Not by Chance Meeting

There are times in life when you meet someone that you just know you will see this person again. Well that was what happened today as I was walking home from the mechanics. I had met Pablo about, I would have to say, almost a year ago outside of La Misión one cold afternoon. He approached me and asked me if I could give him something to eat, as is typical for the neighborhood around the church. I didn't think much of it at first but then the Lord's tug on my heart and began to see this man in a new light. As we spoke for about 10 minutes he began to tell me his story, and I noted that he knew much about evangelicals and what they believed. In trying to convince me that he was worthy of my attention he stated that he too believed and he was just in a distant state from God but that there was no hope for him. I reassured him that that just wasn't the truth. It fascinates me how God uses even our own manipulative means to move us to a place He desires us to be...as Pablo spoke and used words to convince me to give him money, his very words spoke to his own heart of Christ's love.

After buying food for him I sat with him on the street and just talked for a while. In that conversation I noticed he was cold and knowing that it was going to be a very cold night I gave him my jacket. That is the moment I believe God spoke to him. He was in shock and in essence said to me, most "christians" I have met have never given me their own personal jacket to keep me warm. Jesus would have done the same thing. I have never met a "christian" who lives like that until today. I could read it in his eyes as if he said it out loud, "sure, I am given a lot of things from people who take pity on me but it cost them nothing. But not you...". As I left him he was telling his other "street" friends what I gave him, saying to them, "he is a real christian, watch over him." My last words to him before I left were, "I am convinced that we have met for a reason." Though I was certain then that we would meet again, I didn't anticipate what that meeting might be like.

Well, today as I was walking from the mechanics I heard a man behind me call out "hermano" (brother), normally I wouldn't turn but there was a familiarity in his voice. And there standing before me was Pablo, but not the Pablo that I met a year previously, this man was a new creation, with a new spirit. I must admit I was shocked! He asked if I remembered him, and I said yes, in unbelief. Not sure how to interpret my shock he then tried to convince me again, but this time with a different message, "I am the same man you helped on the street over a year ago. You gave me your jacket, remember?" I said, "yes, of course I remember you, but something is different." And he proceeded to tell me that from that moment God began calling him back, out of drugs, off the street, back into a relationship with Him. He told me he is now going to a church close to home and that he is being discipled and growing in his faith. At the end our our conversation he apologized that he couldn't return my jacket but that he was so thankful for the many people, like me, God used to remind him of His love for him during that dark time in his life. He asked me to continue to pray for him because he still struggles with his past but that God has been faithful and good to him.

There aren't many times you get to see how God works through you, so we treasure this moment as a gift and an encouragement to carry on. He is at work, in the small things, in the big things, He is at work!

Latest Newsletter

We invite you to catch up on all our latest news and updates by clicking on the following link and reading our Oct newsletter!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15028088/NewsletterOct2010.pdf

Serving in the Communities

On May 22nd a team of twelve people arrived from Mississippi serving through Global outreach. There main goal was te serve the people in the impoverished "villas" with free healthcare. For La Misión this was an exciting time to meet the physical needs of the communities, share Christ's love and invite new friends to join us at church.

We praise God for a wonderful week. Over 500 people were seen and given free medical care and received prayer as well. K and I were able to spend time in prayer with one man who's daughter had run away. This same man came to church on Sunday to let us know that she came home! We were so excited and rejoicing with him.

Looking for a location

It is always exciting to see how God provides and how He faithfully opens each door in His timing. If I had had my way we have set up a location for the vocational school from day one. But honestly if we had done that we would have missed out on what we have learned this past year. I, all too often forget, it is not only achieving my goals that matters, but it is what we learn from the process of achieving those goals that is often even more important. What is learned along the way, both from the succeses and even more so, from our failures, can so impact our overall direction and focus.

Take for instance, originally we were looking to focus the vocational school on adults only. But we have found that we have better results if we focus our attention on youth and children. Through this process of discovery we are finding that in this life style, the cycle of poverty is so ingrained in the daily function of the people that it is difficult for them to conceive of another life style. Many of the people in the villas work so hard but for so little; 16 hours a days, 7 days a week. Time is money for them! If they are not on the streets looking for recyclable materials (cardboard, plastic, metal) someone else will get what they missed that day, or take their territory, or more importantly, they do not eat. So for the adult and older youth, where would they find time to "invest" in themselves? This is a luxury they do not have. They have no options because no one will invest in them. Nor will they trust anyone because they have been burnt by so many lies/promises in the past when they once had hope. All that is left of their hope is scars.

So the question remains...how do you gain access to build trust so that you can invest in this community? I believe we have the answer...by providing the opportunities to their children/youth that they never had while there is time, and through that build relationships with the entire family. One way to break this cycle of poverty is to reach out to the children before their hope is too scarred to impact. So our focus of the school will be expanded to also include as much as is possible children and youth.

With that said, the ground work to start the school laid, with classes and workshops in the neighborhoods as well as at La Misión, we are ready for the next step- to rent a location. Over the past few months we have been raising the necessary funds to secure a "permenant" location for the vocational school. And God through many of you has begun to provide for this. In order to move forward, this permanent location is key and, not to mention, much safer. Once the location is rented we will still maintain our basic carpentry classes in the villas, but all the other classes will be taught in the new location.

Missions Conference 2010

What a wonderful time we had during the missions conference! The conference was organized by the youth group for youth. It was a time of seminars, challenges, community projects. It was the perfect balance of learning and doing! The evenings we had gatherings were different speakers shared personal challenges to the youth. Many youth were touched and convinced of their longing to serve God and to know Him more in their lives. Personally, we were excited to be able to share the needs around the world especially about unreached people groups. For these youth, this was the first time hearing about this, the first time seeing the statistics and the first time of feeling the burden for the lost around the world. We praise God for this time with the youth and pray that many will follow the call set before them. We pray many will become "History makers in this world."

Missions Conference: Day 1

We are thrilled to be a part of the first ever Missions conference at La Mision church. Personally it has been a challenge as we prepare for our workshops. Last night was the first big meeting, and as I sat there I realized this is all new for everyone there. In the States we are so accustomed (we, meaning church goers) to mission conferences and all that goes with them. It is a whole new experience to be at the place where for the first time these youth are being challenged with the call to missions especially when there is so much to do right around them. For all of us, believers, missions is an everyday thing; something we all need to remember no matter where we live. Yet there is also much to be done around the world. Pray with us as we prepare our workshops and that they would communicate to the youth where they are and help take them to a new level of understanding. Our prayer is that many will receive the call to GO, and that those that are called to stay would also Stay and make an impact here in Buenos Aires! Revolution is the theme! Bring on the Revolution!