I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

These first four verses of Psalm 121 speak of God’s faithful protection and attention, perhaps in the context of a pilgrimage during that time.  They are verses of assurance for all of us today as well, as we dedicate ourselves to God’s work and purposes.  That work, those purposes, and WE never lose his attention.  He is always moving and working, regardless of place and time.  PTL!!

We thank God for each Chile ministry of which we–and you–are a part and for his sense of timing of steps in their continued development.  We have recently met as the board for the Children’s Residence to decide on final verbiage changes requested by the government to our statutes and now the first week of March will meet with our attorney for his input before they are re-submitted.  Next steps in March include seeking a fifth board member and taking more steps in our search for the new residence’s first Chilean director.  These persons must be Christian, with a good balance between love, experience, and organizational skills.  The existing board will be moving forward with many difficult decisions.  Thank you for your prayers with thanksgiving!

We also met recently with Domingo and Sandra, our main partners in the formation and development of the Christian Camp in the south.  Our friends, Marcelo and Cecily (former Chile intern), have joined the project and Marcelo, who works in the film & television industry in Santiago, made a great film of the land that includes good overhead footage filmed from his drone camera.  We hope to add subtitles in English and look forward to having copies for U.S. supporting churches in the not-too-distant future.  Domingo’s Christian lawyer/notary friend in Concepción will be handling all legal work on the camp’s behalf without cost as his contribution.  We will be meeting in March to identify other possible board members and key contacts, along with prioritizing our next steps and itemizing foreseeable costs.  A Christian dentist has also added another good dimension to the “camp project”—raising money for dental supplies for a mobile dental clinic.  Our leading choice for the project is “Luz en el Campo” or “Light in the Countryside.”  The name invites duplication in other parts of Chile. Thank you for your prayers with thanksgiving!

In his monthly morning devotional at the Christian drug/alcohol rehabilitation center Jack will be talking with Ivan, center director, about the possibility of training at least two staff members in the art of Christian Coaching to help graduating participants effectively plan their plans forward, using daily-living strategies and goals that they themselves wrestle with and achieve.  The “coach” prays, connects, and proposes the right questions in their supporting role.  Thank you for prayers with thanksgiving for this possibility!

Millarai’s doctors have decided to proceed with more chemo treatments.  Keep praying for the health of the toes on her left foot.  As weak as she is, the setbacks are side issues, with the osteosarcoma still being the major concern.  Her attitude remains good and her new family continues to be a steady support for her.  She and Gilda, her mom hope to return to Antofagasta in April.  Janine is grateful to play her role as well.  Thank you for prayers with thanksgiving for the effectiveness of Milla’s further treatments and for her ability to physically handle them.

Jack’s Health:  Jack has already had his first blood tests to monitor his white blood count and also seek answers for the fatigue he has been experiencing.  Praise God that his white blood cell count has improved some.  At the same time, the endoscopy revealed bleeding in his stomach.  He’ll be having follow-up doctor appointments during the month.  Thanks for your prayers with thanksgiving.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our “Always in Motion and Attentive God”,

Jack & Janine

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

INTO JANUARY 2015 AND BEYOND…

Thank you all again for your prayer support which continues to buoy us up and help accomplish God’s plans in Chile!  As we continue in those good plans and purposes through us in Chile we are reminded of Jesus’ summary of the ten commandments summarized in two:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Love your neighbor as yourself. –Mark 12: 30-31    What a tremendously powerful message for all Christians, as God leads on.

Prayer specifics going into 2015 include:

• Imminent issuance of our Foundation status in Chile.
• Designation of a Chilean man or woman to direct the children’s work forward.
• Arrival of Chilean Christian couple(s) as first new house parents.
• Arrival of abandoned children to live in our mission houses with those house parents.
• Growth and going forward of the church, Iglesia Cristiana Jesús es El Camino.
• Formation of the board that will lead in the development and direction of the new children’s camp.
• Determination of exact design of the camp property and initiation of first steps in land development.
• Make-up and visitation of groups from supporting churches.
• Development of “Christian coaching” in encouraging and aiding men freed from drug & alcohol addiction restore their lives and families.
• Rental/purchase of off-site house or property for Jack and Janine.

• The successful re-initiation of English Club TESL outreach and relationship development.   (We are seeking someone to come and guide this effective ministry.)

We do have one additional specific prayer request having to do with my (Jack’s) health.  I have a condition in which my bone marrow is producing less and less white blood cells.  It’s been below normal for at least two years, but recently, the reading has been going down fast.  As our son Julian explained, a blood count can be a little lower for a variety of reasons, but the recent changes need to be looked into.  Based on the readings, I have neutropenia, associated with the low count.

I am here in LA and receive free care through the VA facility nearby.  I am scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on Jan. 7 and until then I have been advised to avoid unnecessary contact with others who might compromise my health.  The bone marrow test should give us a diagnosis, and then we can determine treatment, hopefully in Chile!!  Janine is planning to go back to Chile immediately following the biopsy results and I will follow, barring the need to undergo immediate treatment here.  We’re also checking out nutritional factors that I might want to put in place, such as a gluten-free diet.  We’ll be sure to keep you posted and thanks for your prayers.

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

Jack & Janine