They were very different times in Chile. Right after the military coup, I had moved to Santiago to my parent’s house located on a street that ended at the back door of the Carabineros de Chile School (Policemen School of Chile).

I have escaped from Antofagasta in the North of Chile, after resigning my position as a Dean and professor at the School of Journalism at the University of the North. I couldn’t stand to teach classes when two detectives or disguised policemen were sent to hear everything that my students and I said.

In Santiago, I found a job at a company that imported buses from Brazil. I was really surprised to discover the number of buses the army officers, who had just acquired the political power through the violent coup, were buying to use in public transportation as a business.

By night, I would return home and listen to the clandestine radio station with news about the many people arrested for being sympathetic to the deposed prior government.

As I said, they were very different times. Awfully close to what can happen with any dictatorial government whether right or left.

Since I had my Masters from the University of Georgia, I decided to send applications to other American Universities to continue my studies.

My parents were anxious for me to leave the situation in Chile. However, in spite of finding the events in Chile completely unjust and unbearable, I felt guilty of abandoning the country. So I found a way to go visit one of the country political leaders I knew, who had managed to hide from the current authorities. He advised me to leave. “You will be more useful outside”, he said.

I sent applications to several Universities to work toward a Ph.D. in Communications. Stanford in California, Cornell in NY, Boston University, UT in Texas , Tulane in New Orleans.

Since my uncle lived in Austin, Texas, the family was glad when I was accepted at UT Austin.

I left in August 1974 on a plane to Miami and then Austin. The plane arrived in Austin in the morning.

At that time we deplaned by going down a stairs that had been rolled up to the plane. As soon as I stepped on the runway, the sky of Texas surrounded me. It was like the sky had opened. An open heaven!

I was so overwhelmed by the immensity of the sky that I did not see my family coming toward me.

The first thing I said to them was, “this sky is amazing, so open”. My uncle responded, “It is the lack of mountains here; it looks bigger because nothing covers the view “

However, now I know that the sky opened to me that day because I arrived in the place where I was going to meet Christ.

It was many years later, after I met Christ, that I understood what happened that day I arrived in Texas.

It was what happened to Jacob in the Bible when he dreamed of the ladder where angels were going and coming to Heaven. The stairs on which I had descended from the plane was symbolic.

Genesis 28:12 (KJV) And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:12 – King James Version” 2015)

Genesis 28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15 – King James Version” 2015)

I finally understood why, after I received my PhD, and went to live for 20 years in Miami, I returned to Texas. Here, in this land of Texas, I was going to grow in His knowledge.

The sky opened the Kingdom of God to me, the road to eternity and His House. It is up to me now to find out what God wants me to discover without the influence of society and cultures, discover only through His Holy Spirit and what the Holy Scriptures reveal to me.

God wants us to return to the original creation. A being that walks with Him and never disobeys but follows His rules because they are based in love. He gives us freedom to discover, discern, understand and follow His directions. What Scriptures seem to conceal are God’s treasures that He wants to be found by dedication and commitment.