Our trip to Gualeguaychu

 

Our time in Gualeguaychu with the youth was wonderful.  We want to thank everyone who was praying for us and the youth.   The youth did a tremendous job each day in the heat.  They lived and worked in one of the schools in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the area.  Each day the youth did work in the school and then prepared for an outreach event in the different neighborhoods in the area.  The evening events had crowds from 40 people to 100. Then the  next day they would meet with contacts made the previous night to speak further and connect them to the church  we were working with.  We were so impressed with the youth's commitment and drive as well as hard work.

When asked what impacted them the most; the youth shared that the time of "evaluation " each day is what impacted them.  This was a time set apart each day to share and clear the air within the group if anything needed to be discussed.  Here the youth were able to work out differences and minister to each other.  It always  amazes me how we always receive more than we give when we go on these trips.  The youth were able to grow as a group and truly learn to love each other more.

For us this trip was unique in the sense it was the first in which we were balancing family and ministry.  We thank God that we were able to do both and incorporate our children where ever possible.  Isa and the girls loved attending the children's festivals and they got very attached to the clowns.  K was able to build some shelving for the Pastor and C enjoyed helping wherever needed as well as encouraging the youth throughout our time there.  

We praise God for all the seeds that were planted, the lives that were touched and the hearts that were changed!

Preparing for Gualeguaychu

It is amazing to me to sit and write about a trip to Gualeguaychu.  Mostly because six years ago, almost exactly to the date (off by a few weeks) K went with the youth on a mission trip to this same city and this same sister congregation.  I was not able to attend because I had just had Isa two days before the trip and was recovering from a c-section; not to mention I had a newborn to adjust to.  (needless to say I was clueless in thinking it was fine to let K go and he was clueless for going, nonetheless it all worked out=)  Anyways, I remember being left with the sense of "man I wish I could go"  Well, here we are 6 yrs later and it is the night before we join the youth in Gualeguaychu as a family. We are so excited to see what God will do.  

We wanted to post the schedule so that those that could and were willing to commit to pray for each day and the events could do so.  So here goes:

Monday

Travel time

Evangelistic Outreach in Zabale

Tuesday

Visit contacts made at the outreach in Zabale

Working on fixing a local school

Evangelistic outreach in La Cuchilla

Wednesday

Zim's travel

Visit contacts made the previous night at La Cuchilla

Continue working on a local school 

Evangelistic outreach in Sagrado Corazon

Thursday

Visit contacts made the previous night in Sagrado Corazon

Continue working on a local school

Children's festival in La Cuchilla

Friday

Children's Fesitval

Work projects at the local school

Evangelistic outreach in Plaza San Martin

Saturday

Free time during the day

Youth meeting during the evening

Sunday

Church service with our sister congregation

Return to Buenos Aires

An Event "Full" Weekend

Happy 2009 everyone!  Ours has begun with quite the event filled weekend.  We are enjoying the summer here in Buenos Aires. this past weekend we spent time with our church friends picnicing.  Friday we had a wonderful time with some young families with children; our kids litteraly climbed from tree to tree.  It was a great time of fellowship. Then on Saturday, we attended the annual presbytery soccer tournament!  Now this is a big event; the youth and the not so "youth" play on teams representing their church.  The winner gets a trophey, but more importantly the joy of beating the other churches.  We had a great time watching the matches and cheering for La Mision. K played and he did pretty well considering he hasn't played for six years.  Our kids just so enjoyed being with the youth.  We had some great qualitiy time with the youth as well as the adults that attended.  It was good to continue to build these relationships especially as we prepare to head on a mission trip with them in about a week.  Of course no picnic in the summer is complete without a good ole water fight, and boy was it a water fight.

Our weekend ended with an event of a different type.  We share it only to give glory to God for His protection and to ask you to continue to pray for God's protection on our family.  Coming home from church we pulled into our driveway.  I had come into the house already and K was getting "A" out of the car when two men came up to him and asked him for the keys to the car.  K was able to look into their eyes and told them to leave with authority.  Meanwhile the other guy tried to get his wallet out of K's pocket.. again K told him to leave.  Thankfully K had noticed the gun he had was fake, thank God they didn't grab A, thank God they didn't come in the house since both the gate and the door were wide open! God was here watching over us. Then when we called the cops, the cop that came to take the report was named Angel!  We got such a kick out of that.. we knew God was here and His angels were protecting us!  

We praise God for this event Full weekend and we know He was in it in every moment! May we continue to see him every moment of 2009!