The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. –Psalm 24: 1

Why this verse for this month’s Praise & Prayer Letter??  Because we find ourselves in Ñipas in middle Chile this first week of February hosting our first “day” camps for young children from the area, also meeting families that live here, and visiting churches in the area.  In looking at the natural beauty of the countryside we are reminded that the earth truly is the Lord’s, along with ALL who live in it.

Colossians 1: 15-16 reminds us that through Jesus ALL things in heaven and on earth were made.  Verse 16 goes on to say that “all things were made through him and FOR him.” Continuing in verses 19 & 20: For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  God, in his great love for all people, sent and sacrificed his own Son to reconcile all who believe and follow him back to himself.  Christian camps and centers throughout the world are an extension of that love and touch of Jesus.  We are blessed to be a part of His work!

As we’ve mentioned in past letters, the Christian camp and center is named, “LUZ EN EL CAMPO” (Light in the Countryside).  We so appreciate your prayers (and thanks) for this largely Chilean outreach and for what this beginning signifies for this central part of the country—for children and for families—in combatting social problems and transforming lives to reconcile people with God through Jesus.

We will be going out this week into the communities closest to our location and have been given the local school to use for activities (there are no facilities yet on the camp land).  We are inviting children between 5 and 9 years of age to participate, and we are a team of approximately 14 persons in total working with them.  We hope to have about 30 children participating.

Millarai and twin sister Ana are also with us and are part of those helping.  Our second praise and prayer request for this month is for them.  On January 26^th they turned fifteen.  In Milla’s case this is a BIG praise for being the same girl in her fight against bone cancer that the doctors said twice in the last two years as she laid in induced comas that she would die that very day.  At present, the future of where they will live is very much up in the air, as circumstances in Gilda’s family (the mom in the house of relatives where they have lived for the last three years) have made it necessary that the girls be moved elsewhere.  They can’t stay under our care, as we both have full-time ministries to pursue.  The girls’ options aren’t good, as being placed in a children’s home is one of them, and those facilities here in Chile are not good in many respects.

Thus, as you give thanks for their lives, please pray for their immediate future.  We are doing what we can to think of others’ involvement and placement options.  Milla and Ana are good girls, especially in light of their growing up to this point in in some very difficult circumstances with minimal love from any family.  Milla also continues to make slow but good progress physically, gaining weight and strength.

Here below is a photo of one of our recent planning meetings to prepare for this week’s camp, along with two photos taken of Ana and Milla. Their party was fun, with several in attendance.  By left-clicking on the photos, they enlarge.

Lastly, please pray for a safe delivery for Ingrid of her and Daniel’s first child, expected to arrive the first week of February.  They have been part of our work with children in the past and are presently living in one of our houses on the ministry site.  They would like to continue helping us in one capacity or another.  They know that the baby is a boy and have named him Joshua Samuel.  A great blessing for them!

Praising, praying, and fasting as we all serve The One True Reconciling Creator God and Lord Jesus,

Jack & Janine

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.  –Deut. 7:9

God’s words through Moses to the Israelites before entering the Promised Land, and through Jesus, we too now receive the same love and faithfulness of the Lord.  We are so grateful for your supporting prayers month after month and year after year, as we are convinced that mutual prayer and prayers “in common” are powerful.  There are so many biblical examples of this, especially when combined with fasting.

Our time in the States with family, friends, and churches was rich and blessed indeed. Below is our 2015 family Christmas photo—the one day, as it turned out, that we were all together.  January’s Bible verse speaks of “a thousand generations”.  Our family now contains four generations and we’d like to think that our smiles reflect the real relationship with God we have through Jesus.  Many of you remember the Swanson family as we departed for language school and Chile with 2-year-old Jayme, 5-year-old Julian, 8-year-old Jordan, and 14-year-old Jonathan.  To see the photo “full-size” just click on it.

This month’s gratitude is for God and for his faithfulness and covenant of love to all generations of Christians.  It doesn’t mean the end of “messy” life complete with very hard circumstances, but it does mean that he is right there with us, to strengthen and heal.  His faithfulness and love call us to respond in like kind.  What a good and right way to enter the new year, as God doesn’t dwell on the past, but is a God of all time that lives and works and reaches and heals and renews always, in us and through us.

Please especially pray this month for:

• The readying of the property in mid-Chile to host “day” camps for children in February (Chilean summer). This involves contacts within the community to introduce ourselves and ask for donations of food, supplies, and other needs; the building of some outdoor activity equipment, such as a short swinging bridge to cross a gully; and the finalization of leadership and those youth willing to help guide children, etc.  There is much to do, but with a unified team effort it is possible.
• Initial feelers in seeking the right Chilean Christian woman to direct our work with abandoned children. We would like to re-commence with children as early in 2016 as is possible.
• Initial seeking of a house for us to live in somewhere close to our mission property.
• A successful, good visit to Santiago of Millarae and her twin sister, Ana, who will be spending two weeks with us this month in Santiago during their summer vacation.
• The on-going preparations of Todd to arrive and work with us full-time as a new missionary. He is concentrating on church support contacts in Florida.  Please contact us with suggestions.

Praising, praying, and fasting as we all serve The One and Only Faithful, Loving, True God together,

Jack & Janine

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE.  –Isaiah 9:6

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him JESUS.    He will be great and will be called the SON OF THE MOST HIGH.  —Luke 1: 30-32a

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is THE MESSIAH, THE LORD. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and ON EARTH PEACE to those on whom his favor rests.”  –Luke 2: 10-14

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  –Rom. 5: 1-2

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making PEACE THROUGH HIS BLOOD, shed on the cross.  —Col. 1: 19-20

A very special Christmas to you all in the Jesus of the above verses!!  (All highlighting in them through italics, bold print, and capital letters are our own, to better drive home the message.)

As we enter December and end 2015, we are so grateful for & blessed by your financial support and your partnership through your prayers.  Some of you join us in fasting to further connect with God’s working in Chile.  This is an E-mail of Real Joy, Peace, and Hope in JESUS and a tribute to our One True GOD.

• Our Children’s Residence for abandoned, adoptable children is now legal and able to carry on with this important work in 2016. The work is guided by a board, there are two couples now living in two of the Residence’s homes, and the houses are ready to receive children.
• The new Christian camp for children/Christian center in middle Chile will take its “first steps” in January & February (Chilean summer) through offering some day camps to area children. A Chilean couple is in place to guide those camps, and a directing board is in formation to take the further development of the camp & center forward.
• Men living in the Casa del Alfarero Christian drug & alcohol rehab center continue to come to the Lord, making a commitment to him through baptism, as God restores lives.
• Millarae is alive and doing slightly better physically. She is currently in Santiago for part of December to continue with medical assessments and treatment, before returning to northern Chile.  She and her twin sister, Ana, will turn 15 years old in January and both will be with us again for a couple of weeks between January and February so that we can spend part of their summer vacation with them.  Many of you have been praying for Milla for almost a year.
• Several new faces are becoming a part of God’s work in Chile, joining us in different capacities going into 2016.

The words PEACE & JOY can seem so incongruent in a world filled with terrorism, persecution, hate, wars, disasters & death.  In reading the Bible, we realize that this horrible condition is exactly the setting into which Jesus was sent by God the Father.  He was sent to respect and value the lives of all persons; to enter the houses of sinners meeting them where they were at; to feed the poor, heal the blind, & free the oppressed; to live & preach the Way, the Truth, & the Life—to live & preach himself.  He taught & prepared true followers and disciples.  He was sent to sacrifice his own life.  He calls us to do the same.

Both evil and good will always be with us.  In ALL of the above, though, Jesus is the Light & Hope of the world and the only Way to real peace and to eternity with God.  Jesus lives on and now WE are to extend HIM to this dark & hurting world of ours.

Praising, praying, and fasting in a Born AND Real Peace CHRISTMAS JESUS,

Jack & Janine

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  –Prov. 19: 21

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  –Isaiah 55: 9-10

The missions conference (ICOM) was excellent, having ended November 1.  Everything is made better when we can enter a conference or day or week or month expectantly looking for the Lord’s purposes to be accomplished.  With regards to the conference, with many missions represented and so many attendees, both young and old, we know very well that God had many purposes accomplished.  Here pictured is one of the main sessions, along with a picture of Janine & me with Charlotte Barkley, missionary to Africa whose needs we have highlighted in recent months.

As a general encouragement to all, no matter how good or difficult or painful our situations, we need to remind ourselves that God really is at work in different ways through every circumstance.  We can be assured that He is in them with us and we can always trust that his good purposes will be accomplished, be they visible or invisible at the time.  We often become his extensions through them to others.

Janine & I are blessed to be in the States these two months, and we know good and well that we are here to serve God’s purposes through the trip.  We always look forward to having time and or interactions with as many supporting churches as is possible, in addition to making special trips for specific reasons that sometimes surface during the trip.  God receives glory when we Christians listen, are flexible, and respond.  So many of you individuals and churches already do this.  May the gratitude of all of us for God’s purposes realized be our NOVEMBER PRAISE in this month of Thanksgiving for his bounty and blessing.

Thank you for praying this month for Chile and the work of our mission.  We are praying for:

• The safety of our mission property during our absence. One couple, Daniel & Ingrid, are living on the property now, and a second couple, Ross & Raquel, will be joining them early in December.  Likewise, our worker Carlos continues readying the property for receiving children in 2016.
• The necessary on-going planning related to the new camp property to able to offer “day” camps in January and February. Letters of introduction need to be written and visits within the community made during November and early December.  Please continue praying for “like-mindedness”, good direction, and follow-through on the part of the team in Chile to get these things done.
• Millarai’s going forward.  She is no longer hospitalized in northern Chile. That is a praise, and she texted Janine to let her know that she is eating properly again.  We have no information, however, on the outcome of last month’s court hearing to determine with whom Millarai and sister Anna will live in northern Chile, while Milla continues cancer treatments.  Please pray for their future.
• Todd’s preparations for missionary service in Chile–that they continue to move forward well, with the help of his home church and Christian friends who are taking on needed stateside roles he will need.
• Chile as a country has for years enjoyed an extremely stable economy, based in copper, fruit exports, and growing tourism. With the fall of copper prices and challenges related to needed education reform, the country is now faced with harder times.  Please join us in praying for the country’s leadership, that it be able to unify and make good decisions.  Chile is currently ruled by the socialist party and President Bachelet does not adhere to any religion.

With love and gratitude in our Good “Purpose-Driven” God,

Jack & Janine

I (Jesus speaking) tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me WILL DO what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  –John 14: 12-13

WOW, what a strong statement of Jesus, with an equally strong promise of results!  The above verses are a good reminder and encouragement that our Christianity is an active, responding, extending relationship that changes our focus and purpose of life.  It’s a beautiful transformation that gives impetus to both our focus and our prayers in all their aspects.  God backs it all with his full attention and power.  PTL! and very cool!!

—Last month we wrote of Todd Kepschull’s visit to Chile.  He intends on coming here early next year in missionary service and has now begun preparations in that direction.  Please pray for his encouragement and understanding of what all his preparations will entail.  He has a good home church in Vero Beach, FL.

—Speaking of Kingdom service and preparations, we want to highlight this month’s annual International Conference on Missions (ICOM) of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.  You can go to the conference’s website by clicking on http://theicom.org  It will be held the evening of Oct. 29 through the morning of Nov. 1 at the Convention Center in Richmond, VA.  We participate each year with a CHILE! CHILE! CHILE! booth.  It’s a very well-done conference with good messages & praise time, good workshops for all ages, and good booths from around the world and the U.S.—all with focus on informing, equipping and connecting.  We’d LOVE to see you there.  If you are a church that goes and sends, you should also go to Richmond!  Please pray and give thanks for this year’s conference.  It in so many ways represents God in motion.  Please also pray for our safe travels in the States, as we (as always) will be covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time.  We fly from Chile Oct. 21.  Our time “in family” for Christmas is a great bonus that we give God thanks for and look forward to.

—This month will be important in terms of meeting with those most involved in the planning and carrying out of the first “day camps” at the new Christian camp/center this coming January & February/Chilean summer.  Please pray for “like-mindedness” and good direction, along with the full commitment of the team.  These are the camp/center’s first steps toward a future of effective ministry to many in that general area of the country.

—Everyone knows from our mid-Sept. update Praise & Prayer Letter that our Foundation papers (for the residence and work with abandoned children) were finished and are now signed by us.  They are now in the process (hopefully by the end of Oct.) of being officially registered with the Chilean government.  PTL!!  A couple hopeful of becoming our first set of house parents in receiving young children anew are set to live on our mission property starting this November.  With both of these steps in place, after returning to Chile from the States we will be able to seek the right Chilean person to guide the work as its director and begin receiving children.  Please stay praying and giving thanks for this tremendous ministry!

—Millarai’s impending trip to Santiago for her cancer check-up has been put on hold.  She is hospitalized in northern Chile where she lives, due to experiencing extreme weakness with convulsions.  On the other hand, she has not been not eating as she should.  It’s a very complicated situation and Gilda (the mom) doesn’t know what to do, as she must work during the day.  The doctor from Santiago handling Milla’s case has temporarily suspended Milla’s chemo pills and will keep her hospitalized at least two more weeks before re-evaluating her condition.  Thank you for your on-going prayers for Milla and for her desire to go forward.

—We tried to send out an E-mail from southern Chile, following September’s 8.4 earthquake that hit Chile’s coastal area near Illapel, roughly 3 hours northwest of Santiago.  Santiago itself was not damaged, and we are fine.  Thanks so much for your prayers and E-mails as to our safety.  Although the quake was much less widespread and less severe than the one in Feb. 2010, many lost their homes and 11 people lost their lives.  We are looking to respond to the need through one of the churches located near that zone and we’ll send out that information once we’ve got it, in case some of you would also want to respond through our ministry. In the meantime, please especially pray for families who have lost a loved one or lost their home.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Sending Us Forward and Out Jesus,

Jack & Janine

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  –Deut. 7: 9

We have two real praises to share!

1. Jack was able to be a part of a team in northern Chile constructing a much-needed addition to help finish the replacement house for a Christian woman, Domitila, who lost her home in the heavy rains a couple months ago. In the desert area of northern Chile the mountains consist of rocks and boulders—rain of any kind is also extremely rare.  Many homes in the region hardest hit were destroyed by flood waters, while Domitila lost her home when part of the lower portion of the mountain next to her house gave way, sending stone, sludge, and boulders down to where she lived.  Two boulders crashed through her house.  If it had occurred at night when they were sleeping, they would have been dead.

The government determined that those living in that area could not rebuild there, due to the possibility of future rain and the instability of the mountain.  They gave her a small plot of ground and a basic 20’ X 20’ replacement house, but one without interior walls, doors, or fixtures.  It’s difficult to imagine a family of four adults living in such a small space.  The Christian ministry Filadelfia in Vallenar, roughly one hour twenty minutes away, became aware of her plight and decided to help by constructing an additional space onto the basic government home to give her two needed extra bedrooms and an extra bathroom.

The above photos show Domitila & her nephew (who is one of the adults that live with her), the mountain next to their home showing the section that gave way, the bedroom with a boulder still inside, her replacement basic house with the addition begun, and finally, after three days of work, the addition under rood and taking shape. 

Two Chilean churches had made donations to help cover the cost of construction and our ministry, along with donations from two U.S. churches and our own Chilean church were able to cover the remainder of the cost.  Jack spent three full days helping and the construction should be completed by this Friday (Chile’s Independence Day), Sept. 18.

2. At the same time, we received a call from the attorney working to complete our new Foundation for our work with abandoned children. When he called (as this process has taken over two years) all Jack could say at first was “NO—don’t tell me!!”  but yes, our papers had just been completed.  He and Janine signed the papers on Friday, Sept. 11.  Praise the Lord to be sure!!  Notice will now be published in a Chilean paper, and the remainder of the process should be completed in roughly three to four weeks time.

              Jack & Janine signing the Foundation papers.  We can hardly believe it, we’re so happy and grateful to the Lord!!

One couple is now moving into one of our ministry property’s four houses and another couple is set to move into another of the houses the first week of Nov.  One or both of these couples might be involved in one way or another in the care of children sent to us in the future.

TIMING-WISE, we will be in the States the last week of Oct. to participate in the annual Missions Conference (ICOM) of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ and to report to supporting churches and then finally spend Christmas with our children and grand-children.  We will then be back in Chile in the first days of 2016 to be involved in January and February in some initial “day” camps at the new property in middle Chile that we have been reporting about.  Here in Santiago our goal is to be able to have at least one house parent couple in place before March so that we can start receiving children in the houses shortly thereafter.  The laws governing the care and placement of “wards of the government” children are seemingly constantly changing.  We thus are not sure at this point how those laws might affect us in this important ministry.  At the same time we will be in the best position possible with the Foundation and board both in place to take the work forward.

Thank you again so much for your valued prayer support!  God is so faithful!

Love and blessings in our “Covenant of love to a thousand generations”  God,

Jack & Janine 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  –Matt. 11: 28-30

The passage from Matthew 11 seems appropriate for several reasons and it applies to all of the ministries, outreaches, and projects (the new camp in middle Chile) we are blessed to be a part of.  There seem to be so many reasons for being “weary and burdened”–including being burdened from living one’s Christian life as a list of “requirements of the law”, to being weary from carrying one’s “own load” instead of being able to give it to God, to living under the control of a certain sin.  God favors and responds to the weak and weary who come to him through Jesus, as opposed to the arrogant person who rejects his help preferring to face life alone, and Jesus PROMISES to give us rest.  His yoke can only help us, as it does the animals that pull carts and/or plows.

Jack and Todd (Kepschull) did the morning devotional at the Casa del Alfarero (House of the Potter) live-in Christian drug center, and both his testimony and scripture were a solid encouragement for the men.  Please keep praying for them, giving thanks that they would seek restoration and rest.  Todd is visiting from our supporting church in Vero Beach, FL.  Feeling God’s call into full-time missionary service, he is with us for 10 days to see what we do and to experience Chilean culture.  Please join us in giving God thanks for how He prepares us all to serve him in unique, specific ways.  Todd also accompanied Jack to the annual retreat/conference of the pastors of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in Chile the last weekend of August.  It was an excellent time of good topics, renewed relationships and mutual prayer & encouragement.

An important event over the weekend of September 4-6 to pray for is the Marriage Encounter of the Metropolitan Christian Church.  Held twice a year, the Encounter is very effective as a positive influence toward re-grounding one’s marriage in God.  We have invited a couple to this weekend’s encounter and hope that they can attend.  The invited couples participate without cost, and then are able in future encounters to invite new couples themselves.

Our Foundation papers continue in process and our attorney still expects final approval soon.  A couple hopeful of becoming our first set of house parents in receiving young children anew are set to live on our mission property starting this November.  With both of these steps in place we will be able to begin receiving children in 2016.  Please pray with us, as we know that God is in charge.  So many laws regarding the care of children continue to change in Chile, as do the laws governing hours that people can work.

Millarai is due back in Santiago the 21^st of Sept. for blood tests and doctor appointments.  We pray for her continued health, with no new or active cancer to battle.  We also give thanks for our trip to the new camp property in central Chile last month with Roberto and Romina, the couple who we hope will lead and coordinate “day camps” there this coming January and February.  We pray for the cooperation of the municipal officials and the several volunteers needed to successfully offer the day camps.

                 Pastors’ retreat             Todd giving devotional          Roberto & Romina

Thanks to those who prayed for Charlotte Barkley of the Persecuted Church Ministry in August.  Not only did the needed funds for the sending of the second much-needed container of food and other supplies to the Congo come in, but she is now in Africa visiting and encouraging churches and ministries in various countries over a period of two months.  Safety is nothing to take for granted in those areas and countries she travels in, as war, killings, and violence are common.  The church in many parts in Africa is persecuted.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Give Us Rest Jesus,

Jack & Janine

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me (Jesus), 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.”

Jesus’ words in Luke 4: 18-19, first written in Isaiah 61, are no less applicable to us today—not just in our own “backyards”, but all around the world.  It is God’s call to the church.  There is so much need.  In Chile we strive to keep those needs in front of us in and outside of Santiago through our work with children, those striving to break free of addictions, and others recovering from natural disasters, just as we now must do through the new Christian camp and center being developed in central Chile.  Isn’t this what we as churches offer to those we invite into relationship with us, either through entering our building or through us entering their homes?  What a privilege to serve with you from here.

Our minds seem to jump to the “physical” when we hear the words poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed, and unfortunately all of those needs are real and often go unmet, but equally devastating is the reality of the overwhelming number of emotional, spiritual, and psychological poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed.  The proclaiming can only come about through relationship, going, and sending.  The true need of so many people is masked by Sunday smiles and greetings and other public encounters.

The Spirit of the Lord is now on us, the church—Jesus’ body on earth—and as the Father sent him, he sends us.  Janine & I, along with Paul & Silas in the Book of Acts and all other missionaries, have been sent out by the church to further extend Jesus’ touch, healing, and restoring.  Thank you for praying and otherwise supporting God’s work through us in Chile!

Please pray and give thanks in August for God’s working through the below ministries and their development.  Each of these ministries has JESUS at its center.

• Awaiting the finalization of the new Foundation for our work with abandoned children, we continue to work on our mission property so that it will be ready to receive children.  In addition, God will soon lead us to the right Christian Chilean couple who will serve as our first set of house parents in restarting this important work.
• All first steps (see our May Praise & Prayer Letter in the website) in developing the new Christian camp and center in central Chile.  The center will not only offer unique camp experiences to children, but also work to meet and address needs of area children, youth, adults, and families.
• The work of the Casa del Alfarero Christian drug & alcohol rehabilitation center for men in Santiago.  They work with the whole family.
• Our work with church members and others to help them realize their God-given potentials.
• Chilean Christian Church pastors and their vision.  Our annual Pastors’ conference is August 28-30.

A BIG praise—Millarai came with her mother to Santiago at the end of July for medical exams and appointments and the cancer doctors have confirmed that her health is holding.  She does need more regular nourishment and exercise, but all in all, is doing fine.  PTL!!  Please keep praying for her and for their family.

One blessing of long-term mission work comes in the form of meeting, praying for, and building relationships with missionaries working in other countries.  Charlotte Barkley, of the Persecuted Church Ministry, has worked many years in African countries in ministries directly related to this month’s Bible passage.  She has been helping Heaven Sent Ministries to send two much-needed containers of food and other supplies to the Congo.  The first container was sent off in July, but they still lack 40% of the cost to ship the second one.  To help, contact Charlotte at bushtelegraphafrica@yahoo.com  The Congo is listed as the poorest country in the world; population 65 million; 97% unemployment; Goma, the area where the two containers are going, has 1 million people and presently experiences the most violence, rebel attacks, mass killings, etc. in all Congo; 10 million have died in the past 10 years, but no one hears of this tragedy; Kinshasa, the capitol, has over 20,000 street kids.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Going, Sending, Luke 4:18-19 God,

Jack & Janine

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵ “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.  –Hebrews 3: 1-6

The above passage in Hebrews is both a call and an encouragement to all of us who know and serve the Lord.  It reminds us of being faithful in following him and in doing what we, as his church and believers are called to do.  How good that He does the rest in his perfect way and in his perfect time!  June was a busy month and as always, we have much to share.  Thank you all for your faithfulness in supporting us in prayer with thanksgiving and with finances.  You are indeed faithful.

Please keep praying for final legal approval for our new Foundation for our work with abandoned children.  Jack met with the attorney again the last week of June and encouraged him to stay diligent in working with the municipality handling the processing of our papers.  There do not seem to be any major problems with our paperwork, but rather bringing all background documents up-to-date.  For our part, we are striving to be as much involved as is possible.   In the meantime, we are in contact with two couples that are very interested in being a part of the renewed work with children here on our mission property.  God is good!!

Also in June, Jack made a trip to northern Chile to spend an entire day with the director of a children’s camp/Christian center with much the same vision as we have for our new camp and center being developed in central Chile.  Several people are involved and a good team is taking shape (see last month’s COMBINED NEWSLETTER/PRAISE & PRAYER LETTER).  Our friend Marcelo did finish his short video presentation of the land and project and it is excellent.  Click on this link to see it: https://vimeo.com/131370462    Thank you for your ongoing prayers for this new outreach and for its development.  We would love to be in a position to offer “day” camps on the property starting next January in Chilean summer.

Janine’s trip in the States continues very well.  Thanks again to our home church, Living Creek Christian Church, for providing rooms for both Donn and Janine at the NACC.  She is also attending the Christian Retailer convention in Orlando to try to open up wholesale contacts for our figures made in Chile out of playing marbles.  You can see them on  www.marblepeople.com  These sales provide income to help support our work with children.

Finally, as July also contains July 4^th, let us pray for the United States—a country birthed “under God” and by his power.  For several years we have been shaping “our OWN way” as a nation instead of remaining faithful to his.  It’s so important to be a voice as Christians, unless, that is, we would abdicate our faith and join the majority.

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our Faithful, faith-calling God,

Jack & Janine

Welcome to CHILE MISSION At MID-YEAR!  We so appreciate your steady prayer and financial support month after month and always look forward to sharing our Praises and Prayer needs with you monthly as well.  Please use this mid-year report for your June Chile Praises and Prayers, and thanks once again for keeping them flowing!!

At the beginning of each month you receive our Chile Praise & Prayer Letter link which takes you to our website to read it.  We’d like to encourage you to go to different sections of our website to become better acquainted with the current status of God’s work through us.  It’s well-organized and easy to follow and we do strive to keep it up-to-date.  We also periodically add photos.  We’d like to call your attention to…

Our updated Mission Statement  Our Mission statement needed to better reflect our emphasis on working with children.  We also noticed that it did not reflect that fact that missionaries are “sent out” by their churches to other places (good example is Paul with Barnabas).  Our re-worded Mission statement is:

               Sent out by the Church to…  reach people, and especially children, with the love of                                                                        Jesus, so they might know and follow him.

Janine’s up-coming trip to the States   We continue to work to open more U.S. venues to market our Chile-made marble people and sets.  They’re reasonably priced, super cute, and make great collectibles.  The website for them is www.marblepeople.com  The reason for selling them is to help support our work with children—abandoned and otherwise—with a source of income that might continue well into the future, supplementing sources of support within Chile itself in the coming years.

We’ve been selling the figures at the ICOM (Int’l Conference on Missions) for years and the last two years have also had a booth at the NACC (North American Christian Convention).  Janine will be flying to the States now in June to help attend our booth at this year’s NACC in Cincinnati, June 23-26.  She will then fly to Orlando the very next week to attend the Christian Retailers Show, seeking contacts to sell our figures for wholesale purchase.

We have an urgent housing need, however.  Donn Urban (Donn & Cindy have been our forwarding agent mission partners in the States for years) will bring our marble products from Indiana to the NACC.  Donn and Janine will both be representing us, setting up our booth on Monday, June 22, and taking down it on Thursday evening, June 24.  We had contacted Cincinnati Christian University about housing for them both, but after an initial response of possibilities, it took the university over 2 months to finally decide that with summer re-modeling and refurbishing of their dorms, they couldn’t provide housing of any kind.  IF ANYONE MIGHT HAVE FRIENDS OR RELATIVES IN CINCINNATI, PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, as at this time, Donn and Janine still need affordable housing.  Donn’s E-mail is donnurban@gmail.com and ours is chilemission@hotmail.com  

Again, they’ll need housing for 3 nights, June 22-24.  Thanks so much!!

Family Christian Residence for abandoned children   We will be ECSTATIC!! when it becomes possible to notify our supporters (and the whole world J) that our Foundation has been formally approved.  We are awaiting this step to begin operating once again.  Our attorney does expect final approval within the coming weeks and we, of course, keep praying that will be the case.  In the meantime we have continued with different projects of organizing in different ways and doing inventory, as well as needed improvements and repairs and painting, including the re-varnishing and repair of chairs and the re-upholstering of well-worn couches.

Two other important steps in re-opening will be the finding and contracting of both the Chilean person who will oversee the work as its director, and the Chilean Christian couple who will work as substitute parents in one of the houses, so that we can begin receiving children (target ages of between 4 and 7 years of age).  Up to six children can live in each house.  Our mission residence (houses built on our mission property) represents a major focus of our work with children.  Janine has already been in contact with an experienced, Christian social worker who will be able to help with the re-initiation of the residence’s functioning.  We plan to continue with the profile of abandoned children, with adoption of each child in mind.

Christian Camp/Center in rural Chile outside of Concepción   We are pleased and excited to announce that on May 21 through May 24, we and a team of people met at the new property to be developed into a Christian camp for children/Christian center.  It was especially good that Millarai got to go with us to experience new things and time with other special people.

Included with us in the team were Domingo & Sandra (donating the land and part of the directing board of the work), Marcelo & Cecily (Marcelo to finish the filming and interviewing needed to create a 5-minute dvd, and Cecily for her experience as a camp counselor and employee for several summers at a Christian camp in Texas), and Manuel & María Elena (as an architect, he was able to walk the property and think “first steps” such as water accessibility, sewage processing and building phases and placement).  First steps of Stage One include:

• Reviewing the property’s site map to delineate the exact land to be used for the Christian camp/outreach center. We all met on Sunday, May 31, to begin this process.
• Determine placement of areas within the land, starting with a shelter with enclosed kitchen and baths, as well as designating locations for tent camping, multi-purpose building, and cabins, along with associated costs.
• Designate the initial board members that will be making all decisions, including the camp/center name.
• Make contacts to determine the dimensions and cost of the well to be drilled.
• Meet with the notary/attorney who will be both deeding the land toward its new purpose and setting up the legal board to direct the work forward.
• Locate an administrator/overseer who can live on the property help supervise the work and initiate contacts with neighbors, municipalities, and local churches.

Marcelo estimates that the presentation dvd should be ready by the end of June.  The initial feeling of Domingo & Sandra and us is that we would like to have the property ready for one-day events with area children beginning in January of 2016 (the beginning of summer in Chile).

A main ingredient in it all, as mentioned above, is the forming and developing of relationships in the area.  Toward that end, our group attended the local Pentecostal church the weekend we were there.  Everyone in the group shared their particular role with the congregation.  Jack, as a fellow pastor, was called upon to preach—talk about having “a moment’s notice”!!  We were the only people in the church dressed casually—contrasting with the ladies in long skirts and all of the men with suits and ties!  Healthy, active, working relationships in the immediate area will be crucial if we are to have their support and participation.

We’d like to take this opportunity to again recognize and thank the Macomb Christian Church in Michigan for designating the proceeds from their yearly “Fall Harvest of Talents” event as seed money for this good outreach.  In all of our searching for property it’s taken time (inside of God’s plan, to be sure) for us to be put in contact with Domingo & Sandra who are donating the land, so we are all too grateful to finally be under way.  These are some of the photos taken during our recent trip:

Swanson housing situation   We have been looking in nearby communities for some time for housing to rent.  In order to better facilitate the first house parents’ move-in process at the mission property we have decided to wait on a separate house for us.  We sincerely hope that the first house parents will be selected and able to move in within the coming months, as that will mean that we are ready to begin anew with children.  Thank you for your prayers on these steps.

Millarai’s health   Thank you to all praying for Millarai, the 14-year-old girl with bone cancer under our care periodically!  She had an MRI May 25 to discern the exact nature of two new spots–one on her spine and the other on her pelvis–that showed up in a full-body x-ray.  The results showed that they were NOT cancer, so she was released to go back to northern Chile and not return to Santiago for further medical appointments until late July.  Her other doctors noted continued growing strength of her heart and continued healing of her kidneys, both damaged in past months from the affect of Milla’s treatments.  All totaled, ALL OF THESE ASSESSMENTS represent great news and she’s very happy.  So are we.

While we never know how God will respond in answer to the fervent prayer of his children, but we know that he will and we know that we can always trust that response.  We owe him all the praise and gratitude.

BIGGEST event of May!!!   We are all too happy that Milla made a decision to be baptized prior to flying to northern Chile the first week of June.  She was thus baptized, with the church and others present, on Sunday, May 31.  A great explanation of biblical baptism can be found in Romans 6: 1-14.  Congratulations, Milla, for wanting Jesus as both Savior & Lord of your life!

Praising, praying, and fasting with you in our MINISTRY-COORDINATING, LIFE-TRANSFORMING GOD,

Jack & Janine