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New post from missionary Erin Mackenzie

New post from missionary Erin Mackenzie


Drifting Away

Posted: 19 Dec 2020 02:53 PM PST

Party #2 (hosting) and #3 (attending) of the aforementioned most wonderful week of the year, coming at ‘ya. 
About every month or so, the DR missionary ladies & others who bless and support the mission in various ways (Spanish teachers, office staff) try and get together for a night of fellowship. It was high time for me to host. 
The theme was easy: driftwood crafting (and Christmas, obvs). Starting this summer, the merry-go-round of missionaries that stayed at the Krey beach house began casually collecting driftwood. The idea to copy one of those wine + painting nights with cutesy names that are all the rage in the US took root as the stash grew. Never one to talk about things and not actually do them, the rest is history. 
The timing was easy, too: before the Warren family redeployed to the US on the 14th, so it could double as a despedida for Lizz. Sadly, she wasn’t feeling well and missed all the fun. You better believe those of us whose masterpieces featuring lettering of any kind were channeling her, though!
Step 1: Pick your poison. Courtney & I made a special trip to Costambar, one of the nearest beaches, just to collect small pieces of wood, sticks, shells, pebbles, sea glass, and coral. 
Clarissa busted this out in about 15 minutes flat, but it’s one of my favorite pieces of the night. The leftover supplies are calling to me to make my own version… 
Ladies and gentleman, Courtney painted this sign for one of the DRLM congregations without sketching it out first!
The creativity of this bunch was off the charts. We were going to add a dance party on my back patio, where we’re posing for this photo, to the evening’s agenda, but instead we crafted ’til curfew. 
Love, love, LOVE the idea of making a nativity! Do I hear those leftover supplies again?
I finally hung my Pinterest-inspired piece a couple days ago. If you can’t read it in the photo, I chose the final eight words of Mark 4:41:
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
What a joy to pause from the anxiety and business of this season to come together as sisters in Christ! 
Until next time, blessings!
P.S. For anyone still counting along with me, today, the eve of Advent 4, is pandemic day 277. I can’t bring myself to stop counting so long as we’re still under a curfew. As of this past Wednesday, it’s now at 7 pm every day in six provinces including Santiago, with “libre tránsito” (a grace period for returning to one’s private residence) until 9 pm.