Hello dear family!
We are getting close to ending this year 2022 with a very challenging year for our missionary ministry in Chile & Colombia, but in everything, the Lord reigns and we are so grateful! VISIT TO THE US
During the July and August. I travelled back to the U.S. for the first time since leaving Lansing, MI five years ago, when I finished my Bachelor’s Degree at Great Lakes Christian College.
Thanks to an invitation from Rock Lake Christian Assembly, I could share about our mission in Chile and Colombia, as well as visit our home church West Lansing Church of Christ, Plainfield Christian Church, and connect with new churches, families and friends. I could not visit with all my family but my sister, Miriam, was able to be with me during that time. We thank God for the opportunity to visit Michigan, and we pray to visit again in the future, this time with Adriana, Abigail and Antonia, to connect with new churches and friends from other states that could be interested in knowing more about our missionary ministry in South America.
MISSION IN CHILE
Thank the Lord in Chile we are ending the year with great satisfaction and praises. At the beginning of the year, we found it necessary to make adjustments in our ministry due to the lessons we learned during the time of the pandemic. We made changes with the purpose of improving and making our ministry with the churches a healthier one, to be a blessing for many people. We thank the Lord for his direction and blessing because it is these changes that have allowed us to have a year of growth like never before in our congregations in the cities of Santiago and Melipilla in Chile. We are excited because many of those who visit us have been integrated through our discipleship program that we call "Casas de Fe" (Houses of Faith).
We have had people with nationalities such as Colombian, Venezuelan and Peruvian visiting us, as well as several Chilean neighbors from around the site where we meet. We glorify our Lord because we have had 10 people baptized this year, and we already have new people to be baptized in the coming days.
At Vida Real Iglesia Cristiana Santiago, I am pastoring with the help of a young brother whom I am training as a pastor, brother Matías Molina, who was very faithful and a great help to the congregation during all the years that the pandemic lasted. I am looking to prepare more leaders and pastors for our ministry in Chile and Colombia. Please, keep praying for Matías.
Thank God in the city of Melipilla we continue growing and improving the new facilities that we rented for the ministry of the church. We are so happy because we’ve already had 6 people receiving baptism this year, and new people to be integrated into the church. We glorify our God through our lord Jesus Christ!
SHORT TERM MISSION TRIP 2023
Thank God, we will have a new STMT, a group of friends coming to Chile again after a stop due to restrictions from the pandemic. Until today, we have five friends coming from Michigan to serve with our new congregation in the city of Melipilla, and we’ll probably have more friends becoming part of this new STMT. Please keep this group of brethren on your prayer for a good trip preparation and time of service in January 20-28.
MISSION IN COLOMBIA
We are so happy that the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to visit our church in the city of Barranquilla in northern Colombia. We want to thank Rock Lake Christian Assembly, churches and friends from Michigan, which support us to continue what the Lord commanded us to do in Chile and Colombia. Thanks to this support, we could travel to Colombia where we will spend six weeks to encourage the church, preach, teach and visit many people who have contact with our congregation Vida Real Iglesia Cristiana Barranquilla. Please help us praying for this congregation and for our time here in Barranquilla.
LAWM BIBLE INSTITUTE
We continue with classes at our Bible Institute in Chile. For now, we have online classes for ten students this year. We are looking to have a graduation ceremony at the end of January.
We are praying and looking forward for 2023 to have ace to ace classes and continue having online classes for students from different countries in South America. Thank you so much for praying for the mission and the work of our Bible Institute of training new leaders and pastors.
JOANNE CLAYTON
A couple of weeks ago, one of our very good friends and part of our family in the US went to be with our Lord.
Joanne (Jo) Clayton was someone so special for my wife, daughters, and I during the five years we spent in Great Lakes Christian College. We can say that Jo Clayton was a lady that God used to teach us the meaning of generosity. Jo Clayton connected us with more new friends that are still taking part in our ministry and family. The influence of Jo was so important to our family that my wife, Adriana, and I decided to give Abigail, our first daughter, the middle name “Jo,” so we can always remember Jo Clayton. Jo loved our daughter Abigail and Abigail a lovely grandma. Thank God. on my last visit to Michigan I had the opportunity to visit Plainfield Christian Church and spent some time with Jo. Also, I had the blessing of connecting with two of Jo’s children, Winnie and Ben Clayton, and discover, through them, the influence of Jo on many people and churches during her life.
God always is so good, allowing us to have great Christians friends who stand with us.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Dear friends, we do not have enough words to thank you all for being part of our missionary ministry and family. Your prayers, continue messages to us and your financial support allowed us to see many faces coming to Jesus our Lord in repentance, many of them with tears and joy. You are part of what the Lord is doing in Chile and Colombia! Have a wonderful Christmas celebration with your family and friends. We love you! For God’s glory!