As mentioned last month, we as a mission team are set in these last days of January to travel to middle Chile to initiate two 3-day VBS programs to children between the ages of 6 and 10 in two towns—Ñipas and Coelemu.  We will be in Ñipas the first week of February and in Coelemu the second week.  We are excited to be part of a larger team of almost 20 youth and adults, using puppets, music, puzzles, lessons, and games to teach and impact the children who participate.  We also hope to meet and talk with their parents, and the children will be given copies of a relatively new book The Story for Kids written specifically for children.  We cannot overestimate the value of teaching children about Jesus.  It matters a great deal to God as well, as we can see from both the following verses written to the Israelites in Deut. 11: 13-15 & 18-21 and Jesus’ own words in Mark 10: 13-16.  Thank you so much for praying for what God will do through these VBS’s!

¹³ So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— ¹⁴ then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. ¹⁵ I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.  ¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

We have a second combined prayer petition and praise to share:  We, the Board for the children’s work in Santiago, did meet with Andrea and her husband about her becoming the first director of our newly designed and formed work with small abandoned children.  They are on vacation through most of February (remember that we are in summer here J), but she is very interested and hopes to be able to start part-time until a time when she can leave her present job as a teacher of developmentally-challenged children.  Her husband Elier is also a very capable person with supervisory experience and he is also interested in helping.  We thus hope to have good things to confirm and report on soon.

In the meantime, Janine is working with our worker Carlos continuing to take out un-needed supplies and tools from the children’s residence mission property and do necessary repairs to the homes.

LASTLY, WE HAVE AN URGENT REQUEST FOR PRAYER FOR THE 7^TH AND 8^TH REGIONS OF CHILE, along with many living in Valparaiso—west of Santiago on the coast.  As we write this Praise & Prayer Letter (on January 26) there are many forest fires burning in the above regions of the country.  Over 80 separate forest fires are reported, with most of them not contained.  Many people have lost their homes and today the town of Constitución, located on the coast roughly 3 ½ hours south of Santiago, had an area of 1200 homes destroyed by fire.  So far, it’s been an abnormally hot, dry summer with temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s.  Even some major roads in those parts of Chile have been closed.  At this point the fires should not suspend the upcoming VBS’s, but that can change at any time.  Again, thank you for praying!

Praising, praying, and fasting as we all serve The One True Jesus of children & of all of us together,

Jack & Janine

A blessed, fulfilling New Year to you all!  The word NEW has such an appeal to it that so many of us make “new” goals and resolutions and how many of us long to “turn the corner” in different ways.  Goals, resolutions, and the turning of corners are good, as they infuse hope and accomplishment.  We do the same in our personal lives and work in Chile.  The following short passage in 2 Cor. 5: 14-15, & 17 gives the basis for all of the above and also directly links us to GOD’S VISION AND HOPE for our lives. (The below italicized, capital letters are ours.)  It’s in Jesus that newness is truly possible and when our personal goals, resolutions, and decisions to “turn corners” start with our identity in and through him there can be no more powerful combination.  The below passage goes on in its following verses to call us CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS.  As we all enter a New 2017, may our goals, resolutions, and “corner-turning” start with our NEW identity in Jesus.  His blessings to you all!!

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.   And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, THE NEW CREATION HAS COME: The old has gone, the new is here!

Our time in the States with family, friends, churches and participation in the 2016 mission conference was rich and blessed.  Here below is our 2016 family Christmas photo, complete with three “additions”.  From left to right (by family) we have Jonathan & Christina and Bella (10) & Joshua (12), Julian & fiancé Devyn, us, Jayme & Malia with 8 month old Havalah, and Jordan & Rob, with Selah (6), Eden (4), Ariana (2), and Tiago (2 months).  Julian and Devyn are due to be married in Houston in March.

Here in Chile we would ask you to pray (with thanksgiving) this month for two of our main ministry focuses, both in new stages of development and growth:

1. As you know, we are seeking a Christian Chilean woman to fill the position of director for our work with young abandoned children who are wards of the court and thus under the authority of SENAME, the Chilean dept. of children & family services. A member of the Christian church that we initially worked with during our first years as missionaries would like to apply for the position. PTL!  Miguel (who is part of our children’s work Foundation board) and his family attend the same church.  We, as a board, want to interview her this month as soon as is possible.  Thank you for your prayers.  With a director in place, it will be a real victory to have this ministry up and running again.
2. We are set to design and undertake this year’s summer VBS’s in middle Chile. In Ñipas (where the land is located that we hope to develop as a Christian center & children’s camp), we have been given access on January 30 & 31 and February 1 to the same school we used last year.  We are also in contact with the municipal authorities in Coelemu, another small community nearby, to confirm the dates they would have us be there, following our VBS in Ñipas.  Please pray for the following (along with other related prayers that God would lay on your heart):

–that local older youth/young adult Christians will be a central part of the activities.  At present, we are expecting the help of 7 local young people.  We are thinking of the real advantage that will come from their participation and ownership of such an outreach.

–that Domingo & Sandra (and hopefully their two adult daughters) will again participate this year.  We are on the board being formed with them to head up this entire project.

–for the receptivity of all of the children that participate, as God prepares their hearts.

–that we are able to initiate and form relationships with parents of the children that participate in both VBS’s.

–that we are able to make further relationship in-roads in the surrounding area toward more purposeful outreaches on the part of the churches there to children in general and also toward a goal of the local churches acknowledging the need for outreach to their children, as well as the development of an area children’s camp and center.

–that the vision for this important work be as large as possible to truly be light to that part of the country.  This will necessitate more “like-minded” and capable board members.

Thank you again for your month-to-month and year-to-year prayer support!

Praising, praying, and fasting as we all serve The One True God of Newness together,

Jack & Janine