Chile (MNN) — What do Haiti, Chile, Taiwan, China and Iceland have in common? They are all sites of 2010 natural disasters. With new reports daily of earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, crumbling glaciers and a harsh hurricane season, Craig Dyer of Bright Hope International said it is easy to get distracted, not helping in just one area because the need everywhere is overwhelming.
"There's been a disaster in China, but Bright Hope isn't in Chin. So we know that God's going to provide other ministries to be there," Dyer said. Their focus is on the areas they already have ministry established.
One of those locations is Chile.
"We always partner with the local indigenous church, and we say, 'What is it that you can provide and what do you need to assist the people from your church and in your community?' In Chile, there [are] some things that they can bring to the table," Dyer said.
This is because Chile's economy is relatively strong and their economy is stable, especially in comparison to Haiti and other countries with recent disasters.
However, this does not mean people should look away from Chile. Last week, Chile's president, Sebastian Pinera, announced total repair cost from earthquake and tsunami damage is $8.43 billion, according to business and financial news agency, Thomson Reuters.
To raise this money, Reuters said Pinera plans to "raise income tax rates on large corporations by 3 percentage points … raise the tax on tobacco … [and] issue a $1 billion sovereign bond."
If Pinera continues with his plan, these changes will be implemented over a four-year time span, while adding to national debt.
That's why Bright Hope is doing what they can to cut the costs of the communities they minister in. Right now, help is in the form of warm clothes, as Chile prepares for winter.
"The plan right now is to keep delivering resources that we're going to be sending down by container," Dyer said.
Ultimately, Dyer wants Christians to band together to see physical and spiritual help given.
"As Christians, we are united under Christ, and it doesn't matter if you're a believer in Chile or a believer in the United States or in some other part of the world; there's a unity there, and we want to reach out and assist one another and the communities that we each live in," Dyer said.
Join Bright Hope by supporting their ministry in Chile or around the world by visiting brighthope.org. Dyer said, "Simply by empowering the local church, Christ's light shines, and people are attracted to that."
