Mapuche Vision
We are serving as the "Champion Church" to develope a partnership to reach the Mapuche people of southern Chile. Sseveral other churches are networking together to accomplish this goal. The primary goal of the network is to "engage" the Mapuche people. To "engage" a people group is to, through a process, assume the responsibility of taking the gospel of Christ to a people group or specific area. This will allow the long-term missionary the freedom to move into another area of the country, where short-term groups are unable to go due to time and travel constraints.
The Mapuche are numbered at approximately 1,000,000. Around 1% have a personal relationship with Christ. They are spread across many different areas within Chile. Some are in places relatively accessible, and some are in remote areas. The weather can range from comfortable to very cold and snowy. A majority of the people live away from main roads, where there occasionally may be a church. One part of the country has over 600 communities with no church.
Trent Tomlinson is the International Mission Board missionary serving in Chile among the Mapuche. Each year after the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is collected, he must decide on a budget. He has to ask the question, "Who gets to hear the gospel this year, and who has to wait another year?" As churches begin to actively engage un-reached people groups, the question will no longer have to be asked. That is the goal of this partnership.
Please be praying for Missionary Trent Tomlinson and his family. Ministry has already taken place and lives have been changed. There has been an eyeglass clinic, VBS, and Tent Meetings already held. People have accepted Christ and followed in baptism, but there is still much work to be done.
Four Arkansas Baptist Churches have committed to be involved in this partnership, and several others have asked about it and are praying about getting involved. There have been two churches already take trips, and our church will be going in October 2010.
A very sobering thought is that once we engage this people group, we are potentially the only people in the world connecting them to God!
Prayer Requests from Chile (August 1, 2010)
As you read, Mario and Abner are national pastors that have a heart for the Mapuche. They are interested in planting churches among the Mapuche, and have done so and in the processing of doing so again. You will be able to see the effectiveness in their ministries by reading the requests.
* Pray for Francisco. After having a bad bout of adult Chicken Pox,
he regressed rather severely and, in a desperate attempt to help
himself feel better, he washed himself with chlorine water. His skin
is now "falling off" and he is in worse condition every time Abner
goes to visit him. However, through this experience and Abner's
visits, he is now a new believer in Jesus.
* Pray for Teresa, a 35 year old seeker. She is in bad health as she
has poor kidneys. Abner is asking prayer for her kidneys to be
renewed with hopes that she will turn to God with this miracle taking
place in her life. Doug will remember Abner asking him to pray for her
to be given "new kidneys," and that Abner would contact him when it is
accomplished. We are glad to report she is now out of the hospital and
back at home, although still in poor condition.
* Alicia, a sister in Christ from Coyahue, asks for specific prayer
for her to stop smoking.
* Pray for Mario and Estella's daughter Macarena. She is currently
living and working on her own in Santiago. Last month she was
attacked and robbed in the streets and has a head injury as a result
from this. It is not cultural for young adult children to move away
and be independent of their parents. Please pray for Mario and
Estella to have peace about their daughter living far away, and for
them to continually trust her in the Lord's hands for her provision
and safety. Pray for Macarena's physical, emotional, and spiritual
healing.
* Pray for Marcela, a dear sweet sister in Christ. Many of you will
remember her and her husband, Segundo, in their role with the church
plant in Butamallín. Marcela is a Mapuche and has had a crucial role
in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to her family and to her
people. She has been sick lately and doctors have just discovered a
tumor in her uterus. She is currently undergoing many tests to learn
more about her condition. Pray also for Segundo and their teenage son
Julio with this recent news.
* Pray for Pastor Mario and family as they seek the Lord's wisdom in
balancing their time and energy between work, ministry, and family.
* Pray for Blanca (pastor Abner's wife, from Coyahue) as she desires
to reach out to her extended family, as they are experiencing much
suffering. Pray for Pamela, her sister-in-law, who is undergoing
tests with concern that she may have cancer. Pray for Lucio, Pamela's
husband (Blanca's brother) who is struggling with alcohol and drugs,
remembering all the extra trouble this brings to the family.
* Pray for Veronica, a sister in Christ who desires to join Mario and
Estella in their ministry work but her husband will not allow her to.
* Pray for Louis, a new believer in Coyahue. Pray for his motivation
to keep going in his faith and to be a strong witness to the other men
in his community of Coyahue.
* Pray for the church in Padre Las Casas and it's new pastor Cesar
and his wife Consuelo. The church has an overall request for more
ministry workers.
* Pray for the early stages of work now happening to open doors in a
new community, Juan Cachileo, where Trent has been teaching religion
classes in the country school there. This is the area we're targeting
for Clint's team that's coming in October.
* Pray for Anders and Jess as their ISC term will come to an end in
about 5 months. Pray for the Lord to provide a new job for Anders
back in the States. Pray also for a healthy pregnancy with baby #3.
Pray for their family as they will adjust to many changes in the
upcoming months... moving and resettling back in the States, Adrielle
starting kindergarten, and the arrival of a new baby.
