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Missions

Fishing in Patagonia

Couple works in watery region of Chile

Rhonda and Steve Wilson struggled in the cold drenching rain and ferocious wind to keep their boat from dashing against the rocks. While Rhonda, in the inflatable, tugged at the anchor which was hopelessly stuck, the other end of the anchor line wrapped around the prop.

"One prays pretty hard in times like that," Rhonda says. "We got away unharmed only losing one anchor which we later retrieved at low tide."

Experiences like that help Rhonda empathize with the fishermen and their wives who work side by side in horrible weather to earn a living in the remote southern region of Chile known as Patagonia.

Lush forests, rugged terrain and breathtaking views characterize the area where Rhonda and Steve finished their second term as missionaries. Rhonda says it is a wonderful place to visit—in the summer. Winter brings the rain. "I love the rain, but that love diminishes after 60 consecutive days."

Toward the end of their first missions term the Wilsons watched a television special featuring the people who live in fishing camps in houses made of plastic. "It was obvious the people needed to be reached with the gospel," Rhonda recalls. "That was when the gentle tugging of the Spirit began to draw us to a region where one hears repeatedly, ‘We feel abandoned.'"

Rhonda shares that their second term has held many unexpected experiences. A month before they were departing from the United States to serve in Patagonia, Rhonda suffered two strokes that put her in intensive care. Miraculously, within a week she was released from the hospital and began healing rapidly. Her brush with death has given Rhonda a deep sense of gratitude and even more willingness to do what she can to serve God.

Some of the remote fishing camps are accessible only by boat, and the Navy of Chile dictates that there must be at least two licensed crew on board. Rhonda secured her boat captain's license and navigates scary seas with her husband to bring the good news, that there is an Anchor for life's storms, to Chilean fishermen.