“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.
Misión Chile 