September, 2022
“Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6
Dear friends and brethren in Christ,
Over the past few months we’ve seen at least three of the Venezuelan families to whom we have ministered, decide to go back to Venezuela or some other country. Jobs are hard to come by here and housing cost is high. Although they might earn more in Arica, after housing costs, there is very little left to live on. It´s tough for us to see them go, but we are thankful for the brief time the Lord allowed us to have with them and for those that received Christ as their Saviour. It is however, part of the nature of ministry with refugees that they often move on. Philippians 1:6 and Psalm 138:8 encourage us. God finishes what He starts. He will not forsake the work of His hands. What He commenced, He will continue and complete. Thank you for your prayers for these dear ones, that those who were saved will continue to grow, and that those who heard the gospel (but have not made a decision yet) will soon receive Christ as Saviour.
Philippians 1:6 also encourages us concerning our daughter, Debbie, as she recently left for the USA accompanied by her mother. She will be working at the Wilds Christian Camp in Brevard, North Carolina where her brother Jeremy also serves and works on staff. We recently had a homeschool graduation for her at our church in Arica. Jim spoke on Dorcas from Acts 9, as a life that touches others. Debbie is greatly loved here and has left a lasting impact on the lives of many, especially our young people. She is her dad’s encourager. During the pandemic, Debbie served behind the scenes recording our online services. We have seen her grow into a lovely Christian young woman, and trust she will continue to grow and touch many lives in the US with the love of Christ. Pray that the Lord will give her many new friendships and lead regarding her future and desire to attend a Christian university next year.
In July the Lord permitted us to have an in-person mini-camp at our church building. New Covid cases, along with restrictions that are still in place, kept us from having a full camp. But we were able to meet from 3:30 to 9:30 Thursday to Saturday, afternoon and night. The theme was, Though the
Currently, Melody is in the US, not only accompanying Debbie and getting her established there, but also to help our daughter Becky. Becky had successful surgery to remove a tumor. Thank you for your prayers for her. The operation went well and the pathologist came back with a wonderful report of “benign”– for which we rejoice. Becky will be recovering for several weeks, yet we praise God that she is doing well. We are so grateful that the Lord made it possible for Melody to be there for the operation and for some of the recuperation time as well. God takes care of our kids. Being away from family is part of missionary life. It’s difficult sometimes, but the Lord is always faithful to care for the children he gave us.
A ladies’ conference was recently held at the two Arica churches, with the theme of Psalm 56:3, What time I am afraid, I will Trust in Thee. It was a blessing to have a large group attending from the Iquique church and to see how He is blessing them. If the Lord permits, Melody is hoping to travel to Iquitos, Peru later this year for another ladies’ conference. Much will depend on the development of the pandemic and restrictions in place at the time. We have not been to Peru since the pandemic began.
Well, as we close, pray for us as we adapt to an empty nest for the first time since 1993. We have so much to be thankful for. We are thankful for God’s grace in helping Melody and our children through all the years of homeschooling. We are also thankful for Jim’s successful surgery earlier this year; he is doing fine.
We trust in Christ’s work on Calvary and in the hearts of those who have received him. From the first day (Philippians 1:5) until now (verse 5), and until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6) Christ will continue and complete what he began. This is our confidence as we continue to press on here in Arica by God´s grace and your prayers.
Thank you so much.
Your Servants for Christ’s sake in Chile,
Jim, Melody (Debbie, and Becky)