Chile - Santiago

In the late 1970s a young couple fresh to the mission field landed in Santiago, Chile, after purchasing one-way airline tickets. Although their original work was associated with a different agency, within one year these two people were on their way to establishing IberoAmerican Ministries (IAM).

Libertad, the first church planted by IAM.

Beginning with a church body known as Libertad, the church planting movement of IAM began, and it spread quickly throughout the southwest suburbs of Santiago. Today there are more than 10 churches firmly established in the suburbs of Maipu, San Luis, San Bernardo, La Farfana and further to the south in an agricultural town known as El Monte.

These churches continue to grow, and in turn, reach out into their neighboring communities and other countries with the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Latin American culture, the family structure is extremely important and is a fact that sits at the core of the strategy used to reach communities, by first reaching many of the children. Reaching the children brings in the mothers, which then enables IAM Teams to reach the rest of the family over time. Community outreach campaigns, after-school programs, feeding programs, pre-schools, and actual elementary and junior high schools are all effective supporting ministries being used to reach the people in these areas of Chile.

Community outreach in parks is highly effective evangelism tool in South America.

These communities on the southwest side of Santiago contain many low-income neighborhoods with small, modest homes and project-housing. The children and the adults in these neighborhoods constantly battle exposure and problems related to drugs, alcohol, child abuse, and sexual abuse, which are prevalent in these communities. The IAM Teams working in these areas seek to reach these communities and show them the light that is talked about in Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.

Project-housing is especially common in areas surrounding Santiago.

Schools and Community Programs

In addition to these churches, schools have been created to build an early Christian foundation into the learning process for children in the area. Some of the schools include pre-kinder through eighth grade whereas others offer only pre-kinder and kinder.

Multiple and diverse education programs are available in Maipu.

After-school programs are also very important, and the House of Hope is just one program that provides refuge. Through these programs children can receive additional help with their schooling while avoiding the problems found in the parks and streets of their neighborhoods.

The Saturday feeding program at the San Luis School is a popular community event.

Churches and schools are used in these communities well beyond their intended means. From sewing centers to feeding programs, and from community futbol games to Bible institute classes, one of the goals for these church families is to serve their communities in diverse ways, enabling them to better share the Gospel.

Here I Am Send Me!

Early on, these churches understood the Great Commission. The mission flame burns brightly in these families. The Los Heroes, San Luis, Libertad, El Cuentro, and Oriente churches have sent missionaries to other parts of Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and into the 10/40 Window to share the Good News of the Gospel. This is not something these churches think about-it is part of the fabric of who they are. When asked "Why?" they simply answer that they go because someone came for them.