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Mission accomplished, a group of workers returned home to Fowler from Santiago, Chile, on Saturday, Sept. 24. They completed approximately two weeks of construction work at Centro de Ministerios Mundo del Amigo Invisible, or the Ministry Center of the World of our Invisible Friend. This is an outreach to children in the Maipu suburb in southwestern Santiago, Chile. The ministry is building a multipurpose facility that will primarily serve as a Christian elementary school but also as a rescue mission and church. Also included in the facility are a kitchen/cafeteria, office areas and an athletic field. Already they are serving many Maipu children and are foster parents to those who have been abused.
Locals who went are Pastor Darryl Johnson and sons Caleb and Luke, Bob Chance, Bill Krieder, Nathan and Rachel Johnson, Ruthie Stauffer and Reuben Stauffer. Joining the team were David Chance of Sacramento, Calif., Tim Crites of Cortez, Colo., Faith VanGorp of Greeley, Colo., and Joe Ypma of Grand Rapids, Mich.
The team of 13 worked with veteran missionary Jim Mazurek. The Mazureks are longtime Chilean residents who are focusing their efforts in reaching children. Jim Mazurek also serves as a Bible college professor and holds other key positions in South America with the Assemblies of God.
The group from West Assembly worked on the first phase of the project, which is a three-level structure of a third floor auditorium, second floor kitchen and lunchroom, and first floor office areas, showers and rest rooms. Due to restrictive Chilean labor laws, the facility is being built primarily with outside funds and volunteer labor. The team from West was able to pour the cement flooring in the office area, establish initial plumbing, finish laying brick walls in the auditorium, completely strip the ceiling forms in the kitchen area that were used for pouring the floor of the auditorium above it, form and pour the footer and first four feet of a retaining wall, pour and finish a cement patio at the entrance of the auditorium, and form and pour three support columns in the auditorium. The project is being built to withstand the constant earthquakes experienced in Chile, and survived the large earthquake of 2010 with no damage. Sunday, Sept. 18, was Chilean Independence Day. The team celebrated with locals on Saturday with a barbecue picnic at the Mazureks home in Buin, Chile. A special celebrative church service was held Sunday, with native Chilean dance commemorating the holiday, and Pastor Johnson preaching and Jim Mazurek interpreting. Later in the afternoon a children’s celebration service was held with several of the team participating.
One day was dedicated to traveling to the Pacific coast to the picturesque twin cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, where a harbor tour was taken by boat, and the team waded in a cold Pacific ocean.
West Assembly sincerely appreciates those who contributed to this endeavor. There will be a slide presentation for the public Sunday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. at West Assembly.
All are invited to attend and hear about this trip.
Mission accomplished, a group of workers returned home to Fowler from Santiago, Chile, on Saturday, Sept. 24. They completed approximately two weeks of construction work at Centro de Ministerios Mundo del Amigo Invisible, or the Ministry Center of the World of our Invisible Friend. This is an outreach to children in the Maipu suburb in southwestern Santiago, Chile. The ministry is building a multipurpose facility that will primarily serve as a Christian elementary school but also as a rescue mission and church. Also included in the facility are a kitchen/cafeteria, office areas and an athletic field. Already they are serving many Maipu children and are foster parents to those who have been abused.
Locals who went are Pastor Darryl Johnson and sons Caleb and Luke, Bob Chance, Bill Krieder, Nathan and Rachel Johnson, Ruthie Stauffer and Reuben Stauffer. Joining the team were David Chance of Sacramento, Calif., Tim Crites of Cortez, Colo., Faith VanGorp of Greeley, Colo., and Joe Ypma of Grand Rapids, Mich.
The team of 13 worked with veteran missionary Jim Mazurek. The Mazureks are longtime Chilean residents who are focusing their efforts in reaching children. Jim Mazurek also serves as a Bible college professor and holds other key positions in South America with the Assemblies of God.
The group from West Assembly worked on the first phase of the project, which is a three-level structure of a third floor auditorium, second floor kitchen and lunchroom, and first floor office areas, showers and rest rooms. Due to restrictive Chilean labor laws, the facility is being built primarily with outside funds and volunteer labor. The team from West was able to pour the cement flooring in the office area, establish initial plumbing, finish laying brick walls in the auditorium, completely strip the ceiling forms in the kitchen area that were used for pouring the floor of the auditorium above it, form and pour the footer and first four feet of a retaining wall, pour and finish a cement patio at the entrance of the auditorium, and form and pour three support columns in the auditorium. The project is being built to withstand the constant earthquakes experienced in Chile, and survived the large earthquake of 2010 with no damage. Sunday, Sept. 18, was Chilean Independence Day. The team celebrated with locals on Saturday with a barbecue picnic at the Mazureks home in Buin, Chile. A special celebrative church service was held Sunday, with native Chilean dance commemorating the holiday, and Pastor Johnson preaching and Jim Mazurek interpreting. Later in the afternoon a children’s celebration service was held with several of the team participating.
One day was dedicated to traveling to the Pacific coast to the picturesque twin cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, where a harbor tour was taken by boat, and the team waded in a cold Pacific ocean.
West Assembly sincerely appreciates those who contributed to this endeavor. There will be a slide presentation for the public Sunday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. at West Assembly.
All are invited to attend and hear about this trip.
