Friends and family of Debbie Williams mourn as they wait for news from Chile, where Williams, the wife of Augusta physician George Williams, died Saturday shortly after arriving on a mission trip.

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Kelly Jasper/Staff

Debbie Williams: 59-year-old mother of two children died Saturday after arriving in Chile.

She and eight others left from First Baptist Church of Augusta on Friday. Since word of her death spread over the weekend, the church has received a number of calls and expressions of support, said the Rev. Greg DeLoach.

"It's not surprising, because she was well-loved," he said. "It's difficult because we don't have much to tell people yet."

Arrangements have been stalled until her husband, of Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates of Augusta, returns to the U.S.

DeLoach said Williams and the Rev. Rodger Murchison, who organized the trip, plan to fly back later this week.

While a small memorial has already been held at a Chilean church, a memorial in Augusta is in the works.

"As you can imagine, there's a lot of red tape he (Williams) will have to go through," DeLoach said.

George Williams was one of five doctors on the medical mission to Chile.

The rest of the team plans to continue with the trip as planned. They are serving this week in clinics that need help after February's earthquake. The rest of the team returns Monday.

"At our last conversation, the doctors felt it was best for their overall mission to continue as planned," DeLoach said.

Williams, the mother of two children, was an active participant in her church and a member of the board of the Interfaith Hospitality Network in Augusta. She was 59.