Blessings in Precarious Circumstances, and a Moving Testimony

Insight into the diverse ways we’re able to serve on the road in Argentina.

As we’ve mentioned in our prior reports, two more families are now part of our mission team. One family is from here in Argentina (and the other is from Ecuador). They were accommodated by the Schäfer family for several months, because they had no pay stubs to show a potential landlord, so nobody wanted to rent to them. But the family finally managed to find and rent an apartment that didn’t have this requirement, thanks to some of our friends.

Along with Daniel Gallardo, the Ecuadorian, we traveled to San Luis (700 km/435 mi. from Buenos Aires), where I was invited to host a several-day conference. Since it was a special anniversary for the church, government representatives were also present. We were able to proclaim the gospel and distribute Midnight Call literature. We’re praying that God will pro-

duce fruit.

Together with Carina, we also took a 12-day tour, with meetings and conferences in various places. We crossed eight provinces and covered 3500 km (2175 mi.). The first important stop was a youth conference in the north of the country. About 100 young people gathered for a weekend under very precarious conditions: It took place in a tent where it was very cold (under 50°F). But God was at work. Several made a decision for Christ, and some who had turned away from the Lord began to make good choices. One engaged couple received confirmation of the Lord’s calling to serve Him full time.

Carina and I had a conversation with a young woman, and saw what the enemy had destroyed in her life, as well as how forgiveness is setting her free. D. is 21 years old. She was sexually abused as a child by a cousin, who was babysitting her and her siblings while her parents were at work. Then, when she was a teenager, her brother, who was addicted to pornography, raped her several times. Since her parents didn’t believe her, she turned to cutting (her arms are now scarred) and made several suicide attempts. As a result, her parents put her in a psychiatric institution, where she was raped one night by a male nurse. When she reported it, the staff member told her that these kinds of things didn’t happen there. D. felt like her voice had lost its power. No one believed her, and she was paralyzed by these events. Thank God she found peace in Christ. And now, through forgiveness and willingness to serve, she is blessing others.

Next, we went to a Bible institute, where I taught Christology and the book of Daniel. Carina had numerous discussions with the students, and held studies on the subject of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, several students (and at least one boy among them) had been through this sad ordeal. They were instructed in how to recognize abuse, how to handle it, and how to heal from it. This knowledge can help to not only heal their own wounds, but also assist them in helping others.

It was a very intense week with eight hours of lessons a day, but also a blessed one. This is just a small glimpse into the various ministries we provide while traveling in Argentina, and locally in our Buenos Aires church as well.