Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the Lord their God.  He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever.  He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.   Psalm 146: 1-8

“THANK YOU,LORD, FOR THE “DAY IN AND DAY OUT” NEED WE HAVE FOR YOU IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS AND CIRCUMSTANCES!!  We come to you and TO YOU ALONE looking for your touch and for answers & guidance.  We have no other God or source to go to and you are FAITHFUL.”

We are struck by the sheer number of prayer needs that surround us and that we hear about from friends and many others, whether related to serious health issues, important decisions, broken relationships, the death of a loved one, or huge obstacles against God’s good purposes, and on and on…

God IS faithful to all those in faithful relationship with him.  He is the Master Specialist in situations that seem too big or too hard and impossible.  He is worthy of all honor and praise and allegiance for all generations.  He is totally capable and willing and He does respond.  Let none of us ever hold back.  Number 1 be honest, Number 2 be humble, willing to listen & follow, and Number 3 keep approaching him in all situations with every confidence, full of faith and thanksgiving.

The idea is to draw as close to God as is possible.  In return, He promises to respond to our best good!

September Petitions

—We’ve asked for prayers from time to time specifically for Cony, our biggest “challenge” amongst the children that live under our care.  She’s been doing so much better this last month, to the point that her school and others have commented about it.  Thank you for those continuing prayers for “our kids”.  The biggest issues as of late relate to bad attitudes and disrespect at school and also here, and to helping them deal with anger that they aren’t growing up in their own families.

On a positive note, cooperation between Janine and the house moms and their overall ability to see and work toward the same “higher ground” of the kids is also more evident.  Praise the Lord for that!

—Please pray that our church, “Jesus is the Way” Christian Church, continues to want to grow in the Lord.  There is more participation in the adult Sunday School class and leadership is more unified in Jesus.

—We continue to look for a house to rent, thanking God at the same time for his perfect place and timing.

—I, Jack, just returned from a trip to Penco and Concepción (earthquake zone 5 hours south of Santiago).  I had many reasons to give God thanks for the praying, sharing God’s Word, and conversations that took place with people we have built relationships with these last 3 ½ years, including in two families where the husbands are alcoholics.

—Finally, please pray for Chile, as this Sept. 11^th is the 40^th anniversary of the military takeover by General Pinochet in 1973.  It is a day always marked by violence and this year it’s expected to be worse.  So many past wounds and losses in a country that doesn’t look to Jesus for healing, peace, and a better future.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Responding, Faithful, True God

Jack & Janine

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Boy, isn’t THAT the truth?! J  How strengthening these words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4 should be to all, but especially to those immersed in God’s work and purposes throughout the world.  They follow words about a lonely, discontented, selfish man and his “meaningless” life.  Reading through Paul’s letters to the churches in the New Testament it’s amazing how he continually sent brothers to visit the churches.  He knew and fostered the power inherent in church “bodies”, and he knew the power inherent in personal contact with others.  He himself traveled with Luke and with others and received visitors wherever he found himself. Team and personal contact go hand in hand, for churches and for missionaries.

We so thank you for praying for us and for visiting us over the years (this past month the church from Manteno, IL was here)—we value being in team with you!  We value the strength and diversity we receive in “Chile team” together, as missionaries here, and we value visitors and new arrivals to the work in Chile.  We value working with Chileans—in the church, in the children’s residence, and in our other outreaches and ministries.

Thank you, God, for being the source of “team”, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  You came to heal and fill loneliness, to leave us contented in all things, and to call us to a “one another” focus on others.  Bless our relationships and keep them close through personal contact, ALL to your glory!!

August Team Petitions

• Please give thanks for and pray for our two sets of house parents with whom the children live.  Daniel and Ingrid have completed three full years.  They’ve grown a lot in their roles and we are grateful for them.  Please pray for strong marriages for both couples—Pablo and Cynthia especially need prayer.  The house parents are a key component of change in the children.
• Continue praying for all of us, that we might work well in team together and create the best positive environment possible for the children to live in.  They need discipline, but they need more to realize self worth, purpose and possibilities.  God’s love, God’s way.
• Several of the children are barely passing their courses at school.  Please pray that they might want to do better.  We are working on ideas in that area.
• Teammates Jim & Kari have taken on a new role in ministry, with Jim teaching at a ChristianSchool.  The job also comes with housing (a praise!), so Janine & I will be able to now live in one of the houses on the ministry property while we continue to look for a house of our own.  This is a step in the right direction, and thank you for continuing to pray that we might find a rental house.
• Give thanks for and pray for Ross Parry, a new member of the extended missionary team, who arrived from Australia in mid-July to help in our work with the children, teaching them music and helping them with English.  With regard to English, he has a TESL (English-teaching) certificate, and will be able to help coordinate our community-offered English Club.  He expects to stay in Santiago for three to nine months.
• Lastly, please pray for me (Jack) as I re-insert myself into other ministry areas, such as into the church’s leadership team and going south to Penco and Dichato, re-connecting with families as I continue to look for available land for a future children’s camp and Christian retreat center.  I did recently (with the guys from the Manteno church) re-start monthly devotions at the men’s drug rehab center.  Last year was furlough in the U.S. and this year I was there as well, having my sinus surgery.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Personal-Contact Jesus,

Jack & Janine

LIBERTY!!

We first of all thank you for your prayers and concern for my (Jack’s) unexpected, but necessary operation in the States to correct and heal a deep-set sinus infection.  God, as we know, is always in the middle of these situations in so many ways and we thank him for his healing power and care.  We all also know that the prayers of his children carry “real weight” and that He receives the glory in being able to respond as He knows best.  Thanks to you all!!  I am hoping and praying to be back with Janine in Chile by mid-month.

This month’s BIG PRAISE is for our LIBERTY!! Today, the 4^th, we give thanks in the United States for the precious liberty we are so blessed with to govern ourselves free of any other country’s will or control–all due in its inception to the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of those that went before us and to God’s personal will to honor and bless those efforts.  We began, One nation, under God.  What a responsibility it now becomes for us all of this time in history to maintain that liberty and wisely use it.

There is another much more far-reaching liberty that God wills for literally all creation and that liberty only comes through his Son Jesus.  There are so many passages and verses in the Bible that speak of this, like Romans chapter 6—don’t you love how these few verses end?  Picking it up in verse 6,

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Freed from the “status quo” and from the control of feeling like we need to simply fit in and just be “good and responsible” Christian citizens.  Paul turned his freedom from sin into “slavery” to Jesus (Romans 6: 18-23).  May God bless our liberty!   What a wild ride and how freeing the feeling!!  There are far too many lives that Jesus would touch and transform through each of us.  Thank you, Lord, for life in Jesus!

July Petitions

–The above-July praise provides more than enough prayer need in and of itself, but that is exactly what we would pretend to be part of in transforming the lives of every single child under our care in Santiago and to accomplish through every one of our other ministries there as well.

–Please pray especially that my sinus area infection, balanced with the proper clotting of my blood (I have a metal heart valve) be totally completed to allow me to return to Janine, our team, and work by mid-July!

–Janine and I are still looking for a house to rent and live in.  Thank you for your prayers!

–July is a HUGE month for us in terms of “people in Chile”, between special, wonderful visitors and the visiting eight-member group from our supporting church in Manteno, IL.  We wouldn’t give even ONE PERSON back!!  Every single one of them will have left their mark and been blessed at the same time.  What a great praise and challenge—to God be the housing, the results, and the glory!  He is the “Grand Orchestrator” of all time, even with one of us in the States with an unexpected medical problem.  Please join us in praying and giving thanks for our July “People” month.  May it be the best ever!

–Our “house dad”, Pablo, has a job.  Thank you for your prayers and please keep praying for the best gelling possible of our identity of community—all of us “gringos”, the four house parents, and the children.

–Lastly, through monies given and monies promised, we have received all funds necessary to cover the purchase of our 2003 Honda.  That’s a big praise—THANK YOU!!  Pray that it would always be God’s “ministry” car, as those before it, helping us accomplish all of his good and incredible purposes.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Liberty Jesus,

Jack & Janine

GOD IS ALWAYS MOVING

Jack’s & Janine’s May 2013 Chile Prayer Letter

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. –Acts 13: 2-3

 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. –John 3: 8

There seems to be some amount of personal speculation amongst Christians and aura of “mystic” surrounding the role of the Holy Spirit, but we all know him to be one of the three real persons of God.  In the John 3 verse above, the word, “wind” is Greek for the Spirit.  The Father promised through Jesus to leave his Holy Spirit in this world when Jesus left, to carry out and make possible his continued good plan and purposes.

We celebrate his presence here in Chile this month, giving God special thanks for the ways we see him “setting apart” and guiding people.  For one thing, we have one intern committed to spending two months with us in June & July, and two more special single visitors also coming in July.  One of our close supporting churches is sending a group of 8 persons to better know and help in our work for two weeks.  We have new teammates, Jim & Kari Hurley, who are adjusting and melding in extremely well with their little girl, Nora, to what we do.  Two North Americans—one now living in Santiago and the other, a student here for 6 weeks—recently put themselves in contact with us, wanting to visit and help with the children on a regular basis.  There are other special persons as well, who have visited this year or who recently put themselves in touch with us, connecting in one way or another.

All of these people were guided by something or someone into coming and taking that “step”.  When we as Christians, churches, and missionaries open ourselves up to the Lord, he seems to have this knack of responding.  It’s his “job” so to speak and through his Holy Spirit He will get it done.  We are super grateful and pray those same God connections for each and every one of you this month going forward.

–In April’s Prayer Letter we mentioned a psychologist, Dafna, coming to begin working for us part-time.  As it turns out, she was offered a new full-time job position working for the government and took it.  What a nice blessing for her and we will still be in touch with us on an informal basis.  This month please pray for a psychologist or social worker to work part-time with us and the children.

 –Pablo and Cynthia, pictured here, are adjusting well in their new role as house parents.  He finishes his Masters studies in July, so has plenty to do between his job and his studies.  He’s good with the kids, and they, as well, like him.  Thanks for continuing to pray for them.

–Jim Hurley and I (Jack) are developing a “mentor-type” relationship approach to be put in place for us men associated with the kids and the boys living here.  It will have similar value and significance for the girls with women on another plane.  This approach will in the future be shaped into a general opportunity to connect to men coming out of drug addiction and others, perhaps using as a base programs such as “Celebrate Recovery”, used by many churches in the States and in other countries.  Thanks for your prayers.  Kari is also due with their second daughter the first days of June.  Her pregnancy is going well.

–Janine & I continue to search for a house to rent in or near our neighborhood so that we can free up space in the ministry buildings.  We also hope to be able to buy a used vehicle during these coming months to be used in the ministry.  More churches and individuals are responding to this financial need and we are very grateful!!

By the way, isn’t it powerful how the church in Antioch as described above, just as other early churches in other locations, had a practice/spiritual discipline of praying AND fasting?!  Lord, please renew this practice in all of us.

On a personal note, we will be in California for 2½ weeks in May to attend two graduations:  our sons, Julian and Jonathan both graduate from USC the same week—Jonathan with his doctorate in administration on Thursday, May 16 (he is a principal in a middle school in the LA area), and Julian from medical school on Saturday, May 18.  Julian goes on to BaylorU. hospitals in Houston for four years as a new doctor in residency.  Afterwards, he plans on being a missionary doctor in another country.  We’re so pleased to have this trip to be with all of our kids and their families.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our “Always Moving” One True God,,

Jack & Janine

NEW LIFE SPRINGING FORTH

Jack’s & Janine’s MARCH 2013 Chile Prayer Letter

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.  He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.  He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth.  –Psalm 104: 10-14

You in the States enter spring this month.  (Yeh! J)  This month’s PRAISE is for how God brings forth and nourishes new life in us, just as He does in all creation.  We are coming out of a difficult time recently with some of the children under our care here and yet it’s impossible not to appreciate how God continues working in “spring forth” new life in them—the same new life that all of us Christians receive in Jesus and continue to grow in.  Green is a great spring color!  Five of the children had a special treat in February when Jack took them camping and traveling.  It was a first such experience for all five—how cool!  These photos say it all:

The children’s work

—God has brought us together with a young Christian psychologist who will plans to begin working for us part-time.  Janine met her on the metro train she saw Janine with one of our girls that she recognized from working with the family in the past.  God is good and we’re looking forward to her arrival.

–It looks as if we’ll be able this month to present our need for a second set of house parents to a group of pastors studying at an institute together.  We also continue to place announcements on Chile’s main Christian radio station and will continue to visit churches.

–Thank you for continued prayers for the children we work with.  They start school on March 4.

Swanson return needs

–We have already received roughly $500 toward the purchase of a used van (thank you so much!) to use in our work.  As we wrote in our recent newsletter, we expect to spend around $20,000 for a three-year-old van.  Financial help toward this need should be sent to ChileMission   P.O. Box 60132   San Angelo, TX76906   (with vehicle written on the check’s memo line).

–While we are keeping an eye out for a house to rent, we will not be moving from the children’s residence until the second set of house parents is found.  We know that God will provide in his good timing.

–We still seek renters for our Cedar Lake, IN house as well.  Especially after the major remodeling we did on its living space last year while on furlough, it is a quite nice two-bedroom space for someone.  Our U.S. phone that rings here in Chile is 626-789-7183.

Chile mission team

Jim and Kari Hurley are arriving in Chile with 17-month-old daughter Nora on March 13 to begin working with us for one year or longer.  Both Jim and Kari have extensive Bible background and both arrive with a heart for children and training and experience in different aspects of such work.  Kari is expecting the birth of their second child around the first of June and they will also be concentrating on Spanish language and culture learning.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in a “New Life & Growth” Jesus,

Jack & Janine

CREATED FOR GOD’S PURPOSES

Jack’s & Janine’s February 2013 Chile Prayer Letter

For it is by grace that you have been saved—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  –Eph. 2:8-10

 This month’s praise is for God’s gift of salvation in Jesus that frees us from the burden of tying eternal life to our “being good people” or to any other method we have of trying to obtain it.  In truth it is un-obtainable through human effort of any kind.  At the same time, how good to recognize that we are God’s workmanship, created to carry out his good purposes in the world through his living in us.

Such a powerful combination and reason to live.  Thank you, Lord!  Feeling depressed or unworthy or useless or frustrated?  Turn your heart and focus outward in Jesus and be renewed.

It’s apparent to us that we were created and joined in marriage to do what we do here in Chile.  We couldn’t nearly accomplish what we do without you who pray and/or fast on our behalf.  Listed below are some main prayer needs for February.

The children’s work

–Fabiola is going to work through this first week of February.  Please keep praying that the most important issues and details in process get talked about and that we would have a good handle on what she has been working on these last several months.  It’s still a little early to know whom we should hire and in what capacity to replace her.  We know that God will guide us in that.

–Janine & I are filling the position of the second set of house parents. (Our nine children live between two houses.)  It’s summer, so a good number of people in Santiago are on vacation and out-of-town.  Still, we are seriously looking (even very seriously 🙂 ) for permanent parents to hire.

Swanson return needs

–Our main need right now is finding a used, good-condition van.  We have already received some funds toward it (thank you so much!) and as we wrote in our recent newsletter, we now know to expect to spend around $20,000 for a three-year-old van.  Financial help toward this need should be sent to ChileMission   P.O. Box 60132   San Angelo, TX76906   (with vehicle written on the check’s memo line).

–We are keeping an eye out for a house to rent and putting out feelers with people we know.  We know that God will open up a place when the time is right.

Other important parts of our work

–We in the church continue to seek an ample full-time office space to replace the once-a-week Sunday morning space that we rent.

–Jack completed a two-day trip to Penco, Menque, and Concepción and we are set to go to Penco with a team to do a three-day VBS at the school, Feb. 14-16.  Also in Menque there is a parcel of land (two acres) for sale by a large lumber company.  As we have written, we seek land (and have received funds toward its purchase) to develop into a camp for children of the area and at which a Christian outreach center can be established.  Maria, who takes initiative in the town, will help put us in contact with the right person to talk to at the lumber company.  Thank you Lord.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in a “Creating for his good Purposes” God,

Jack & Janine

Jack & Janine Swanson’s January 2013

“CHILE CONNECTION” 

Jack Swanson  : chilemission@hotmail.comJanine Swanson: crazyaboutkidz@gmail.com Team WEBSITE:www.ChileMission.Org Marble People WEBSITE:http://www.marblepeople.com Jack & Janine Swanson – DCCC ChileMission Supporter donations and correspondence: Box 60132● San Angelo ● TX ● 76906 Chile Address: Casilla 90 ● La Cisterna 14 ● Santiago ● Chile ● U.S. ph #626-789-7183

 Thanks so much for your prayer and financial support—we really can’t say it enough!   Our team Mission Statement is “Making Jesus known and changing lives through loving, teaching, equipping, proclaiming, and sending.”   Please note our new U.S. phone number above to be used in calling us here in Chile.  The old U.S. phone number for calling us in Chile is no longer good.

We have arrived back in Chile after 8 months in the U.S. on furlough to visit supporting churches, family, and friends.  We also attended the Int’l Conference of Mission (ICOM) in Indianapolis in November, where we have a Chile! Chile! Chile! booth every year.  It’s a great place to connect with missions & missionaries and attend very useful workshops and hear speakers that inspire and challenge.  It’s also the conference at which in 2011 our son Jayme with his fiancé Malia met Enoch with Ghana Christian Mission.  They, now married, are serving for 10 months with a medical mission in northern Ghana.  The conference is also our single-most important venue for selling our Chile-made marble figures.  The goal is for their total sales to grow into a financial support of our work with children.  Next year’s ICOM will be held November 14-17 in Kansas City, MO.  Here below is a photo of one of the general sessions:

One other big step forward was realized with the help of U.S. teammate Donn Urban, his son-in-law, Chad, and Jim Hurley, joining the Chile Mission Team this spring with wife, Kari, and baby girl, Nora.  Chad and Donn developed our website, www.chilemission.org , which we are now able to use in posting our monthly Prayer Letters and periodic newsletters.  Take advantage of viewing these posts to explore the site’s categories.  You’ll find information, photos, a video of the “Chile” children, & more.

The Children’s Residence

It’s good to be back with the children after furlough in the U.S.  Janine & I are serving as the second set of house parents until God answers our search in churches for a second couple.  As you can tell from the below picture, we are one happy family. J  There are also two new girls (un-related) now living here: Karla (10) and Juliana (11), pictured below.  Both are eligible for adoption.  It’s unlikely, but possible that we will need to expand into house three in 2013, as each house can hold up to six children and we are up to nine.  Constanza is also pictured below with her adopting Italian parents, Angelo and Gina, now in Chile to live with her here and meet with SENAME staff before taking her to Italy in March.  We are all excited for her, as we pray for her successful integration in her new surroundings with her new parents, who presently have no children.  We will always continue to seek permanent families for all the children.

                                  

The children’s work is almost always one of the main focuses of our monthly Prayer Letters.  As you’ve been reading in our monthly Prayer Letters, details to tackle this year include:

• Fabiola’s leaving our work at the end of January.  In light of budget constraints (and as hard as it will be to replace her), we will be evaluating her replacement.  She has worked with us three full years and wishes to pursue other interests, including further education.  Daniela, a young married woman from our church, has been working full-time during the week and plans on staying on.  She, too, plans on pursuing further education, studying Psychology.
• Finding a second set of Christian Chilean house parents.
• Renewing efforts to gain corporate identity status.  Legal standing will enable us to seek a working relationship (and resulting financial help) with SENAME (Chile’s national Children & Family Services) to offset the high cost of our ministry to children.
• We will be making every effort to continue building our working relationship with SENAME (who approve all adoptions) and have them know our residence better, allowing our children to be adopted to Christian families.
• We continue to look at the total design of how to best help the children re-approach life and develop well in the Lord.  We’re grateful to be able to work “in team”.

We just have to include two more photos, showing the children’s creative forms of summer fun.

                                                                    

Cony, Carla, & Karla with “dressed-up” Snowball    Jorshua, with homemade drumset

The Jesús es El Camino  Christian Church

I, Jack, have three goals in mind as we re-connect to our church this year.  I am working alongside our other leadership (Richard, Oscar, and Mike) to:

• Find an ample office place to meet that would allow us use our location more than just on Sunday mornings.  Mission teammate, Mike Boyce, teaches classes that include basic Christian doctrine, hermeneutics, and preaching.  A change of location would give us an opportunity to provide space for church-related groups to meet as well as also give our English Club a more permanent home.  At present the church is self-supporting, although no elder/pastor is paid a salary.   We are comprised principally of singles and young adults.
• Re-design our approach to discipleship, with an increased emphasis on being equipped to connect with and disciple others and on carrying that out.  It constitutes more of a one-on-one mentor style based in the initiative and responses of the person being discipled.  Mike has already developed and printed the workbook we will be using and we are now ready to begin, first amongst ourselves and wives and then with the membership.  The idea is “TOTAL CONNECT” Christianity.
• Improve our approach to teaching children in the church.  Our curriculum will now be more based in the life and mission of Jesus and in better knowing the Bible, as the new children that come to us know very little of either.

 The church is spread out geographically in the Santiago metropolitan area.  At the same time, God’s plan for each of us goes forward within our distinct surroundings.

Penco/Cerro Verde Bajo and Dichato/Menque

This specific area six hours south of Santiago (Feb. 2010 earthquake and tidal waves) continues to be one of our ministry focuses, with relationships formed with children and with adults alike.  The area of Dichato/Menque also holds good potential as a site for a future Christian children’s camp.  This photo was taken this past year in our trip to work with children.  Rachel (a 2012 intern from Tuscola. IL), Janine, and Victor (a Chilean Christian who has made several trips with us to the Penco area) are in the top row.

A goal for 2013 would be to be able to incorporate one or more Chileans in our work in that area.  We move forward, relying on God’s leading.  Starting with February of this year we are seeking to do another summer three-day VBS with children at the local school.

One very purposeful 2013 goal, mentioned above, is to locate and purchase a tract (2 to 5 acres) of undeveloped land in this area to be developed over time into a camp for children and also a “Christian center of teaching”.  Funds have already been contributed for this express purpose, thus making this project do-able.  We believe it to be a kingdom-expanding project close to God’s heart, as well.  It will require more regular trips (bi-monthly) to the area.

Chile Mission Team

Our mission team network, presently consisting of the Swansons, Boyces, & Foughts, is growing.  Jim & Kari Hurley, with young daughter Nora (1) are due to arrive this spring and Kari is expecting child #2 around mid-year.  They are making a one-year commitment with us.  Two other couples are also making short visits this year, looking toward possible future connections with us.  Both couples have young children.

2013 Budget

We will be working on our 2013 budget as we move toward Chilean fall.  As we included in January’s Prayer Letter, one of our first purchases will need to be a used vehicle to replace our van, sold last year when we came to the U.S. in May on furlough.  Those funds were needed and used throughout the rest of 2012 to help finance the children’s work.  We expect a late model similar van to cost less than $20,000.

The average dollar to peso exchange rate has somewhat declined in recent years and at the same time, inflation (pretty stable in comparison with other South American countries) has more than doubled the cost of living and salaries we’ve paid during our nineteen years here.  We’ve mentioned possible future financial subsidies from SENAME to help us carry out our work with children.  They must decide to first extend us an invitation to submit our “project” to them and then rule on it.  We thus pray that 2013 will be a year in which that progress toward that end might be made.  Thank you for truly considering our request for increased financial support.

Repeating the opening line of this newsletter, we are extremely grateful to God and to all of you for your faithfulness in regular support, in addition to many who have helped with special projects and needs.  That support, added to your faithful prayers, sure do make for a “dynamic duo” as this ministry continues to move forward with the integration of Chilean ministry partners.

With love and gratitude and in service alongside you,

Jack and Janine

ENTERING 2013 with PRAISE, PRAYER, & THANKS!

Jack’s & Janine’s January 2013 Chile Prayer Letter

 We wish you a deeply rewarding, connected, and blessed Jesus-centered & led 2013!!  Only God knows 2013 completely, but what a joy and how satisfying that we can all be part of it together—praising and recognizing him and lifting our prayers to him.  Psalms 19 and 100 describe him and us, as Christians, so well.  May we all make top use of praise and prayer with one another this new year!  From our family to you, we wish you God’s blessings as we all go forward in family with him.  From left to right, top row:  Jack, Janine, and Julian.  Front row:  Joshua, Jonathan, Bella, & Christina Swanson;  Selah, Rob, Jordan Boldt, & new baby Eden and Ruyun, a high school student from China who lives with them.  Jayme & Malia are currently doing medical mission work in Ghana, Africa until July.  (Single-click on the photo to make it larger; then click on the “back” arrow at the top left corner of the screen to return it to normal size)

This will be our first Prayer Letter made solely available on our Chile Mission website via the link provided in our E-mail instead of being sent as an attachment.  It is easily accessible and you can leave comments and responses to our postings by clicking on Leave a Comment.  Janine needed to fly back to Chile January 3rd and I (Jack) fly on the 15th, after visiting our supporting church in Florida.  As we return to Chile there is much to look forward to and pray about.  Here are our specific petitions for January:

The children’s work

• Concentrating with Fabiola on the most crucial areas to focus on, as she prepares to leave her work with us at the end of the month.
• Search for a second Christian Chile couple to be house parents.  (We have a new contact to work through, who knows several churches and will help us search and connect.)
• Search for other daytime and nighttime staff to help with the children.
• Seek direct working relationship with SENAME (Chile’s organization over children’s works).
• Summertime opportunities for the children (5-day camps and other outings).

Swanson return needs

• Need to find house to rent. (Upon leaving for our 8-month furlough in the States, we moved out of the house we were renting and stored our furniture at the mission property.)
• Our former van was sold in May and the funds were used over time to help cover Chile expenses during our absence.  We thus seek roughly $10,000 to purchase a used, good-condition van—ideal in our work.  Financial help toward this need can be sent to ChileMission   P.O. Box 60132   San Angelo, TX 76906   (with vehicle written on the check’s memo line)

Re-connecting to other important parts of our work

• The church.  Helping plan any summertime retreats to fellowship, give thanks and pray together, and look ahead at this year of 2013.
• First trip to Penco (earthquake zone work).  We hope to plan a 3-day VBS trip there to work with the area children and re-connect to important relationships and go forward in 2013.
• Prepare to receive a couple arriving in January for a short visit to further evaluate coming back to Chile to work with us and also receive a university student interested in possibly doing an internship with us later this year or the next.

Again, we so value your prayer support!

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in a 2013 Father, Son, & Holy Spirit,