Hitchhikers and indigenous Mapuche Pastors — March 2, 2005

Pregnant with twins, Rosanne had her arm and hand locked with mine as we slipped and slid on the steep gravely ox trail. Her husband, kids, aunts, and uncles were shouting farewells from the flat below. Her mother was trailing us and was having a problem sliding backwards as well. Rosanne was crying. With her left hand she steadied her knees as she walked a little bow legged. She was losing blood and was terribly frightened that she was about to lose the twins she was carrying. My thoughts: let's get to the hospital as soon as possible, please, I don't want to play doctor.

Knowing that their cubboards were bare, three days earlier I had felt the need to return to Rosanne's home with food staples. I was able to comfort her and her Mother with the statement that it was the Holy Spirit who prompted me to come back to their home when I did. Consequently, I was on hand to use our vechicle to get her quickly to the hospital. I explained to the women, that I was confident God was in control of all these events. Even though they were not Christians, this short conversation resulted in teary smiles and comfort for them as we crested the hill and waddled down to the van. An hour later Rosanne was admitted into the Chillan hospital with orders from the doctor that she had to stay and wait in the hospital for two weeks, after which the plan was to perform a caeserean.

Before all this, about one hour from our home, I slowed for a toll gate where an older woman, her daughter, and three grand daughters were hitchhiking. I ended up taking them 6 hours south to a remote town, Portesuelo, west of Chillan. They asked to be let off at the residence of an Aunt, who I found out was a born again Christian. It wasn't long before that Aunt learned about my ministery and had me trotting across town to her church. Soon it was obvious that God was quietly guiding me once again to plant our ministry in a location that was not my intent to visit. The church was full of people having a late in the evening, midweek worship service. After the leadership selected their videos from the boxer van, and after getting signed up to our ministry, a "blessing from God" was announced to the congregation. A wave of ephoria swept the people. Worship became a spirit of celebration and thanksgiving; all because I stopped for some hitch hikers along the way.

Darkness arrived before we left the church. My hitch hikers, with the encouragement of the Aunt, asked me to take them on their last leg of the trip and spend the night at the home of another daughter up on a remote mountain, one hour outside of Portesuelo. I agreed, not knowing what I was getting myself into. But I felt the Spirit once again nudging me. The dirt road got so bad with loose gravel on a steep hill that we had to walk the last 15 minutes. It was like ending up in the middle of the Ozarks of the Appalachian Mountains and finding a family in conditions like the comic strip "Little Abner".

Eventually, I had a wonderful time spending hours that night in the darkness outside the adobe homes explaining to about a dozen people what was important in Scriptures as dogs and children ran in circles about us. For dinner they served me three fried eggs and coffee. Afterwards everyone else had a serving of potatoe chips. Then I noticed that was all the food they had. When I left the following morning to continue my trip to Temuco, I had such a strong desire to return to this place with some food staples and as a consequence I was on hand when Rosanne's pregnancy turned bad.

I had left my camera in the van, so could not take photos of this family, but took the following photos of brick makers loading adobe dirt a quarter of a mile down the mountain.

 
 
 

On this trip to the Temuco area, I was able to establish our ministry in four towns in Indigenous Mapuche Churches.

Mapuche Pastor, Amadeo in the town, Nueva Imperial
Amadeo at his Presbyterian church


A replica of the historic Mapuche homes

Thank you so much, and God bless you for the part you are contributing in making it possible for us to help God's people in these remote areas of Chile.

Larry and Nikki

Video Instruction Ministries
% Harland Beery
P.O. Box 1332
Silverdale, WA 98383, USA
www.gault4him.org