2012 marks the 10th year anniversary of our arrival. On January 17th we arrived to a small church struggling to find its place in the metropolitan area of Santiago but today we are part of a church striving to live up to Christ’s calling for the her. There have been many ups and downs, joys and heartaches, difficulties and blessings but the work in Santiago is willing to take on the challenge of 2012. And 2012 promises to be a year full of changes and challenges for the Providencia church of Christ.

First, the church has taken on the challenge of supporting a full-time evangelist. Claudio Zalaquett and his wife, Pamela, came to the church through marriage encounter about 5 years ago. After about a year in the church Claudio decide to pursue a degree in theological studies. He finished in December 2011 and the congregation has offered him the position of evangelist. He officially starts as a minister in March of 2012 but has been working side-by-side with the missionaries for the last three years as an intern. This will be a change and challenge that the congregation is willing and ready to assume financially.

Second, the church in 2012, Lord willing plans to appoint elders. There has been a group of Chileans studying with the missionaries the following topics: church organization, church leadership, elders’ roles and qualifications. It has brought us to the point that the church is ready to move in the direction of Elders leading the congregation. The process of educating the congregation begins in March with the appointment to follow sometime after the ground work has been laid.

Third, at the end of 2012 the Emery family will begin their final phase out for the Santiago mission team. They will be returning to the USA the first part of 2013 and followed by the Hatchers in 2014. The Perkins will stay on in Chile for a few more years after that during the transition of leadership and then Lord willing, plan to begin another work somewhere in Chile.

It promises to be a year filled with blessings. Please pray for the work during these transitions because it is a time when Satan prowls around looking for ways to attack the church. May the Lord bless the church in Santiago, the church where you are and you personally this year.