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News from Jim & Liisa Tino in Chile
May 2016
Greetings!
" For I know the plans  I have for you,” declares the  Lord , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
(Jer. 29:11)

   Those are comforting words, and when they were spoken, the people of Israel needed some comfort. Things were not going well for them, and the future looked bleak.
     When things are not going well or the future looks bleak, how comforting it is to know that the Lord has a plan! When we followed the Lord’s call to Chile, we made our plans, but that’s not nearly the same thing as “The Plan”. We still don’t know “The Plan” (and probably never really will), but we rejoice as pieces of it unfold in our ministry. Rejoice with us! And let us know how “The Plan” is unfolding in your lives, as well, so we can journey in it together.
In This Edition:
  • Open for Business
  • Body and Soul Fitness
  • Changing Seasons
  • 1500 Visits a Day?
  • Fun Fact
  • Prayer and Praise
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Open for Business!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!  The Iglesia Luterana Misión Santiago (Santiago Mission of the Lutheran Church) officially began to worship in its new home on April 24. There were over 60 present for the inaugural service which included a ceremony outdoors where we “laid the cornerstone”. This was a type of “time capsule” containing the newspaper from that day, a Bible, Luther’s Catechism and an official document signed by those in attendance. We were happy to have visitors not only from other Lutheran churches in the country, but also from this new neighborhood called “Los Quillayes”. Representatives from the local government and from the Neighborhood Association shared words of welcome. During the fellowship time, the Bell Choir provided entertainment as everyone enjoyed choripanes (brats on bread) and cake!
     We praise God for the new people “checking out” our church these last few Sundays. We are excited to plan and organize our evangelistic efforts in this new ministry center.  

Click here to see fotos of the construction!
BODY & SOUL FITNESS…has been Liisa’s dream since moving to Chile!  This month she has begun to offer an aerobics class once  a week which combines dance, Christian music and a time to stretch and relax while listening to God’s Word. We are hoping to offer these free classes in various locations. Pray that God will bless this type of evangelistic outreach as well!
“Chestnuts and pinenuts boiling in the pot…”  ( Sung to the tune of “The Christmas Song”, haha!)  Yes, we can tell winter is just around the corner here in Chile. Leaves are changing color and falling to the ground. There is snow on the peaks to the east of the city. The days are shorter….and the fruits and veggies in the outdoor market have changed! Chileans are happy to find castañuelas (chestnuts) and piñones (pinenuts) which they prepare by cooking them in boiling water for about 30 minutes.  We’ve discovered they make a great snack while watching TV!
1500 Visits a Day!!! What?
    For the past 9 months, Jim has been working with Marianela Bravo (Director of CPTLN – Chile, the local division of Lutheran Hour Ministries) to develop a new project to reach young adults (age 20 – 30). They did focus groups to identify key interest areas. They conducted pilot projects. They researched ways to get the message out to the right audience. The final result is “Mi Camino”, which means both “my way” and “my road/ path”. The focus of Mi Camino is to help young adults on their way to independence – i.e., living on their own, paying their own bills, handling their own issues, and so on.

   The project works like a funnel: cast a broad advertising net; direct people to an online “quiz” which assesses their readiness for independence; register in order to get access to the prepared resources; then follow-up with those who registered to offer classes, presentations, or other programming. The follow-up activities will happen at the church.

   Our goal is to get 1500 people registered. So far, the results have been amazing! In the first 5 days, we have been getting an average of 1500 visits per DAY to the website, and so far 200 people have registered! The “advertising” portion of the campaign is scheduled to last through May, with follow-up activities to start in June. Please join us in praying that through this effort, many young adults in Santiago would come to know Jesus!  

  See the MiCamino webpage here.
Fun Fact!
Do you know what  pinenuts are? They are the seeds you find in each “petal” of a pinecone!  In southern Chile there are super huge pinecones.   
The seeds, or, “piñones” are boiled and then you tear off the outer “shell”.   
What is this somewhat tasteless nut good for?  PESTO!!!!  Just pound some fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and Chilean pinenuts and you have a delicious spread for bread or crackers, or a topping for pasta.  
Prayer and Praise
Ministry prayers and praise
  • Praise God that our new chapel is finished!
  • Pray that our new church opens new doors to reach our new neighbors with the Gospel.
  • Praise God that our funding has remained steady so far this year.
  • Pray for the people reached through our special outreach project!
  • Ask God to bless Liisa's "fitness evangelism"

Special family requests:
  • Pray for Ty (Soni's husband), who has been hospitalized for the past month. He had a blood clot in his arm that has caused many complications.
  • Pray for Soni, that the Lord would grant her strength during this trying time.
  • Pray for our niece Lauren, who lost her husband Geoff to suicide a couple weeks ago.
  • Pray for Ben to find a summer job.
  • Praise God that Nika found work. She continues full-time in grad school.
  • Pray for Gabi, who is due to give birth in August.