Chile

Share God’s love with the people of Chile where protests in 2019 have called a halt to decades of escalating inequality, rises in costs of living, increasing privatisation and corruption. Sharing with children and teens at social risk in children’s homes, working with the homeless in the capital, creatively presenting the love of God outside through the arts all reveal God’s heart for His world, both within and outside Chile.

Sharing the love of God practically

Chile’s nineteen million people are a nation of great diversity and great potential. Its location draws a melting pot of many races, including Venezuelan refugees, and tourists. Prone to earthquakes, Chile is the copper mining capital of the world, as well as exporting fruit, wine, salmon, timber and beef. Income inequality has led to vast differences between rich and poor, affecting levels of education. Over three quarters of the population are under 55.

Unemployment for the under 25s is high, at over 25 per cent of the population. This has brought an increasing problem with young people forming gangs and taking drugs.  Members of a church regularly visit a local women's prison each week. The women appreciate the visits, as they find it easier to forget their incarceration for a few hours. By not forgetting those who are condemned by society, the church shows its care for the needy and outcast. “Even in the toughest jail," a team member said, "The light of hope, which Jesus offers, always shines.”

Jesus followers in Chile

Officially, there is religious freedom in the country.  Figures state that 87 per cent of the nation are Christian, historically mainly Roman Catholic, with thousands of people having yet to hear the Good News of Jesus for the first time. There are actively thriving churches in all but three of the 29 tribal groups, encouraging other indigenous churches to grow and mature. Followers of Jesus aim to disciple young believers in a deep personal relationship with God and reach out to others who do not yet know Him, even to send workers into other parts of the world as visible expressions of God’s love.

Come to the capital city, Santiago, teeming with almost seven million relational people. The majority language is Spanish, and its people would love to talk to you and learn more about you as a foreigner!  If you would like to make an impact in people's lives locally and practically, we would love to welcome you.  Any international worker can live alongside national Jesus followers: you do not need specialist skills. Come to partner with local organisations visiting hospitals to pray with patients, and experience God’s love in action. You will always be building at local level, as you share your personal journey of faith.

Whether you come for a long, or short time, or join us remotely; or whether you pray, or invest in lives through financial support, there are many ways for you to share God’s love with the people in Chile.