CHURCH PLANTING IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
Karen Wong (Jiexian) in Santiago, Chile
Saludos de Esperanza de Dios, Santiago (Greetings from Hope Santiago)! After I came to know Jesus in Hope Singapore 10 years ago in 2000, I began growing in my desire to fulfil the Great Commission beyond the shores of Singapore! About 5 years ago, I told God, “Here am I, send me!” In 2007, God spoke to me to go to Chile. Amazingly in 2008, God cleared all the obstacles for me to be part of a mission team to Santiago, Chile!
It has almost been a year since I have left Changi Airport to embark on my mission service to Santiago, Chile! As I looked back, it was truly incredible how God brought me through each and every single day in Santiago! Now my heart is filled with so much thanksgiving for all the blessings that he has showered upon me throughout this past one year!
Missions in a far -far land of Chile!
[Photo: My farewell contingent during my departure from Changi Airport, Singapore to Santiago ]
In the beginning, my mum was not agreeable with my decision to relocate myself to be involved in missions in a far-far land of Chile!
However, after much prayer, God touched her heart and by the grace of God, she was actually very supportive and showed a lot of care and concern throughout this past one year!
In fact, my whole family showed me great support and encouragement when I was away! Praise the Lord for His love showed to me through my family!
His financial provision as an English teacher
I was quite worried about my finances initially as it was not too easy to get a job here. I tried sending my resume to a few English institutes as a English teacher! However, it was not easy to get employed as an English teacher as I did not have much experience. Thank God for Puisee (one of the early pioneers of Hope Santiago), who introduced me to work in her English institute! Thank God for a smooth interview and training!
Thus, within 3 months of my stay in Santiago, I actually got a job teaching English! Praise the Lord for His financial provision through the job!
Santiago church planting team 
Thank God also for my team mates who showed me much love and concern as well! They are truly fun-loving and interesting characters! A few months ago, we were complete strangers!
[Photo: Team Santiago Karen, Christine, Shawn and Ee lee]
However, now our lives are fully-intertwined. It was so amazing that God brought our paths together to serve Him together in the same ministry, to live under one roof and to “bear” with one another’s idiosyncrasies! Along the way, we had another team mate (a mixed breed between Snaucer and Poodle!) Her job is mainly to provide security and to guard our house! But so far, she is just consuming food and poo-ing everywhere! Sigh! If she didn’t have a cute face, she would have long been “sacked”!
In church planting, there is one important skill that I needed to pick up - that is cooking! It was quite cheap to eat outside in Singapore, so I almost never cooked! Here in a foreign land, it is very expensive to eat out, so I had to learn cooking! Thank God that I gradually picked up this important new skill and now I could cook some decent meals for my team mates! Praise the Lord!
Cross cultural experiences in the mission field 
[Photo Photo: My first attempt cooking in Santiago The first meal I cooked! Impressive, right!!!]
Chile is a Spanish-speaking country so I had to learn Spanish to communicate! In the beginning, it was quite frustrating as I could not really understand what they were talking about. Neither could I get them to understand me much! Thank God for his help in learning Spanish through the months! Gradually, the foreign language makes more and more sense to me and now I could understand and communicate more with the locals!
There was one occasion, when I even shared the Gospel to lead a friend to pray the sinner’s prayer in SPANISH right in front of the statue of Jesus on the cross at San Cristobal hill! It was quite incredible; it definitely must have been the work of the Holy Spirit!
Leading a friend to Christ in Spanish 
[Photo: San Cristobal hill: the place which I led a friend to accept the Lord Jesus]
Currently, we have a few Chilean brothers and sisters, and friends who gather with us for care group. Thank God for the opportunity to get to know them. Though we are from a different culture and background, we could still come together to learn from God’s word and also to praise and worship God together!
Thank God also for the opportunity to be involved in the care group, serving as a host, to lead praise and worship and also to share the word of God during care group meetings.
Over the months, my Spanish improved more, and I found myself leading praise and worship and also leading games in SPANISH! Praise the Lord for my Spanish acquisition!
Building relationship with locals
Other than being involved in care group, I also had the opportunity to do volunteer work to teach English to the less privileged kids as well as to have inter-cultural exchanges through our Chinese cultural events!
Photos: Playing games during volunteer work Teaching & Chileans to write Chinese calligraphy]
Church planting has its fun moments too! I had many new experiences during my one year here! One of which was skiing! Another was to visit one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu! Praise the Lord for these wonderful experiences!
Personal growth through church planting
All in all, this year has been an eventful year! There were definitely mountain tops and valleys experiences!
But as I count my blessings, I realised that God has been so good to me! One thing I am sure is that church planting has increased my love for people, strengthened my faith in God, made my walk with Him more exciting than ever before as he constantly challenged me out of my comfort zones. There were times of challenges and difficulties which made me feel like going back to Singapore, back to my comfort zones! However, God always reassured me that He would be with me! I still remembered the voice of the Lord encouraging me at one of my lowest point, “I did not make a mistake by bringing you here. I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you (Jer. 29:11)!”
[Photos:Skiing at Santiago & Visit to Machu Picchu, Peru]
I know that God would do a great work here in Chile, to bring about a spiritual revival here!
As I surrender my life totally to him, trusting in Him, I believe that the Lord would use me to be part of His Great commission, to make Christ-loving disciples in order to build a Christ-loving church in Santiago, Chile! Looking forward to more personal growth, new experiences and miracles from God in the coming new year! Continue to keep Hope Santiago in prayers!
Karen Wong (Jiexian)
Hope Church, Santiago, Chile
www.hopesouthamerica.org
