Supporting Christian Mission in Chile
It is great to receive photographs from our contacts in Chile. These are of the Te Deum thanksgiving service, attended by representatives of the authorities, to pray for Chile.
In photograph No 7 they are from left to right: Senator of Republic Mr. Ivan Moreira, Deputy of Republic Mr Javier Hernandez, Pastor Miguel Pérez and the Mayor of Osorno Mr Jaime Bertin.
It was great to hear from Pastor Ronny Pulgar Hughes about the dedication of their new chapel in Porvenir. Ronny writes:
“On Saturday August 25, the southernmost Methodist Chapel in the world was dedicated and consecrated, in the town of Porvenir, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, in the extreme south of Chile.
“The presence of Superintendent Revd Luís Hidalgo Ruiz and pastors Ronny Pulgar Hughes and Ariel Vega Herrera, along with a large number of brothers, gave a real boost to this great missionary work. After 4 years of door-to-door evangelization by Pastor Ronny Pulgar, today they bear the fruits of evangelization by making known the testimony of Christ and the presence of the Methodist Work in Chilean Patagonia.”
Chile for Christ is looking for one or two more people to join its Management Team. Geraldine, one of the founder members of Chile for Christ, agreed to stay on as our secretary for a year when the new team took over from Arnold. In January of this year Geraldine’s husband was involved, as a pedestrian, in a very serious road traffic accident and she now needs to concentrate on caring for her husband. Please pray that God will call the right people to join the team so we can continue the work in Chile. Please consider too whether He could be calling you.
These photographs show Filadelfia Church’s annual baptism service in Lago Puyehue on 28 Jan 2018. While we in the UK were between snowfalls, the southern hemisphere enjoys its summer, and what better way to celebrate than with baptisms in a lake.
Click on one of the images below to see the full size version of these photographs by Rodrigo Pérez Pinela, son of Pastor Miguel.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.Matt 7:24-25
The traditional approach to this passage is to emphasise the importance of firm foundations. Don’t build your life upon the shifting sands of uncertainty, instead make strong foundations by making a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, which will underpin your life and strengthen you when storms come.
But the story also works at a practical level. Climate change, flood, storm, fire and earthquake mean people are at risk from very real and dangerous weather situations and natural disasters. Their houses could very literally fall flat.
The foundations we seek to build are made not just of faith and prayer but are also strengthened by practical action which makes hope a reality for those who long for shelter and a place to call home. It is the practical outworking of the love of Jesus in the world.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.James 2:26
Based on notes by Mandy Briggs for Fresh from the Word Bible reading notes.
After 25 years of service as Director since Chile for Christ was first registered as a UK charity, Arnold Page formally tendered his resignation at a meeting of the trustees held on 27th July, 2017. Martin Cove, another trustee and former treasurer, also retired.
Brenda Gooding, an existing trustee, was appointed as the new Director of the charity. At the same meeting four new members of the Trust and management team were appointed: Philip Munro as Treasurer, Danielle Deakin as Communications Officer, Simon Large as Website Manager, and Paula Pérez Goldberg as the Trust’s official representative in Chile.
The new appointments were seen very clearly as answers to many prayers for the Trust to be able to continue its important ministry for the Lord and his people.
For three years Methodist Pastor Ronny Pulgar of Punta Arenas has been regularly taking a ferry across the Straits of Magellan to the great island of Tierra del Fuego, patiently building up a community of Christians through visits, evangelism, house worship and bible teaching. Chile for Christ has contributed towards the cost of these trips, and we have also bought Bibles and ‘Why Jesus?’ booklets in Spanish for him to use on his visits.
Earlier this year we asked on this website for prayer for money to buy a property in Porvenir to serve as a church building. The small town of Porvenir is the capital of Chilean Tierra del Fuego. In July the national Chilean Methodist Church took out a loan equivalent to £36,000 and bought a house on a street corner. It had no water, gas or electricity connected and it was very dirty. Enthusiastic church members have been cleaning it out, but even before they began they held a service of thanksgiving inside the building and dedicated it to the service of God. The picture above was taken by Ronny at this service – which explains why the room looks so bare!
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.Zechariah 4.10
Pastor José Canipane Sagredo may have seen his house and church building burnt to the ground in January’s devastating forest fires, but he is far from being burnt out spiritually! Having cleared the site and erected little more than a garden shed to serve as a home for himself and his partially sighted wife Adela, he borrowed a marquee and continued to hold church services, even though most of his former congregation had left to join other churches. His remaining congregation is gradually growing again.
Through prophetic words and an assurance of God’s call for him to be a pastor, José has pressed on with the rebuilding work in the belief that God will create something even better than before.
Chile for Christ has contributed £3000 towards the cost of building materials. But José and Adela need much more than that to complete the work. Will you help them?