Summer Missions 2026 (Final): Chile

Hey, everyone! Here is our final mission update for weeks 4-5.

Monday through Friday afternoon started off as a normal week at El Oasis. Monday we did Tarde en la Tarde (late in the afternoon) where we all watched the first half of the Uruguay-Saudi Arabia game, then we went head to head on a quiz about Uruguay. Tuesday and Wednesday we had our normal open house hours, where we played games and got to know more students. Thursday was La Ventana (the Window) where they had an alumni staff of El Oasis give the talk, and Austin played bass with the worship team.

On Friday afternoon, after doing some cleaning around El Oasis, the mission team with two staff members Paloma and Allison took a weekend retreat to the beach. This retreat was an opportunity to spend quality time with God and with each other. It also provided an opportunity to reflect on the mission trip as a whole so far- what we liked and what we didn't like, what went well and what needed to be improved. We also talked about ways we could continue to stay connected with El Oasis after we go home. One of the subjects that came up is the uniqueness of the length of the trip. Many short term mission trips for most groups either last 1-2 weeks, where it's very busy the whole time and the relationships don't get to go as deep. People that come to El Oasis on longer trips are usually here an entire semester, where the trip itself isn't as busy, but you have much more time to build deeper relationships with the community. We are somewhere in the middle. We got to have a little of both the busyness and the relationship building. 

One of the main ways we got to deepen our relationships in the community are with hangouts. Each of us got to spend 30 minutes to an hour with each staff member of El Oasis. We got to hear their testimonies, their hopes for their time at El Oasis, and their plans for their own futures. We also got to share our own testimonies and how our time at the ACF has been.

On Sunday evening, we drove back to Santiago from the beach. The following week was mostly a normal week (Tarde en la Tarde, open house hours, La Ventana), but we also were preparing for the end of the semester party. For the party, each person would dress up in a cheap homemade costume, and we would have a chance to show them off red-carpet style. Most of the decorations included cardboard boxes, tin foil balls, and soda cans. There was dancing, board games, murder in the dark, mafia, and we got to eat completós. The party itself for us was bittersweet. While it was a blast to be at, this was also the last time we would get to see the students before heading home, so we were met with heartfelt goodbyes.

Saturday was our last day with the staff of El Oasis. We visited San Cristobal Hill. We rode to the top of the mountain on a cable car. From the top, you can see the statue of Mary and can get an amazing view of Santiago. We were there when it was dark, so we could see the city completely lit up. You can really get a scale for how small you are in comparison. It is amazing to think that God is at work in every detail and in every heart in a massive city like Santiago. When we got back down, we went to a Peruvian restaurant, where many of us got to try octopus for the first time. Then we walked back to El Oasis and finished the night through worship and sharing what we have been thankful for. We then said our final goodbyes to the staff. The next day, we flew back home.

All in all, this trip really showed how universal the Kingdom of God is. Throughout the trip, many of us on the team talked about how El Oasis feels a lot like the ACF. One reason is because both ACF and El Oasis are ministries that exist specifically to reach college students. But, another reason is that our connection to the Kingdom of God and to each other through Jesus Christ is a profoundly powerful bond, stronger than our connection to Louisiana Tech or Santiago. We all felt this connection on a deep level over this trip, and I think that is why it was so hard to say goodbye to El Oasis when we left. Ultimately, we are going to miss them, and we pray that God will provide an opportunity to go back someday.

Thus concludes our mission trip in Santiago. Thank you for all of your prayers before and during the trip. And thank you to everyone who donated money to our students to make this trip possible. God has moved profoundly in our lives and in the lives of the students and staff at El Oasis. May we all now give thanks for His marvelous deeds and give glory to His name.

Amen.

Austin Shanley