Earthquake Chile Special Offering Sunday

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Earthquake Chile Special Offering Sunday

03/04/10

Working in partnership with Methodist churches in Chile, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has already begun to assist Chileans with their recovery.

Bishop Joel N. Martinez, interim general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries said: "The early reports of great destruction and widespread injuries and the increasing death count point to a need for a full response by all humanitarian agencies and governments in the coming days and weeks."

This Sunday during communion we will take up a special offering for Chile.

Here is a message from the Bishop Mario Martinez Tapia of Chile. His wife, Denise Soto Vergara, is the United Methodist Volunteers In Mission coordinator for Chile.

Grace and Peace,

Rob

METHODIST CHURCH OF CHILE REPORT ON SITUATION ORIGINATED BY EARTHQUAKE

A fraternal greeting in the grace and peace of our Lord. Jesus Christ, special way to the Methodist brotherhood in the districts "William Taylor”, Concepción and the South, that undergo the rigor of the recent earthquake that has affected these regions of the country. Our solidarity and pray by the congregations, like also by thousands of our compatriots who are living this reality. We also express our affection and gratitude to hermanas/os that from the foreigner have made us feel their concern, pray and support in these circumstances

Just yesterday Sunday and today Monday, after unfruitful efforts to obtain some telephone communication, we subsequent to have a partial vision of the situation the earthquake. Luckyly, until the moment, one has not inquired into damages or injuries to the methodist brotherhood integrity of. Nevertheless, the infrastructure of temples, pastoral houses, institutions or houses of the members of our Church, like also its equipment and furnitures of house, have been awfully damaged, especially in the churches of the districts “William Taylor”, Concepción and the South (seventh, eighth and ninth region of our country).

In some places, like for example: Church of Camilo Olavarría, has been necessary to evacuate the pastoral house by severe damages in its infrastructure and in other cities also the damages to pastoral houses have been considerable. The temples of Angol, Second of Temuco, Chillán, Los Angeles, First of Santiago, have severeral damages in their infrastructure, other cases the damages are little smaller, but also of taken care of much. (Concepción, Temuco, Temple, and, the agriculture boarding school of El Vergel) In several properties of the Church, as much in Santiago as in province, the peripheral walls with the neighbors have collapsed

There are churches of which we do not have information some until the moment: Talcahuano, Chiguayante, Coelemu, among others, by mainly not to have been possible to establish some kind of communication.

In most of the cases not yet there is provision of the basic services: potable water, electrical energy, cellular telephone or. The food shortage is let feel with severity, like also the lack of fuels. In the central offices of the Methodist Church in Santiago, street Sergeant 1041, has been stated significant damages in its infrastructure, in addition, the potable water provisions and electricity not yet have been restored.

In the middle of this circunstance, we make a call express our brotherly solidarity throughg the prays and helps by means of love offerings that allow us to accompany this difficult moment that many of our brotherhood are lived.

We express to each of them, next to its families, the love and communion of the Church, in the certainty that will receive the strength necessary to face this circumstance.”

“But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Brotherly in Jesus Christ.

Mario Martinez Tapia

Bishop Methodist Church of Chile

Ridgewood Park United Methodist Church | 6445 E. Lovers Lane | Dallas, Texas 75214 | (214) 369-9259