Los Argentinos: Los queremos que creer en Dios

Recently there was a front page story on a local newspaper, El Argentino:

"Messi cree en Dios." (Messi believes in God)

Messi is the top Argentine soccer player (I would argue of ALL time, but fans of others would beg to differ!) Messi plays for Barcelona, and has been awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year for the past two years (with two other second place wins.)

ANYWAY, I thought the article sounded interesting, so I flipped to the page where the full story was listed. Here's what it said, "Messi still believes that Maradona was a much better footballer than he will ever be..."

I was saddened to read the article. On one hand, I was blessed by the fact that one of the greatest players in the world is so humble. On the other hand, however, I am heartbroken for the fact that people of Argentina consider a man, Maradona, to be God.

For those of you alive in 1986, Diego Maradona was responsible for the infamous "Hand of God" goal that allowed Argentina to beat England. The referees missed the handling, but everyone else in the world could see it. Maradona, for decades, argued that he never handled it: if someone handled the ball, he argued, it must have been God. Maradona has had countless problems since, from alcohol to drugs.

However, he is still considered a role-model by most Argentines. His jerseys are seen everywhere. In fact, here is a picture on a building not far from our home
:

Despite all of his problems, many Argentines would love for their children to be just like Diego. Here is something written by the Houston Chronicle:

"To understand the gargantuan shadow Maradona casts over his soccer-mad homeland, one has to conjure up the athleticism of Michael Jordan, the power of Babe Ruth – and the human fallibility of Mike Tyson. Lump them together in a single barrel-chested man with shaggy black hair and you have El Diego, idol to the millions who call him D10S, a mashup of his playing number and the Spanish word for God."

In fact, many people here call Diego "Dios." He IS God to many of the Argentine people. There is even a CHURCH OF MARADONA! In Rosario, Argentina, locals organized the parody religion of the "Church of Maradona". The organization reformulates many elements from Christian tradition, such as Christmas or prayers, reflecting instead details from Maradona. It had 200 founding members, tens of thousands more have become members via the church's official web site. (Wikipedia)

Welcome to Argentina. The people here jokingly say that they go to church each week; it just happens to be a soccer stadium! They sing songs of praise and worship, they boo "the devil" (the other team's players or the referee), they sing about victory and triumph, sadness and pain. There is laughter, joy, sadness, and lament.

While I love juego hermoso (or juega bonitazi for my Portuguese friends), I don't live and die by the game. I am a fan (hincha), not a worshiper. I love watching the beautiful game, but it isn't a religion.

My prayer is that all Argentines will believe in God, that they can come to know him more and more. The true God, not the gods that men make for themselves or make out of themselves. May they come to know him more fully, wonderfully, and beautifully.

God bless each of you!

Religion in Buenos Aires (Part 2)

Ayudános, Madre, en nuestra hora de necesidad...

These words adorn many shrines found throughout the country.

On October 1st, a large procession of people set out from Buenos Aires to the city of Lujan, almost 80 km away (50 miles.) Over 100,000 people make the pilgrimage from the capital to this religious site in honor of the Virgin of Lujan. According to the legend, the Virgin was in a cart being carried from Peru to Brazil, but the cart mysterious stopped in Lujan and wouldn't go any further until the Virgin was removed. There she stayed, and a belief was built up around her. Six million people visit the catedral in Lujan every year to pay homage to the Virgin.

In a recent posting we talked about the role of Jesus in South America. Jesus is the crucified Savior, but is rarely shown in the glory of the resurrection. Jesus is always shown dead, hanging on the cross with a wound in his side.

More important in Catholicism is the role of Mary. Mary, the Mother of God, the perpetual Virgin, the bearer of God and the bringer of help and care. It is believed that Mary has a special, direct connection to Jesus and God. Hence the "Hail Mary."

Hail Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with Thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

The text comes from various passages within Luke's Gospel, as well as some final remarks about praying for us. If Mary has a special, direct line to God, then she would be the first person they would want to pray to in order to get their hopes, desires, and wishes fulfilled.

More important, however, is the concept of "The Virgin." It is rare to see Mary's name actually invoked; rather, there are dozens of shrines to "the Virgin." The idea of Mary's perpetual Virginity is an important concept in South American Catholicism. Although not a pronounced in Argentina (as opposed to places like Bolivia, Mexico, etc), the idea of the Virgin is an important aspect of the faith. Many trace the roots of Virgin worship to pre-Columbian religious beliefs in the strength and power of Virginity. Often, virgins were the sacrifice to the gods, because they were pure and without fault. The Virgin cultus provides a bridge that continues even into today.

You see shrines to the Virgin in every subway station. There are shrines on every corner. We pass five between our house and the church building (and there isn't even a Catholic church on the way!) Two are dedicated to the Virgin of Lujan; one is dedicated to the Giving Mother; another is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadeloupe; and the other is simply generic.

All this for a woman who is given very little mention in the Bible. Yes, she is highly regarded in the beginning of Luke, and seems to come to faith after the resurrection. (The tradition states that she remains with John until her death.) However, Jesus also says, "Those who do my Father's will are my mother and brothers..."

Faith rests on Jesus Christ and his Death, Burial, and Resurrection. Let's pray in HIS name, and focus our efforts on being more like Christ. Let's ask him to help us in our hour of need, and focus on moving our lives closer to Him and the Father.

God bless you guys! Thanks for your love and support...

Updates

We passed! We passed, we passed, we passed!

Our language school ended last week, and Megan and I both did well! We both received high scores, and we are really enjoying practicing with our friends. We are both feeling more confident, although we are better with small groups than larger groups. (A few people don't mind waiting while you think through what you are saying.)

We will be continuing our language study with our fellow missionary, Jonathan Hanegan. He already gave us 100 pages of homework while he is gone to the states!

As an update to ministry... we are INCREDIBLY busy! (Estamos muy ocupados!) Here are our scheduled activities right now:

- Teaching english classes

- Studying Spanish in our spare time

- Running an English Conversation Club

- Two small English groups during the week

- English class on Sunday mornings

- Covering a small group while a missionary couple is gone to the states

- Volunteering with the youth, etc, on Wednesdays and Saturdays

- Etc.

We stay pretty busy, but we are doing well. We love Argentina and the people; we are just trying to keep our feet under us!

Sorry it has been so long since our last posting. There will be another this week. Stay posted!

Birthdays

It has been a "week" of birthdays.

Megan's birthday was September 10. We surprised her with a party at our apartment. We had 8 people who came over. Our friends, Jonathan and Ashley, cooked a great lunch (salad with garlis chicken), and we had cake. Gabriel, another friend, created the theme: "Disney Princess." =)

We had a great time!

Daniel's birthday was on September 19th. We went to class that morning, worked that afternoon, and then met a group of friends at Abasto, a huge local mall. (It has the only Kosher McDonalds outside of Israel.) We had dinner and cake with a large group of friends, just hanging out and talking.

And on Sunday... we had a new birth. One of the girls here decided to make Christ her LORD and Savior, and was baptized on Sunday morning. She is the niece of two of my favorite people at church, Marcello and Estella. They are a sweet couple; they picked us up at the airport when we first arrived.

God blessed us with a week of birth days. It is amazing how God brings new life into our world!

The Power of Stories...

Buenos Aires is both familiar and foreign to us. There are some things that seem "universal":

1. Whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere, the TV remote still gets lost in the couch!

2. People appreciate a sincere smile or a door held open (particularly older ladies at the supermarket, young mothers on the subway, or older people trying to get in a restaurant.)

3. Meals are a good way to become more involved in people's lives.

4. Prayer is powerful

5. Hospitality is valued and loved throughout the world.

6. Lo siento/Perdón/Me culpa can cover a multitude of situations!

7. when in doubt, offer a smile. (Except to scary looking people on the subway, or people of the opposite sex who might interpret it the wrong way, or people handing you thousands of fliers as you walk down the street... On second thought, only smile towards people you know, older adults, or young children!) =)

Today, as I was riding the subway, I began to think about the power of people's stories. Buenos Aires is a sea of faces; you encounter thousands of people while walking down the street, riding in the subway, catching a colectivo, or heading towards our class or house. Each one has a story. They are loved by someone, have been hurt by someone, have deep secrets that no one knows, have a history and background.

Por ejemplo... (For example/instance):

- A young boy hands us a handwritten note in the subway, asking for money. The handwriting is an adult's, but the boy looks poorer. What's his story (his real story, not the one on the paper)? Why is this kid working at 10:30 at night?

- A young businessman takes multiple phone calls on his way to work. His shirt is pressed, his nails are clean, and his expression is haggard as he talks with each disembodied voice.

- An older man stares forlornly out of the window, watching the world pass him by. Where is he going? Is he on his way home, headed to his favorite confitería, riding the subway to pass the time because he is lonely?

- A young mother holds the hands of three small children, keeping them moving forward. She is beautiful, but looks very tired and drawn. What does she need? What would she give for someone who cares, who can understand her situation or help with a few moments of peace?

- A man sleeps on two old mattresses by the subway entrance in Primera Junta. I've never seen him beg; I've never seen him talk. In fact, I've only seen him move once. Some days he is there; others, it is just an empty mattress and a blanket. One day he slept while a pigeon sat on his mattress watching him sleep. How did he get here? Who does he have?

Who are these people? In a sea of a million faces, we can simply lump them together as la gente ("the people.") Los porteños, los argentinos, los chicos, muchas personas... Yet each has a name, a life, a story... We might not know their name, but their Father in heaven does. They might just be "that guy" to us, but to the Father they are a beloved son or daughter. They are a prodigal, needing to realize true love. Or maybe they are a returned child who recognized their need for truth, life, and the way. They might be filled with joy or experiencing horrendous pain. We simply don't know, but their Father does.

The one who began the story knows each character intimately. May we seek to influence the stories in our lives, whether we are in Argentina, the United States, or anywhere else around the world...

We are overjoyed to introduce...

We would like to introduce you to you to your new sister in Christ, Brenda Nives! Brenda is a 30 year old Colombian woman who came to Buenos Aires for better economic opportunities. She was a doctor in Colombia, and has come here to practice medicine in the future.

Brenda was invited to LST and church by another LST reader, and she began coming over the summer. She developed relationships within the church, and they became a great support system for her. She began reading with LST and studying the Bible with one of the missionaries here.

Megan began reading with Brenda two weeks ago. During their reading session, Brenda mentioned that she was thinking strongly about baptism. On Wednesday she had another Bible study, and then decided she wanted to make Christ her LORD and Savior. On Thursdays she attends the small group at the Valdez’s house, and she was baptized in their bath tub that evening while we all crowded around to witness her new birth.

God is good! I am amazed at the great things he is doing here in Buenos Aires. We have a few other readers who are interested in becoming part of the family of God; please keep them in your prayers.

We love you guys! God bless you today as you seek to follow him. Please keep us, the LST readers, the Caballito church, and the people of Buenos Aires in your prayers.

Jesus and living faith...

A week ago Megan and I went to the National Cathedral in Plaza de Mayo. We toured the church building, which is built to a grand scale. The paintings are by Flemish master Ruebens, each capilla is dedicated to various saints, and in the middle capilla on the right side is the tomb of San Martin, the liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

In the entrance of the catedral, to the left, is this statue of Jesus. He is hanging on a cross, recently deceased, and lit by an unnatural light. His legs are a rusted patina, where people have grabbed hold of him while praying.

Yet I often wonder if people only see Christ this way, as a figure who died and has little impact on the rest of their lives. Most Argentines claim to be Catholic, but it is nominal. Although almost everyone claims to be Christian, few people understand that this means their lives should be different. The have head knowledge (and sometimes not even that), but the heart knowledge is absent. There is very little in the way of discipleship among the general population.

One of the comments that the Caballito iglesia hears most often is, "You people are different. You actually CARE about people and want to know us, and you want us to know about God." There is something attractive about their love and grace towards people that is infectious.

La Iglesia de Cristo de Caballito believes that Jesus didn't (and still doesn't) just hang on a tree, but that he is alive and well, at the right hand of the Father in heaven. That causes us to try to live differently in our world. How amazing would it be if we would ALL live with the realization that God died for us but didn't stay dead! So, our Christian lives should also be alive and active!

First update on the field...

This week has been rather interesting, and INCREDIBLY busy. We arrived on Tuesday morning, and it has been non-stop ever since. We came to Jonathan's apartment to drop off our stuff, and then we began looking around Caballito a little bit. That evening he had a welcome to Argentina party for us with some of the young adults of the church (about fifteen people were there.) On Wednesday we went downtown to the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and we registered for language school. We had to take a written test first, then have a ten minute "interview" in spanish with one of the language teachers. Megan and I were both placed in Beginner Level B, kind of like a second semester class. (Both of us wrote well, but had a hard time with verbal comprehension.) We then went exploring for a little while, walking around Avenidas Florida and Sante F
e, visiting a bookstore, shopping for a couple of necessities, and then visiting the national cathedral and the Tomb of San Martin (the Liberator of Argentina and Chile.) Megan wasn't feeling well that evening, so she stayed home while I went to the youth meeting. The singing was amazing, and I was even able to make a statement in the Bible study. I felt pretty amazed at how quickly I was "taken in" by the group. They are very sweet people. That evening I traveled on the subway here by myself for the first time.

On Thursday we had an end meeting with the current LST team and discussed handing over some of their students. Then Megan and I found a bank on our own, withdrew money from the ATM, and went exploring around Caballito. We walked back to Jonathan's apartment, took a quick nap, then went out for cafes y medias lunas (coffee time with coffee and croissants.) Then we went to the Bible study at the Valdez's. However, after spending time with one of my future students, Gabriel, we didn't get home until after 1:30, and we didn't get in bed until almost 3. But that is ok. We are sleeping in right now!

We begin reading with LST readers on Monday. We are going to read for five hours a day while in language school, reading from 3 in the afternoon until 8. That was the Valdez's suggestion. We are also beginning to explore the city, and we are having a blast. We are loving the people we have met at church, and are excited to be a part of the work here.

We can't wait to start language school and begin having a deeper understanding of the people that we are working with.

God bless you guys. I am attaching some pictures so you can see what all we've been up to. We love you! Talk to you all soon!

Updates and Prayer Requests

¡Buenas noches! Esperamos que están bien, y estamos agradecido para ustedes y la Iglesia de Cristo de Northside. Es difícil a creer que salimos en tres días. ¡El vez va rápido! Amamos Northside, y estamos agradecido para su amor y su apoyo. No podemos esperar llegar allá, y estamos emocionados estar en Buenos Aires. Sabemos que el Señor está haciendo muchas cosas buenas en Argentina. ¡El SEÑOR es grande, y hay no otro!

This was a message I spoke to the Missions Oversight Team at Northside. It might be a little rough (I wrote it without any aids except my dictionary), but I hope it conveyed our love and support for them.

We leave the country in two days; that is hard to believe! In the last week we've had three great meals with friends, participated in guys/girls night before a wedding, been to our friends' wedding in Wichita, and spent a great dessert meeting with Northside's MOT. We are excited, and apprehensive, and everything in between. Hard to believe this time is already upon us.

I will post a few pictures from the last few days later tonight. However, I wanted to drop you a few prayer requests:

1. Pray for us as we finish packing. We've packed all of our clothes and supplies into four suitcases and two carry-on bags. Pray for us as we finalize all of those decisions!
2. Pray for safe travel. Enough said. =)
3. Pray that God will continue to open hearts and lives in Buenos Aires. A current LST reader is being baptized on Sunday morning (praise God). Pray that more hearts and lives will be touched.
4. Pray for our transition: We are going to hit the ground running, and have to register for language school, find an apartment, get a cell phone, find the market, and figure out life, as well as transition well with the current short term LST team that is there. Pray that all of those things go smoothly. (We are going to be seriously swamped!)
5. Pray for our first time with the Caballito church. We are excited to finally meet these fellow brothers and sisters; pray for great friendships and relationships to be built over these next few months.
6. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving! We have finished our fundraising; God is good! If you want to continue giving, please contact Megan or Daniel for more information.

We thank God for each one of you, for your prayers and support. We love you! We'll post more soon!

In Christ,
Daniel and Megan

10 Days to go...

Hey everyone, sorry it has been so long since our last posting. A lot has been happening. We currently are in Manhattan, KS, where Megan is the matron of honor in a wedding. I was a groomsman in a wedding two weeks ago in Lawrence, as well. (Congrats to Daniel and Lindsey and Austin and Amy!) We also have one more wedding to go before we leave for Argentina.

We recently returned from 8 days in Memphis, spent visiting my family. We stopped on the way to Memphis to celebrate our two-year anniversary! It's hard to believe it has been two years! Time flies...

A lot has been going on these past few weeks:

• Daniel closed out his ministry with Hawks for Christ in Lawrence, and has transitioned to working for Northside before we leave
• Megan has finished her work in Lawrence as well, and is spending time with her family before we go
• We closed out our apartment, and packed up everything
• We've had two weddings, with one more on the way
• We've traveled to Memphis, Birmingham, Manhattan, Lawrence, etc.
• We have continued fundraising (only $600-700 or so to go!)
• We've continued our language training and learning
• Daniel has been working with Northside, teaching Bible classes, preaching, and leading singing
• Etc.

Hard to believe that we leave for Argentina in 10 days! We are excited, and incredibly nervous. It has been hard saying goodbye to our family and friends. We are having to say bye to people who mean a lot to us, and that has been hard. It has also been difficult to pack up all of our things for storage. We are also realizing that this is real, and we will be in Buenos Aires soon...

Things to pray about:

• We had an apartment fall through, so we are back to square one. Pray that God will lead us to the right place to live.
  
• Language learning: Although we enjoy Spanish, it is also difficult. Pray for our retention
• Pray for the Caballito congregation
• Pray for the LST readers we will be meeting in a few days. Pray that God will continue opening hearts to his word.
• Pray for the rest of our fundraising efforts

Thanks for your love and support! More on Monday!

Getting Ready for Argentina

This is Daniel's second paragraph in Spanish. It might not be correct grammatically, but he wanted to share with you his language skills to this point:

Buenos días, mis amigos! Espero que están bien. Salimos en cuarenta días! Vamos a salir los Estados Unidos en 8 de augosto, y vamos a llegar en 9 de augosto. Estamos emocionado estar en Buenos Aires y conocer la iglesia en Caballito. Ellas son nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, y estamos agredecidos para ellos. Amamos ustedes, y estamos agredecidos para ustedes. El Señor bendiga ustedes.

English translation: Good morning, my friends! I hope that you are well. We are leaving in forty days! We are going to leave the United States on August 8th, and we are going to arrive on August 9th. We are excited to be in Buenos Aires and to meet/get to know the Caballito church. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are grateful for them. We love you, and we are grateful for you. The LORD bless you all.

Also, I just wanted to share a few pictures with you from Workcamp and a few other places. We have been with Northside in a number of capacities (Family Camp, Workcamp, and now as missionaries in residence.) Here are a few pics from our time with them.

Daniel and Megan Update

Dear friends, hermanos y hermanas en Cristo...

It is hard to believe, but we are 41 days until we leave. Time has truly flown by. I have stopped working for Southside, and we are currently working for Northside in Wichita, our sponsoring congregation. We will be with them until we leave.

My first Sunday was full of "work." I led singing for Northside, which was a blast. I also had lunch with some of the church members, and it was great to build those relationships.

This week I am working on a number of things:

• I am doing Spanish for two hours a day
• I am teaching each adult Bible class at Northside once, so I am working on lessons
• I am also preaching next Sunday night, and I am working on that sermon
• I am working on a number of things for Argentina: health insurance, three month goals, and communicating with people in BA
• I am working on our first mission report, and I am hoping to send it next week

Keep you eyes out for this report. We can't wait to share with you! I will post some pictures tomorrow. Have a blessed day!

Daniel's First Paragraph in Spanish

Hey guys, I hope you are doing well! I am attaching my first paragraph in Spanish to this blog. I was asked by Jonathan Hanegan to write a paragraph so he could check my Spanish. I also sent it to my friend Jonathan Teel, who grew up in Buenos Aires. Here is the paragraph I wrote, and then there will be an edited paragraph below it.

Hola, mi amigo! Como esta usted? (Sorry, I only know the formal side of Spanish to this point.) Estamos bien; cansado, pero bien. Estamos entusiasmados llegar en Buenos Aires. Vamos a salir en el ocho de augosto, y vamos a llegar en el nueve. Llegamos en sesenta y seis dias! Esperamos que ustedes estan bien, y que Dios esta bendiciendo ustedes en muchas cosas. (Cuando llegamos queremos a ir a un asado!)

Sorry there are no accents, but this computer isn't set up with a Spanish language option. (Using the work computer.) Here is the edited version:

Hola, mi amigo! Como esta usted? Estamos bien; cansados, pero bien. Estamos entusiasmados para llegar a Buenos Aires. Vamos a salir en el ocho de augosto, y vamos a llegar en el nueve. Llegamos en sesenta y seis dias! Esperamos que ustedes estan bien, y que Dios esta bendiciendo ustedes en muchas cosas. (Cuando llegamos queremos ir a un asado!)

I feel this is a huge milestone for me. Granted, I've been able to do this in two other languages previously (Latin and Greek), but for me this seems like a huge step. I love learning Spanish, and I am excited to be able to use it and be surrounded with it when we arrive in Argentina.

Keep our language learning in your prayers. We want to be able to communicate in the "heart language" of the people of Argentina, and we believe that God will reward our efforts. Pray that we won't grow too frustrated and that we can make the right linguistic connections.

God bless you guys! Thanks for your prayers!

Northside's Family Camp

Hello everyone! We hope you are doing well. Megan and I just returned from Family Camp with Northside, and it was an amazing experience. As most of you know, Northside is our sponsoring congregation, and we were there as both "Family" and "Ministers." Megan and I will be spending time with Northside towards the end of the summer before departing for Argentina, and we used this as an opportunity to build relationships with the church.

Daniel and Megan both spoke at the Family Camp. We both approached the topics of "Men of God -- Press On!" and "Women of God -- Press On!" (Can you figure out which was which?) Megan approached the topic through the story of Hannah, and I was told that she did an amazing job. She wanted to encourage the women to stay strong in their faith and commitment, even when life was tough. Daniel used the story of Paul and also the Scripture Hebrews 12:1-3, reminding the men to fix their eyes on Christ and cast off their burdens, but also to be the "great cloud of witnesses" for one another. It was a great experience.

We both enjoyed every aspect of Family Camp. Megan's two sisters, as well as two nieces and nephew were there, and it was great to spend time with them. We are trying to get in as much family time as we can before we depart. Sadly, almost everyone wound up sick at some point. (Daniel and Joanna were the only two to not get sick at some point.)

One of Daniel's favorite parts of Family Camp is Old Church Singing. It is a great chance to sing old classic songs in praise to God. There are some pics below.

We had a blast, and met some amazing people. We truly felt blessed by our time with Northside, and can't wait to be with them this summer.

On a different note... We are only $3000 away from our goal! We are sending out new fundraising letters today, so pray that God would raise up the funds that we need.

Thank you for your love and support. Keep us in your prayers! More pics from family camp are forthcoming! God bless you!

What I Am Learning Through Fundraising

Hey guys, thanks for your prayers. I apologize that it has been 10 days since our last post. Not a lot has been going on here, aside from work for both of us, my class at the hospital, and winding down our semester in ministry.

I wanted to tell you a little bit more about our fundraising. As of right now we have close to 94% of our need, which is an amazing blessing from God. We have been blessed by the partnership with two churches (Southside in Lawrence, KS, where I currently work; and Northside in Wichita, where I will work part-time until we leave.) They are blessing us immensely with funding and prayers, and we are blessed by their dedication to God's work.

We are also being sponsored by numerous individuals from around the country. Although we don't have 50 individuals yet in our 50 for $50 drive, we do have quite a large number of individuals who are giving that amount (or more!) We are incredibly blessed by so many great friends and family who are sacrificing for us and the Kingdom.

We are still about $3000-3500 short, and we are seeking to make up the difference. If you know of anyone who is interested in missions in Argentina or a church looking to get involved, please let them know more about us and our work. You can also put them in touch with us, and we would be happy to talk more about our work.

I am learning a number of things I am learning in the midst of our fundraising.
1) God is faithful, and he has been able to do great things through this endeavor. Our faith is strengthened each day by the results of the giving.
2) People want to do great things for the Kingdom.
3) Satan doesn't like when good things are happening. We've had some discouraging things come up over the past few weeks, and these things have really thrown us for loops. Pray that God will protect us, keep us safe from harm, keep us healthy, and keep us in good spirits.
4) I am learning to pray more. James 4 tells me "You do not have because you do not ask God..." While that verse is being taken slightly out of context, it reminds me that I must be in earnest prayer. God wants to give us good gifts, and he is opening up the storehouses of heaven through the generosity of others. We feel incredibly blessed, but we must also continue to be fervent in prayer.
5) I am learning to be more thankful. We are trying to let people know just how thankful we are for them and show our appreciation for their love, support, and generosity. Thank YOU for your love and support as well!

There are a number of other lessons, so stay tuned for that.

A random Spanish lesson for each of you. The word in Spanish for wife is esposa. Interestingly, it is also the same word for "handcuff." Not sure what that means semantically or exegetically, but it is funny! (I am thankful for my esposa every day!)

Have a wonderful, blessed day! Hasta luego!

Our Time with Northside

Good morning, friends and family! I hope you guys are doing well. I just wanted to update you on our lives and fundraising.

This morning Megan and I were in Wichita talking to the Northside congregation about our work. Northside is our sponsoring church, and they are providing approximately 45% of our funds for this next year. It is such a blessing to have this church behind us!

Daniel did a 5 minute presentation this morning during the sermon. Today was their Missions Sunday, and they were attempting to raise $134,000+ for missions for the next year. They have an interesting pledge system, and that allows people to contribute throughout the year.

It was a great chance to be with our wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ and to spend time with this great church. We ran into some old friends while we were there, and we also met the family of some good friends of ours who are missionaries currently in Portugal (but on their way to Angola, Robert and Teague Meyer.)

Megan manned our table in the foyer and we both talked about missions with those who stopped by. It was a great Sunday to encourage and be encouraged, and we were truly blessed by our time with this congregation.

Keep us in your prayers this week. Megan and I begin our DVD training for LST. We are also in the midst of reading missionary biographies for a report for LST, so remember to pray for our diligence. We are continuing our language study; pray that God will continue opening our hearts and minds to this beautiful language.

Thanks for being such a blessing in our lives!

Song from the Caballito Chorus

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this music! I am getting a kick out of listening to these guys sing, and cannot wait until we are there with them!

Song from the Caballito Chorus

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this music! I am getting a kick out of listening to these guys sing, and cannot wait until we are there with them!

Fundraising Info

Hey guys, just wanted to keep you updated on all of our fundraising information! After this weekend we have received almost 95% of the money we needed for our time in Buenos Aires! God is so good! The church I work for, Southside, had its Missions Sunday last week and we received $2,600 from the members. Also, Megan's home church donated as well in a SIGNIFICANT way. We are truly blessed with so many great supporters and spiritual mentors. Thank you!

I am attaching a picture of us below. Keep us in your prayers as we finish our fundraising and continue our training.

God bless each of you!

Las Iglesias de Cristo en Argentina

Thank you to the Northside Church in Wichita for hosting us this last Sunday. We had a great time talking about our ministry and tying it into their overall ministry in Buenos Aires. For those of you who don't know, Northside has agreed to be our sponsoring congregation and we are excited to have them partner with us.


This is a picture of la Iglesia de Cristo de Caballito, the church that we will be working with in Buenos Aires. Caballito is a barrio in Buenos Aires that is considered quiet and middle class, but it is smack dab in the heart of the city. It has a huge park in the middle of the barrio, and it is right off the Subte line A.



Argentina is a country of almost 41 millions souls. Currently there are only 16 Churches of Christ in the whole country. Buenos Aires is a city of 16 million. There are two churches in the whole city, and 8 more in the suburb cities surrounding BA. We have a LOT of work to do to help expand God's Kingdom. (See this map for more information about these churches and their locations.)

One of the greatest resources being put together for the Churches of Christ in Argentina is IBICA (Instituto Biblico de las Iglesias de Cristo en la Argentina) will be a training program designed to help men transition into church planters while working full-time as hospital chaplains. IBICA, modeled on the school in Quito, will help turn out the next generation of church leaders, ministers, and elders. Currently there are only 10 full-time ministers in the whole country; IBICA hopes to change those statistics in order to help the church grow.

God is doing great things in Buenos Aires. We are excited to be a part. Keep us in your prayers. P_ray for:

1. Fundraising: That God will raise up the funds that we need
2. Training: Continued diligence in getting our training done
3. Language acquisition: That God will make us learn Spanish quickly before we leave and after we arrive.

Thanks for all of your prayers! God bless all of you!

The Gospel is for All

Church of Christ minister and missionary John Moody McCaleb spent almost 50 years in Japan as a missionary. When asked why he would travel all that way when there were people in the US who needed to hear the Gospel, McCaleb wrote these words that later he made into a song:

Of one the Lord has made the race,
Through one has come the fall;
Where sin has gone must go His grace:
The gospel is for all.

Say not the heathen are at home,
Beyond we have no call,
For why should we be blest alone?
The gospel is for all.

Received ye freely, freely give,
From every land they call;
Unless they hear they cannot live:
The gospel is for all.

The blessed gospel is for all
The gospel is for all;
Where sin has gone must go His grace:
The gospel is for all.


This song is always a reminder to me of the need for the Gospel throughout the world. That is the reason that we are going to Argentina. Although 92% of the population claims Christianity as their foundation (mostly Catholicism), less than 5% attend any sort of church services in a given month. Most Argentine men go to church as children, stop early in their adult years, and then only attend for major events in life (marriage, baptisms, funerals). They joke that the true religion in Argentina is futbol, since the games are played on Sunday afternoons.

There is a need to take the true Gospel to the people of Argentina. They need to hear that God loved them so much that he gave himself for them. It is amazing and awe inspiring, and the people of Argentina need to know that following Christ is about more than traditions, doctrines, and rituals.

Pray for the people of Argentina. God is working in their hearts and lives; people are constantly coming to Christ, and there seems to be a small sense of openness. Pray that God will do great things in that nation.

Small Groups

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Greetings in Christ! We are getting excited about the opportunity to be in Buenos Aires. It is hard to believe that it is less than 5 months away! Wow, time flies when we are having fun. We are still working with Hawks for Christ and helping our students grow. We are working hard on exiting well and passing the torch on to whoever takes over.

One of the major components of our work in Buenos Aires will be working with small groups. We are currently reading the book Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, which discusses long term small group ministry. Although the book isn’t completely relevant for what we will be doing, it has provided great insight into the time we will spend there. (We will give a review in a couple of days…)

First, we hope to start a few English small groups throughout the week. There are currently two being run by Joel and Osvaldo, two of the missionaries. We hope to free them up from these tasks, as well as add another group or two to the mix. I hope to make them different for each level, and there will be parts focused on Bible study and other parts focused on practical situations. (Maybe doing a Bible study at the beginning, and then the practical towards the end; i.e. studying John, then role-playing going to a café, or buying a new outfit.) We also hope to create small-group times for our readers (and others) and have movie nights, game nights, etc.

We also plan on being a part of the Young Professionals small group through Caballito. We want to be intentional about investing ourselves in the lives of these individuals, and we think this is a great way to be involved. We hope to build good friendships with these young adults and spend time getting to know them. We also hope to play a role in leadership later on, when our Spanish is better.

Finally, Megan and I have a heart for men’s/women’s ministry. We both would like to have a part in ministering to men and women (respectively) in the congregation. Pray that God will make those opportunities known.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and your support. It is a blessing in our lives. God bless you!