Greetings from the Sunday School children

Christmas's pics.

New pictures

A view of the house in the back and materials in the
foreground

It's going up!

The weather has not been on our side, but we knew that going in. It is still winter down here, and that normally translates into cold and wet. However, our team has been diligent and taking advantage of the breaks in the weather to advance as much as possible. This week is forecasted to be nicer and if that be the case we will have some nice photos to display later on in the week. But until then, here are some new ones.....

Day ???

I am not sure what day it is, of the construction project. I do know that it is Saturday. This past couple of weeks have been crazy, but have not sent me there yet.

Today the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to visit and encourage a sister who is struggling in her physical body. Her name is Miriam and we would ask you to please pray for her, her husband and daughter. Thank you.

As we were gone the majority of the day, 9 am to 5:30 pm we didn't know how much construction had gotten done throughout the day. It was nice to come home and see what we have been looking forward to seeing; wood going vertical. Forever the optimist, I say "we are one day closer to being done with this project." Please continue to pray along with us for this work to bring glory to God, because that's what it's all about! (Psalm 115:1; 1st Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17)

Day 4

One more day closer to completion! (Optimism intended) Another beautiful day allowed for some good advances in the construction. Hopefully tomorrow will bring the same.

Day 3

If there is anyone out there checking this out, we are now on Day 3 of the construction. The weather was beautiful today and there was lots of productivity. Tomorrow's forecast is for more of the same (weather wise) and we trust that the productivity will be the same if not better.

Progress

In our last newsletter I had announced the purchase of the property and our plans to start construction in the next week. Well, we have begun! And as promised I am publishing some progress pictures. (The first picture shown is from day 2, and the second one from day 1) Due to some technical difficulties the going has been slow but we trust that in the next couple of days we will be able to see more done. For us it is very exciting having lots of supplies on sight, with the hope that one day soon they will be transformed into a new home for our family. Of course this will give us a much more comfortable living situation, but it will also establish us as members of this community which counts for much to the people we seek to minister.

Thanks again to each and every one who prays for us and partners with us in ministry. As always, to God be the glory! (Psalm 115:1)

Convenience

It's funny some things that you miss when they aren't around. Tonight @ around 8 p.m I was thinking that I miss convenience stores. You know those places where you can go in and buy a gallon of milk, a cup of coffee, a pinwheel and a full tank of gasoline. Especially that last item: the gasoline. I have milk in the refrigerator, there is (instant) coffee in the cupboard, I don't really need or want a pinwheel, but I was almost out of gas and there isn't a gas station in my town. The closest gas station, which is by no means a convenience store, is about 11 km (6.5 miles) down the road. This time I wasn't on the south side of empty, but there have been times when I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the station without winding up with an infamous "pana de tonto", aka "the dumb man's breakdown". My trip to the gas station was not very convenient but I did remember to be thankful for a vehicle to drive and the ability to fill it up with gas. Sure, it would be nice to have a gas station closer and even a "real" convenience store in the area, but if there were I would probably forget to appreciate the convenience anyway.

Toot and Puddle

Grace turned six years old on May 8th. She doesn't go to school due to the fact that they do not accept children who have autism. So, out of necessity she is homeschooled. A lot of her time is spent looking at books. She loves books. Flipping through the pages she has destroyed quite a few. But would she ever learn to read?
Lately we have been noticing her being able to recognize letters and seemingly reading some words. Today I wanted to find out what was on the t.v. and scrolled through the guide. All of a sudden Grace said "Toot and Puddle". I had not told her what the guide showed and she didn't see anything else that would lead her to said conclusion, other than the words that were on the screen. Whereas I realize that this could be a "sight word" that she recognizes, I still found it quite impressive and encouraging. Hopefully as we work more and more with her, Grace will continue to advance in her learning. Please pray for her and for us her teachers.

Back to the flock

As I was on my mission to pick up several of our older saints, I noticed walking down the road a woman who I hadn't seen in quite some time. Cecilia had been a regular at Grace Baptist Church from the time we got here in late 2007. She expressed a commitment to the Lord and a preoccupation for those who didn't know Christ. So it was a great surprise for us to see her go off the deep end into sin and leave her kids and town behind. Her testimony to her family, co-workers and the same brothers and sisters at the church was greatly tarnished. We hadn't heard from her in months, maybe about a year. For that reason I wasn't sure just where she was headed this past Sunday. Turns out that she was on her way to the church.
When Cecilia arrived we were just preparing to start the service, and she took her seat and participated along with the rest of us in our singing of songs unto the Lord. I shared the Word from 1st Peter 2:13-17 and focused on the importance of first submitting ourselves to the Lord and attempting to do all that we do to honor Him. After the message and several songs, I opened it up for prayer requests and/or testimonies. Following several others, Cecilia took the opportunity to recognize her sin before the Lord and to apologize for how she had hurt the family of faith at GBC. Through tears she mentioned how she had been back in town for a couple of weeks but was ashamed to come and face those whom she had let down so much. We, as a church, were able to affirm our love to her and encourage her to keep her eyes on the Lord and seek to walk in the ways of righteousness. It was a time of great rejoicing. Please pray for Cecilia and her family, that the grace of God would shine forth in their lives.
Of course Luke chapter 15 comes to mind, but I also think of James 5:19-20, where this "one amongst us who had departed from the truth has come back and the One (the Holy Spirit in this case) who made the sinner return from her erroneous way has saved a soul from death and covered a multitude of sins." Glory to God!

Good news!

There is only one message that is truly good news and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 100% good news for those who will place their faith in the Lord. Of course for those who reject the gospel it will not be seen as good news, for them it is repulsive and unattractive. (1st Corinthians 1:18; 2nd Corinthians 2:15-16) At the moment we find ourselves proclaiming the good news and trusting in the Lord for the results. People are hearing the message and we are anxiously waiting for what will come about. Please pray for those hearers of the Word, that they would become followers of the Lord Jesus to the glory of the Father. And also please pray for us, the heralds of the gospel, that we would speak the truth in love no matter what the cost. Yes, the gospel is good news but it must be made known for anyone to benefit from it. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who will believe."(Romans 1:16a)

Technical difficulties

I remember as a "t.v. loving" youngster the frustration I felt when the image would fade out and the words "we are experiencing technical difficulties" would pass across the screen. More times than not (or at least it seemed) this would happen at a moment of "critical" importance. It was so frustrating! Just imagining all of the super important and exciting things that I was missing out on drove me to the brink of insanity. Of course I survived and learned some valuable lessons in patience and how technology is fun but cannot always be relied upon. Fast forward to April of 2010.
For several days I have wanted to update the blog. As much as I try to stay current, it seems like something often gets in the way. This time it was due to a technical difficulty. I don't know why, but I was not able to log on to my blogger account. Just now I have been able to. (obviously) Well, here I am back from my technical difficulties. So, what have you missed out on? There were some ideas that I had for blog reports that I have since forgotten. What I can remember is that the Lord has been good to us and has blessed the ministry of the local church. This past Sunday (the 18th) we had a wonderful time around the Word of God. Our service that normally goes for an hour or at most an hour and a half, went past the two hour mark and get this nobody complained nor got up and walked out. Some did have to take a bathroom break, but they all stayed with me. Meetings were planned throughout the week and we look forward to what the Lord has in store.
As well on Sunday, we celebrated the 7th birthday of little Daniel. He is growing into a wonderful little man. He expresses his love and hope in the Lord and we pray that this would continue throughout the rest of his life. Please pray for him and for his sisters too. Thanks.
Isn't it good to know that our God does not experience technical difficulties? He does not slumber nor sleep, and His eye is always on us. When we call to Him, He will answer and He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Dear friends, rejoice in the Lord and in the power of His might!

Triumphal entry

This past Sunday we meditated upon the 1st triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He was triumphant in that He entered the city in order to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) Of course the people who witnessed His entry and His subsequent crucifixion did not consider Him much of a victor. Three days later it was evidenced that He was victorious by rising from the dead. So, that was a summary of the first triumphal entry. The second triumphal entry is yet to happen but we look forward to His second coming to gather His chosen unto Himself and crush those who oppose Him. (Matthew 24:29-31; etc.) What a day that will be. Even so, come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

Hell

It's a strong word and rightly so. It is profane to those who deny its existence. It is terrible to those who acknowledge its existence.
On Sunday I was listening to a message online (solagrace.com) by Donald Whitney on the reality of Hell. The message was quite edifying, check it out if you get the chance. Hell is "out of style", not many people want to talk about it or its implications. But it is clearly stated in the Scriptures that there will be judgement for everyone, and all who do not place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour will spend eternity in Hell. (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15) We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (John 3:16-17; 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9) and based upon that alone we escape the punishment that our sin deserves. (Romans 3:23; 6:23a) He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2nd Corinthians 5:21) Hell is a place for rebels, for lawbreakers. Everyone has broken God's law and deserves punishment. Praise be to God that His gift to us is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord. (Romans 6:23b) Justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) There is only one way to escape the fires of Hell and it is through faith in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. (John 1:29; 19:30) Jesus paid it all, all to Him I do, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Aleluyah!
So, what to do? Share the truth of the entire Word of God. Preach the one true gospel. Pray for those who do not know Christ that they would come to know Him, and by so doing escape the fires of Hell and receive the promise of everlasting joy in the presence of our God.

Normalcy

Things seem to be almost back to normal around here after our harrowing end to the month of February. Maybe that's why I haven't written in several days. But here I am.
We had a wonderful time of worship last Sunday at Grace Baptist. Praising the Lord through the preaching of His Word, through prayer, and through song. We are one week from completing our series in the epistle of James. What a blessing this has been to my soul and thankfully to many more.
Hasta luego.

More Aftershocks

Today we had three more strong aftershocks from the February 27th earthquake. Again they happened north of us, about 450 miles up into the 6th region. (we live in the southern 10th region) However this time there was a tsunami warning in effect from the 4th region to the 10th region. The children were taken out of school in Achao and literally "ran to the hills". As soon as I found out, I set out to find them. It was like a scene out of a movie as I weaved in and out of traffic to rescue my kids. (maybe a little hyperbole there) Once I had them in tow, we went back to our town of Curaco to get Ruth, Grace and Ruth's aunt, Tia Monica. In Curaco things were similar to Achao. The people were nervous and there were rumors in the air that the tsunami was drawing nearer by the moment. After assessing the situation we decided to observe calmly the goings on and from there make our decision to stay at home or go into the hills as well. We currently are at home, have had lunch and are watching the news and getting in contact with our loved ones. In Iquique, the northernmost part of Chile, they have just issued an evacuation warning. Apparently the entire country (with the exception of the far south) are being affected by this. Please pray and we'll keep you posted as we have more news.

Rebekah and Tabitha in their classroom

Elizabeth's classroom

Daniel's classroom

First day of school

Elizabeth's first day of 4th grade

Daniel's first day of 2nd grade

Rebekah's first day of Kindergarten

Back to School!

Today was the first day of school for four of the Kennison kids; Elizabeth, Daniel, Rebekah and Tabitha. The school year was supposed to begin last week but due to the earthquake on February 27th, the start date was pushed back a little. Some of the areas most heavily affected are planning on starting in April.
All of the kids were excited to go this morning, but probably the most excited was Rebekah. She was all smiles when she tried on the uniform last night and was even happier when she put it on this morning. Today was her first day of kindergarten. Elizabeth is starting the 4th grade. Daniel is starting the 2nd grade. Tabitha is "hanging out" with Rebekah in her class. We will see how this goes the first couple of days and decide from there if she will continue or not. Grace is at home for now as there is no particular place for her to go. As mentioned before,even though she doesn't go to school (we are her teachers) she has advanced in many ways and we hopefully anticipate what she'll learn and do next.
Please pray along with us for the kids' adaption to school and that they would be lights shining for Christ. Ruth as well is back to school, working several days as a music teacher. We also hope that through her contact with the students, faculty, and parents that the Lord would be glorified.

Chalk Artist

Three of the girls (Elizabeth, Rebekah and Tabitha) spent some of the day yesterday playing with chalk out on the front porch area. Grace observed her sisters at the time and just today decided that she wanted in on the action. She grabbed some chalk that was on the floor and started to draw on the floor. Then she started to draw on the walls. Then she started to draw on the chalkboard. Then she started to draw on the couch. Then she started to draw on the radio. And so on and so on. She likes to draw with chalk! From her exhibition today I would have to say that she is an abstract artist. She draws with passion and enjoys it greatly. Ruth and I talked today about signing her up for some lessons with a local artist. Maybe this will be an area of interest that will help her communicate herself. We are very thankful for our little "chalk artist."

Thankful

The past two days have been difficult as we see many of our fellow citizens suffering through the aftermath of one of history's worst recorded earthquakes. Over 700 lives have been lost and many, many people have lost a great deal or all of their material possessions.
In my last post, I mentioned the fact that two of our church families had not heard from their loved ones who were very close to the epicenter of the quake. This morning (Monday) both families received the good news that their families were safe and sound. We had lifted many prayers to the Lord on their behalf and we lifted one more of thanks for His gracious working in their lives.
Many people are still unaccounted for. One of the areas hardest hit was my old hometown where I lived back in the late 1990's. The people are without water and electricity for the third day now. Please join with us in prayer for the family of Jose and Luisa and the many more who are being and/or have been affected by this catastrophe.
Yesterday in our Sunday worship service we read Psalm 46 as it seemed so appropriate for our situation. To paraphrase, "even though the Earth trembles and the mountains fall into the sea, I have One in whom I can trust. Be still and know that He is the Lord. " The situation in the country is critical, but there is hope in Christ. Of course we are thankful for His watchcare over us, but we are most thankful for our relationship with Him. (1st John 3:1; 1st Thessalonians 5:18)

After the earthquake, we are all okay!

We have been very thankful for those who have expressed their concern for us over the last 12+ hours. Of course we are also thankful to the Lord for our health and safety. The epicenter of the quake (8.8) was about 400 miles north of us and all that we felt were "mild" tremors (3.5) which aren't abnormal for us down here. I (Daniel) went to bed around 3 a.m. and woke up around 7 a.m. to get off to the airport in Puerto Montt to pick up two brothers from North Casnovia Baptist Church. About one hour into the trip (8 a.m.) Ruth called me and told me of the massive earthquake in the north and that the airport was closed. So, I turned around and went back. Then Ruth told me that she had felt the bed sway back and forth around 3:30 a.m., but I slept right through it. Imagine that Ruth felt such a shaking with our 3.5 tremor, what would the 8.8 have felt like? Ruth's family went through an 8 up in Santiago where they live. Everyone had their life spared, yet there was great material damage to her younger brother's condo. They will stay with Ruth's parents for a while.
There are several families from the church (Grace Baptist) who have not been able to get in contact with their loved ones in the hardest hit areas. The phone lines are cut and they have no idea what's going on with their families. Please pray for the families of Jorge and Vivi and Jorge and Evelyn. Thank you.
We will keep you posted on any new updates. Chao.

Back to the blog

How many times has this happened that I have started and stopped blogging? Numerous. This past time my reasoning for taking a break was due to technical difficulties. Now that those difficulties are behind me, I hope to get back in the saddle. So hopefully by tomorrow evening I will have up some new pictures and commentary. Thanks again for your interest in our life and ministry. Chao.