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Why do you go to Chile every year?

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The question comes up periodically – Why do you go to Chile every year?

Debby went on her first short-term missions trip to Ecuador while Bob was still working.  Two things kept Bob from going with her – his job and the fact it was a trip for women only!  Bob retired from his job in 2000 and, using his new-found free time, got involved with Poplar Point Alliance Camp, a small Christian camp in Alabama.  This ministry fit well into their belief that the youth are the future of the church.  Since 2000, we have spent many wonderful hours working at this camp!

In 2004, our church wanted to get more “involved” in short-term missions.  Tom Orme came and shared about Vision for Chile, an organization that ministered to girls at the Hogar la Granja in La Pintana, Santiago, Chile.  This ministry fit in very well with our desire to work with youth and so we joined with three others from our church and traveled to Chile for two weeks.  Working with Vision for Chile can truly soften a heart of stone!  I like to tell people that my heart is in Chile with these young girls that have been through so much in a short period of time.  That first year we built a duplex home for 20 girls.  Most of all, we were able to interact with the girls and share the love of Christ with them.

Since that first trip to Chile, we have returned every year, sometimes for two weeks and sometimes for four.  We have been blessed to work with two different Hogars, a school and churches.  We have pounded nails, run conduit, wired buildings, worked on plumbing, hung drywall, mixed concrete, laid block, helped with Vacation Bible School, cooked, shopped and a myriad of other tasks!  The best task of all is working with the youth of Chile. We have worked with children who literally live on the streets and those at the hogars whose families live in all sections of Santiago, including the finest.  What is the common need for each and every one of them?  A personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!  Many of those we work with have experienced things we cannot even begin to imagine and need the healing power only Christ can provide.  We get to see many of the same girls each year.

One other reason for returning each year is working with great people.  It is surprising how quickly you grow close to the team!  At the end of two-weeks, you feel as if they are family!  When you return to Chile, it is as if you never left!  We also have the opportunity to work with great Chilean families!  Daniel and Jessica Trujillo truly have a heart for sharing Christ!  We have worked with them first at the Hogar la Granja and then at the House of Hope.  They are gifted of God!

We would encourage each of you to get more involved with missions.  There is a mission’s trip out there that will fit you to a “T”!  We would love to have you and your church come to Chile with us!  Oh, yes, why do we go to Chile every year?  God has called us to this ministry!

MORE INFORMATION:

 NEXT TRIP. 

OCTOBER MISSION TRIP TO SANTIAGO, CHILE!!

It’s time to build again! Please help us make a difference in La Pintana! The Lord has called us to build a multipurpose building with additional dorms and a micro-business to prepare for our future growth. We need both skilled and unskilled laborers – plumbers, electricians, etc. We need people of all ages, men, women and teenagers. We need people to help cook. Come for two weeks or stay for a month!

Dates:
TEAM 1: Leave the US on October 6th, 2012
Return to the US on October 21st, 2012

TEAM 2: Leave the US on October 20th, 2012
Return to the US on November 4th, 2012

If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please contact Tom Orme by emailing tomorme@visionforchile.org or calling him at 615-599-4208 (h), 615-973-9837 (c).

 

Filed Under: News, Stories, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Travel for Hope.

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

This is a new way for you to help us help in Chile, Ships for Hope. 

Today, Vision for chile supports the ministries of both the Girl’s Home (known affectionately as “The Hogar”) as well as the “House of Hope”, a halfway house for the girls as they move to establish themselves as adult members of Chilean Society.

We admire the life-changing work that Vision for Chile is doing for these girls. To support their continued work we will make a donation for every travel booking referred to use by Vision for Chile.

What’s the catch, you ask?

You must book with Ships ‘N’ Trips Travel and you must mention Vision for Chile when you first contact us. It’s that simple.

After your travel is completed, we will make a donation to Vision for Chile. And if you give us the okay, we’ll tell them who we are honoring (you) with the donation. If you prefer to remain anonymous, then we will respect your privacy and not reveal your name to Vision for Chile when we send the donation.

LINK:

http://vfc.shipsntripstravel.com/

 

 

GO

Make a secure online donation

Sponsor a Girl 

Internship Program.

Contact us for more information!

 

Filed Under: News, Stories, Vision for Chile, Voice of Hope

Change the lives of La Pintana children.

April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

“I am not beautiful, don’t lie to me”, she said to me. “No, Alicia, you really are beautiful, you are a child of the King. That makes you a princess.” Shaking her head, I gave her a hug and silently prayed for her in the back of the classroom. Five orphanages in La Pintana send their children to one school as well as other children in La Pintana, Alicia comes from one of these orphanages. Yet all the kids come from broken homes.

One girl in the 7th grade classroom lives with her older brother who is 32 and he has two sons, but she lives with her brother because her mom is an alcoholic and she has no idea where her father is. Another girl in my 7th grade class told me that she found out a week ago that she is pregnant. She is probably 14 years old and the father of her child is her ex-boyfriend. She is scared and doesn’t know if she will be able to stay in school with a baby coming soon. During one typical day I was asked if I drink or smoke, one kid was kicked out of class, and another boy took his shirt off in the middle of a lesson for no apparent reason. This is a normal day at this school. But I am bombarded with a hundred hugs each morning and enjoy working here even though it is difficult. There is so much darkness in this school. So why work here? Because you have the amazing opportunity to partner with God and be a light in this school and physically manifest the love of the Lord to these Chilean children. These children crave love and need to find it in the Lord, they need Jesus desperately.

 

Working with Vision for Chile in Santiago has been at times, overwhelming but working for the Lord whole heartedly should be. Overall, it has drawn me closer to the Lords heart for his people and hopefully I have drawn others to His heart as well during my time here. Involvement in the House of Hope, Hogars (orphanages), School and Church has shown me more about the Chilean culture and things of the Lord. This ministry is truly seeking to glorify God in everything. The House of Hope invests into girls who desire further education and builds them up to be well-rounded, God-fearing women. Chileis a beautiful country yet there is a lot of brokenness within the homes. You are needed to reconcile all people to God’s heart (Romans 10:14-15). God is the Great Redeemer for these Chilean children, but how will they know if no one tells them that they are loved?

 

Working here in La Pintana is not only necessarily providing food, shelter or clothes for the people in Chile. The basic needs are met, but there is so much more to life than basic needs. They crave love, attention, care and a simply a true friend. They need to know who Jesus Christ is and they need role models to show them what a life with him looks like. You are not going to be passing out literal water, but instead be showing them how a life with Jesus quenches all thirst.

 

I truly recommend this ministry to you, not only to change the lives of the children in La Pintana, but to change your life as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Vision for Chile and hope that you will join the team in bringing truth, love and overall Christ to these broken and desperate areas of Santiago,Chile. Will you join in the longing of the Lords heart for reconciliation and healing here?

INFORMATION.

 

Filed Under: News, Stories, Vision for Chile, Voice of Hope Tagged With: , , ,

Change is on the horizon…….

April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Change is on the horizon…..but will you be able to notice it?

 

Vision for Chile is on the road to change!  We have been ministering in Chile since 1998, serving poor and needy children.  We have worked in schools and churches but our main work has been at the Hogar la Granja in La Pintana.  Our concern over the future of the older girls, who typically leave the hogar at age 18, led to our building the House of Hope.  This house then led Vision for Chile to start a nonprofit in Chile – Vision por Chile.

 

In 2011, it was decided that Vision for Chile should become a nonprofit in the United States.  We discussed what the “vision” of this new nonprofit should be.  Should our scope be limited to our current ministry in Chile or should we look at the larger picture?  We have been asked in the past to consider working with poor and needy children in Mongolia and Russia as well as other Latin American countries.  These thoughts led us to realize that it would be best if the new nonprofit allowed for a more global ministry.  The name selection was a natural – Vision for Children!

 

In March 2012, Vision for Children was officially incorporated in the state of Tennessee!  On April 7, 2012, the organizational board met and voted to begin operating as of that date!  Will you see any immediate difference in our ministry?  The answer is “No” and “Yes” and “Maybe”.  We will not stop our ministry in Chile nor will we expand into another country until we are financially able to do so.  We will continue to do business as Vision for Chile.  Through a series of circumstances, the ministry of Vision for Chile has expanded to include another hogar, a “charter” school and a neighbor ministry behind the House of Hope that ministers to poor and needy children, many without homes.  We are going to be partnering in the future with the La Pintana Alliance Church with additional community ministries.  We are excited about our future in Chile!  We are equally excited about the increase in the financial support of Vision por Chile by Chileans and United States nationals living in Chile!  Our goal has always been to have Vision por Chile be financially independent – even while expanding ministries!

 

Vision for Children will begin doing business as Vision for (fill in the country name) as ministries present themselves and as finances allow.  Vision for Children will continue doing business as Vision for Chile!  Our job at this time is to see what country we should go into next and when!  We see expanding into additional countries only if our current ministries will not suffer.  We want to be responsible in our growth.

 

Vision for Children will have no paid staff until such time as growth or circumstances require.  We envision a time when Tom Orme will “retire” and we will most likely have to hire someone to replace him.  We will continue to have a contract bookkeeper as we did as Vision for Chile to help ensure that our funds are fully accountable and spent wisely.

Please contact us with any questions you may have!  We have teams scheduled to GO to Chile during October!  These trips can be life changing!  Please consider coming! Be sure to check out the flyer for the October 2012 trip here.  Send us a letter describing how your life was changed by traveling with Vision for Chile!

Tom Orme is the Director and Founder of Vision for Chile and is on the board of Vision por Chile.  He is the incorporator and the registered agent for Vision for Children, Inc.

Brenda Davenport is the Director of Operations for Amazima Ministries International and a member of the Advisory Board of Vision for Chile.  Brenda is the secretary of the organizational board of Vision for Children.

Bob Howen is the President of the Advisory Board of Vision for Chile and is on the board of Vision por Chile.  Bob is the President of the organizational board of Vision for Children.

 

Filed Under: News, Stories, Vision for Chile Tagged With: ,

Why I chose to participate in Vision for Chile

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Please read the below note from our Public Relations and Fundraising consultant, Kelly Galatoire:

With so many amazing ministries out there doing great things and filling many needs, how do we discern which one to give to? This was the question I constantly asked myself and prayed about over the years. Sometimes the Lord would lead us to give to one ministry, sometimes many. Constantly pray for God to reveal where you are to place your faith, your time and your financial resources because it may change as time goes by.

My husband and I moved to Santiago, Chile just over a year ago with our 4 children in tow. We embarked on an adventure that we knew was orchestrated by God, experiencing many signs along the way to confirm our decision. But like any major life change, there are many struggles and difficulties settling into this new life, new culture, language and societal challenges. Many times I questioned whether we had made the right decision, but I continued to go to my knees in prayer for comfort, direction and confirmation. The Lord didn’t answer right away, and it was painful in the silence.

However, the answer and reason for our move had been right in front of me, but I did not see it. Prior to our move, I had connected with a missionary family in Santiago who had raised 4 children and lived here for 20 years. Bob and Cheryl Fugate have been pivotal in my Christian walk and in introducing me to a ministry here that will forever change my life.

Vision for Chile is a US, faith-based ministry providing food, clothing and shelter to orphans and needy children in Chile. The first time I walked through their doors, I knew that God had a purpose and bigger plan for my life than I could ever imagine. On a daily basis, I witness miracles and blessings within this ministry. The power of the Holy Spirit is so strong and present, and the warmth, love of God and passion for changing lives in Chile flows from everyone involved in this organization.

After volunteering my time for many months, I knew the Lord wanted a stronger commitment from me. I offered to become a Consultant for Public Relations and Fundraising for Vision for Chile. I am so blessed to be part of such an amazing ministry reaching out and blessing over 500 children in the La Pintana, Chile community. If you are wanting to sow into a ministry that has credibility, integrity, and people on the ground who can communicate with you how your donations are changing lives, this is the ministry to sow into. We need prayer, volunteers to give of their time (mission trips), and finances to continue to provide for these children.

In October, 2012 we have a vision to construct a multi-purpose building to continue providing a safe place for girls age 18 and over. This building will consist of dorm rooms and a business center to teach and train young ladies how to run a business and how to increase their life skills. Please go here to donate now. Thank you for your time! We are so blessed to be able to share with you about Vision for Chile!

Kelly Galatoire

Filed Under: News, Vision for Chile Tagged With: ,

GO to Chile, planning October 2012.

April 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here’s your chance!!!  We’re already in the throws of planning the October work teams.  Will you consider joining us?  We are praying now for the hearts that will be represented there – we promise you this, your life will be changed!!!

Check out the flyer for more information about this exciting opportunity!

Our objective this year is to expand this vision and to construct a multi-purpose building that would provide additional space to increase our capacity to accept more young ladies into the program.

This new building would also serve as a business center for the young women to learn a business from manufacturing a product, to marketing it, and finally selling it, to improve their abilities and to promote strong business and life skills.  The income generated from this business would assist in covering the costs for their education and future.  

This project will be carried out in October, 2012.  We are needing immediate help to make this dream a reality for these young women.  The estimated cost of constructing this multi-purpose building is $100,000 USD.  

We are reaching out to businesses, churches and individuals in the community to help us make a difference by giving. 

October 2012 Flyer

To access the application and release form, please go here.

Filed Under: News, Stories Tagged With: , ,

Read February’s updates and want to go?

March 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here’s your chance!!!  We’re already in the throws of planning the October work teams.  Will you consider joining us?  We are praying now for the hearts that will be represented there – we promise you this, your life will be changed!!!

Check out the flyer for more information about this exciting opportunity!

October 2012 Flyer

To access the application and release form, please go here.

 

 

 

Filed Under: News, Vision for Chile Tagged With: , , ,

February 2012 Team Update – #2

March 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

My apologies to all for the lack of updates but this has been a busy yet relaxed time for our team.  First, our team is the smallest in the history of Vision for Chile!  Tom Orme, Lee Meier  and Bob Howen were the team members.  Tom had his administration work to do, Bob had some meetings to attend with Tom and Lee worked hard!  The second floor apartment drywall is all done and painted.  Closets were built into the first and second floor apartments.  Kitchen cabinets, tables and chairs were bought and assembled.  Tile was placed on the kitchen floor.  Desks were built into both apartments.  Light fixtures were installed.

Willy has to tile the walls of the kitchen area of the second floor apartment and grout the floor and wall tiles.  Carpet needs to be installed on the stairs and half the second-floor apartment.

We did find time to go bowling with Jessica, Daniel, Anais (I think this is misspelled), Patty, Willy, Jacob and the girls (including Marie our intern).  We finished the week of VBS.  Either 13 or 14 children accepted Christ!  Most were from the small Hogar.  Our girls are planning the follow-up.  Last Wednesday, we went to the small Hogar for an end of English class celebration.  The staff of the Hogar were very appreciative of the English classes, VBS and fiesta!

Today, we went to see the ministry to the 45 children.  What a ministry!  We were able to bring some milk for them and watched the excitement of both the workers and the kids!  God is really leading us to help them in some way!  Lee was taken to the airport and should be waiting to take off.

Tom and Bob stay one more day and leave Sunday night.  Sunday before we leave, we are scheduled to meet with the man who owns the property behind the House of Hope.  This property has access to the irrigation canal which would do wonders for landscaping the House of Hope!  Pray that God would guide and provide!

Some have questioned about “our” hogar.  The hogar is currently between directors and the acting director has set limits on sharing God with the girls there.  What is God´s plan and purpose in all this?  He has given us an opening into three other hogars, the ministry to these needy children and also to a school down the street!  Pray that God would use us!

Plans continue on the October trip.  Check the web site for the current brochure!  Also, the apartments allow couples or small teams to come at other times!

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Filed Under: Vision for Chile Tagged With: , , , , ,

February 2012 Team Update – #1

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Time flies in Chile, especially for a small team!  Today is the fifth and final day of Vacation Bible School.  We began the week with a group of about 20 children, most from a Hogar further up Miguel Angel.  Yesterday we had about 45 children present!  Today, perhaps God will fill the La Pintana Church!  We have enjoyed the time spent with these children.  The first day there were two who prayed to accept Christ!  Wednesday saw five more pray!!!  Our intern Marie and Lissette authored the program.  The other girls have all pitched in and have helped “fine-tune” it.  Our team is pitching in as needed for the skits (loved the donkey ears, Lee).  The girls have been providing the music (Daniel on drums) with Willy leading the singing.  I must say that Willy is perfect for the job!  Patty is providing the snack each day – you should see the kids line up!

Unfortunately, the girls from our hogar (Hogar la Granja) had other things planned and have been unable to participate in the VBS or to have dinner with us.  God did provide a new contact here in Chile.  Valle (turns out to be a friend of Kathrin Reinhart Brinkman) and her family minister to 45 boys and girls each weekend.  These children come from an area only a few blocks from the House of Hope but where many have no electricity, water, sewers or even proper shelter.

The work on the apartments continues.  Lord willing, we will be able to paint the second floor apartment Saturday.  Kitchen cabinets, closets and desks next week!  Our prayer is they will be completely finished when we leave!  Today should be the final sanding. Praise the Lord!

We are staying at the House of Hope.  Patty and the girls are treating us very well.  We did meet with the architect concerning the October building project.  Valle and her family rent their house from the person who owns the property right behind the House of Hope.  This is an old plant nursery that has been empty for years.  When the former owner died, she instructed her heir that she wanted the property to be used for Christ.  Valle’s mother is going to contact him about Vision for Chile!

Prayer requests: 

  • Health (the standard breathing difficulty)
  • Relationship with the Hogar
  • October’s building project (planning, permits, etc)
  • God’s will/provision for additional land
  • The ever elusive checking account
  • That you will be able to come to Chile in October!

     

Filed Under: News, Vision for Chile Tagged With: , , , , , ,

February Trip Deadline Extension

January 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Vision for Chile needs you!  We are still looking for volunteers for our February 2012 Short Term Trip to Santiago Chile. We need about 15 to 20 people of all ages.

This will be a very exciting trip blending Vacation Bible School, teaching English as a second language and doing some construction work.  And as an added bonus, it’s summer in Chile!

See the flyer with more information here.

We have extended the sign up date to January 20th.  Let us hear from you. If you have call questions, please call Tom Orme @ 615.973.9837

Filed Under: News, Vision for Chile Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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