Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Congregation San Pedro

Early this morning four members of our group flew to Punta Arenas to visit several EILCH congregations licated at the very southern tip of Chile. We will miss them but it will be excitung to hear their stories when we're re-united in Santiago on Sunday. 

Today started like most our days since we arrived in Chile by visiting one of the EILCH congregations. Today we spent the day with Pastor Oscar visiting the Congregation San Pedro, their two satellite congregations and a domestic violence center that they support. Like their Chilean brothers and sisters that we've met, they passionately expressed their faith and how it motivates them work against various injustices in their communities. They always graciously serve us coffee or tea and a snack.

Our first stop today was a domestic violence center where the director, Marta, warmly greeted us. The area where it is located is in a very delinquent area that has a high incidence of drug and alcohol abuse. Their goal is to provide a safe place, counseling and support for both men and women who are hurting. Marta succinctly described, "We are located in a place where there is much pain and where there is, at times, no hope. Our mission is to ask our clients, 'What is it that I can do for you?'" as we strive to be a place of hope." On average, they work with 3-4 families per month and it is independently funded by the church and private donations. 

A satellite of Congregation San Pedra is next door. This way they are able this to support the at-risk families by giving them a faith community. "The church's influence greatly increases the success of the patient's recovery," stated the center's psychologist who is also a member of the congregation. "We are a church of open arms." Several of San Pedro's members volunteer at the center including Maria who comes every Tuesday to pray for the needs of the center and emphatically stated, "It is the best way, the only way, for the church to work together for families." 

We met Hosea, one of many community monitors who are trained to raise awareness in the community to try to prevent abuse before it occurs. Edith is a social worker at the center, who is a Mapuche (native Chilean), and who works directly with the Mapuche community which have unique needs and suffer from much racism. 

Other highlights of the day included:
~ Hearing Sebastion play the vibes. (There was no school today since the students had been given an "earthquake day" (Chile's version of an Iowa "snow day" I guess) and singing songs while Pastor Oscar played guitar.
~Hearing Hosea's powerful testimony at our devotional this afternoon where he stated, "A church that serves, works. But a church that does not serve, does not work." and "God is not looking for super humans but instead sons and daughters who are made in his image." He shared how he learned skills while in prison during the Pinochet dictatorship. He was tortured and it tore his family apart but now he is using those skills to help others. He challenged all of us with the statement, "The only way to affect change is to feel the pain of the mother whose son is a drug addict or in prison." Carry the cross!
~ Seeing the church and meeting members of the Congregation San Pedro, which is located in a fishing community. Many members are fisherman and they expressed their fears about the future of their livelihood. It is becoming very apparent that part of the Chilean way is to 'fight back' which is what they are trying to do.
~Meeting members of the new Congregation Maria Magdelena which started after the 2010 earthquake and tsunami. It started with Pastor Oscar visiting the temporary camps for those whose homes had been destroyed. Recently they were able to purchase one of the new homes in the re-developed area as an outreach. It was exciting to see the young mothers there who showed a deep passion to reach out with the gospel in this new development. When asked what gives them the motivation for this outreach one mother stated, "Before I didn't know anything about the Bible but know I know more. I have learned to value myself as a woman, it's been good for my family and I want to share this love of Christ with others too."

Well, that's what we want to.....to share the love of Christ!

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Psalm 33:1-5






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