Do you have some free time? Would you like to get better acquainted with the Patagonia? SouthernChilenos invites you to come and take a virtual prayerwalk through the Chilean Patagonia with us. In the Patagonia it is always wise to dress warmly. You might also want to put on a cap so your hair doesn’t blow away and take earmuffs for your ears...
We will begin our journey in Puerto Montt, the gateway to the Patagonia. This is where the Pan American Highway ends. There are roads that will continue down and around the many islands but they too will end soon. To reach Punta Arenas, at the bottom of the continent, one has to choose between going by ship, a journey of some three days, driving down through Argentina, or taking an airplane from Puerto Montt. This is a case of “you can’t get there from here”.
The first challenge of the Patagonia in late fall and winter is leaving Puerto Montt. If it has been snowing in Balmaceda the plane will not be able to leave Puerto Montt. Often many arrive in Puerto Montt and have to spend one or two nights waiting for the snows to end and the runaway in Balmaceda to be cleaned. But with only a three hour wait in the airport we are going to continue our journey.
Balmaceda is the major airport of the 11th region of Chile, also called the Northern Patagonia. It will take our pilot 2 attempts to land because the wind is blowing the snow around the airport and there is little visibility. Finally we are on the runway and a path is cleared to the nearest gate. Praise the Lord for a great pilot and the safe landing.
Before we leave the airport we see a small community. As well as being the home of the regional airport, Balmaceda is also an international pass into Argentina. There are both police and military personnel living and working here. It is a good time to pray for these workers and their families. Many are living hundreds of miles from family while they serve in this region. We can see immediately the extreme isolation that these people experience.
We have rented a 4X4 truck, not knowing what type of driving we’ll have. We pack it up, make sure that the chains are on the tires and we are ready to move toward Coyhaique. It is an hour’s drive on snow and ice covered roads. There are few houses along the road. Those houses that we do see are on hillsides overlooking beautiful valleys filled with snow. Logging and fires have decimated much of the landscape, which only adds to the bleakness of the view. How lives have been affected because of the carelessness of man! As we stop to remove the chains from the tires it is a good time to pray for the people who live in the house atop the hill. Let’s pray that they will be able to see and acknowledge the Lord’s presence in their lives.
We finally arrive in Coyhaique, the capital of the region. It is a lovely town in a valley. Unlike much of the central and northern part of Chile, most of the dwellings and public buildings are built of wood. Chimneys are puffing furiously to keep the buildings and people warm. We appreciate that since it is a mere is 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. After checking into the hotel our prayer team needs to get together to talk about the sights and sounds that we have experienced and have a prayer time for this place. God’s desire is for the salvation of each one who lives in Coyhaique so we pray that He will shed His light on those who are receptive to the Gospel and will call out those who are willing to share the Gospel message.
As we leave the hotel we begin walking the city streets watching people and lifting them up to the Lord. We see a gaucho leaning up against a storefront. The Lord alone knows his heart and his needs. Gaucho is a common name here in the Patagonia for cowboys. They are usually rough and tough men who work on sheep and cattle ranches. They live a lonely life and are rarely able to get into town. On another street we physically run into a sea of students. They are leaving school and are filled with the excitement that only comes from being a teenager among friends. There are so many things that can affect their lives: drugs, loneliness, premarital sex and pregnancy, tobacco, alcohol, and grades. Oh, there are just so many things to lift up to the Lord. Even living in such an isolated city will not protect them from Satan’s temptations. We pray that the Lord will guard them, as He alone can, that He will provide safe and healthy places where young people can go and have a good time.
Everyone in Coyhaique is friendly and the people are willing to share why they are living there, where their home is, and what they desire for their future. It is important to pray for the hotel worker who left family in the far north of Chile, for the shoe salesman who is trying to make a living for his family, and for the camera store attendant who expresses interest in talking about his relationship with the Lord.
The next morning we head toward Puerto Aysen, leaving Coyhaique behind. Again we are hit with the extreme isolation between cities. Aysen and Chacabuco are on the coast. Here it rains much of the year. Because of its proximity to the ocean there is little snow. The temperatures are a bit warmer too. We stop for lunch in a pizza and sandwich restaurant. As we sit around the table we see students, salesmen, and family groups, each with their own preoccupations. We get everyone’s attention as we ask the Lord’s blessing on our meal. Evidently that is rarely seen here.
We are able to visit with other Great Commission missionaries in the afternoon and spend time praying with them and for the ministry that they have in this area. There are very few other North Americans living in this place so we are welcomed warmly. Twice a year they are able to “get out” and visit friends and colleagues in the north as well as to get a “fast food fix”. This couple remind us that those who minister here must have a pioneer spirit and be willing to be away from civilization for long periods of time. They appreciate our prayers for their day to day life in Puerto Aysen as they share the Gospel with so many here in the region. Here as throughout the Patagonia less than one in ten people know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Our Prayerwalking experience takes us back to Coyhaique and then to the Balmaceda airport. Here we must wait once again as the weather causes us problems. Our plane is delayed three hours and once again we pray that it will arrive and that we will be able to reach Punta Arenas and the Southern Patagonia. The day is beautiful and as we leave the ground and take flight we see why it was so important for the pilot to take care in his landing at this airport. The runway is surrounded with tall mountains. We look out the windows and can see peaks that we can almost touch, glaciers and lakes seem way close. While we praise the Lord for His fantastic creation, we also remember to thank Him for His protection in travels.
Late afternoon brings us to Punta Arenas, the southern most city of the world. Here we have to circle over the Straits of Magellan to make our landing. This city will become our home base as we continue to pray for the people of the Patagonia.
Early the next morning we get into our rented truck and head off to Puerto Natales. Our plans were to stop in Villa Tehuelches where we would visit Pancho, a pet condor, and rest a bit from the road. This is the only village on the highway between the two cities. What we find is that the entire village is closed for the holiday weekend, a most interesting sight. We had hoped to visit with the mayor and others to discuss possible plans for future ministry. We would have to put this on hold for another day. We must stop on the side of the icy road to have lunch. We can feel the cold and wind through the doors and windows. While we eat we ask the Lord’s guidance in understanding the isolation that the people of the Patagonia must feel.
Puerto Natales is a center of tourism and filled with hotels, hostels and travel agents. This is the gateway to the “Torres Del Paine” national park which is visited by more than 75,000 foreign visitors yearly. We make plans to meet with the national missionaries in the town. Carlos Carrera and his family have been here for nearly two years and are beginning to see contacts that they have made come to know the Lord and begin their walk with Him. Carlos’ two-year old daughter has a serious heart problem. The family shares their feelings about being so far from home, being isolated from other Christian contacts, and trying to make a living for their family on a low income. Not only is our visit appreciated but the time we spend in prayer with them is a blessing for all.
Outside of the city of Puerto Natales we are amazed as the distances that we can go without seeing houses or people. This is a reminder to us of the extreme need to share the Gospel with these isolated people. The shepherds or Gauchos as they are called have little contact with other people. Thus it is important to pray that the Lord will send forth workers who are willing to go out into the Pampa to share the message of the “Good Shepard”.
As we do during most of our journeys to the Patagonia we plan to make a visit through the “Torres Del Paine” national park. Here we are able to celebrate God’s creation. The park is magnificent and filled with new and wonderful treats for the eye and for the spirit. It is good to praise the Lord for His work. As we drive through the park we are reminded to pray for the park rangers, for the hotel workers, the tour guides, as well as for the thousands of tourists that come to visit each year. In the evening we pull off the side of the road, turn the lights of the vehicle off, get out and just stand in awe of the stars that we see. We are sure that we could reach out and touch them. What else can we do except break out in a verse of “How Great Thou Art”? He really is Great and awesome.
Looking back on our Prayerwalk through the Patagonia we want to remember God's desire for the world. His grace and His love are such that we can lift up our hearts and voices to praise Him; to seek His direction in reaching out to those around us; and to lift those in need of His salvation up to the source of life itself.
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