“The Spirit of the Lord is on me (Jesus), because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has SENT ME to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus’ words in Luke 4: 18-19, first written in Isaiah 61, are no less applicable to us today—not just in our own “backyards”, but all around the world.  It is God’s call to the church.  There is so much need.  In Chile we strive to keep those needs in front of us in and outside of Santiago through our work with children, those striving to break free of addictions, and others recovering from natural disasters, just as we now must do through the new Christian camp and center being developed in central Chile.  Isn’t this what we as churches offer to those we invite into relationship with us, either through entering our building or through us entering their homes?  What a privilege to serve with you from here.

Our minds seem to jump to the “physical” when we hear the words poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed, and unfortunately all of those needs are real and often go unmet, but equally devastating is the reality of the overwhelming number of emotional, spiritual, and psychological poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed.  The proclaiming can only come about through relationship, going, and sending.  The true need of so many people is masked by Sunday smiles and greetings and other public encounters.

The Spirit of the Lord is now on us, the church—Jesus’ body on earth—and as the Father sent him, he sends us.  Janine & I, along with Paul & Silas in the Book of Acts and all other missionaries, have been sent out by the church to further extend Jesus’ touch, healing, and restoring.  Thank you for praying and otherwise supporting God’s work through us in Chile!

Please pray and give thanks in August for God’s working through the below ministries and their development.  Each of these ministries has JESUS at its center.

• Awaiting the finalization of the new Foundation for our work with abandoned children, we continue to work on our mission property so that it will be ready to receive children.  In addition, God will soon lead us to the right Christian Chilean couple who will serve as our first set of house parents in restarting this important work.
• All first steps (see our May Praise & Prayer Letter in the website) in developing the new Christian camp and center in central Chile.  The center will not only offer unique camp experiences to children, but also work to meet and address needs of area children, youth, adults, and families.
• The work of the Casa del Alfarero Christian drug & alcohol rehabilitation center for men in Santiago.  They work with the whole family.
• Our work with church members and others to help them realize their God-given potentials.
• Chilean Christian Church pastors and their vision.  Our annual Pastors’ conference is August 28-30.

A BIG praise—Millarai came with her mother to Santiago at the end of July for medical exams and appointments and the cancer doctors have confirmed that her health is holding.  She does need more regular nourishment and exercise, but all in all, is doing fine.  PTL!!  Please keep praying for her and for their family.

One blessing of long-term mission work comes in the form of meeting, praying for, and building relationships with missionaries working in other countries.  Charlotte Barkley, of the Persecuted Church Ministry, has worked many years in African countries in ministries directly related to this month’s Bible passage.  She has been helping Heaven Sent Ministries to send two much-needed containers of food and other supplies to the Congo.  The first container was sent off in July, but they still lack 40% of the cost to ship the second one.  To help, contact Charlotte at bushtelegraphafrica@yahoo.com  The Congo is listed as the poorest country in the world; population 65 million; 97% unemployment; Goma, the area where the two containers are going, has 1 million people and presently experiences the most violence, rebel attacks, mass killings, etc. in all Congo; 10 million have died in the past 10 years, but no one hears of this tragedy; Kinshasa, the capitol, has over 20,000 street kids.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Going, Sending, Luke 4:18-19 God,

Jack & Janine

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵ “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.  –Hebrews 3: 1-6

The above passage in Hebrews is both a call and an encouragement to all of us who know and serve the Lord.  It reminds us of being faithful in following him and in doing what we, as his church and believers are called to do.  How good that He does the rest in his perfect way and in his perfect time!  June was a busy month and as always, we have much to share.  Thank you all for your faithfulness in supporting us in prayer with thanksgiving and with finances.  You are indeed faithful.

Please keep praying for final legal approval for our new Foundation for our work with abandoned children.  Jack met with the attorney again the last week of June and encouraged him to stay diligent in working with the municipality handling the processing of our papers.  There do not seem to be any major problems with our paperwork, but rather bringing all background documents up-to-date.  For our part, we are striving to be as much involved as is possible.   In the meantime, we are in contact with two couples that are very interested in being a part of the renewed work with children here on our mission property.  God is good!!

Also in June, Jack made a trip to northern Chile to spend an entire day with the director of a children’s camp/Christian center with much the same vision as we have for our new camp and center being developed in central Chile.  Several people are involved and a good team is taking shape (see last month’s COMBINED NEWSLETTER/PRAISE & PRAYER LETTER).  Our friend Marcelo did finish his short video presentation of the land and project and it is excellent.  Click on this link to see it: https://vimeo.com/131370462    Thank you for your ongoing prayers for this new outreach and for its development.  We would love to be in a position to offer “day” camps on the property starting next January in Chilean summer.

Janine’s trip in the States continues very well.  Thanks again to our home church, Living Creek Christian Church, for providing rooms for both Donn and Janine at the NACC.  She is also attending the Christian Retailer convention in Orlando to try to open up wholesale contacts for our figures made in Chile out of playing marbles.  You can see them on  www.marblepeople.com  These sales provide income to help support our work with children.

Finally, as July also contains July 4^th, let us pray for the United States—a country birthed “under God” and by his power.  For several years we have been shaping “our OWN way” as a nation instead of remaining faithful to his.  It’s so important to be a voice as Christians, unless, that is, we would abdicate our faith and join the majority.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Faithful, faith-calling God,

Jack & Janine