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Released 5 October 2009
by Megan Polsley
This summer I was blessed
with the opportunity to be
a part of the Summer Mission
Team to Chile. When I
found out that I was going
to Chile I was very excited
because my corps, St.
Louis Gateway Citadel, is
partnering with a corps
right outside of Santiago,
Chile, through an initiative
called Partners in Mission
Next-Steps. (For more information
about Partners
in Mission Next-Steps, see
the article on page 2.) I
had heard so much about
the Nueva Extremadura
Corps in Chile and I was
hoping that I would be
able to see it in person.
Fortunately, it worked out
so that I was able to represent
Gateway and actually
see firsthand God’s work
in the Nueva Extremadura
Corps.
Nueva Extremadura has a
childcare program that is
run during the week for
kids from
birth to
school age.
My team
and I were
able to
spend time
with the
children
while we were there. They
were absolutely beautiful!
Parents are able to go to
work or look for work
while their children are
being taken care of very
well at the corps.
The corps officers of the
Nueva Extremadura Corps
are amazing people of
God who are selfless in
their ministry. They live
within the compound of
the corps in a small apartment.
The officers shared
with us that they often hear
gunshots at night, and that
there is even a hole in a
window from a gunshot.
Although their situation
isn’t ideal, they don’t let it
hinder their ministry in the
corps and the community.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always;
pray continually; give
thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Seeing these officers
live joyfully, giving thanks
to God for the opportunity
they have in Nueva Extremadura,
and continually
praying for the community
challenged me to do the
same. I believe that I
should live out 1 Thessalonians
5:16-18 so that I may
be a Christ-like example
for others to follow, just as
the officers of Nueva Extremadura
were for me. I
am thankful for the opportunity
I had to meet our
partners in mission and am
grateful for the continued
partnership our corps has
with Nueva Extremadura.