Chile Earthquake Aftermath #24

Dear Brother:

I greet you with brotherly love.

As the days have passed since one of the greatest destructive events and natural disasters of the last days has occurred, I have been meditating upon the tremendous testimonies that have come through the suffering. Even though the evidence is all around us, it seems that the the results of the Earthquake and Tsunami of February 27 vanish as it becomes more and more clear and plain of the very presence, mercy, message, and will of our God.

While the nation of Chile and its cities have suffered destruction on a grand scale, gradually they have begun to pick themselves up. The streets are swept of the tons of debris, waste, and garbage that left by the tsunami. While the buildings are now in rubble strewn over the ground and the sea returns the bodies and remains of those who perished, God the Holy Spirit works in the life of each one of us reviving us and cleaning those debris and garbage that keep us from bigger freedom, cleaning, and trust to work while the day lasts: "while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4)

The faithful church in this country that is located in the corner of the end of the world, must rise with the country of Chile. This church must not proclaim a renovated message of fake faith, neither theoretical faith. This church must be one that teaches and practices the Salvation found only in Christ Jesus.

The church must shake off that indifference and distant relationship with the author and finisher of our faith. The church should be shown with renewed strength from God, reflecting Christ's powerful light, able to reach to the souls lost in the gloom and frightened night of the last days. The church must again proclaim its love for Christ and its desire for the soon coming of our Lord.

The task for us in the immediate future is gigantic - on one hand building, to repair and to accommodate our church buildings - while not stopping our efforts to reach the lost and wavering with the preaching and testimony of our faith to those who have their eyes put on us, groaning in their necessities.

We commend ourselves to the hands of God in everything and to your prayer. I am for sure many are those that are sustaining us in these tasks with their knees. My heart, my life thanks for each one of you.

Dear brother, my only rest is knowing that God alone provides His support through His children and their love. In these moments, I know that God knows our needs. I am trusting that our Brothers and Sisters understand the needs and will be prompted by God to respond to the needs.

This Saturday I have been invited to participate in a radio network broadcast across Latin America for Chile. I will participate with greetings, reflection and ministry of the Word of God. I have understood that this will be aired by the Reformed Bible Broadcasting Network (RBB) throughout South America. The connections will be made via Internet and several radio stations will use the internet programming to transmit the special program throughout the day. God has allowed what has happened in Chile to become an opportunity to preach to the whole continent!

Also I desire to inform you that on Monday I will travel to the city of Constitution (perhaps the city that has suffered more destruction than any other). I plan to send some pictures of the trip. Pastor José Morán has invited me to visit them. Pray so that God give me the words for those brothers that are suffering. I am praying that I will be able to have a doctor and medications with me on this trip.

We have begun a campaign to gather funds and to buy articles of toilet so necessary in these moments without leaving aside the provisions. The prices have continued increasing in all the areas, the gasoline costs $1.29US per liter (about $ 4.89 per gallon), a liter of vegetable oil $2.20US (about $ 8.34 per gallon), etc. The increasing prices make it difficult to provide the needs when we consider the small resources that are in our possession.

Next week I will be supporting the work of the church in Temuco. There will be an evangelism campaign from Friday to Sunday. Because the resources are very slim, I will go alone. Please pray for Cecilia, she doesn't want to be alone, but I know that God will give her strength to understand my duties and peace to remove any fear in her heart.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" Hebrews 12:1,2


A fraternal hug in Christ,

Pastor David Horta S.