Punta Arenas, Chile
The City at the Bottom of the World
The Lord has called our family to the city of Punta Arenas, Chile, a city of approximately 160,000 people. The closest doctrinally sound, independent Baptist church in Chile is more than 500 miles to the north in the city of Coyhaique.
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Punta Arenas is located near the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia on the historic Strait of Magellan, the natural passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Because of its strategic location at the southern end of South America, the city has a significant Chilean military presence. It also serves as a gateway for thousands of tourists traveling to Patagonia and Antarctica each year. Punta Arenas is approximately 920 miles from Chile's primary Antarctic research station, Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva—which is just slightly farther than the distance between New York City and Atlanta, Georgia.
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The Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, of which Punta Arenas is the capital, is known for its rapidly changing weather. The subpolar oceanic climate is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, the Andes Mountains, Antarctica, and prevailing atmospheric circulation, creating conditions where it is common to experience all four seasons in a single day.
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Summers are cool and windy, while winters are cold and relatively dry. The average winter temperature is around 36°F, while the average summer temperature is about 52°F. Winter temperatures often fall below freezing during polar air outbreaks, and summer highs commonly reach between 60°F and 68°F. Punta Arenas also ranks among the windiest cities in the world, with average winds of approximately 27 mph. Winds exceeding tropical storm force are common, and hurricane-force wind gusts occur several times each year.
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Because of Punta Arenas' location near the southern tip of the world, the amount of daylight changes dramatically throughout the year. During the summer months, the sun rises before 5:00 a.m. and does not set until nearly 11:00 p.m., providing almost 18 hours of daylight. Even after sunset, the sky remains illuminated well into the night. In contrast, winter days are short, with the sun not rising until after 10:30 a.m. and setting before 5:00 p.m. These long summer days and short winter days are a constant reminder of just how far south God has called us to serve.
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Yet the greatest challenge facing Punta Arenas is not its climate—it is its spiritual condition. Both literally and spiritually, this is a place of darkness. Many people live without the hope of the Gospel, and there are countless opportunities to pursue sin but very few opportunities to come into contact with the Word of God. The people of Punta Arenas desperately need Bible-preaching churches and a clear, compassionate witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Our prayer is to establish thriving, indigenous Baptist churches that will faithfully preach the Gospel, disciple believers, and send future missionaries throughout southern Chile and beyond.
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The Country of Chile
Chile is a long narrow country which extends down the west coast of South America. It is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. From north to south, Chile extends 2,653 miles, yet is only 217 miles at its widest point, and averages just 110 miles east to west. Chile is the 38th largest country in the world based on land size alone.
The current population of Chile is approximately 20.15 million people, with approximately one-third of the population (7.4 million people) living in or near Santiago. Chile’s population has more than doubled since 1950, when there were only six million people living there.
Chile averages one birth every 3.6 minutes and one death every 4.2 minutes. With the estimated continued migration to Chile from other countries, Chile’s population increases by approximately 5 people every hour.
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According 2024 Chilean Census, an estimated 54% of Chileans declared to be part of the Catholic Church while only 16% declared to be members of Protestant or Evangelical churches. Approximately 3.9% of the population adhere to “other religions.” The remaining 25.8% of the population declared to be religiously unaffiliated. The need for the people of Chile to be saved is dire. Only approximately 0.14% of Chileans identify as being Baptist, and that number includes all churches that identify as a Baptist church.
In a different 2021 study, it was revealed that only 70% of Chileans claimed to believe in the existence of God, declining from 94% in 2006. According to a Pew Research Center poll, It is believed that roughly two-thirds of all Protestants in Chile are either Pentecostal or charismatic, making Chile one of the most "pentecostalised" countries in Latin America.
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