PHOTOS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS — Feb. 2010
I just returned from another 1000 km. trip in the south of Chile rotating DVD bible classes along a section of remote coastal fishing villages.
Located at the end of the dirt road in the village of Boyecura lives layperson, Senora Hortencia. She uses our classes in a small church of 12 members. She and I talked for some time about her frustration over the different pastors who had been sent to give pastoral oversight. They all had a tendency to "lord it over the people", which would "drive the people away from the church". We talked about how scripture talks about this as a common tendency in men. I encouraged her to remain strong in prayer and keep a sweet spirit. That would do more than locking horns with the men. I noticed that she selected a few DVDs that dealt with the qualifications of church leadership.
In Paredones we opened our ministry with Maria Terica. Her opening comment: "I am so glad you have come here, as we do not have anything in our church. She is temporarily in charge until someone comes to give leadership. We are helping a couple dozen women throughout Chile who are in the same situation as Maria.
Further south, in the small fishing village of Lipimavida, I had a very heavy spiritual time in counseling.
Edith has used our classes for years to help her father in a small church in Vitacura. Her father (who was a very good friend of mine, and who came to work for me one week to install a balcony outside our home) died a couple months ago. News to me, Edith told me that her Mom has been using drugs, practicing witchcraft, and told me that her Father was suspicious that her Mother was poisoning him. Two days before I arrived, the police had been there investigating her Mom about drugs and close to the home, a murder out on the street. Edith believes that it was the local drug dealer who was shot. Some of my visits get a little heavy sometimes. Most often because of witchcraft. My counsel to Edith finally boiled down to: "Get out of your Mother's home - find your own place. It is too dangerous here for you, your husband, and daughter with the witchcraft taking place." This was way over her head and she was in danger of marital problems as her husband wanted to relocate.
Besides visiting several churches on this trip, my travels in the outback takes me past interesting locations. The photos below show where I yearly purchase our salt. Boy does this salt have flavor when we use it in our food. It is full of minerals from the ocean. It is sad how food processing and packaging for super markets eliminate the flavor and minerals found in sea salt. Even the "sea salt" that the markets sell do not have the flavor of what we buy. It also must be subjected to some processing.
And then there is a swan that is only found in Chile: The Black Neck Swan, compares in size to our trumpeter swan in the States.
In God we live and find peace! To Him be all the Glory!
He will hold you up and will make provision when the black economic storm clouds I see on the horizon arrive. The time is drawing short, friends!
Let us continue fighting the good fight. We send our thanks to those who faithfully continue their partnership in our ministry, Larry and Nikki
Video Instruction Ministries
P.O. Box 1332
Silverdale, WA 98383, USA
www.gault4him.org
