Too Busy to Blog!!!!

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Well when we met up with the group I had no wireless at night and was too busy during the day to blog, so here is a summary. When we got to Concepcion we connected with the group that was coming to do a work project at the EPES center in Haulpen. I have a strong connection with this center, I was there when it was a vacant lot, and Kathy and I were there for the dedication of the center a couple of years ago. It is also the location of the mural that my friend Steve DeLaitsch and I collaborated on with a couple of Chilean artists. So it is a special place to me. The work group was comprised of people from Trinity Lutheran in Owatonna, Prince of Peace in Clifton Park New York, and students from Swathmore College in Pennsylvania. .

We worked on three main projects and did some painting. A group worked on paneling an upstairs room at the center. Another group worked on the gazebo that was built as a memorial to Karen Anderson's father Frank. Later in the week another group assembled playground equipment. For me it was a delight to be able to be in Conce. These are the EPES friends I have spent the most time with-- Lautaro, Vicki, Martiza, and Sandra. It has been a couple of years since I have been here and it was a "Spirit Dance" for me to be among them, so it was not long before I decided that there should be a Mosaic on the floor of the gazebo, to that effect. The old image that started it all for me! Karen sent down a text that she wanted to include in as a part of the Gazebo. I was able to purchase some carving tools at the local equivalent of Home Depot, so I carved the lettering into a nice piece of Rauli wood that we were able to find

On Friday we took to all night bus back to Santiago. Saturday, Kathy toured a winery, we had a picnic with the Santiago EPES staff, and then flew back to Minnesota and winter!!!

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Photos

EPES Concepcion and the Work Group
Our Group was made up of a people from Trinity Lutheran in Owatonna, Minnesota; Prince of Peace in Clifton Park, New York; and a group of students from Swathmore College in Pennsylvania.

The Spirit That Dances Between
The old image that started it all for me: "The Spirit that Dances Between." It signifies that connection between people-- South and North, living and dead, that can change the world

Owatonna Group
It was more-or-less coincidence but the Owatonna group, many of whom knew Frank Anderson well, worked on the Gazebo that was build in his memory

Carving
I was able to find some gouges so I carved a sign for the Gazebo

Assembling the Mosaic
Assembling the mosaic at more-or-less that last minute on Friday!!!