WHAT AN EXPERIENCE THIS TIME MINISTERING IN THE DESERT OF CHILE; I HAD A WEEK LONG PROBLEM! — August 21, 2008

desert road
north
Quillagua and sand

BUT, I covered the ground, visiting the pastors in the mining towns and small agricultural communities along valleys with creeks being fed from the Andes.

The people were surprised and happy to see that we had DVDS instead of video cassettes as the majority had already made the switch. As usual, during this time in the North, I dropped a few pastors from our ministry who either had moved or were not effectively using our materials. I also signed up several new pastors. Four of the new pastors I signed up have radio programs reaching their whole communities. They were like kids in a candy store, ecstatic, as they picked out DVDS that they planned to use in their churches and on their radio outreaches. They always want more than they can use. I let everyone borrow about 25 to 30 DVDS. Maybe that sounds like a lot, but I visit them only once a year.

I have been asking for references of pastors with radio ministries and have been seeking them out because they are giving us more exposure to both untaught Christians and the unsaved. We now have about two dozen pastors using our ministry over the radio waves or close circuit television throughout Chile.

Pan American in the north

THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER accompanied the rattling sound of metal grinding on metal, and the blinking of the alternator red light on the dash board prompted me to send many a prayer for help from the Lord. I had to get to a community which are often hours apart in the desert. No way can I stop and abandon the van and its contents to hitch a ride to the next town, as I could find everything robbed when I got back. There is no cellular phone coverage in these areas to call for help. So, one has to push the limits and let the rubber burn. As it turned out, it was the "damper" that disintegrated and which had caused the drive belt to the alternator to go slack. Finding myself several times leaning forward over the steering wheel and holding my breath, trying to push a little, I would force myself to sit back in the seat and take a long breath. This went on for almost one and a half hours before I came up on a gas station with a couple places for the truckers to eat.

I pulled over and the noise really got loud when the motor slowed to an idle. I turned the motor off and a cloud of smoke came boiling into the van from under the dash. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and popped the hood; no fire, only black smoke. I tried to move the van a little closer to a building but the battery was completely dead. Thus, started the week long ordeal of getting a new damper sent from Santiago.

Can you believe it? The Lord provided a mechanic at this remote location. A fellow who wanted to get away from Santiago had come up to this thumb tack of a place in the desert. Here he was waiting for work, and I was happy to hire him. Before I left home on this trip, as always, I took my van to the mechanic to do maintenance and check everything out. There was a strange noise, but he could not locate the source. Since there was a cellular signal at the gas stop, I phoned him and explained the need for a new damper. He found one and got it sent out on a bus.

I was 200 kilometers south of Iquique, so I was able to phone a friend who lives there. When he got my phone call, he "was on the road ten minutes later" coming to pick me up. So, I spent a week in Iquique waiting on the bus line to deliver the damper.

another desert road
Poconchile

So often when I drive into some of these remote communities, I would feel like I am visiting the "Wild Wild West". I would pass buildings bleached and twisted from the constant sun. Other buildings are made of adobe. Occasionally there is a donkey tied up. Frequently there are old men sitting on the plaza benches riveting me with their eyes as I pass by. I would get the feeling of being Clint Eastwood riding into town looking for the Good, Bad, and the Ugly. All of whom God created and who He wants reached with the Gospel.

Thank you very much Brothers and Sisters for your faithfulness in supporting our work down here! Blessings in Christ, Larry and Nikki

 

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