The UCKG church in Chile

A Pastor speaks about the moment the earthquake struck Chile

From the first day I arrived in Chile, about 2 month ago, we have prayed for the people of Chile. At all UCKGs in the country, pastors, assistants and evangelists would pray on fridays at 11pm. We even placed the message ' The People in Chile need Prayers', on the Universal Ark Community.

On the 27th of February, my wife and children arrived home with me, after one of those prayer sessions. Physically tired, I went to bed around 1 o'clock in the morning, and about 3:30 am I heard a fire engine's sirens. I woke up and felt the ground shaking... it became stronger in seconds. My wife, Erica, also wake up. Suddenly it seemed that everything was going to fall. There was a lot of noise of shattering of windows and people screaming. I however felt peaceful. A voice inside me said: 'It shall pass'.

There was no electricity but I found my cellphone and used its light to get down nine floors of stairs with my two children, aged four, my wife and her helper. That night, we slept in the car, and when the sun rose we returned to our apartment. Most of the building in the CBD in Santiago are earthquake-proof, but you still feel you're inside a jelly. Everyone feared the aftershocks, which are known to be replicas of the earthquake only with a lower intensity. Because the building were affected with the earthquake, it was not safe to stay indoors, so we spend a second night inside our car. Now, more than ever, we are certain that Chile will bow before God.

At the church on Sunday, many testified how they were protected and escaped death during the earthquake. Here in Chile all of us - pastors, wives, children and assistants - saw the hand of God.

None of our members in among the wounded. Of the 35 UCKG temples, only three in the worst-hit cities of Concepcion, Talca and Talcahuano still await approval from the government to re-open their doors.

Pastor Lucio Monteiro, responsible for the evangelistic work of the UCKG in Chile