Argentina

My son Ryan and I traveled to Argentina for about 10 days of ministry. Since my family and I lived in Argentina many years and love the people and the country, it was a delight to return. It is always a long trip to Argentina, but the trip was so fruitful. I had the privilege of teaching an intensive class on the family to the students of Instituto Biblico Mediterraneo in the city of Cordoba. It lasted four hours a day and went Monday through Friday. The students were very receptive and eager to participate, so it made teaching a joy. This is a special place to us because I served as the director of the school many years ago.

Ryan shared a series of messages with the students about the presence of God in our lives. He also spoke to a large youth group in a church we used to attend. Many of the people who were students when we were directors also made the journey to be with us for the week. We felt honored to enjoy the fellowship with those dear Argentine friends. There were also other opportunities for ministry, so our time was maximized.

We also enjoyed a good Argentine asado (barbecue)—there is such good food in this country. In addition to enjoying the food, there were several things about the Argentine church that inspired us. First, their love for God is obvious, and they are committed to living out their faith. Secondly, they are enthusiastic about missions and are involved in raising money and sending young people all over the world to share the Gospel. Thirdly, they have great community among themselves. Argentina has a national drink called Mate (a tea) that they drink from special containers with metal straws. They sit around, drink Mate, and share with each other for hours. It was a privilege to be a part of that and see how much they love to share their lives with each other. Fourthly, they are a generous people and unselfish. We saw 60 people receive the same hamburger all fixed the same way and a glass of soda without any complaint (something I don’t think I’ve seen in the US in many years).

We are grateful that God is using the Argentine Church to share the Gospel with many countries around the world. We love the people and pray for them that God’s presence continues to empower them.