“TEAM Going & Sending GOD STYLE”

The weapons we fight with are NOT the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have DIVINE power to DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS !!  2 Cor. 10:4

Our September Praise & Prayer Needs update is focused on our gratitude for our Chilean team and for our team relationship with our sending churches.  Every person and every team face battles and challenges, but as Paul writes in Ephesians chapter six, we constantly need to remind ourselves that the real battles that we and our teams face are Satan-driven and Spiritual in nature.  Spiritual battles require Spiritual weapons, making on-going mutual prayer, God’s Word, and oneness with God and with each other fundamental to going forward in the Lord.  It’s important to remember that our battles are both internal and external and that our Spiritual Weapons WILL ALWAYS have DIVINE power to DEMOLISH SATAN’S STRONGHOLDS!!

We just returned from a short visit to Chile and all of the above once again “rose to the top”, highlighting the importance of our walking “hand-in-hand” with God, with each other, and with our supporting churches.  We so appreciate and rely on your on-going prayers as we in turn pray for you in your own spiritual strength and health.  Our mission is to pierce the ever-present darkness in Chile with God’s light!

1. Roughly 50% of Chileans identify as Catholics, but that does not include participation in a Catholic church.  For hundreds of years Chileans have been taught that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is God the Mother.  It is only necessary to find her statue and pray to her for any kind of need or despair.  Jesus, God the Son, has in turn been rendered unnecessary and for many is not Savior and Lord.  In Chile today’s adults remain unconvinced of much and today’s young people aren’t going to run to a statue, but don’t know Jesus either.  This reality creates a tremendous opportunity for us Christians and for the work of Chile Mission.                                                                                                         

2. Many Chileans believe that you can go to the site of the death of any person and pray through that person for prayer petitions. You leave a burning candle and then afterwards return with a plaque or other memento to thank the dead person for answered prayer. Dead people become automatic conduits for prayer.  Pictured above is such a wall located where a thief was shot and killed by police many years ago.  We Christians know that Jesus IS the only mediator between God and man. 1 Tim. 2:5-6

3. Chile boasts a very stable economy and democratic form of government, although its current president is communist. He, along with other past Chilean socialist presidents and socialist/communist members of congress, do not believe in God or Jesus.  This influences a large percentage of Chileans and especially young people!  Roughly 37% of Chileans identify as unbelievers.

4. The importance of Chilean culture and heritage (Sept. 18^th is Chile’s Independence Day) and even professional soccer far outweigh interest in God and religion.  False pride and “macho-ism”, especially among men, are alive and well in Chile.

All of the above realities and characteristics to one extent or another represent Satan’s strongholds that only can be demolished through the use of our DIVINE weapons, and the more unified our Team, the greater the DIVINE impact.

THANK YOU for your on-going prayers for Chile Mission’s work in the country, especially in our current work to transform 90 acres in middle, rural Chile into a Christian children’s and youth camp and retreat center.  Reaching children and young people in Chile matters, as does being the spiritual and other support for children, families, and adults coming to Santiago for needed, serious medical treatment!  Light eliminates darkness.

Moving on to September’s other prayer needs and praises….

IN SANTIAGO

The mission’s Casa de Acogida “Dulce Refugio” continues to receive parents and other adults.  One newborn, Oliver, has just had heart surgery.  His parents, Edwin & Edelsa, appreciate our prayers.

Two men suffering with Parkinson’s Disease arrived from Arica, Chile’s northern-most city.  One of the men, Omar, had a device implanted in his head and is spending roughly three weeks in our mission site recuperating.  Thank you for your prayers and thank you, Lord, for new technologies!

While in Chile we had several meetings with Carolina to be more diligent in contacting more hospitals to boost our occupancy as well as churches to be involved with our residents. Discussing productivity will always be a part of our team effectiveness.  Our idea is to develop a program of “godparents” to accompany our visitors in their hospital procedures and to invite them to participate in their church and socialize a bit.

Sadly, while in Santiago we also received news that Vicente, who as a small boy lived with his two older sisters for a year in the first children’s home that Janine directed, tragically was killed on his motorcycle by a car without license plates that in turn sped off.  He was a fine young man with a very responsible job in the army and always tried to get together with Janine when we were in the country.  He had even messaged her a couple days before he was killed that he was looking forward to seeing her during this most recent trip.  We always talked to him about his faith and had given him the Gospel of John to read.  Janine tried to get together with Vicente’s mother, too, but was unable to program a visit.

Also while in Santiago we were able to sign documents for the attorney helping us with changes to our Foundation’s by-laws.  We should now be all set with those changes, should the document be accepted by the government. Any important changes in our foundation need to be approved in the ministry of justice.  A big help will be getting a certificate of donations, which will allow us to receive donations from companies.  When a business has taxes to pay to the government, they can divert this tax to a non-profit, such as us!!.  Praying….

AT THE CAMP PROPERTY

Heavier than normal rains have continued, and we joined Abraham in walking one and one half miles to reach his pickup, parked at a neighbor’s house beyond where the road floods—up to three feet at some points.  While they are accustomed to the routine, they will be VERY glad to park the truck at their own house once the rains and road water subside. 🙂

WE AGAIN INVITE any of you individuals and church teams to come and help, as the first months of 2024 represent a key opportunity to work outside and construct as well.  Please reach out to us and we can follow-up with you.  Thank you!!

While we were at the camp, we started working on the design for our maintenance building, which will include a second floor living unit.  The idea is to transform the second floor to offices in the future.  Hopefully, we will start building this coming Chilean summer—Jan. thru Apr.

We also brought Abraham a post hole auger from the States (purchased with a special donation) and it will come in VERY handy in digging the many holes that he must dig to install a boundary barbed wire fence line around certain areas of the property. TYL!!

Meanwhile, regarding our Toyota pickup, both Abraham and his excellent mechanic keep making strides fixing mechanic issues.  We can only conclude that in spite of the 2020 truck’s perfect appearance and super clean engine, the person we bought the truck from was dishonest about its past usage.  Still, we are grateful to have it, as Abraham needs a good working vehicle, since transport to the camp is limited at this time. 

WE SO APPRECIATE YOUR ONGOING PRAYERS AND PARTNERSHIP!!

Praising, praying, fasting to GOD, the ETERNAL TEAM GOER AND SENDER AND STRONGHOLDS DEMOLISHER,

Jack & Janine