Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Greetings to our blog friends!

We take off in a couple of hours for an 18 day trip to South America. This trip was the brain child of Pastor Tri and Pastor Tim after getting home from a mission trip down south. They had visited the Vineyard church in Santiago, Chile, which has been established for a long time now, and the Vineyard church in Asuncion, Paraguay, which is the only Vineyard in the country.

Their idea was crazy, which is probably why I liked it. They suggested that we fly to Santiago, hang out with the Vineyardites at the church for a couple of days, and then go with them on outreach to the church in Paraguay. The catch was that we would take a bus to Asuncion. At first hearing this sounded grand, but after looking at the map I realized just how grand a plan this seemed.

To get from Santiago to Asuncion on a bus means a 30+ hour trip over the Andes Mountains and all the way across this little country called Argentina. Wow! Sounded like something we just had to do, at least once... (well, twice if you count the return trip).

Our travels today take us to Los Angeles (on United 6527) to Dallas (on United 492) and overnight to Santiago (on LAN Airlines 5631). We arrive at 10am, Sunday morning the 4th. (It is four hours later in Santiago and Asuncion than in Boise for those of you keeping time.)

We don't know how often we will have internet access, but our team will blog when possible. Our request is that you will keep us in prayer on this trip. Here are some things on our heart:

1) That we would be see what God is doing in South America and that we would get a chance to pursue and love those people that He is loving and pursuing.

2) That we would receive all that we can from these people and these cultures that we are going to experience.

3) That we would give all that God has given us to give to those that God puts in front of us.

4) That we would have health in our bodies and safe travels in the air, land, and sea (I don't know how and if we are traveling by sea, but it is good to have that covered as well).

Much love!

Chad Estes