Amanda and I, as several tough issues regarding the intern program were dealt with during the time they were here. Some days were somewhat exhausting in this regard, and my parents have always been and were especially supportive to us. We are grateful for their, and everyone’s support and prayers as we continue to grow and learn here in Chile.