“FREE INDEED”

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8: 31-32, 36

On July 4th we commemorate and celebrate the United States’ Independence from England—an independence won over the succeeding nearly 7 years through the shedding of much blood.  The true freedom of Christians throughout the entire world from the penalty of eternal death owed for our sin was won through the most precious blood of all, willfully shed by God’s own son.  Yet all of us live still struggling in our personal lives in different ways and for different reasons.

Jesus’ teachings found in the Bible ARE the Truth that has the power to set us free from ourselves and from any and all chains that would bind us!  We as his disciples have EVERY reason to extend Jesus, the Source of TRUE FREEDOM to those around us.  Janine & I are so blessed, together with our Chilean team, to extend him in the country of Chile.  The above verses tell the real reason that God sent “HIS WORD-JESUS HIMSELF” into the world: to set us truly free!!  Thank you for praying for us and for Chile Mission!

Can we even imagine how many people live under these two flags?  Every single disciple of Jesus is worth their weight in “divine gold”!

June’s Prayer Letter outlined some major areas of needed prayer in our work.  Please re-visit the letter and continue to pray for them.

• For much of June the rains have been steady in Bodeuca and general area where our camp land is located, making travel in and out of the property very difficult and sometimes impossible.  As a result, Abraham & Catalina have been unable to travel the one hour to Concepción to pick up their kitchen stove and new, large water tank.  They have, however, been able to continue building a good relationship with a neighbor man, who will be assisting Abraham with some of the construction and other work in exchange for using part of our field for grazing his cattle.  In addition, the clutch on Abraham’s pick-up truck has gone out and the probability of getting the part and proceeding with the repair is complicated with the coronavirus situation in Chile.  Again he has received help from others and been blessed with new relationships.

• We have not heard back from the Chilean family interested in moving to the camp property to help in its development.
• We continue to pray for Cesar & Camila and their role on our mission property in Santiago. They will be leaving in September. We pray for their ability to complete their duties well and also stay healthy.
• The entire metropolitan area of Santiago continues in total “lock down” as the number of Coronavirus cases continues to climb. Chile is in third place in the world in the incidence index (about 14 cases per 1,000 people, compared with 8 cases per 1,000 in the USA).  About 90% of the cases are in the metropolitan area of Santiago.  The death rate is much lower, but the winter (June 21 to Sept. 21) is usually complicated with respiratory illnesses, so this year may be very complex.  We anticipate that this will continue into September, with government permission being necessary to leave your home—limited to twice a week with three hours each time.  Anyone over 75 has no permission to leave their home and in addition, there is a curfew from 10 pm to 5 am each day.  This has limited the widespread protests that were occurring in 2019.  Our flight to the US was canceled twice.  Life is a lot freer here, and it is wonderful to be able to mobilize ourselves!
• Thank you for praying for our time in the U.S. We are in the process of working on our furlough home, mainly installing a furnace and sorting out the accumulation of twenty-eight years abroad.  We’ve also been blessed to spend short times with each of our children & their families.  What a treat!
• Lastly, pray for our country!  So many current challenges and hard circumstances to overcome, and healing as well.  Jesus remains the One True Answer and Source of what we need and seek!

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our “FREE INDEED” GOD,

 Jack & Janine

“ENTERING A NEW LAND”

The Lord said to Moses, ² “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.  From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”  ³ So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran.  All of them were leaders of the Israelites.

Numbers 13 tells of Moses sending the 12 leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel into their new promised land to explore it and report back.  We know that they told of a land “flowing with milk & honey” and abounding with delicious fruit.  We also know that 10 of the 12 leaders were too afraid to re-enter the land with the people of Israel because of the formidable size and strength of the people living there. Only Caleb and Joshua had confidence and faith in God to follow him into the land that he had led them to.  Prior to Moses, we read about Abraham who God used in a mighty way, in first sending him to a “new unknown land that God would bring him to”.  God commended him in Hebrews chapter 11 for his faith.

Our own Abraham & Catalina also find themselves in a new land and home in middle Chile.  It, too, is a new land that God has led them to, and their confidence and faith in the Lord to take them forward will allow them to adjust and fully commit themselves to his plan and his purposes for the land and for them.  By God’s design, the prayers of his children and Church definitely make a difference in his Kingdom work in new lands. Thank you for your prayers for Chile and for all of us!  It’s important to also keep praying for peoples’ perspectives, faith, and connection to the new “coronavirus land” they find themselves in.  All of the above matter much to God!  God’s exhortation to Joshua in Joshua 1:9 apply to us today as well:

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Here are some of Abraham’s & Catalina’s photos of progress being made with the house, along with a photo of Abraham & Abril out for a morning walk.  They installed a new larger front door & wood-burning heater, and are working on their kitchen, this in addition to initiating needed changes on the land.

June’s land-related prayer points:

• Abraham needs to build kitchen cabinets and install the kitchen sink.
• He is also finishing a storage area in part of the adjoining adobe house.
• Installation of a large 1,200 liter tank (about 300 gallons) and pump to supplement the existing water system.
• Finalize plans with the electric company to move our electric line out to the road from its present location in the middle of the low-lying area designed to be made into a lake.
• That Abraham can find good local help with construction & with other projects on the property.
• We, too, have been contacted by a Chilean missionary family presently living & working at a YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base in Chile.  They would like to move to the land and help us, and we are in communication with them about that possibility.

Abraham is always asking about his next steps, and this is great for us.  We would like him to be in contact with government organizations about building and zoning regulations in rural areas (the nearest house is about ½ mile away), and he needs to find out who is responsible for keeping the road up–sometimes it is at least six inches underwater, so it is hard to travel from the house.  We have told him his goal is to host rustic camping in the summer—January & February 2021—it should be interesting!  Until then, his work includes getting to know as many neighbors as possible.  Also, in the three nearby cities, he needs to get himself known in city hall, and once the schools and churches are up and running, he will be meeting up with them, too.

—We recently met with Cesar & Camila about how they need to increase their work and responsibilities here on the Santiago mission property.  They live on the property cost free in return for their involvement in and coordination of the mission’s work in Santiago.  In spite of having a good relationship with us they feel at present that they are unable to increase their work involvement and thus will be looking to move in the coming months.  Please pray for them and us as God guides them forward during this time and, if necessary, leads us to another couple to live on the mission site and help in the work.

—We will be in the States from June 3 through to Sept.7, mainly to ready our “furlough house” in Cedar Lake, IN for sale.  We are very grateful for how the house has served our family’s needs these last 28 years, and at the same time would like to sell it to the young family that now live in it.  Please pray for our trip and for good progress with the house sale.

—We have now received EMI’s video presentation (in both English and Spanish) of their week-long work trip to our land in middle Chile in February, along with their final report, including designs & stages of construction and layout of all structures.  Click on this link to see their video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Pl-s0kw1g&t=28s

We also hope to use our present trip to the States to share plans for the development of the land with supporters and others.  Please pray for all up-coming presentations, both Stateside and in Chile, as well as for our team in Chile as it continues growing people-wise.

In the middle of all of the above prayer requests we give God thanks and praise for how he truly continues to lead forward his work here in Chile and watch over our team’s health.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our “ENTERING NEW LANDS” GOD,

 Jack & Janine

“THE JESUS LIGHT OF THE WORLD”

³ Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome (understood) it.  ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The above verses taken from John 1 and Matthew 5 are clear and very significant for every Christian who would put their faith into practice.  Over 15 years ago Jack asked a local Chilean artist to paint the picture to the left and it remains for us an important reminder of Jesus’ and our own impact on our world.  WOW what opportunities we have to be light to both the darkness and tragedies that surround us all in our own families and with others.  We so value your on-going prayers for us and for God’s ongoing work in Chile, as those prayers intensify Jesus’ light here!  Thank you!!  The name of the new camp & retreat center in middle Chile?  LUZ EN EL CAMPO (Light in the Countryside)!!

The month of April was significant in different ways:

Abraham & Catalina (see April’s Prayer Letter) confirmed their commitment to live on our middle Chile camp property and administrate its development and “light” connection to surrounding neighbors, towns, schools, and churches!  This is a significant answer to your and our prayers!!!  Please now pray for their adjustment to all that their up-coming move to the property this month of May will entail, including the adjustment of their 10-month-old little daughter Abril.  (more about their responsibilities in our June prayer letter)

We, with Abraham and Cesar, made several trips from Santiago to the land in April to work on the house that Abraham’s family will live in, passing through gov’t covid-19 check points along the way and at times being refused the go-ahead.  In all, we spent half of April there working, and the house is nearly livable!  We will be making more trips to the land this month and appreciate your prayers toward completing the home.  So far, only Jack has put a large cut in his finger, but with doctor appointments it is healing.  😊 Pictured here are Cesar laying floor tiles and Abraham leveling the kitchen floor, along with a photo of the beginning of another beautiful day in the “campo”.

We’re grateful for meeting two more neighbors (the nearest home is about ½ mile away) in April through unplanned circumstances (needing water to survive and losing a load of lumber off the back of the truck).  Isn’t it cool how God does this over and over, purposefully extending his Light through us all!  Some call these encounters divine appointments.

We also recently met with Domingo & Sandra Aguayo, and confirmed with them our unity of purpose along with better defining our individual roles having to do with taking this important project forward.  EMI’s final video presentation (in both English and Spanish) should be available soon for us to use in the States and for the Aguayos to use in Chile with contacts in seeking additional support for the development of the land.  Please pray for our team in Chile as it is now growing people-wise and for the response of our upcoming presentations.  The prayers of the saints are always key!

Last, but not least, we join you all this month in giving God thanks and appreciation for mothers, especially in these uncertain times with children not in school and confined to their houses.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our LIGHT-EXTENDING Savior and Lord,

Jack & Janine

“TODAY AND TOMORROW”

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

Who could have foreseen four months ago the existence and impact of Coronavirus throughout virtually the entire world?  There is hardly a side of life that it hasn’t impacted, with no peak or end in sight.  Four months ago many of us carried out “life” with hardly a thought about God in that part of our life.  All of our prayers need to be activated, especially for those families now without loved ones.  The above verses in James’ letter have hit us in a harsh and real way.  We might say that God has put the whole world on pause or at the very least has allowed this health crisis to transpire…. but perhaps too, we need this exact time to be “on pause”.  No one not having lost a loved one to unexpected death or tragedy can begin to put themselves in the shoes of those families that have.  It’s also the perfect time to re-think life.

This is a photo of the top half of our mission’s Chile business card.  Its focus is on God’s love proved by Jesus’ sacrifice of himself for all of us.  ALL of us are his focus.   The first Sunday of April marks Palm Sunday, the last week of Jesus’ time on earth ending with his suffering and death on a cross for the sins of the whole world and reconciliation of all who come to him with God himself.  It was an act of TOTAL LOVE extended to his creation, lost in sin, sickness, and tragedy of every kind.  The second Sunday of April we celebrate together Jesus’ resurrection and victory over death, not just his but for all who believe in him.  Yes, GOD IS GOD AND WE ARE NOT, but he is faithful in every way!  

APRIL PRAYER & ACTION POINTS

•  Pray for those we know who have lost loved ones and/or friends to the virus or be in danger of contracting the virus and for all those on the front line against it, such as medical workers, scientists, and others.  Action point: Call them and/or send them a message.
•  Pray that nations, communities, churches, politicians, and groups in general will find new ways to work together.  So many people are out of work or in danger of losing their jobs.  Action point:  Be a catalyst.
•  Pray for the return to oneness of marriages, families, and close friends.  Satan is doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to divide and rip apart ALL such close relationships.  Action point: Now is the time to remember the good and the strong points, to mutually forgive, and to come out stronger than ever together!  And may the same One, True God who sent his one and only Son for that purpose receive all the glory.  All of us need to be reconciled.
•  We have been working at our land in middle Chile these last weeks, mostly on the small house on the property to make it live-able for the family that will take the lead on the land’s development and also make important contacts with neighbors, nearby churches, and others.  Action point: Thank you for your on-going prayers for our continued good health and progress on the land!  Here is a photo of the house and also of a beautiful rainbow we experienced:   

•  We have been asking the Lord to lead us to the right family to live in the house, and he has led us to Abraham, Catalina, & 9-month-old daughter Abril (April in English 😊).  Abraham was a classmate of our son Jayme in Chile.  He’s humble, a Pastor, and has studied construction.  They as a family have been living and working in southern Chile churches and are now available to work with us.  They have yet to see the land, but feel God’s hand in this opportunity.  Action point:  Give thanks for our communications with them and pray with us that God’s will be done.  
•  We, as have many across the globe, have had to learn how to have important meetings as a team and with others via What’s App and Skype.  Let us all mutually pray for each other, that the Lord blesses all such communications.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Today AND tomorrow Faithful AND Reconciling God,

Jack & Janine

GOD’S EXACT TIMING – ALWAYS WITH REASON & ALWAYS “ON TIME”

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”  –Matt. 3:1-3  Then we find Jesus in the middle of his earthly ministry telling his disciples that his “time had not yet come” (John 7: 6-8, 30).  Finally, in God’s exact timing, Jesus was betrayed, condemned to death, brutally beaten, and crucified.

It is with awe and overwhelming gratitude that Janine & I take hold of the fact that we do finally have property available on which to develop a Christian camp for children, youth, and adults—this after roughly 7 years of seeking such land without success, as our Chilean team carried out summer camps for children for 5 years in the general region of our current property.  We even had a hard time finding a real estate agent as there are no visible offices outside of Santiago. The “pieces of the puzzle” are indeed falling into place in various ways toward the reality of such a developed property:

• Good communication and strong unity of purpose inside of our team with Domingo & Sandra.
• Our initial prior contact with EMI culminating in their trip to Chile with a team of 13 architects, engineers, & a surveyor to spend a week on our property studying, evaluating, measuring, and designing.  A long-time friend from our home church, Roger Stokes, was able to join them as well.  He has had extensive experience in these types of projects.
• God’s bringing into the project team needed Chilean professionals and trades people.

In the verses selected for this month’s letter we see God’s timing being carried out in Jesus’ own earthly mission, beginning with John the Baptist.  Preparations and stages of many kinds always seem to have their place in God’s plans and purposes, and we have so often undergone and seen God’s same hand and order of things in our own mission & ministry in Chile, always inside of his reason for it all and always in his exact timing.  Our direct work with “wards of the state” children ended in 2013, enabling us to set aside extra funds towards the camp.  Even in those difficult times we see God’s intervening hand at work to carry us to this point!  Please join us in our gratitude and please also make no mistake that your prayers and financial support have played a central role in it all!!  As we and each of you look at God’s hand in your Christian Kingdom work, the following Proverbs 16:9 verse should come to mind:   In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

FEBRUARY GRATITUDES:  This year’s camps began with a weekend retreat for teens, Feb. 1 & 2.  Eight teens participated, along with a support staff of roughly 12 adults.  We used tents for sleeping, and divided the time into a variety of activities and teachings.  The nearby river was somewhat cold, but very refreshing.  Here below are three photos:

The retreat was followed by a three-day camp/Bible school carried out in the same school in Ñipas that we have been blessed to use the four previous summers.  The children were divided into two age groups: 6 to 9 year-olds who participated in the morning and 10 to 14 year-olds who participated in the afternoons.  Attendance was good, with 18 children in the morning and 8 in the afternoon.  This brought this year’s total of participating children and teens to 34.  What a wonderful opportunity to plant God’s seeds and re-enforce Jesus.  Photos from the school:

The short, but extremely full week with the EMI team couldn’t have gone better.  Every aspect of the 90 acres was studied, evaluated & measured, with corresponding locations and designs included.  We and the team were able to stay and work at a very nice live-in school in the town of Florida, located 17 kilometers (just over 10 miles) from our property via a small sand and gravel public roadway.  The school itself had two wings for children to sleep (many children in the countryside live too far away from the school they attend to go home during the week) – one wing for boys and one for girls, complete with showers.  We had access to the kitchen and wifi internet, and the dining area was ample, with lots of windows for light.  We traveled back to Santiago on Saturday, Feb. 29, and the team gave a thorough report using their computer and our television on Sunday morning, with the majority of their team flying to the States on Sunday night.  Two Chileans (Manuel, a Christian construction engineer) and Beatriz (a Columbian architect in Chile who will also be part of our project team) attended the presentation.  Here are some photos of our week with EMI:

MARCH PRAYER NEEDS

—Currently, our land in Bodeuca has no one living on it, making it impossible to leave tools and supplies there.   We are praying for a capable, Christian person (or ideally a married couple/family) to live in the small house located on the land.  We first are making improvements to the house to ready it for occupancy.  This person or couple will need to have building and agricultural skills.

—Please pray for our team with Domingo & Sandra, and now to include Beatriz and Paola (mentioned in last month’s Prayer letter), and also pray that Manuel (construction engineer) will want to be part of the team as well.

—Pray that Roger and all members of the EMI team are blessed in their going forward and that they are able to complete their final report, containing all technical information and designs necessary to move forward, within the next two months.

—Please pray that with Paola’s help (she has extensive experience in helping not-for-profit organizations deal with Chilean municipalities and governmental agencies) we will have as much governmental cooperation as is needed in this first stage of development and that our good relations with neighboring Chileans continues.

—A Chilean friend from Nipas works with heavy equipment and tractors.  We will be meeting him and another friend of his at the property on Saturday, March 14, to look at the area we’ve designated to be dug out for a lake.  He will be advising us on that part of the project.  Thank you for praying for this impending meeting.

—There are many student and other demonstrations and disruptions expected to occur starting with this first week of March and continuing into the rest of the month in Santiago and other major cities throughout the country. Please join us in praying against violence and major disruptions and for peaceful solutions and communication.  This is a renewal of the severe violence and demonstrations between October and December.  The country is also voting in April to determine if a new constitution should be drafted.

Again, we are so grateful at how over time that God has taken his mission in Chile forward through us.  In all of the highs & lows and disappointments & celebrations, he continues to plan our steps forward.  Thank you all for being a part!!  We’d like to close with one last photo reflecting our appreciation to God and to you….

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Preparing, Planning, Carrying out, Exact-timing God,

Jack & Janine

100% DEVOTION at its Best!!

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Acts 2:41-42 (NASB)

Speaking of being devoted to on-going prayer, we are so grateful for your prayers for us and for Chile Mission!!  Again, thank you—your prayers make a difference and reflect your devotion back to God and his kingdom work!!

—The words devotion and to be devoted to someone or something are important Christian concepts.  One of our camp’s teachings this year will be focused on God’s deep love for us and never-ending devotion and commitment to us and to his plan to have every one of us back in intimate relationship with him through Jesus.  We, in turn, make the important decision of faith to enter into such a relationship, devoting ourselves back to him, beginning with our baptism and continuing as something we keep alive and growing, just as the first Christians did.  It’s exciting to share about keeping Jesus in the middle, going to his Word, and to being a part of his church, while praying everything forward.  What a huge difference that kind of awesome Christianity can make in any life—child on forward.

This month marks our 6^th year of camps for children and adolescents in middle Chile.  It will begin February 1 & 2 with a weekend retreat for teens, and then continue into the 3^rd through the 5^th with younger children.  Please pray for the retreat & camp, for each of the expected 26 children and teens, and for all of us who will be part of the camp team!   We’ve included photos of our last year camps, along with one of Amanda & Viky, who make up an important part of this year’s camp team (Renata is not pictured), with Paola, a young Columbian woman who has had extensive experience in Chile with Foundations such as our camp property project will form in its seeking of governmental, public. and private support for its mission.

—Another exciting February blessing will be the arrival on February 23rd of the EMI team of 13 architects, surveyors, different types of engineers, and an agricultural specialist, who will be linking with Chilean professionals and others in the area for the entire last week of the month on our new camp property in middle Chile.  Their job will be to walk the land, study it, and plan on how to accomplish the physical development of it according to God’s vision for it.  They then will send us their detailed drawings and conclusions within two to three months.  Needless to say, we are both very excited and very grateful!  Details and logistics for their arrival and stay are being worked on, along with the identification and joining in of the Chileans who will take things forward, including the procurement of cooperation of municipalities, businesses, and Chilean-based financial support.  Beatriz Canal, a Columbian architect and supervisor of large projects in Chile, will also be part of our camp development team.  Both Paola & Beatriz are Christians and are a huge answer to prayer, as they will bring in Chileans and others to the project as they help guide things forward themselves.  Thank you for your steady prayers for the land procurement this past year and for its ongoing development!  Included in our current needs was this week’s purchase, together with teammates Domingo & Sandra, of a 2017 Chevy double-cab diesel 4×4 pick-up.  It will be a great asset in transporting both people and supplies.  TYL!!

–Thank you for also praying for Julian’s & Devyn’s closure in Peru and return to the States.  All ended well and we look forward to having them with us in Chile for almost two weeks, beginning on February 3^rd on their way to Houston, Texas, where they will live and work.

—Lastly, please keep up your prayers for Chile, as we include the U. S. in ours.  While the country moves forward in positive ways, spotty and intentional disorder continue, with several metro stations still closed since October.  The expectations are for renewed city and country-wide protests and disorder, set to begin again in March with the re-opening of schools after summer vacation.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our TOTALLY DEVOTED TO RECEIVING US INTO REAL RELATIONSHIP SAVIOR & LORD,

Jack & Janine

Jesus making ALL THINGS new!!!

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” –Luke 4: 18-21

Jesus was (AND IS) everything he claimed to be.  As we enter 2020, he continues to make ALL THINGS new in all who come to him in earnest.  We, his brothers & sisters, are his New Creations and his Ambassadors of Reconciliation in this world. (see 2 Cor. 5:14-21).  May he, in all of his love, hope, and power, shine through and bless each of you this new year!  And thank you so much for your steady, continuing prayers for us and for Chile Mission in 2020.

December Updates

December ended with good news, mixed with some bitter-sweet. Jack’s blood tests remain the same with a very low white blood cell count—steady as she goes.  BUT, as a result of two different bone marrow biopsies (six months apart), his doctors have determined that he does not have leukemia (CMML).  PTL!!  The original bone marrow test in early 2015 clearly seemed to reflect the sickness, but it’s no longer there, so we are very grateful to God!  We are also so grateful for your on-going prayers for our health!

Chile is returning to productive life, now with its new on-going process of addressing the significant social issues and challenges of the people.  Please pray with us that Jesus would be more known and real throughout the country!

One other special end of the year blessing came in the form of being with our children & families.  The only ones missing were Julian & Devyn, who are completing their 2-year commitment in Peru, to return to Houston to live and work in February.  Please join us in praying for their re-entry and adjustment to “States” living.  Here are our two end-of-year family pictures.  (left photo, from left to right:  Jonathan & Christina family, Janine & Jack, Rob & Jordan family, Malia & Jayme family)

Our bitter-sweet news is that the twin baby Colomba in Chile died during the month.  The sweet news is that God’s grace and eternal home received her.  At the same time, it’s so hard for her mother, Marisa, and sad that Colomba’s twin, Maria Jesus, will never know her sister.  Thank you for your prayers for them!  Maria Jesus is doing well and gaining weight, and she and Marisa are back in southern Chile.

The New Year

We return to Santiago on January 9^th, and the month is set to be a “God-on-the-Move” month for several reasons.  Thank you for praying ALL the below prayer points forward!!

• We will be preparing for this year’s children’s camp and a retreat for teens, due to begin on February 1.  This year’s camp is again being planned and coordinated by Viky & Renata Aguayo.  Preparations include special training of the young adult counselors and presenters of themes.  This is the first year of offering a special weekend camp/retreat for the teens of the area.  We will use tents and it will be located on the banks of a river.
• Amanda, a new acquaintance from the States, will be with us in all of the above, with plans to stay until March.  She completed part of her studies in Santiago and has led mission trips to Central America.  It will be a blessing to have her with us for that time, as God continues to guide her forward.

• We will be spending time on and near the new camp property in Bodeuca, Chile, in January, getting the house ready for occupancy. (The windows, kitchen and bathroom sinks, and toilet are in storage to prevent them from being stolen). Janine hopes to make all necessary repairs to the house on the property to have it ready to use and stay at.  We will also use the coming weeks to make all necessary arrangements for the EMI’s upcoming February work trip to the property, that we wrote about last month.  We will have more on this in next month’s letter to you.  There are roughly thirteen professionals coming as part of their team.  Our Chilean partner, Domingo Aguayo, will use the time searching for a Chilean architect and engineer that can be a part of the development of the property, working alongside of the EMI team.
• Thank you, too, for your ongoing prayers for the ministries carried out on the Santiago mission property and for Cesar & Camila, as a family. The APEM pregnancy center that uses one our mission houses continues to gain momentum in terms of clients and help.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our ALWAYS MAKING ALL THINGS NEW SAVIOR & LORD,

Jack & Janine

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

Chosen BEFORE creation was created THROUGH HIM, and born as a baby, GOD and HUMAN through an obedient and believing virgin named Mary, he grew as A TENDER SHOOT AND ROOT OUT OF DRY GROUND into manhood.  He showed us HOW to live as extensions of the GOD ALMIGHTY, even rejected by men as he was, living and proclaiming his HOPE FOR THE WORLD.  He EVEN DIED FOR ALL OF US, in order to GIVE US LIFE THROUGH ETERNITY, RECONCILING BACK TO GOD ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM.  He ROSE FROM THE DEAD, defeating death itself and now LIVES INSIDE OF CHRISTIANS through the Holy Spirit.  God told both Mary and Joseph separately that his name would be JESUS (The Lord Saves)!

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE “BIRTH” ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

In the end, “at the name of Jesus, EVERY knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and EVERY tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.  –Philippians 2: 10-11

Giving thanks entering December

• We give thanks once again for this year’s ICOM (Int’l Conference on Missions) of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.  The speakers were incredible and challenging—both to churches and to individual Christians.  We saw many missionary and church friends, and sold many Chile marble “creations”, as usual.  As you can see in the below photo, children LOVE sifting through them!
• EMI (Engineering Ministry Int’l) will be helping us evaluate and plan the development of our new land in middle Chile.  They are set to arrive around March 2020 with a team of approximately 12 engineers, architects, surveyors, and other professionals to study the large property’s terrain and other characteristics with relation to our vision and hopes for the property’s purposes!  Below is a photo of the signature page of our agreement with EMI.  PTL!!
• Camila continues to do a good job on our Santiago mission property of connecting to the mothers staying on our Santiago mission property.

Praying in December

• The health of Colomba, one of the twin girls born prematurely two months ago at just over 1 pound each is in a very precarious health situation, having survived several operations to this point.  Camila prays with the mom, Marisa.  Please join us all in praying for little Colomba and Marisa.  Colomba’s twin sister, María Jesús, is due to be released from the hospital before year-end.  
• Also pictured above is a photo of the television report in mid October of the protests and destruction of property in different major Chilean cities this past month.  Since, several nationwide strikes and looting of stores   CONTINUE TO basically immobilize the country, as the government seeks ways to restore peace.  A revision of Chile’s constitution is set for 2020, but the protests and destruction continue.  Please pray for CHILE and ALL countries, including the United States!
• ALL OF US have relatives and friends that do not know and follow Jesus and do not have his LIVING HOPE in their lives.  Let us pray together for the rescue, hope, and re-birth that comes with a born and real Jesus, AS WE OURSELVES CLAIM IT, LIVE IT, AND SHARE IT!!

Thank you for your GIFT of prayer and fasting for our work in Chile and the work of all Christian churches and missionaries!

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our JESUS IS ALWAYS THE REASON GOD,

 Jack & Janine

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.  ⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.  ¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  ¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. ¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.  –Psalm 33: 8-12

GRATITUDES

We hope you saw our mid-October update with photos giving thanks for the successful final closing on our purchase of the large tract of land in middle Chile.  As last month’s photo showed, try to imagine a room full of nine brothers & sisters and other relatives, none of those siblings with more than a sixth-grade education and one not knowing how to read or write, present with a witness on his behalf.  Some of them asked about the necessity of opening a bank account in order to cash their check!  The property will be developed into a camp for children & youth, as well as be equipped as a year-round retreat center and more.  We remain so extremely grateful to the Lord!

We have already applied to EMI, an international ministry of retired Christian architects, engineers, & surveyors who help plan and layout mission projects in countries outside of the U.S.  The application process has gone well and we now await a formal agreement letter from them to put their team of 8-12 persons on alert, hopefully coming to Chile in or around March 2020 to spend one to two weeks on our land in order to produce site plans, etc. to use in the staged development of the property.  Please pray this step forward with us.

PLEASE ALSO PRAY

We have two photos to show you of a massive protest in Plaza Italia in Santiago two weeks ago and of what was on all Chilean newscasts a couple days later:

Some of you may be familiar with the vast unrest affecting almost all of the country of Chile at this time.  Street protests (now mostly peaceful), store ransacking, closed banks and schools, and wide-spread military presence are all reality, as enforced curfews and states of emergency in many cities continue, with new lows in the value of the Chilean peso in world markets.  …… this all initiated by an announced increase in metro fares on or about October 16^th, from 770 pesos a ride to 800 pesos a ride—roughly a 4% hike (4 U.S. cents).  Youth and delinquents quickly reacted, destroying metro stations and even burning train cars they could get to, causing hundreds of millions of pesos damage.

On the surface, the small fare increase may not seems like much, but to the huge number of lower middle and lower class of Chileans (perhaps close to 80% of the country) who rely solely on public transportation, it was the “last straw” in their struggle to meet daily needs out of a salary of around $550 per month, less the cost of public health insurance and retirement benefits( app. 25%).  The discontent has been long in brewing for a variety of reasons concerning the imbalance between the “haves” and “have nots” in Chile.

The state of peace throughout all major cities of the country can at best be described as fragile.  While we look at promised reforms and changes in the president’s cabinet and in congress, we are reminded by the above Bible passage that only the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.  Please join us in praying for Chile and for all countries.  NO country (not even Rome in its day) is immune to Chile’s current circumstance.  In the middle of it all, Jesus remains the LIGHT OF THE WORLD!

In ending, we would also like to again invite you all to attend this year’s missionary conference (ICOM) for the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.  The conference will be held in Kansas City MO. this year between Nov. 14-17, and is definitely worth attending!!  We will be at our “CHILE MISSION” booth and would love to see you there!

OUR BIGGIST GRATITUDE OF THE MONTH??  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and we are called to be his ambassadors to this world!!

Praising, praying, and fasting to our God AS LORD through Jesus, the LIGHT OF THE WORLD,

In his love and GOD unity,

Jack & Janine

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”  –Jer. 32:17

There is a saying, “God is never late; He’s seldom early; He’s always right on time.”  Together with Jeremiah 32:17, they make an ALL POWERFUL combination for the Christian in every circumstance! 

 We began this month’s Praise & Prayer Needs letter with the above.

We are sending this update to GIVE GOD THANKS AND PRAISE!!!  WE CLOSED ON THE PURCHASE OF THE 90-ACRE PLOT OF LAND YESTERDAY, OCTOBER 4^TH , and yes, we now have in our possession the land that God opened up and brought us to for the future permanent children’s camp & related other important ministries to families in Chile!!

We are so used to every significant process and purpose in Chile taking months and months, if not years and years.  Our search for land has itself taken more than 8 years, so you can only imagine how we look at time.  We agreed on price one week ago and we have closed on the purchase only nine days later.

We, the realtor, and all nine living children (originally 14 in total) of the mother’s inheritance (their father had died years ago) were present this week – Oct. 4 – for the closing of our purchase of the property.  The closing took almost 2 hours and all of the inheritors needed to be there to complete the sale to us.  What was particularly incredible to us is that all of these details were put in place in only one week.  Only God could pull that off!! 😊  None of the 9 siblings had completed more than 6^th grade in school and one needed a witness to his presence because he didn’t know how to write.  This has certainly been a large step for the camping ministry—now begins the work!  We are starting with a small frame three-bedroom house—not sure if we will have enough pressure for a hot water heater or not!  We also have a potential lake on the property, which we hope to deepen and extend for swimming and water sports!  We have lots of hills and valleys to fill with future projects!  God is good!  Here is a panoramic photo of the whole group, with Jack included:

We’re also including a photo of Rachel, her husband Humberto, and their two girls Josefina (5) and Maddie (5 mo.).  You’ve been praying for them for three months, and she continues to recover from her AVM (similar to a stroke) several months ago.  She was hospitalized roughly three months, including her surgery and recovery.  As you can see in the photo, she is now home (PTL!), and we want to say thanks for all of your prayers.  It has been a difficult situation for the family, with extended family helping with the two girls and the challenge of the complicated surgery and recovery along with language difficulties!

As always, God is the power and our source of help.  He is the only true God of the universe and it is he who rescues us through his son.  May all of us always look to him first, not last.

Praising, praying, and fasting, to our “OUTSTRETCHED ARM” God,

In his love and unity,

Jack & Janine