Gabriel Cayul pronounced our mission church, La Iglesia Presbiteriana de Reñaca, a particular church on Sunday, April 9, 2006. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a fight broke out on the back row. Melanie's little voice rang clear and loud, "No! I am not little! I am big!" Suzannah argued with her that she was indeed little. It was important that the entire church family be in the service for this moment in the life of the church, so we all put up with a little noise.
Mr. Lindsay Pope, 95 years old, lived alone in Winnsboro, SC until last October. He left the home where he was born for another home where they could take better care of his aging body. A few weeks ago Mr. Lindsay offered his home place for us to "rent" while we are in the US. Gaye Campbell told me all of the details of the house to my incredulous ears. The Pope home was built in 1835. It withstood Sherman's march through the south, but will it hold up under the Dye children? I inquired, "Does he know we have four kids?" She laughed good-naturedly and said that he did. The beautiful old home comes with furniture, sheets, towels, and a dog! When God provides, He does so down to the dog!
We plan to visit 40 churches, rejoicing with them at what God has done in Chile, and asking for prayer for direction for our return to Chile. Our schedule is already filling up quickly so be sure to contact us to set a time to be in your area. We look forward to hearing from you!! We are excited about being back in the US , while concerned about leaving our Chilean friends, our house, our two dachshunds, our life here. We anticipate some bumps in the road for our children as they enter a Christian school in the US after years of home schooling. We look forward to it all, knowing that it will be overwhelming. We look forward to spending time with family. We haven't even met one of our nieces, who is three years old! Uncle Charles has a promised fishing trip with the kids. My goodness! There are lightening bugs to catch! (They don't have them in Chile!) We look forward to seeing our parents (both in Mexico and the US) who have all struggled physically in the last few years. Roger needs the time to study several different areas of ministry and theology. Laura needs a library. It is just time to be gringos for a while.
The pastoral candidate, Juan Montecino and his wife Paola, are a remarkable pair. They aren't typical, but it is obvious after just a few moments of talking with them that there is little they will not do to insure that God is glorified in Quintero. Roger has been giving classes to Juan, and will leave that task to other members of presbytery while we are gone. Laura's sister watches amazed as churches in the US prepare to welcome us home: Yall are like rock stars here! It's a bit humbling to know that we are supported and loved by so many. Thank you all! We look forward to seeing you very soon!
Roger and Laura Dye
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We didn't make a big deal of Sunday, although in our minds becoming a particular church is what we came to Chile to see happen. The service was attended by members and a few others, followed by an expanded coffee time. The charming chapel at the top of the hill is no longer a mission, but a church governed by its own elders, ready to grow without us, and just a little bit terrified of the new responsibilities.
We leave Chile on May 16, and arrive in Mexico. Roger will give a Creation conference in Quertaro. We will arrive Winnsboro on May 31st. Our plans are to return to Chile in May 2007.
In addition to our own congregation in Reñaca and the mission in Osorno (in southern Chile, Roger has been working with a new mission in Quintero, about thirty minutes up the coast. Three families have been meeting for worship, praying that God will help them to grow and reach the families in Quintero, a beautiful peninsula with 20,000 people living there year round and about 100,000 in the summer. It's a fishing village that oozes coastal charm, mixed with the largest per capita incidences of AIDS in Chile. It is a place that needs the Gospel of Christ desperately.