It’s not often that you meet a person who’s faith humbles your own. You might meet a person whose intellect, skills, or power humbles you. But, rarely faith.
Isabel has such faith. She lives in the poorest part of Quillota, Chile. First, you should know that Chile is a very first world country. The place I’m staying is nicer than our house in Atlanta. So, it’s not what people might expect.
Yet, in this little burro on the outskirts of Quillota lie a multitude of needs. Needs that God cares deeply about. Drugs. Gangs. Prostitution. These are part of every day life. Someday, perhaps they won’t be.
About 10 years ago, Isabel received a vision from God to change her community. Without support, a building or anything material, she set out to become a mother to all in this part of her town. She began playing with the kids in the streets, telling stories of Jesus along the way. Now, the ministry includes games and lessons for the kids on Saturdays. She is starting an outreach to the teens on Friday nights. She even invites all the children to come to Renacere on their birthday. She buys a cake and throws a party for them because she knows they won’t have a party at their house.
Ten years later, the influence of Renacer has spread. The Mayor has come to Christ and is now contributing funds to the ministry. The City’s Chief Architect has come to Christ and now tutors there. She has a building donated by the city on a 90 year, rent free lease. Teams from the US have come to renovate her building.
Her ministry is called “renacere” which means “new birth” I believe. She serves with whomever wants to serve with her. Her daughters help her teach the children of the community about health, values and Jesus. Isabel hopes to extend the mission to include a computer lab and rec center for the children and teens.
Isabel has never asked us for anything. She only asks for prayer. She says we don’t need physical things to do God’s work. Only love and faith. She knows we have $$$ and people, but she’d rather have our prayers. She calls herself our “mother in Chile.”
Pray for Isabel and Renacere. Pray that they never lose the simplicity of faithful obedience. Pray that we would learn from this model about how God transforms lives that then transform communities. We have much to learn.
-Jeff
The Family at Renacer
The senior Isabel is pictured on the end. She started Renacer in the streets, playing with the local children and telling them Bible stories. As she puts it, "what do you need to share the love of God, but the love of God."
blog david learning spanish.jpgWe had some very funny moments with our Spanish, especially David's. Fortunately for him, there were plenty of attractive Latin women ready to help him out.
blog chess class.jpgAt Renacer, so much of the ministry is started by new believers who want to help. John is a new believer who wanted to teach a chess class for the kids. We happened to be there for the first one.
Kids room at RenacerChildren from the area come to this room every Saturday to learn and play. Volunteers teach them their letters, numbers and other important things to prepare them for school one day. Renacer is praying that this becomes a daily class for the children.
blog skater.jpgIn keeping with the local people starting ministry, a group of teenagers asked Isabel if they could have a place to skateboard. Here, one from the group shows us how they like to skate in the streets. There is a lot of pressure to join gangs. The teens were eager to share with us their dream.
blog teens show us skate park.jpgFriday evening some local teens wanted to show us where they hope to build a skate park one day. The owner of the property has agreed to give them a corner of his lot and pay to have it cleared. The kids were full of excitement, telling us exactly how it will look. At this point, the town uses it as a garbage dump, tossing trash over the walls.
blog slaughterhouse.jpgThis used to be an old slaughterhouse in the 1950s. It sits next to Renacer and is used at night as a gang hang out, drinking, and prostitution. The owner of the land has offered it to Renacer for a price they can not afford. They are praying that God would move in the owner's heart. Up the hill you can see a local church (yellow building.) Renacer has had trouble getting cooperation from this church as they do not feel the same burden to reach the teens and gang members. We don't know the whole story so won't pass judgment. Safe to say Renacer wishes they had greater participation from that church.
blog pastor thomas.jpgWe took Friday morning to visit with a local pastor. Pastor Thomas shared with us his concerns over the local churches and needs for more pastors in Chile. David worshipped in this church earlier this year.
blog taca taca.jpgDavid and I stopped to play foosball (or as the local kids call it "taca taca") on the world's oldest foosball table. The kids beat us unmercifully.
blog house on rocks.jpgThis amazing house is built into the rocks at Vina Del Mar. I recommended George and Sue for agents should they decide to sell one day.
blog vina del mar.jpgA beautiful shot of the beach at Vina Del Mar. We are grateful to Brad for showing us around his beautiful country.
Brad, Keben and Jeff At at Vina Del MarThe water at the beach was ice cold. It comes up from the antarctic.
Brad Wallace and family. His wife, Marguerite, is Chilean. He is holding "Mikey," his 4 year old pistol. Joshua and Cala round out the clan. Jeff stayed with the Wallace's.
Brad has been a missionary in Chile for 18 years. He works in construction missions - leading and coordinating teams from the US - for half the year. The other 6 months he preaches and they serve in other local ministries. We enjoyed our time with his family.
Engineer Can't Ride ScooterDavid attempts to ride a kids's scooter. He wiped out shortly after this photo was taken.
David and Jeff UnawareDavid and Jeff pose in the Wallace's neighborhood. They are unaware of the approaching gang of tiny local hooligans on their razor scooters.
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