Paul instructs Timothy, “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Tim 3:1). This past month our church ordained another elder from the congregation, Marco, and we reminded ourselves that shepherding God’s flock is a noble task, a worthwhile pursuit. We are grateful to work alongside our full-time pastor (Andrés) and two “lay elders” (Adrian and Marco) and their wives as we seek to lead our church to follow Jesus more closely and advance the gospel here in Antofagasta.

Bekah had the privilege of attending a pastors’ wives’ retreat in Santiago along with Cle and Angela, and they were joined by Kristi Flinck from Arica. It was a great time of fellowship and encouragement for the thirty ladies from all over the country. Two weeks later, Mark and Andrés traveled to the south of Chile for conference of about 80 pastors and church leaders from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. The conference topic explored creative ways to take the gospel to “closed countries.” In addition to warm fellowship, the topic sparked many edifying and fruitful conversations.

We are thankful for our teammates here in Antofagasta: Marco and Priscila, Andrés and Cle, and Adrian and Angela. Lord willing, we will host several of Mark’s family members for ten days. We are looking forward to seeing them and showing them the beauty of God’s creation as well how Jesus is building his church here. We always appreciate your prayers for us.

This is our November 2023 email update. You can sign up to receive our updates in your inbox here. You can download a printable PDF here.