...But God!

 Dear Friends,

As always, thank you so much for your prayers over these past few weeks: they have been very felt! God is leading and providing in ways that only He can, and He delights in prompting His children to bless others through prayer, finances, encouragement, direction… and it is such an enormous blessing to be able to partner with you in this ministry!!!  

In the past weeks, we’ve received a couple very generous gifts toward car repairs, for both the Mitsubishi and the faithful blue Kia (that greatly needs some TLC)! This is a huge answer to prayer to have the finances to fix up the Mitsubishi to sell, as well as get the Kia back to being a dependable second car, especially considering all of the short-term teams we are hosting this year! So, thank you very much to those who have given so generously toward these expenses!!

Last month at church as a leadership team, we made the decision to not start home groups up yet this year, but instead doing something different for a couple months: we decided that it’s important that the leaders connect with each church family or individual in their homes (if they are willing!), getting to know them better, sharing a short devotional and praying for any needs. So, we’ve started those visits, in pairs representing the leadership team, and those have been really encouraging and meaningful times!

Even just talking about visiting and praying proactively as a group has led to other important clarification or counseling meetings with people. We really appreciate your prayers for this stage of visiting and all that God is bringing through this: 

(1st discipleship meeting with Xime)

Last Saturday, we had our yearly Volunteers Workshop at church! It’s always good to get back to the basics as a group about why we do what we do, what serving really means and the blessings that God has in store for us as we seek first His kingdom. We started together as a group, and then split into workshops talking about different ministries: worship, sound, greeters, Sunday school:

We have an intern, Daiana, here this month from ICI Los Heroes in Santiago! While here, she’s serving on the worship team as well as in children ministries. Daiana has also helped finalize the setting up of a new projection software for church worship which we are now using, and she trained a few of the youth to use that program at the Workshop on Saturday: 

Last week, we had a short but very sweet visit from Gus’ sister Niki and her husband Brad! What a special time with them. We had a lot going on in ministry that weekend (Niki and Brad jumped in to help out with that too!), and then we were also able to have some fun family time:

Now we are in full “Easter prep mode” at ICI Lautaro! On that Sunday, we will have at least one baptism in the gym immediately after the Easter service, and then will all have lunch together there too. Gus (with the help of a couple brothers from the church) has been working very hard building new round tables for the church! The only tables we have are rectangular, and those obviously don’t allow for the same level of conversation and interaction the new round ones will: 

(enjoying the result of their hard work!)

Also, we have never had baptisms here at church for lack of an actual baptistry to have them in! So, we just bought a 400-gallon water tank, and this next week Gus will build a ‘front' for one side of this plastic tank to give it a nicer look:

Besides cleaning, setting up and decorating, this next Tuesday we’ll paint at least one wall and install some new lights, to give the stage area at church a fresh look. All this in addition to our responsibilities of prepping the worship for that day, sermon, short Easter movie for the Sunday school class, little bags of candy/chocolates for the kids, the Easter lunch for the whole church… 😉

We really appreciate your continued prayers for God to lead, give wisdom, clarity and energy during this busy and important time! And in the midst of the ‘physical prep work’, please pray that the Lord would be drawing those He wants to be at that special service, as well as touch the hearts and give conviction to those who should take the public step of baptism!

Then, on the 28th, a team of men from Santiago will be arriving for a week of very specific & needed work: Replacing the leaking 2^nd story roof over the classrooms! We’ve been purchasing materials this week for the work that will start up in 2 weeks: 

Please pray for each of those team members that are preparing to come, pray for good weather that week of outdoor jobs, and pray for protection in travel and work for each person coming to help with this immediate need!

As most of you are as well, we’ve been very busy these past few months, and we’re looking at a lot going on over the rest of the year too. We are very grateful to God for the work that He has given us and the way that He is leading in ministry. At the same time, we recognize that the first ministry He has given us is our marriage and our family, and it is SO important to continue to strengthen those bonds, deepen those relationships! Yes, we really LOVE serving God as a family (it is the hugest blessing!), but we also just enjoy living life together in general!  

It had been several months since Gus and I had been out on a real date, so in the past couple weeks we’ve gone out a couple times: once for dessert before going shopping for things for church, and then a few evenings ago we went out for sushi! 

How fun to just connect somewhere different, get some time for just the two of us, and talk about God’s blessings in our lives! We are reminded of this Truth that we celebrate every day, but in a special way during this upcoming Holy Week: 

“We were all by nature children of wrath... But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ! By grace you have been saved….” (Ephesians 2:3b-5)

Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of forgiveness and grace You gave us at the cross, that gives us hope and strength for each new day and for eternity!

And thank you, friends: for your faithful prayers, encouragement, and financial support! Thank you for taking the time to read our letters and updates. Our family and ministry are so very blessed by your faithfulness, love and care!

 Because of Jesus,

Jeremy, Cristina, Liz, Diego, Gus & Karissa

So Much Thankfulness at ICI Lautaro... And New Opportunities!

 Dear Friends,

The past few weeks have been FULL of Reasons to be Thankful!!

On November 23rd, we hosted the very first “ReUnidos” all-day retreat with all four ICI churches in the south: Melipeuco, Ralco, Los Ángeles and Lautaro (with help from several friends and family from Santiago!):

There were about 130 people who participated in this special day of beautiful worship, encouraging workshops, fun kids’ activities, relationship-building opportunities and so much yummy food! Everyone agreed that this needs to be a yearly event to continue strengthening relationships between these sister churches!

 That Saturday was also the date chosen for Gus’ official ordaining as Pastor and Ruben’s appointment as Elder! That ceremony took place during the all-church service in the evening. It was such a blessing to have our missionary brothers and sisters from the other southern ICI churches present during this special moment! And our prayer is that it would serve as an example and encouragement to their churches to take steps toward seeking official leadership appointing as well.  

Immediately following that very busy weekend, we hosted a work team from ICI Los Heroes (in Santiago), who came for a week to build a real stage for our church meeting room and start on the cabin for the drum-set! 

They also helped us finish up the Sunday school rooms! All the walls were sanded and painted, proper doors were installed and, as a bonus, each room now has a special mural!

We are so blessed by the hard work put in and love shown by this team of dear friends...

Now we invite you to join us in PRAYER for this next month’s needs and opportunities:

-         This past Friday, the buyer of the first acre-plot and Gus (representing the corporation) signed the official closing of that sale! Those documents should be processed this week, and then we’ll be able to start using some of those funds to keep advancing with construction and implementation of this space at ICI Lautaro. Please pray as we keep moving forward with this. And there are now people interested in seeing the back plots for sale on the church property. Please pray for God’s leading in future sales as well!

 

-         Most families at church (including us) are still in various stages of being under the weather. Please pray for complete healing and restoration of strength & energy, so we could all finish the year well!

 

-         As you probably are too, we are in Christmas mode at ICI Lautaro! Planning, decorating and rehearsals are in full swing. Our special Christmas service will be on Dec. 22^nd, so just 2 weeks left!  Please pray for this busy and blessed time: may God be glorified, may the church be encouraged and may seekers encounter the real Reason for the season!

 

-         The first week of January, we’ll be hosting a team from ICI Oriente (in Santiago) that will come to primarily help us put on evangelistic campaigns in a few plazas in town! They’ll bring puppet shows and other fun stuff for kids of all ages and their families, and we are SO looking forward to what God will do here in Lautaro in and through this Oriente team!! Please pray for the team members that are preparing to come, for their finances, health and protection.

 

-         Believe it or not, our Mitsubishi is back in the shop… While showing it to a potential buyer, he noticed an oil leak, and when the mechanic checked it out, he said it wasn’t a superficial issue. Unfortunately, he said it’s another result of the improper reinstallation done by the previous mechanic six months ago. This is like a bad joke that wouldn’t end... There is good interest in the vehicle, but we need to have it running properly to sell it for a decent price and be able to purchase a more reliable vehicle for our family and ministry. So, we’re waiting again for the mechanic to finish the repairs, and then back on the market it goes! Thank you for continuing to pray and thank you so much to those who have given to this need!

 

Speaking of needs, over the past few months as ministry has grown there have been many extra expenses. Though it has been very tight at times, and we weren’t sure how we’d be able to cover things, God has always provided through generous friends! We are so grateful to those who support this ministry monthly or through occasional one-time gifts.

If you feel led, here's an opportunity to give to several different needs (in ministry and family) that we can’t cover with our current income:

-         To start off 2025, we’d love to be able to host a nice meal for our team of servant leaders from ICI Lautaro, to thank them for all their hard work, dedication and sacrifice. The team is committed to keep moving forward into what God has for our church, and we want to continue being encouraging and show our gratitude in special ways. A gift of $100 or more would allow us to fix something special for the team!

 

-         There are a few low-income church members we wish we could sponsor to go to VIVE, our missions’ yearly conference next month! It costs about $200 to sponsor one person, covering the 4-day conference expenses.

 

-         This year (2024) we were planning to get braces for Liz. Our 14-year-old is very self-conscious about her smile and really wants straight teeth like her big brother! However, the recurring car issues this year have taken financial priority.  But we do need to get her braces as soon as possible next year! If anyone would like to give toward that initial expense (it’s about $1,200 to install them), we would really appreciate any help!!

 

-         Finally, in an effort to get more regular exercise this summer and next fall, we’d like to do maintenance/repairs on the 5 bicycles we have. That will probably be about $400 to replace broken parts and get the bikes back in good shape, if someone would like to contribute to this need!

 

If you feel led to give a tax-deductible donation for one of these specific needs or a general donation, here is how that can be done:

Online, please use the link below and scroll to “Gustavo Guevara” under the “Fund” tab: https://pushpay.com/g/iamchilenationalworkers?src=hpp&r=monthly

Through regular mail, please make checks payable to “IberoAmerican Ministries”, designate to “Project: Guevara - Chile”,
and send to:
IberoAmerican Ministries
P.O. Box 1493
Monroe, WA 98272

 

Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration and your generosity!! (If your donation is toward a specific need, please let us know so that we can plan accordingly, since we won’t receive the funds for a few weeks!)

 

Friends, this is a very exciting time of life and ministry, and it’s easy to get absorbed by the busy-ness of it all. But it’s so important to step back and really see the big picture of who God is, who we are as His children and what He is doing in, through and around us. 

And in that stepping back perspective, as always, we personally can’t help but thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your faithfulness in prayer, in encouragement and in financial support. This truly is a partnership that God is using to advance the ministry in Lautaro. We are encouraged and held up by your faithfulness, which God uses to bless us daily. Thank you for walking this walk and fighting this fight alongside our family and our ministry team. May the Lord encourage, strengthen and fill you with exceeding joy in this special season!

Because of Jesus,

Gus & Karissa, 

Jeremy, Liz, Cristina and Diego

GRATITUDE

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Dear Friends!

We are so grateful for YOU and your faithful prayers and support over the years... What a blessing it is to partner with you in serving God here in Lautaro! Here are some praises and photos from the past few months, and then a few prayer requests:

Praises -

Over the past months since starting the new leadership team at ICI Lautaro, we’ve had new ministries running and a few special activities, including Youth group and Women meetings:

 

After a couple months of hard work, the new kitchen at church has been finished!

We held our 2nd ‘Fiesta de la Luz’ (‘Light Party’) celebrating Jesus being the true Light, with costumes, dancing singing and games!

Our kiddos passed their exams to validate the homeschool year!

I (Karissa) was blessed to be to share at a women’s retreat early this month at ICI Oriente in Santiago, and we had a little bit of extended family time!

Our US passports renewal process was approved! Thank You, Lord! Now we just need to wait a couple more weeks for the new passports to be sent.

After 10 months at the mechanic, we finally have our Mitsubishi back!! Thank you so much for your prayers and the generosity of those who gave to cover this huge need!!

 

Now a few prayer requests for the next few weeks -

- Next Monday, Dec. 4^th Gus will have the blessing of sharing about the work in Lautaro in a Missions-wide zoom call about the churches in the south of Chile. Please pray that would be a great opportunity for people to learn about what God is doing in these southern regions in the ICI Movement!

- There is a new couple coming to church, Blankita and Maicol, who are expecting a baby due this next week. The pregnancy has been complicated so appreciate prayers for the baby and mom’s health. In addition, Blankita is a believer but had left church years ago, while Maicol is agnostic, but recently has been open to spiritual conversations. I’m organizing a meal-train for them after the baby is born to show them the practical love of the Body of Christ, and we appreciate your prayers for their spiritual journey as they encounter God’s Love and Truth!

- Saturday, Dec. 23^rd will be our Christmas service! Please pray for all of the preps that are currently underway! The kiddos will do choreography for a couple songs, and we'll have a Christmas play with kids, teens, and adult actors!  The evening will have a very evangelistic focus, and with so many friends involved in singing, dancing, and acting, we are praying that their non-believing friends will accept the invitation to attend and be exposed to the Good News message!

- We are very excited that there are 23 people from ICI Lautaro going to our mission-wide Conference (called ‘VIVE’) in January! A group of us have been selling lunches, snacks, raffle tickets, among other things, in order to raise money to go! Please pray for this whole group and what God is doing in each family...

- Last but definitely not least, my sister Monique just got engaged!! So now, more than ever, we REALLY need to travel to the US next year!! 😉 We are excited to hopefully spend time with family that we haven’t seen in years and visit our faithful supporters! We would LOVE the opportunity to share with you in person about what God is doing here in Lautaro! So far, we have $500 out of the $5,500 that tickets (currently) cost, so we greatly appreciate the generosity of those who are able to help with these travel expenses!

For anyone desiring to contribute to these tickets or to join our monthly support team, here is our support information for tax-deductible contributions:

Online, please use the link below and scroll to “Gustavo Guevara” under the “Fund” tab: https://pushpay.com/g/iamchilenationalworkers?src=hpp&r=monthly

Through regular mail, please make checks payable to “IberoAmerican Ministries”, designate to “Project: Guevara - Chile”,
and send to:
IberoAmerican Ministries
P.O. Box 1493
Monroe, WA 98272

The past few months, we have really identified with the lyrics of “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake:

“All my words fall short; I’ve got nothing new. How could I express all my gratitude?

I could sing these songs as I often do, but every song must end, and You never do.

So I throw up my hands and praise You again and again,

‘Cause all that I have is a Hallelujah, hallelujah,

And I know it’s not much, but I’ve nothing else fit for a King,

Except for a heart singing Hallelujah, Hallelujah...”

 

May our gratitude for what Jesus has done for us lead to live a life of worship, surrender and service to God, by serving others as well... He has blessed us soooo much and we are compelled to bless others with His Love! Thank YOU for being a channel of God’s love and provision in our lives...

With immense gratitude,

Gus, Karissa & Kiddos