South American Division

Medical and social project benefits victims affected by fires in Chile

A total of 202 people received medical attention, professional advice, and spiritual support, project leaders say.

July 14, 2026

Chile

Ana Quispe, South American Division, and ANN

A healthcare professional attends to a resident during the medical-social outreach program in Lirquén, which offered free consultations in various specialties.

A total of 202 people received medical attention, professional advice, and spiritual support during a medical-social operation carried out on July 5, 2026, in Lirquén, a coastal town in the Biobío Region, in southern Chile, affected by the forest fires that occurred at the beginning of this year.

The event brought together more than 50 volunteers, including healthcare professionals, young missionaries, and members of various ministries within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This initiative marked the culmination of several weeks of community service in Lirquén as part of the Caleb Mission project.

These actions of assistance and social support were promoted by One Year in Mission (OYiM), made up of young volunteers from different regions of Chile and abroad who dedicate a year to missionary service.

Veterinary care was also offered free of charge. Photo: Central South Chile Conference

The operation offered free care in general medicine, nursing, dentistry, psychology, nutrition, kinesiology, podiatry, social work, legal advice, veterinary medicine, and hairdressing.

The care was provided by 14 specialists, led by Adventist physician Keyla Urrutia Guevara. Five volunteers also participated, responsible for spiritual support, coordinated by the Nuevo Tiempo Cerro Verde team.

Additionally, volunteers from the Pink Ladies ministry, young people from the Adventist Volunteer Service, and participants of Mission Caleb from the New Hope, Cerro Verde Alto, Penco Centro, and Floresta Adventist Churches collaborated.

Volunteers from the spiritual area distributed Christian literature and provided support to attendees during the community service day. Photo: Central South Chile Conference

During the emergency and in the months following the fires, ADRA Chile and the Seventh-day Adventist Church delivered humanitarian aid, materials, and appliances to affected families and supported the reconstruction of homes.

Since April, the OYiM team has been working continuously in the area, rebuilding homes, visiting homes, and providing emotional support.

Additionally, a Christian Vacation School, recreational activities in public spaces, visits to neighbors, and social and spiritual support actions have been carried out to strengthen the bond with the community.

Beyond medical and social care, the operation helped strengthen the bond between the Adventist church and the residents of Lirquén, a community that still faces the consequences of the forest fires.

Members of the OYIM project present the free English and healthy eating courses that will continue to be offered in the community. Photo: Central South Chile Conference

Gustavo Ide Muñoz, leader of OYiM, indicated that the work will not end with this event. Over the next few months, the team will continue developing initiatives focused on community outreach, emotional support, Bible studies, and activities aimed at the well-being of families in the area.

"With God's blessing, our hope is that during the month of November we can consolidate the planting project by forming an official group of our church and thus establish the beginning of a new church in this sector," explains Muñoz.

The original article was published on the South American Division Spanish news site.