It's Poppin'
What do you think of when you think of popcorn? Going to a movie theater and lathering it with butter (pre-COVID of course)? A quiet night in with a glass of wine? A man named Orville who wears thick glasses? Stringing it together and decorating the tree? For the most part, you probably associate popcorn with fun, laughter, or maybe indifference. Rarely do we stop and think about the financial impact popcorn can have. At least I don’t, anyway. I want to share with you a story about a woman named Patricia. Patricia was part of our first Women’s Empowerment Program that ended this past May.... Read moreHow Did I Get Here??
Hi there! My name’s Hannah and I’m a 2020 Goer! I graduated from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon in the Spring of 2019. I can’t believe I’ve been done with school for over a year now! After graduation, I was in a season of real frustration. I was applying to jobs I thought I was qualified for and I couldn’t even get an interview. I kept asking God, “why do all of these doors keep closing? What do you want me to do?” Little did I know that the answer would have me moving halfway across the world to Zambia! I got connected with GoCorps through one of their alumni. It was a complete... Read more
"And Who is My Neighbor?"
As I've reflected on the unexpected turns of the last months and thought on how different my "ministry" context has been with Pilgrim House closed, Jesus' parable on the Good Samaritan has been fresh in my mind. Documented by Luke in his gospel account, this particular story is initiated by an expert in the law asking Jesus what is required to inherit eternal life - what are the expectations of living in the way of God? Upon determining that these expectations are encompassed herin: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your... Read more
Seek the Good
My arrival into Santiago has been quite an unusual one. A little over a week after I landed, we went into lock down due to the covid-19 global pandemic - a reality that has significantly influenced the landscape of my time here. Amid this required (and important) time of isolation, I’ve been reflecting on that first week I had here in Santiago and the blessing it held. Santiago is a beautiful city. It’s peppered with green spaces and parks and is situated between rivers on both sides. My first few days here carried the beginning evidences of spring with tulips and daffodils flashing with... Read more
Transitions
Hello friends, Follow this link to view my latest video blog that is jam-packed with big changes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g7yLN1KglU Thank you for your faithful financial and prayerful support; everything is made possible through your help. Please let me be a blessing for you by sending me your prayer requests. Peace and Joy, Claire Whitcomb P.S. Pictured above I am giving a little devotional to the kiddos on Valentine's Day after a long day's work with the Holy Trinity construction team. Read more
Holiday Season
Hello all from the south side of the equator! Click the link below to watch my 2 min video on this holiday season! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBOMH236-_8 (Pictured above is a participant at Casa Adalia and a daughter of another participant as we celebrated the New Year at the beach) Blessings and thank you for the continued prayers! Claire Whitcomb Read more
My Letter to Future Goers
I thought I was ready for the unexpected. But how can you ever be ready for the unexpected? Simply put, you can’t. But you can trust God to provide. As I look back, there are so many things He orchestrated ahead of time, in some cases years ahead, that I could never have imagined. Here are a few examples: I moved countries one month into my assignment. Lo and behold, we moved from a city where I knew no one to a city where an old college friend lives. God provided. After we got apartments, we found out that new friends lived very close by. Friends who would become mentors, confidants and... Read more
Created for Freedom
Hi friends, please click the link below to watch my latest update of God’s work of ending slavery in Ecuador. New additions, budgeting skills, getaways and testimonies! Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcjttHnQpXk&t=1s And...here is the link to listen to the podcast of my good friend and survivor sharing her testimony of how she arrived at Casa Adalia. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visible/id1479074862?fbclid=IwAR09... Blessings! Claire Read moreCan you fix this?
This is a phrase I use more often than you’d think. This country has an abundance of skilled craftsmen and women whose businesses are all about fixing or altering what you already have. I have a ring I've worn since I was 13, and recently I’ve noticed it seemed too big, and I really wanted it to fit properly. There is a gold market in the north part of town where they not only sell gold jewelry, but silver, gems, and some antiques. The market is in the lowest level of a mall, and is a large open area filled with rows of glass display cases. Further back is a row of small, individual stores... Read more