We are in the States! Good to be back and already enjoying being with family and friends. Looking forward to visiting many places and churches in the coming weeks. Our schedule as of now is the following (changes may occur):
Dec 15- 17 Memphis, TN
Dec 18 - 20 Driving up north
Dec 21 - Jan 1 NY, NY
Jan 4 - 10 Ft. Wayne, IN
Jan 10 - 18 Buffalo, NY
Jan 18 - 21 Somerset, PA
Jan 24 - 27 Pittsburg, PA
Jan 28 - Feb 4 Buffalo, NY
Feb 5- 7 Nashville, TN
Feb 8- 19 Memphis, TN
Feb 19-20 Tupelo, MS
Feb 20-27 Memphis, TN
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
November Prayer update
We hope this blog entry finds you well. Especially if you have been affected by Hurricane Sandy! Our prayers are with you and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help even though we are far away.
We here are nearing the end of the year and the end of the ministerial year. Here in Argentina since summer begins in December, it is like the whole city shuts down and November begins to mark the beginning of the end. The children have final exams in school and year end programs. The church begins to take a break in the different ministry areas for the summer. The case is also so for us more this year as we prepare to furlough or go home for home assignment. Kyle is finishing up his classes in the neighborhoods with a bang as they are planning and dreaming of next year's projects. Thrilled cause last week one of the designers Kyle met downtown came to brainstorm ideas with kids in the villas! He has never set foot in a villa/shanty town! Needless to say , we are so thankful for how God is opening doors in the shanty towns as well and in the professional, downtown environment. Pray for Kyle as he has three key meetings in the coming weeks (a multinational corporation, an architectural firm and a government official). All related to the work in the shanty towns.
Anyway, furlough or home assignment, call it what you like, is a time for us to head to the States and share in person what God has been doing here.
We ask for prayer as all the details begin to come together. Right now we have purchased tickets and will be flying into Memphis Dec 15th and returning to Argentina Feb 26th. During those months we look forward to visiting many of you, especially in the TN, NY, PA area and all those in between. Others.. we will have to pray to see when and how we can get to visit some other areas of the USA.. like California and Florida (hee hee wouldn't that be nice, esp in the winter =)!!
We look forward to the biggest thing and that is reinforcing as well as building new relationships. Allow me to expand on that and share what I have been learning. This week in teaching a Bible class on the basics of the faith I was reminded about how being a Christian is about relationship. Relationship with Christ that moves us into relationship with each other. We thank God we can be in relationship with Him and that He unites us to be the body together. I was also hit with this reality at the women's retreat this past weekend.. as women from both the Flores area and the upper class Palermo area worshiped together. God met us there and ministered to each of us and through each of us. Conversations, prayers, laughter all united us. The most amazing moment for me came as I facilitated a small group made up of a mix of social, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. As I began to ask questions one shared about her desire to see God in true community and the struggle she has had to find that. And then another spoke and shared about her difficult year as she is battling a disease that is so poorly understood and she was afraid to tell about it at church since she functions in different ministries as a leader. Well here she said it, "I have leprosy." And the group embraced her, prayed for her and in that moment we all sensed true, redemptive community. Relationship! Where would we be without it.. without His, without each others? Continue to pray with us for our friend's complete healing and all God will do through her testimony.
We thank God for our relationship with you as well and how God uses you to make it possible for us to be here. Know that we covet your prayers as we continue to face a financial deficit in our support level. Pray with us that the Lord will open new doors when we are home and that we will be able to build and share with new relationships what God is doing here in BA. Please contact us so we can schedule a visit with you, your small group and or your church.
Blessings
Monday, December 19, 2011
A moving moment for mom and dad!
Yesterday at church the kids participated during the worship time. "I" played the drums and "S" and A" sang with the rest of the children and the kids' band. We as parents were very moved and were so amazed to watch them up there. We thank God and the work of the music school for their dedication to teaching our children and the rest of the kids in our communities!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Retreat, reflect, reality
A leaders retreat! My mind quickly ran to picturing my weekend as I began to pack for our annual leaders' retreat with the church. In my mind there would be lots of talking, thinking and planning for 2012 of course, but also there would be lots of hanging out on a blanket having " mate" and just relaxing and enjoying nature. Ahhhhh! "A retreat, just what I need, " were my thoughts. I also was thirsting to meet with God with the other leadership and seek his face for 2012.
Well, although much of that did happen and I am thankful for the wonderful talks and discsussions, my retreat was much more of my reality following me to the retreat. What I mean by that is that long gone are the days of a retreat where you can disconnect and just breathe when your kids come along! Aha! K and I were finally together at a retreat but so were our three other participants of the Z clan. So the stress of bedtimes, meal times, entertaining them (although we had great childcare ) quickly intruded in my idea of a retreat! I would hear the pastor preaching on Psalm 23 and I just couldn't absorb it at the time. With the kiddos not sleeping, wet shoes from outside, settling sibling disputes, locating snacks, planning movie times, and fighting with DVD players.. I was zonked. I asked myself, Lord why am I here.. why a retreat if I can't "retreat" from my reality?
Well at 10 pm at night, on Sat after a great time of worship and prayer.. one of the youth gets a call from her dad frantic that her baby sister.. 18 months .. was hit by a stray bullet in her head. Information was scarce as the dad was running to the hospital. We quickly began to comfort and speak with the two older sisters and then we all gathered to pray. I thought, "man, talk about reality in the midst of a retreat.. a cruel reality." We had no idea if the baby would live or what the details were. K googled maps to get the girls to the hospital. Finally about an hour later.. the news came that the baby was fine, the bullet was lodged in her cheek and she would be fine. Praise God!! We all rejoiced!
Wow.. for me that was just such a picture of community and love and support. All we could do was cry out and pray and the Lord heard our cry. The baby is doing fine today and she is home.
But returning to Psalm 23... Our pastor ended the retreat time at church on Sunday and man the message hit home. The Lord met me in the midst of my reality, in the midst of a different type of retreat. I was reminded in a powerful way that He takes us by still waters, green pastures, guides us with his rod and staff. He is all we need for ministry, for life, for whatever our "reality" may hold. From an exhausted mom needing a break to a horrific random sudden tradegy.. He is our Shepherd, we shall not want!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
El Superclásico
On Sept. 24th K with some youth and parents to the "Superclásico." "What is that?", you may be asking. Well it is a gathering of youth from all over Latin America that come to worship God together and hear His word. This year the gathering took place Fri and Sat. Some of our youth from church left Thurs and camped the two nights just to be able to get in since it was a free event. K headed their on Sat. and waited on line all day to get in. The wait was worth it. Over 60,000 youth filled the stadium and where impacted by the evening.
The stadium where the event was held in La Plata, Buenos Aires.
Two of our youth all the way in the front of the crowd. They camped two nights to get that spot!
Hanging out waiting for the event to start as the stadium fills.
And it begins!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)