In the Fall of 2019, I made my first mission’s trip to Chile with the Word of Life Evangelical Church in Bedford, Virginia. Several of the churches we would be working at were located in very rural or remote areas in southern Chile. From time to time, this area would experience inconsistent or disrupted electric power. I brought some battery powered lanterns and some first aid kits for us to have if needed, but were intended to be left with the individual churches we would be working with.
Due to the success in which those gifts were received, I took similar items on a subsequent trip to that region in early 2022. On this trip, I was constantly aware of the destruction this area has experienced throughout the years. Daily, I woke up to an active, smoking volcano and to the east, just across the border in Argentina there was another active volcano. We visited locations where portions of a sidewalk had been lifted and significant gaps were created due to earthquakes. We were taken to a valley that had been suddenly turned into a massive lake, again due to significant tectonic activity.
One evening while speaking with an expatriate, who had relocated there some 30 years plus years, I had a revelation. There is a real need for resources in these distant and remote communities. Resources that will better prepare them for the days and weeks following significant weather, seismic or manmade events, such as the national civil unrest they experienced in 2019. The rioting damaged the main airport in Santiago, and jeopardized our departure plans.
On the plane ride back home, I began to process everything. I realized Chile was not unique in such needs. There are places all over the world, throughout our nation, and here, in Virginia where God’s Word and the ministry of Jesus could be used very effectively in bringing comfort and aid to the hurting. It is imperative that our church families, everywhere, are prepared to receive people and be able to minister to them when their need is greatest.
Please join with me in helping make Christ-centered churches the first place people turn to in their hour of need. When folks understand and accept the importance of “The Church,” then they will understand the importance of Christ and accept Him as their Savior. - Darryl Updike
