Dear friends,

   

The earthquake that rocked Chile last weekend was so powerful that even at 400 miles of distance from the epicenter, people felt like it had originated under the very ground they were standing on. It shook us and our house really well, but we seem to have been spared from most of the damaging effects of the earthquake. For that we are grateful. Yet, at the same time we are concerned for the well-being of our many brothers and sisters in Christ who live in or near the cities that took the worst hits, particularly Constitucion, Talca, and Concepcion. We've heard bits and pieces from all of them by now and know that they are safe, though still very affected by the quake.

   

Pastor Gary Yanten and his family are faithful servants of the Lord Almighty and have ministered to the people of Constitucion for many years. When the massive earthquake hit, they grabbed what little they could, piled into their car and fled to higher ground, as Constitucion is a coastal city. Those on the hills could hear the screams of horror from people who were being swept away by the first big wave. A while later, another wave hit. The third wave came as dawn approached, around 6:30 in the morning. By then they could make out the 30-foot wave as it covered a big part of the city. Aproximately 200 people who lived on a peninsula and who didn't have enough time to escape were gone. Gary and his family were fortunate to be alive, no doubt spared by God in order to serve the people of Constitucion in their time of most need. Their church building survived the quake, but their house and belongings were damaged beyond repair. They didn't have enough gas in their vehicle to go very far, so they had to stay put. For three days they camped out in a tent, along with some other survivors, until a pastor from a nearby city was able to come to their aid with food, water and gas (see pictures below).

   

 

 

 

   

   

Talca is a city that is very dear to us, as we had the opportunity to live there while our parents, Doug and Debby Thompson, were involved in starting a church there. Pastor Kike Quilodran and his family now minister to the believers there. The church building and the house next to it, where we lived and where we formed many wonderful memories as teenagers, were destroyed in the quake. The adobe walls (thick though they were), simply could not resist such violent movements and they all came down. Many souls came to know the Lord in that place, so it served its purpose well, but now the church is without a building. That will have to be taken care of later, though, because Talca is still without water and electricity. Some phone lines are back up, but a greater portion of the city is in total ruins. There are shortages everywhere, and many are spending the nights huddling in small groups and burning coal to stay warm at night.

   

The Chilean government is doing a great job trying to meet the need, but the need is so great and though help is coming, it isn't coming fast enough. Already several of the churches we fellowship with here have either sent truckloads of help or are taking up offerings to send on to the pastors (friends of ours) who are nearby and who are using those funds to purchase food, water, blankets, and diapers to pass around to those who are in need. We were able to help some with some ministry funds that we had saved up for another purpose, and our church will be taking up a special offering this coming weekend for these two pastors and the congregations they minister to. If you have a roof over your head, and food in your fridge, you have more than what a million chileans do right now. Please help us show Christ's love to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to the hundreds and thousands of chileans who may find Christ as a result of this event. May it be instead of a tragedy, a great victory - and may it all be for the honor and glory of His Majesty, who sits on heaven's throne. 

   

We appreciate your prayers for us and for Chile.

   

In Christ's love,

David & Hanzi