TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov. 3: 5-6 (NASB)
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God WITH GRATITDE in your hearts. Col. 3: 16 (NIV)
Taken from the Proverbs and from Paul’s letter to the Colossian Christians, the three words trust, acknowledge, and gratitude are so important in recognizing and honoring God’s past hand in our lives AND in going forward, no matter the setting or circumstances or culture! These verses well sum up our frame of mind entering 2019 in Chile. Our goal is to use our January Praises & Prayer Requests letter to highlight recent Chile ministry progress made through 2018 and share our “God exhortations” for this new year.
God’s work through our Santiago mission property
Our mission property (casa de acogida) is really up and running. Our work has undergone a few big changes over the last 13 years, all of them in their time guided by the Lord. He has blessed the formation of a Foundation and board, through which he will continue to take this valuable work forward. While we wait (an understatement in Chile! 😊) for governmental approval of adjustments to our statutes, the work has a good direction and we are grateful. (Check out our website chilemission.org to learn more about this work.)
As with all of our other ministries, our work has been made possible through God-provided relationships between Christians, churches, and other Christian ministries. Cesar and Camila, who live on the mission property, are the key people who carry out the day to day work of the mission with our guest families, and we are very grateful for them. Thank you for praying in 2019 for the property, the board, for Cesar, Camila, their new baby and for us as God works through the mission in Santiago.
God’ work through our summer camps and future retreats
Summer camps for children in middle Chile are once again upon us this first month of summer 2019, and we are excited. This year prepared for and guided by Domingo’s and Sandra’s two adult daughters, Viky and Renata, God leads and we follow in the development of this important ministry toward the future, as we continue to seek the property to provide a permanent home for the future camps and retreat center. We are indeed grateful, as we acknowledge his blessing of the yearly camps and growing relationships we have with churches in the broader region. We also trust in his perfect timing in it all and in his leading us to his chosen property to purchase and build on. Our expectation and faith in him are huge, entering 2019! Thank you for joining us in prayer for this year’s camps in Ñipas Jan. 23-26 and in Licantén Jan. 28-31.
Thank you, too, for praying that we and partners Domingo & Sandra will soon find property in middle Chile to purchase for camp and retreat-related ministry!!
We maintain several on-going healthy relationships with Jesus-led churches and Christians in Chile and in the U.S. because it honors and acknowledges his body in the world and also puts his Chile ministry where it belongs—in and through HIS BODY and through HIS CHILDREN working together to HIS GLORY. Thank you SO MUCH for being that partnership with us and us with you!! We SO appreciate and value you and our like-minded relationship with you!!
Joyful Christmas
It would have been totally complete to be together as family this past Christmas, but what a joy to spend it with Julian & Devyn and with Jayme, Malia, and kids in Curahuasi, Peru! We talked and hiked and enjoyed time together with each other and with Julian’s and Devyn’s friends. Here are some photos….
Final note
Janine’s mother passed away on Dec. 19. A Christian woman, she died in her sleep, her physical strength gone from fighting against on-going health complications. She was 97 and was blessed by the Lord in many ways throughout her life. Thank you for your prayers as Janine flies to Chicago for the visitation and memorial service on Jan. 11 at Wittenberg Lutheran Village in Crown Point, IN where Norma lived. The visitation will be from 11:00 to 1:00, with the service following at 1:00. The family will then travel to Detroit on the morning of the 12th for her mom’s burial.
Praising, praying, and fasting to the One, True God, Lord and Savior—worthy of ALL TRUST, RECOGNITION, AND GRATEFULNESS
With love and appreciation,
Chile Mission 