Barb´s whole world just got bigger.  She doesn´t know if she´s ready for it, or exactly how it will change her, but God seems to be leading her into new territory.

First, a church-sponsored school in one of Temuco´s designated “most vulnerable” communities - Los Trigales – adopted the Girls´ Club program as a pilot project in 2012.  The test scores for the children in the program soared and the school received a special commendation from Chile´s Department of Education.

This year the school invited Barb to oversee the implementation of the program for the entire school.  Then they asked her to work with one special Girls´ Club group of fourth grade girls, also.

The other day her group talked about the virtue of courage and how it can change our lives.  Claudia, Barb´s helper, brought up the example of how one of the girls in the group received an offer of money to prostitute herself as she left school the day before.  Everyone noted the courage it took for her to say, “No.”

Barb thought to herself, “These girls are in fourth grade! I have no idea what I´ve gotten myself into.”  Even so, she goes in with the confidence that the One who “loves all the children of the world” asked her to come here.

Los Trigales is a hard, hard place to grow up in.  And so are the other places where 9 Girls´Clubs are now functioning in other parts of Chile.  Girls, and boys, too, face this kind of environment every week.

The purpose of the Girls´Clubs is to be the presence of Christ, giving girls in vulnerable situations a spiritual foundation and support network that will give them those strengths of heart and character they need to become teens and young adults making wise choices as mature disciples of Jesus.

The girls have a mentor whose weekly Bible studies and activities focus on (1) spiritual formation based on the classical virtues, (2) service projects, (3) creativity, and (4) friendship.

Girls´ Clubs Go To Santiago

Barb will be meeting with the leaders twice a month via SKYPE and they will be using the Girl´s Club materials we provide for them.

Please pray for us! The Girl´s Club program is set to double in size this year.  The mentors and the pastors are committed to seeing this project grow. Please pray for us that we will be worthy of this good work. (Eph. 2:10)

Will you help support one Girls´Club this year?  Your donation can provide art supplies, snacks, training materials and two all-day field trips for the girls throughout the year in one of these clubs.  Click on this link for more information: http://www.internationalministries.org/projects/2

How an Earthquake Started a Mission Movement

As our colleague in Bolivia, Mario Morales, puts it, the call is to help people move from being merely objects of mission, to becoming subjects of mission.

The birth of an Emergency Relief and Volunteer Network here came out of the earthquake relief work we began in 2010.

Our purpose then was not only to meet immediate human needs, but to stimulate the local church, and the convention, to be able to respond to future disasters and human need with their own resources.

Along with Pastor Lord Merino and lay leader, Moises Cruces, we “sounded the call,” inviting workers from the churches to come and serve one weekend in the villages, making the emergency shelters livable.  The Spirit called out the gifts, and the joy, of men who have always wanted to serve.

This year our mission partners endorsed the organization of the Network as a department.  The challenge now is how to establish the Network´s identity and purpose without losing its spontaneous nature.  We are watering this seedling, helping it grow into a long-term capacity for doing good in Jesus´ name.

In the last newsletter we told about the Network´s work in Tubul, a community recovering from the tsunami of 2010.

Erwin Leal leads the church in Pilinhue, a Mapuche community.  When he discovered that a woman who joined the church lived in precarious housing, he asked the Network to help.  In two days a team of twelve men built her family a new small house. 

Typical of the Network´s love of service, these were two days of fellowship, laughter, even practical jokes, bringing dignity, increasing capacity, realizing what churches can do together.

The Network faces challenges- raising money, recruiting supporters and partners, creating procedures, and even winning over some skeptics.  This just means we must keep sharing the dream of participating in God´s mission.

We don´t know what the Network will become.  The Doxology says it all.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20

 

One of the Best Things We Know

The World Mission Offering, received this month, remains one of American Baptists´ best ways to equip our missionaries and partners in mission to live and share the gospel of the Kingdom of God, making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Your gifts to the World Mission Offering empower us and our mission partners in Chile to practice the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

Thank you for your longstanding support and prayers. May God bless and equip you with every good thing for doing his will.

Two Updates:

Rainwater Collection Project

1. The medical clinic, which is the site of the rainwater demonstration, is finally approved to re-open, and we will hold an inaugural Medical Mission, with the FBC from Concepcion, Chile, in November.
2. God is bringing alongside us people to help.  A friend from Texas with experience in rainwater collection systems, is coming to help us install it.  Plus, recently we met another missionary here who is working on a similar project, so we can collaborate.

Beekeeping Intensive Classes

1. We have four women for the first time in our Novice class. This year we will continue helping another twelve established beekeepers.
2. More about this, plus our experience in the transition to the new top-bar hives, a way to keep bees with less costly inputs, and less heavy lifting.