Nelda is a retired kindergarten teacher and a dedicated follower of Jesus. The mother of three attends church in Chile where they use Project Philip Bible studies to help their new members engage in the Word.
Nelda’s daughter Shalom is a doctor who travels to rural areas to provide healthcare. Nelda tags along to help her daughter on many of her trips, including one to El Cajon de la Magdalena, a small rural area not far from Nelda’s home. The vast majority of the town’s population is elderly, so Shalom began giving medial treatments in an old abandoned school.
As Nelda was helping sanitize the school for visits, she realized there were several open rooms, rooms that would be perfect for Bible studies. In this area there is only one Catholic chapel that hosts mass once per month; these people were hungry for discipleship.
Nelda contacted her pastor who provided Project Philip Bible study materials for her new mission. She’s started sharing the Gospel and has already seen the Lord moving. “There was an older lady in this town who died in her sleep,” she says. “Days before her death, I went to visit her every week. We prayed and she accepted Jesus. Two days later, she passed away. I know she went with the Lord.”
The ministry has become a family affair; while her daughter Shalom has started her medical visits in a new town, Nelda’s younger daughter, Graciela, now accompanies her on weekly visits and her son, Orlando, comes to worship with the residents.
“For me, Project Philip has become an indispensable tool used to take the Word of God to the places where it is not known,” Nelda says. “The people here do not have a Bible and did not know the Word of God, but thanks to Project Philip, these people have told me that for the first time, they understand the Word of God.”
As Nelda talks about her ministry, her excitement and love for these people is evident. “They say it’s like learning to read again for the first time,” she says. “The expressions on their faces say it all.”
