Thank you for being a vital part of Chile Mission’s going forward through prayers and praise and fasting on our behalf.  We pray for and praise God for you too!  Your prayers not only keep our dependence on and appreciation for the One, True God in tack; they also keep our relationship with you, our sending and supporting churches and individuals in tack, united in mind, purpose, and genuine care about each other.  This design, given us by God, is fundamental to Christianity.  We see it in Jesus’ prayer for us (John 20: 20-26) and read it in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi: If you have any encouragement by being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. –Phil. 2: 1-2    Again, thank you for your prayers and praises.  We need and appreciate them and you! It seems strange to be writing our February Prayer Letter with me (Jack) here in California and Janine in Chile.  Thanks for your prayers for my health and encouraging messages we have received from so many of you!  My white blood cell count over the last couple years has gone from low to even lower and in testing, I have been diagnosed with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (cmml).  There is no immediate treatment indicated, as I am type 1 and not type 2, and while it is a progressive disease, at this point mine is very slow growing.  It also means that my immune system is low. I have experienced muscle heaviness, lack of stamina, and joint ache, but I am told that these symptoms are not related to the cmml.  Not only that, I am much better as of late. Thus the further testing in California.  Several possible causes have been ruled out for the fatigue, such as sleep disorders, problems with diet, and other conditions assessed through blood tests. As mentioned, I have also very recently started improving (PTL!), so barring other new information or changes for the worse, I am planning on returning to Chile by mid Feb.  Once there, I will be undergoing quarterly blood tests to monitor changes with regard to the leukemia, and I will also regularly track my rest, diet, and symptoms of fatigue and re-initiate regular exercise.  I will keep everyone posted on any changes.  To say the least, I am anxious to get back involved “on site” in our work, and I give God thanks for the blessing of being able to serve him with Janine in Chile.  Going forward…. With regard to the current status of some of the other portions of the work you’ve been praying for, here below are updates to use in your prayers:

• The Chilean attorney helping secure our Foundation legal status was notified by the government of some final needed wording changes in our statutes.  Janine and Miguel (one of our board members) are contacting him to get them taken care of.  Our foundation status is step one in the re-initialization of our work with abandoned children.
• Another couple has requested to be part of the new board that will oversee the first steps and development of the Christian children’s camp six hours south of Santiago.  We look forward to having a major planning meeting toward that end in the near future.
• We continue to seek a house to rent or purchase in the area that surrounds our mission property.  God is our main R.E. agent and we wait on him in our house-hunting.
• Lastly, we so thank you for your on-going prayers on behalf of Millarae in her battle against bone cancer!  Coming back once again from little probability of surviving even one more day, she has stabilized and has been taken out of her induced coma.  The Chilean doctors say, “Incredible!”  We give praise and thanks to God.  Two particular matter of prayer: One or more of the drugs used to save her life resulted in cutting off circulation of blood in her extremities and she has necrosis (when tissue or cells are killed) in her left foot.  Yesterday, almost half of that foot was black, but color has returned and now only some toes are black.  Pray for God’s touch that she would not lose those toes.  The other prayer is for strength.  She has no energy even to try to talk and is extremely weak.  They are beginnning neurological testing.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our “Total Relationship God”,

Jack & Janine