The OM Experience

And away we go!

2010-03-07T18:32:00.001-07:00

So here is another update for you all! I just found out that tomorrow our group will be taking a bus down south to help with clean up in one of the cities hit by the tsunami. We might have other opportunities of evangelism and such but the main reason we are going is to help with clean up. From my understanding we will be teaming up with the YWAM base in Santiago. PLEASE keep us in your prayers. Pray for our safety and for God's provisions. Pray that we can be of help and not a burden as I mentioned in the last email. Please also pray that God's light will shine BRIGHTLY in this devastated city. Please keep up the prayer also, as we will be gone for one week. Thanks so much and God bless!

Rachel

PS: Please PRAY PRAY PRAY!

Earthquake Update

2010-03-06T16:50:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone. I thought I would take take a moment to update you on what is going on with OM Chile and my group after this devastating earthquake.

Praise the Lord we are all safe and even free from any real bad damage. Each OM Chile team member has water, food, a place to live and electricity. Several of us also have internet as you can see. Only a few of the houses or apartments have cracks in the walls. But I believe that God has graciously spared us from any big problems so that we may focus on helping our neighbors in Santiago as well as in the south (where the earthquake epicenter was).

At this point, OM Chile is praying for God's guidance in regards to how and where to help. The cities close to the epicenter have very poor conditions at the moment. Many people are without food, water, electricity and even homes. But we cannot just head down right away to help. If we were to try and do that we would end up being a burden to those in the south seeing as we would need food and water for 13+ people. Thankfully God has placed some people in our paths with whom we can possibly partner with in the relief effort. There is a possibility that we can work with the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. We could also eventually head to the south with some local churches but our leaders really want to seek God's guidance on this and see what is the best possible option and where we would only be of help and not a burden.

This coming Tuesday my team and I were supposed to head to the south for what we call the Adventure Team. This was going to be three weeks of traveling to different churches, doing different evangelistic events, as well as doing some adventurous things in the beautiful southern wilderness, such as rafting, mountain biking and climbing a volcano. For obvious reasons this trip has been canceled. But as one of our leaders pointed out, God has given us a different time of adventure where all of our normal plans are thrown out the window and we live at a day to day pace where we could up and leave at any moment if an opportunity arises to help somewhere. We all are just trying to be flexible and open to what God has in store for us.

I think it's quiet obvious that Chile and OM Chile need your prayers. I will place some specific prayer requests at the bottom. But we can also use help in other ways. Financial aid is a definite need. Two of our leaders made a very quick trip to the south to try and make contacts with churches and see what we can do. They brought with them about $400 worth of rice, flour and some other food items to pass out. We would really like to be able to provide more food and essential items, therefore donations are greatly appreciated. OM Chile would like to partner with Chilean churches so that the money we raise somewhat comes through the church in order to show the people of Chile the heart of Christ through the Christian church. We want to see God given all the praise and honor for the help we can give. It is He who can truly provide and heal. We could also use help with people who would like to organize trips to come down to Chile. Obviously this cannot happen right away but OM Chile would love to work with churches and teams who want to come to Chile to help. So please, I would like to ask that you seek a time of prayer for Chile. Please pray for the things I list at the bottom but also pray and ask God how you can help. Perhaps you can give a little extra to OM Chile or perhaps God is asking you to organize a team of volunteers to come and help. In the future there will be a great need to build and repair houses.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Also, I would like to thank so many of you who I know are already praying and who have checked in on me to make sure everything is ok. You are a blessing.

Many blessings to you from our gracious King,

Rachel

Prayer Request:

That God will direct OM Chile exactly where it can be the most helpful.

That we can remain flexible and attentive to God's will.

For our continued safety.

That there will be no more large earthquakes or aftershocks.

That God will provide all the necessities.

That God will provide the money we need to help our neighbors in Chile.

That God's light will shine brightly in the midst of this devastating time and that He will prove His goodness to many so that they may come to a personal relationship with Christ.

That volunteers will rise to the calling to come and help Chile.

That OM Chile will have the strength and endurance to work hard day after day and that we will be Jesus' hands and feet.

If you would like to donate money, send checks to:

Operation Mobilization USA
PO Box 444
Tyrone, GA 30920-0444
Attn: Matt Harper

Make checks out to Operation Mobilization, but in the memo write “OM Chile relief work”

Newsletter Number 3

2010-02-25T09:15:00.002-07:00

Greetings Friends and Family

As many of you are still surrounded by cold winter weather and are anxiously awaiting the spring, I must admit that I am greatly enjoying our recent drop in temperatures during the evenings and mornings. Because I have skipped winter for a year I'm ready for fall weather and to be putting on sweaters. Soon enough I know I will be. I only have three more months left in Chile and then I will be heading to Birmingham, England. It is blowing my mind how quickly the time has gone by.

Ministry

Recently I have been working with the homeless ministry rather than the prostitute outreach because the leaders are still on a break and completing some other ministry outreaches to Uruguay. At first I was not extremely excited to be doing the homeless outreach because that's not where my heart is. But how selfish! To not necessarily feel called to a certain ministry does not mean that I cannot give my all and still share the love of Jesus Christ! So although I went in somewhat lackadaisical God has definitely changed my attitude. What a joy to bring bread, soup and tea, and more importantly the Bread of Life to these men and women who feel hopeless, unloved, forgotten, hurt, and so on. Two weeks ago as we were passing out bread one man kept asking how much it was and was continually showing that he had a couple hundred pesos in his hand (less than one US dollar) with which he could pay, but we kept telling him it was free. From his reaction it would show that he has not received such kindness in a long time. His face was overjoyed and as my friend Ben went to talk with him, the man bent down to kiss Ben's feet as an act of gratitude for the free meal. Knowing there was no need to have his feet kissed, Ben quickly got down to the level of the man and sat him up to sit with him on the curb. They were able to talk for 20 or 30 minutes and I know that Christ was very present in that time. While they were talking, I was able to participate in a conversation with a another man who was only recently living on the street. His name is David and he, from my understanding, has a college education and was a paramedic. Yet there was some big accident in his family (I'm not sure what because I couldn't fully understand everything) and he began drinking and let his life spiral down. But now he wants change. He has stopped drinking and has cleaned up really well. He has nice clothes, is bathed and looks ready for his next step. David professed His belief in Christ which is so comforting and as we prayed for him before we left, he then also asked if he could pray for us. This touched my heart more than you will know.

Personal

This time in Chile has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. The work God is doing in me personally is beyond words. I came in thinking that I was someone who had a lot of things together, and what a foolish assumption. At this point I feel as though I have been put through a refiners fire. There have been many times of tears and pain but let me tell you, to go through God's molding process is worth it. As I am become free of lies I have been believing for years and standing firmly upon the truth of God, I am becoming a confident woman in Christ. Through this process I am also beginning to know who I am in Christ, how the Spirit has gifted me, what my passions for ministry are and possible future plans. We are currently going through a Life Direction course (since the time in Chile is coming to an end) and it is so exciting to me to think about future ventures. I am finding that I have a true passion to teach,mentor and disciple. I also have a very strong desire to push young Christians deeper in their faith and to challenge them to become world changers. My mind is full of the possibilities of what comes after my time with OM but I try not to get too excited since I still have another six months (three in Chile and three in England).

My Deepest Thanks

This is a very exciting time for me and because of support like yours, I believe I am becoming a woman who can fight more effectively, the battles that are raging, in the name of our King and Saviour. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your support, your prayers, your encouragement, and for just standing by me as I take this journey. Together we are making an impact for Christ and His mission, now and in the future. I cannot thank you enough.

Newsletter Number 2

2009-12-20T18:34:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Santiago!

It's an odd thing to write the date of December 20th and be in shorts and a tank-top! How strange to have a HOT Christmas season. It's definitely a new experience for me.
Things are going really well in Chile right now. God is working in so many ways and I'm happy to give you a quick update.

At Hogar El ArcaSince I last wrote my team members and I had only just began full-time work with the ministries. Now we are at the point where it has become second nature. As mentioned in the last letter, we go to the children's homes (hogars) twice a week. This was a bit of a challenge for me at first. Most of the children have parents but because of bad home lives, or the parents bringing them to the homes voluntarily, they are at the hogars. This means that many of the children have been abused, molested, abandoned, etc, and this comes out through different actions. They constantly seek attention and have a huge lack of discipline. There are not enough Tias (the women running the hogars) and therefore the kids don't get all the attention they need. They will act up in different ways and if we can get the attention of half of them while presenting our program that is considered a successful day. But God is definitely helping us here and I feel His help personally. Although these children really can seem problematic, God has given me His eyes for them. Granted I'm not always looking at them as God does, but He continually reminds me of His radical love for these children which in turn causes me to love them all the more. This past weekend God really increased our relationships with the kids and it was a huge blessing. Because it's Christmas time many churches do different things for the kids and a group came Saturday. We came to help out since we know the kids a little better. Well it was obvious that the kids already see us as somewhat more of a foundation because they clung to us instantly as these new strangers came in. It was an encouraging action because it affirmed to me that progress is being made. These sweet, little hearts have had to put up such walls in their lives and around their hearts as protection but I think we're working our way in to try and spread the love of Jesus. Praise God that several of them profess faith in God, but pray that they will actually walk with Him even though they are in a place where they have few examples of true followers of Christ.

Last Tuesday was the last day of the transvestite prostitute ministry for two months. The leaders are taking the time off to pray about God's direction in the new year and to also have a bit of time of rest and restoration. This ministry is always in the midst of battle. As we walk the streets at night, some Tuesdays the spiritual warfare can seem so thick that you almost see it before your eyes. But don't worry! I know some people have voiced concerns but please know that there is a large group of us that goes together and that we stay in the safer areas. Most importantly we have the King of kings walking with us. But please keep this ministry in your prayers! My heart is very much in this ministry. The lives of these men are shattered into a million pieces and the only remedy is Christ Jesus. But there are so many hardened hearts that we talk to. They know the truth; they hear it just about every week. But they don't want to change their lifestyles. Pray that God will begin working in their lives and speaking to their hearts. Pray specifically for one man whose name is “Glenda.” I do not yet know his real name but God will know who you are talking about! :) But pray for him because changes are starting in his life and God is 100% speaking to him, and Glenda even knows it. Pray that he will fully submit his life to God so that he may become a man of God and help to bring the other prostitutes to the One who can heal all wounds.

On a personal level I have to say that God is doing some amazing renovations in my life. I am trusting Him more and more in all situations and finding my importance through Him alone. It's not an easy process but at least I know the hard work is worth it if it brings God more glory and I can come to know Him better.

Thank you again for all your support. I will continue to ask that you pray for me, for the Intensive Training team and for OM Chile. Here are some quick prayer points:
Hogar El Arca – pray for the children that they may become men and women of God and that He will heal their broken hearts. Pray for the Tias who run the home that they will find restoration and strength through God and that they will seek His wisdom and counsel.
The prostitute ministry – pray that God speaks clearly to the leaders as they seek His direction for the new year and new ways to reach out to the men. Pray also for the men that they will come to know God personally and that they will want a completely different life. Pray for Glenda, that he will come to know God personally very soon and that he may help bring others to the Lord.

Pray for OM Chile and its leaders. Pray that they constantly seek God and His guidance and that they will also be encouraged as they often fight large spiritual battles.
Pray for financial support for my team and for OM Chile. One of the leaders and one of the members have both lost some supporters and need God to provide.
Please also pray for me that God will continue the work that He has started. Please also pray for my Spanish. I'm a slower learner and it can be very frustrating. Please pray that my ears will be opened to understanding.

Thank you again for everything and for taking the time to read this long newsletter. I pray that you and your family will have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Many blessings!

Please write!

2009-12-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

I was just thinking how many people may not know my mailing address here because... well I haven't thought of giving it out before! Anyway, I would LOVE to receive some mail here so if any of you have time, please send a note my way.

Rachel Watson
OM Chile
PO Box 534-3
Santiago, Chile

Thanks and many blessings!

It's been too long!

2009-12-08T12:30:00.003-07:00

Wow... I must admit that I have completely forgotten about this blog! Well, I need to write a long update but unfortunately don't have the time. In the meantime I will copy and paste my last newsletter. It's old, but hopefully I will be creating a new entry soon!!

Hello everyone!
It is now October which means I have been in Chile for a little over a month! Even though it's been a relatively short time it has been a great experience so far.
Almost everyone on my team arrived on September 1st. There are ten team members and we are from nine different countries. The members are Emma (England), Santtu (Finland), Jona (The Faroe Islands), Tineke (Netherlands), Sheridyn (New Zealand), Tom (England), Ben (Germany), Philipp (Switzerland), and Stijn (Belgium). The beginning weeks started with an introduction to OM and what the Intensive Training would look like. We visited all the ministries that we could be a part of and started the introductions to our classes. At the beginning of this past week we turned in our preferences for the ministries we would like to be a part of then the leaders chose where we would go based off of that. So let me quickly tell you what a typical week will look like for me.
On Sunday we go to church of course. But we are not all going to the same church. The leaders have shown us three different churches and we get to pick which one we will be attending for the nine months we are in Chile. Every church is Spanish speaking which means I'm going to be rather confused for a little while! But it will definitely help me to learn Spanish. On Mondays we have our Cultural Training classes as a group. After this is lunch time which is our one big meal for the day. We have a cooking schedule and so on Tuesdays I cook with Philipp. It's always interesting to see what we come up with! On Monday evenings everyone goes to a hogar. This is the children's home. There are two different hogars – Hogar Scion and Hogar Arca. Scion is the boys home and Arca has both boys and girls. I will be working with the girls at Arca. On Mondays we will be doing a program (that we create the week before) with songs, games, a message and craft. On Tuesday we have Evangelism Training. I've really been enjoying this because it's not like the typical evangelism stuff I'm used to. The leaders are really coming up with new concepts of sharing the gospel which are really outside the box. It's great. On Tuesday evening I'm a part of the transvestite prostitute ministry. Only three of the girls (myself included) are a part of the ministry. The rest of the people go to do homeless ministry. The prostitute ministry is the one that I am really excited to be a part of. God really laid these ladies/men on my heart. Hopefully I can share more about this another time. On Wednesdays we either have Bible Study or homework checks in the morning (yes, we have a LOT of homework). In the afternoons we have our Spanish Classes. Thursday mornings either consist of Mentor Conversations or a Girls/Boys Meetings (it switches every other week). Then Thursday afternoon the girls go to the hogars and the boys do the skateboard ministry. Friday mornings we have more Spanish Classes and then in the afternoons I have the art ministry which does a lot of dramas and other artistic outreaches. Saturdays are our free days but may often be filled with youth group activities or just hanging out with our Chilean friends.
I feel so blessed to be in Chile right now doing what I am doing. I feel God working with me and it's been amazing. Typically I would have been so overwhelmed with all that I need to do but I just keep leaning upon God and He is definitely getting me through. I have moved far outside my comfort zone but it's not as huge of a shock as I would have expected. I contribute this to God 100%. It's amazing. I also greatly look forward to the time I will be spending within the ministries. The little children, although we've only been to the hogars two or three times, are already clinging onto us and loving our company. I also can't wait to continually show the love of Christ to the transvestites who are not used to having real love shown to them. And I'm actually excited to be used within the art ministry to share about God through music, dramas, art, etc (if you know how naturally introverted I am this is a big deal!). God is definitely working in me and through me so far. Thank you Lord!
Thank you to all of you for your many encouraging words and prayers. It's greatly needed! I can't do what I do here alone and I need that support. Please continually keep me in your prayers and if you have the time drop me a quick email! I love to get them! When you think of it, please do pray for the work that's going on here. A few prayer requests would be that you pray for OM Chile. Pray that it receives all the support it needs. Pray for the leaders. They are amazing but I'm sure they may face spiritual attacks as they are guiding us to bring glory to God. Please also pray for my team as we may face attacks of our own. Pray for unity among us and that God will mold us and use us. Please also pray that we all pick up Spanish quickly so that we can better communicate with the people.
Thank you again for all your support. If you have any further questions or comments please feel free to email. I hope all is well with you and look forward to talking more later.
God Bless,
Rachel

Finally in Chile!

2009-09-06T16:43:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow I will have been in Chile for a week! I can't believe that I am finally here.

It has been really good thus far. We have not really started into any of the ministries but have been spending a lot of time getting to know one another, going over rules, learning the transportation and how to get around (buses and the metro), and just learning a lot about what we will be doing in the coming months.

I must admit that the first few days overwhelmed me. It just seemed that there was SO much to do. Not only do we have our day to day ministry but we will be continually doing book reports and homework, etc. This program is called the Intensive Program and I promise that it is going to live up to that name.

I will be sure to share more of what all is going on in Santiago Chile but for now I just wanted to share the lyrics to a song that has really become a prayer of mine. It was written back in the 90's but the words really touch me. It is called the Potter's Hands.

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Savior
I know for sure
All of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into
Your perfect plan

You gently call me into your presence
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord
To live all of my life
Through Your eyes

I'm captured by
Your holy calling
Set me apart,
I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Take me, mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

God bless and more to come later!

Update

2009-04-06T23:17:00.002-06:00

Wow, it has been far too long since I've written anything. So here is an update on how things are going.

Everything is coming along really great. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by!! When I think about how I just have a little over 2 months before I leave I get a knot in my stomach. I'm nervous but I'm also SO excited. This is going to be such an amazing year. Yes it is going to be hard. Yes there will be tears. Yes I will have to move so far out of my comfort zone. But yes, God will use this and He will be forming me to become a better follower and disciple.

In regards to the funds for my trip I have been so blessed! Thank you to everyone for helping me out. I seriously could not do this without you. I honestly view you as part of my ministry and I hope you do the same.

So now that the funds are coming along really well, I guess I'm just thinking about how to prepare myself for the trip. I'm saving money and thinking about things I need to purchase. An absolute blessing that occurred was that I was able to sell my car and purchase a "new" one that I would not have any payments on. I sold my beautiful 2007 Jeep Compass Limited (yes it had all the extra features!) and bought a 1995 Subaru Legacy Wagon (cracked windshield and all). I was sad to see my Jeep go because I purchased that car with the intention of keeping it for a very long time, but it's funny how God has other plans sometimes. I must admit though that it is fun to drive an older car again. I don't have to worry about people scratching or denting it and I can just park wherever! :)

So as you can see things are coming along well. But please keep me in your prayers! For those of you who have been praying THANK YOU!! I need it so much!! And like I said for those who have been supporting me financially, you too are part of my ministry. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the process and preparation that I forget to fall on my knees before God and just seek His wisdom, love, counsel, advise, etc. and I need those prayer warriors taking over for me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the prayers.

Well, that's enough for now! Hopefully I'll give my next update sooner than later!

Waiting...

2009-04-06T22:51:00.003-06:00

This post is a bit off the subject of Chile but it is something I wanted to share.

I am currently doing a Beth Moore Bible study on Esther with some fantastic women, and it has been amazing. Each week we watch a DVD of Beth's teaching and during the week we fill out our homework for the corresponding chapter.

A couple weeks ago we were going over Esther chapter 5. This is the chapter where Esther, after Mordecai's promptings, chooses to go before the king, her husband, without summons even though it could mean a death sentence. When Mordecai first suggested this, Esther was not anxious to get on board with the plan. But once she realized the caliber of the situation, she decided to go into action.

Most people would think that, having realized the lives of her people, the Jews, as well as her own life were in mortal danger Esther would jump immediately into action. But she did not.

Esther had all the Jews in Susa, as well as herself, fast for three days. This would seem like a long time when the lives of your people, as well as your own life, was facing certain death.

Isn't it interesting that Esther took that time to wait? In the Bible study Beth mentioned four types of waiting that followers of Christ should reflect upon and be aware of. I could go into much further detail with each but will leave more of that digging up to you.

1. The importance of when it's time - knowing when it's time to act or when it's time for an event

2. The importance of when it's time to wait

3. The importance of knowing when it's time to wait for someone else's time.

4. The importance of knowing when the meantime is God-time.

Number four is my favorite. We ALL have things we are waiting on whether it be a new job, getting married, having a baby, finding a new home, waiting for a loved one to become healthy, etc. - we're all waiting. But let me offer you some truth that recently smacked me upside the head: When we wait upon an event our strength WILL be LOST. If you are in a state of waiting, please know that God is not inactive! He is working and in action! Wait upon the LORD, not the event! Renew your strength in HIM! It seems so simple but it's something I know I fail at time and time again!

God bless!

Late night ramblings...

2009-03-25T23:51:00.001-06:00

I never thought I was greatly affected by caffeine... but the cup of coffee I had earlier tonight is trying to prove me wrong! I'm up... I'm definitely awake and therefore decided to write about some things that were on my mind regarding my trip.

As I was going about some chores tonight I began to think about my trip and what it really meant to me. Something I want to make clear to people is that I am not doing this just for the experience. I didn't decide one day that I needed an adventure in my life and therefore signed up for a year long mission trip. I view this as more of an internship or job training.

Ministry is what I'm interested in and what I believe God has wired me to do. I'm not sure exactly what it is He wants me to do... so this is where this trip comes in. Going to Chile and the UK is going to present me with multiple ministry opportunities. I'm going to be able to test my skills and gifts to really figure out how God can best use me for the furthering of His Kingdom and to bring glory to His name. That's what I'm interested in... that's my goal in life. And I don't want to just jump into a ministry position to find out a year down the road that I'm not suited to do it. Granted, life is full of trial and error, but I want to go about that trial as informed as possible.

So all that to say, I'm so excited for this trip because I truly believe that it will teach me so much about myself and, in the meantime, I will get to share the gospel with so many different people from different walks of life. People need to hear the Word, and I'm going to get to learn how I best do that!

Please be in prayer for me as this is a trip that I truly believe will guide me to what I'll be doing for years to come!

For His glory...

Random Chile fact: In 2006, Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile's first woman president.

Why I'm going...

2009-03-21T15:40:00.000-06:00

Well, I must admit, I never thought I would actually have a blog! But I figure this is the perfect way to keep everyone up to date with what is going on in my life in regards to my upcoming mission trip to Chile and the UK.

Oh, as a side note, I realized that in my support letter I forgot to mention that I am going to the UK as well as Chile. I will be spending 9 months in Santiago, Chile and 3 months in the UK (specific destination within the UK unknown for now).

So why am I going on this trip? Well, after I graduated from Washington Bible College in 2006 I was really lost as to what I was going to do next. I received a BA in Biblical Studies with a concentration in Counseling/Psychology. I thought, through my years of schooling, that I was going to become a counselor. Well, during my senior year that changed. I realized that although I like to use the skills I learned in school, I didn't want to do it in a professional counselor setting. I wanted more hands on experience, if that makes sense. So I headed back to Colorado (from Maryland) and started working for my Dad's business.

During this time I was was continually praying that God would guide me into a full-time ministry position. I didn't know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go but I just kept praying. This lasted for a few years. I really began to worry and become anxious thinking I was going to be stuck in Colorado forever!!!! :) But then it struck me one evening last summer... our faith is like a muscle. I know this is probably something many of you have heard before, and I know I have too, but I was not applying it. I was happily sitting and waiting, but I was not exercising my faith when it came to figuring out God's will for my life. So I decided to take some steps.

I started looking up missions organizations and trips for young adults. Rather than starting a full time job with a missions organization I wanted a year long experience that would really, not only get my feet wet, but fully submerge me in missions work. So I searched and search and finally found a trip with Operation Mobilization that sounded perfect for me. I prayed over my application and asked God that, if He didn't want me to go, then I would not get accepted... but I was accepted!

So now I'm going with OM to Chile and the UK. I have so much more to say regarding all of this, but I feel I've rambled for long enough. If you have questions for me, please feel free to ask! Otherwise I will ramble on some more another day!!

God bless!!