A Story of God's Work from Venzuela to Chile

by Pastor Christina Acosta, Director of Latino Ministries

Many of us have become accustomed to the new way of this world under the coronavirus restrictions and quarantines. These new regulations have often limited our mindset in what we feel can or can’t be done. Here is a story that I hope will motivate you to do more and to reach out further than you ever have before, even under the restrictions or challenges of our new way of life!

Meet Yolmary Rodriguez and her family who are heading up a new work near Santiago, Chile. This family found Jesus through the work of the Churches of God, General Conference in Venezuela through the ministry of the Ezperanza Viva Church in San Juan de Los Morros, Venezuela.

In 2018, her husband, Jose Dario Briceño Chacon, moved to Chile to seek new opportunities. With the economic and health crisis in Venezuela, they chose to move out of the country as have many others who were part of the ministry in Venezuela. The mass exodus from Venezuela is caused by famine, difficulty in finding jobs, financial crises, health crises, and difficulties with the past and present ruling governments. Many are finding it necessary to make this decision to move for the betterment of their family circumstances. Pastors Liarxi and Mara Alcala from Ezperanza Viva Church encouraged Jose and Yolmary and kept in touch with them as they got established in Chile.

Jose was in Chile for about two years before helping his wife and children, Isaac and Isabella, to come join him. During this time, he found a place to live and a job which provided a stable location for his family. God provides, and we can continue to trust in His provision.

Since arriving in Chile, Yolmary and her family proved to be persistent and faithful in their efforts to reach others through Christ’s example and Word. During their first year in Chile, the Rodriguez family began to reach out to the community by starting Zoom meetings, all under pandemic restrictions. Yolmary started a weekly Bible study that still runs today. It is recorded and broadcast for many people to join and hear God’s Word. The stop-and-go Coronavirus restrictions have made things more difficult, yet the ministry is having a good impact.

Last year, the ministry was provided with COVID Emergency Relief Funds through the CGGC (the Chile ministry gives a special “thank you!” to all the people who donated for this cause). Those funds helped them provide protective wear, disinfectants, and emergency food for people in their surrounding area to stay safe and healthy against COVID-19. This allowed them to meet more families in the area and opened the door to even further conversations. Because of the funds given to COVID Emergency Relief and the outreach efforts of the Rodriguez family, a house church was birthed in early 2021! The congregation is gathering each Sunday in their home. Traveling, even within the country, is very restricted right now in Chile. One must obtain a special pass to travel about to purchase food or go to work and yet they are able to use these passes to travel to and from the house church service on Sundays as well. So even with a full quarantine in effect, God’s Word and outreach goes on! This reminds us of the times in the early church when the believers had to use symbols for people to know where gatherings would be held, only in Chile, they need to use a pass to get to the services that are held in secret.

COVID restrictions or not, it does not change the human need that we all have to be filled with God’s presence. Now more than ever, people have a greater need to find someone, to find a place that is still open so that they can receive counsel, especially spiritual counsel. Churches are being planted, people’s hearts are being reached, God’s work continues to impact many here in the States and across the Globe. We just need to believe that God is so powerful, and His plan is so perfect that He knows what He is doing and where He is doing it. We need to learn to trust in God and His ways and be able to give our plans up to Him so that we don’t interfere with His will and purposes for His kingdom. Let’s make a decision to BE the Church when it matters most! “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).