Pastor Mario Explains Chilean Response to Earthquake Relief

The IMB posted an audio link of Pastor Mario and an interpreter briefly describing the spiritual fruit that has been produced as a result of the temporary shelters built for earthquake relief. Listen to it here by clicking on the hyperlink above.  Praise God for what He is doing and ask Him to keep doing more and more.  Ask God to open these people's hearts up more, that they will hear and understand the gospel, and that they will invite Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior. Pray that communities of new believers sprout as a result of the relief efforts being done in the name of Jesus.

IMB Reports on our Chile Trip!

As you know, Second Baptist Church of Russellville has a team in Temuco, Chile right now until the 26th.  The IMB wrote a story about what is going on in Temuco this week.  Please read it here: http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?StoryID=8505#

Also, there are prayer updates on the IMB's site at imb.org/pray and if you're on Twitter, you can get updates from them about earthquake relief if you follow #QuakeResponse.

Please continue praying for the strength and wisdom of the missionaries and their families, the Second Baptist mission team, the Chilean churches reaching out, the southern Baptist relief teams from Texas and Oklahoma, and the IMB staff over there.  Also, ask God to use them to help and minister to the Chileans who are in need.

God's plan of Restoration in Chile

There are many details about what is going on in Chile and many things to pray about!! The Hinds, Snyders, and Tomlinsons have been busy assessing and meeting needs for disaster relief. They have been putting together and shipping off hundreds of care packages with essential items for people in need. They also have begun constructing a temporary shelter. There have still been several significant aftershocks since the initial earthquake. On Thursday there were 6.9 and 7.2 aftershocks. Today there was a 6.2 aftershock. At the same time on Thursday, Chile was holding an inauguration for their new president by the coast and the missionary’s first volunteer team began arriving in Chile. This team is a part of Baptist Global Response and their specialty is setting up a large outdoor "soup kitchen" that can feed thousands of people in one day. They are hoping to have the soup kitchen running by Monday to feed 3,000 people a day.


Also, Second Baptist Church is on the calendar to serve in Chile over Spring Break. If you remember, they were actually planning this trip long before the earthquake hit. Their plans on exactly what they would be doing there have changed because disaster relief is the greatest need right now. There are five additional trips in the planning process right now among the churches of the Arkansas Mapuche Network.

We are far away from the devastation in Chile, but please consider what the Holy Spirit is urging you to do to be a part of the efforts to restore Chile, physically and spiritually. Throughout it all, God’s purpose is to be glorified.

PRAY:

• For continued strength, stamina, and safety for the Hinds’, Snyders’, and Tomlinsons’ and for the Baptist Global Relief team

• For the new president of Chile

• For aftershocks to cease

• That all of the disaster relief efforts will meet the Chilean people’s needs and that this will be an opportunity to draw more people in toward Jesus

• For opportunities to share the gospel message to those who haven’t heard

• For the soup kitchen to begin serving thousands of needy people food by Monday

• For the Second Baptist team’s trip next week—for safe travels, for God to use their service for His purposes, for opportunities to invite people to invite Christ as personal Lord and Savior

• For the prospective mission trips through the Arkansas churches

• That God will use you in what He is doing in Chile to bring restoration to them and glory to himself

Mini-Update 3/03/10

Angel Tomlinson sent me an email.  She said that everyone got back from their visit out of town and Luis and his family are doing fine.  Praise the Lord!  She also said that a huge area from Puerto Saavedra up past Concepcion seems to be with no water, food, power or means of communication.  Please pray for relief and help in these areas. Please pray that God will give everyone serving the energy and wisdom they need. 

Earthquake Update 3/02/10

Since the earthquake, we've gotten some updates from the missionaries.  They have all updated their blogs, as well, if you'd like to see them.  The Tomlinsons' blog site is: http://tomlinsonsinchile.shutterfly.com/#  The Hinds' blog site is: http://davidandlindahinds.blogspot.com/  And the Synders' blog site is: http://www.arethesnydersthereyet.blogspot.com/  They got power back long enough to send out some prayer requests online, but their power has gone out again.  I didn't hear if they got water or not, so please keep praying that they will get water.

I asked for prayers for the Chilean missionary to the Mapuche, Luis and his family.  Luis's wife is Maria and they have three children (not two, as I stated in the previous post)--Danitza(11), Isaac(4) and Michelle(3). Nobody has heard from them yet. Please pray that they're okay!

Angel said at 2 am Monday morning (their time) that they were still experiencing pretty significant aftershocks, which are really unnerving.  Please pray that the aftershocks end and for God to protect and comfort those who have been affected by them.

Today, Anders, Trent, David and a nurse from another organization, Ruthann, went north to offer assistance and assess opportunities to help. Jess and the kids are at the Tomlinson's house. An IMB team has arrived in Argentina and are organized themselves to cross over to Chile yesterday, perhaps to meet up with the missionaries in the middle. Pray for clarity of mind, protection from fatigue, physical protection, and a peace and calmness that testify to our faith in a sovereign God and our savior Jesus Christ.

I will try to keep relaying updates here as I get them, but you can also check the "Mapuche Network" if you have Facebook.  It is a "group" on Facebook--please join it.  This group page gets updates the quickest.  Also, remember the Tomlinsons', Hinds', and Snyders' blog sites. 

Earthquake in Chile

This weekend, there was an 8.8 earthquake in Chile. Angel Tomlinson said that they felt the initial tremors for about three minutes. All of the missionaries are physically okay, although there was some damage to their homes and I am sure that the experience was unnerving for everyone. I know that Trent and Angel Tomlinson’s house had some minor damage and the other missionaries have relocated to their house since it is not part of an apartment building. At first, they had no power, internet connection, cell phone service, or water. They now have power and hope to get water within a day or two.


Trent and Caitlynn Tomlinson traveled outside of town to get water from a friend's house and reported a good bit of damage in the city. The hospital was evacuated because of broken windows and water from the A/C units leaking through the damaged roof.


Rich Miller, logistics manager for the IMB in Santiago, had driven to the mission office to turn off an alarm that sounded around 2:00 am (their time). Just as he reached his car in the underground parking lot to go home, the building began swaying, cars were rolling everywhere. He was able to climb up the ramp and escape the building. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT MIRACLE.

Another huge praise is for the Tomlinson’s son, Aaron. He said he was not scared because he knew that even if he died, he would go to heaven because he had asked Jesus to forgive his sins and live in his heart. His family knew he was on the verge of making a profession of faith and they don't know if it was before or during the quake, but Aaron KNEW God's peace. Shout hallelujah for that.

Here are some ways to be praying.


1. Thank God for keeping all of the missionaries safe and for protecting Rich Miller. Praise God for Aaron’s profession of faith in Christ and the peace he has in God.


2. Pray for continued safety and calmness over the next several days as the aftershocks hit; they are unnerving! Looting will be a problem during the night. The yard is surrounded with a high fence and electric gate so they should not have a problem.

3. Luis is a Chilean missionary who lives near Concepcion; he has two young daughters (11 and 9 years old) No one has been able to make contact with them; they would have been hit with some of the worst of it.


4. Right away all the men on the team will begin to assess the worst areas and determine the best way to minister to people. Pray for their safety and wisdom. Pray for God to use the circumstances of this earthquake for good and for His glory—to draw people to Him.


5. Pray that Temuco gets some water soon. Water is so important to daily life, especially bathing! Pray for God to provide water.

6. Pray for God to comfort the Tomlinsons, Snyders, Hinds and their children and all of the people in Chile.

P.S.  The Snyders have updated their blog and it reports that God has protected and comforted them and their children in such a great way. Here's the link to their blog: http://www.arethesnydersthereyet.blogspot.com/

Pray and Ask Expectantly!

God has been working mightily in Chile. Let us praise him for that. Two new outreach programs have started up this month in two locations. The missionaries have been partnering with pastor Abner in these works. Every Saturday morning the Tomlinsons head out with Abner to Entruco and Saturday afternoon the Snyders head out with Abner to San Ramon. These children programs consist of Bible storying, songs, and games. The hope is that these programs will introduce the gospel to many children, and into families, and then perhaps a new church plant that will reach the community. A children’s outreach event like this recently happened in Nueve de Julio, where God granted them a wonderful turnout! Eighty people showed up for the outreach event and many of them stayed to watch the Jesus film! Also, God has been such an encouragement and a provider for the missionaries, showing that His hand is in this work. Please read The Snyder’s Feb. 22 blog post to see the neat way that God showed His sovereignty for the sake of the Mapuche ministry. Also, praise God that the Snyders were incredibly blessed by their recent visit from Jessica’s parents. God is so good.


Praise God:

• For being a sovereign provider and encourager to the missionaries
• For what He has been doing in Chile and for what He will do
• For the fruit he has produced in the children's ministries
• For the team coming to Chile in March

Ask God:

• To prepare the Mapuche people and the Second Baptist Church group for their March mission trip, so that there will be new believers because of it
• To use the children’s ministries in San Ramon, Entruco, and Nueve de Julio to share the gospel and produce a community of new Christ-followers
• To protect the missionaries and local believers against spiritual warfare.
• To help Heraldo in his efforts to follow up after ministry events and form home bible study groups by raising up helpers and new home bible study members
• To bless the efforts of David and Linda Hinds, who are doing work on the coast

• To guide the missionary team as they undergo changes in strategy and direction in reaching the Mapuche people