A Visit Back to Argentina

 

This past week I had the privilege of traveling back to Argentina with my two sons and my grandson. Both my sons were raised in Argentina, so they are bilingual, and my grandson attended a bilingual school, so he speaks fluent Spanish. We enjoyed being together so much and showing Donovan the country his mother was raised in. That in itself is an experience I treasure. It had been a few years since we were there, but it seemed we had never left. It was a thrill to show Donovan some of the sites of Buenos Aires.

We returned to Argentina because I accepted an invitation to speak at the 40th-year celebration of the Departamento Nacional de Missions of Argentina of the UAD. I was instrumental in starting this department, and now to see that Argentina has sent over 200 missionaries to nearly 150 countries around the globe is inspiring. I was humbled to see the vision that the Argentine churches have caught and their burden to share the Gospel with the whole world. They are excited about missions, and though their economy is plagued by high inflation, they are not letting that stop them.

After this event, we flew to Cordoba, where we used to live, and I was the Director of the Instituto Biblico Mediterraneo. We had the privilege of speaking at our home church Centro Cristiano and at the Bible School. My sons helped me teach at the school, and Ryan also spoke at Centro Cristiano.

It was good to be back in Argentina, even though it was a brief trip. We connected with many friends, students, and pastors we know and love. We were treated royally and served many asados with delicious Argentine beef. Also, criollitos from Cordoba and of course Dulce de Leche.

My family and I continue to love Argentina and pray for the entire country, especially the church, the Missions Department, and the Bible School in Cordoba. We are grateful God allowed us to visit our beloved Argentina once again.

The Benefits of Waiting

The following is a classic Old Testament story about the benefits of waiting for God to bless and promote you. This posture is antithetical to today’s grab all you can while you can attitude. However, seeing a man like Mordecai and how God promoted him is refreshing.

Mordecai, found in Esther’s intriguing story, is a man worth imitating. Mordecai had an enemy who hated him. This rival was Haman, a powerful official in King Xerxes’ kingdom who hated Jews.  Through deception, he devised a plan to kill Mordecai and the entire Jewish population. He was so sure of his plans that he prepared 75 feet gallows to hang Mordecai on. However, there was one detail that Haman overlooked—Mordecai’s God.

Just as Haman was gaining the power to eliminate Mordecai, God intervened in his sovereign way. The King could not sleep, so he called for the record books to be read to him. He discovered that Mordecai had saved the King’s life by uncovering a plot to kill him. The King demanded that something be done to honor Mordecai. The King asked, “Who is in the court?” Haman had just entered. The King’s attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” the King ordered. When Haman entered, the King asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” (Esther 6:4-6)

Haman is so arrogant that he believes that the King is preparing to honor him, so he gives him a great list: “For the man, the King delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the King has worn and a horse the King has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the King’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the King delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’” (Esther 6:7-9). Then the King announced I want you to honor Mordecai.

Haman was humiliated as he led Mordecai through the streets and proclaimed, “This is Mordecai, the man the King desires to honor.” This would have been a heady moment for most, but not for Mordecai because he was committed to living for God. The next verse is an eloquent testimony to the life of Mordecai: “Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate.  But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.” (Esther 6:12).  Mordecai had long trusted his life to God.  If God wanted to promote him, then the promotion would find him. He would carry out his duties in faithfulness to God. I pray that God will give us more men and women like Mordecai who are interested in serving God, not self-promotion.

boydbrooks.com