Team Argentina

Final Trip Briefing

2010-08-27T17:41:00.003-03:00

After three weeks in Argentina, our team of 17 returned home on August 19, rejoicing in what the Lord has done in and through us. We are so thankful that our trip home was uneventful—no missing people, luggage, or flights. In fact, every flight was right on time!

So, what did we learn in Argentina? Although our mission was to minister to others, we discovered that the Lord used the very people to whom we were ministering to do an even greater work in our own hearts. We came to realize that the language of the gospel quickly bonds our hearts with those who don’t even speak our language. As our team members said their tearful goodbyes, it was evident that our team mission wasn’t about activities (although we had many activities) but rather about engaging with people—people with a varied culture and language, but a common love for Jesus and for each other. Our friend lists on Facebook are expanding with Argentine names and faces we met.

Because the trip included so much, space would not allow a day-by-day expose, but here are some of the highlights:

We performed over 20 concerts, each including a repertoire of both sacred (in Spanish) and classical music, team member testimonies, and an evangelistic message. There were reportedly many professions of faith as a result of these concerts. The team had a couple of opportunities to provide a street performance in the plazas when they traveled south. We even were able to present a short concert in a local public elementary school. Several students from that concert brought their parents to the evening concert that evening and heard the gospel.

We had classroom time with several veteran missionaries, including Ron Self, Christine Self, Andrew Self, and Romina Self. These classes included lectures on cross-cultural ministry, the culture and people of Argentina, cross-cultural church planting, indigenous church planting, challenges on the mission field, and personal spiritual growth.

We coordinated and led a three-day youth retreat for five area youth groups from Buenos Aires, including activities and games, services, and discipleship opportunities. I was so very proud of the team for the way in which they served the teenagers during this retreat.

We engaged in street evangelism, handing out thousands of fliers and tracts presenting both the gospel and the evening concerts. We were blessed to see how God worked through those contacts to bring people to the concert and expose them further to the gospel of Christ. Sarah Ray even had the privilege of leading a man to the Lord on a bus trip using limited Spanish and a gospel tract. Praise the Lord!

We had the opportunity to appear on a national radio program that reaches 1.2 million listeners daily. For three days I was able to talk about the problem of addictions and the liberating power of the gospel of Christ. A fourth day, Joanna Ledgerwood and Alysha Morris were able to play and sing for that large audience as the host promoted our evening concerts.

We engaged in the cultural experience as we took occasional tours and shopping trips into various parts of Buenos Aires. Part of experiencing the culture is experiencing the national foods. Argentines are famous for their delicious pasta, steak, and ice cream, so the team sacrificially and politely consumed the overwhelmingly generous portions the churches served.

We went shopping in several shopping centers around Buenos Aires. The men did the usual obligatory 20-40 minute walk-through (so a change of culture fails to change the male shopping pattern) while the ladies successfully acquired numerous bargains. The men still saved the most money and time, but it appears the ladies had more fun.

We enjoyed the gracious care of Ron and Christina Self. Their organization of the tour and their attention to the details made our stay an incredible experience of a lifetime. We were inspired by their passion for people and their love for the mission field—their home in Buenos Aires.

We are so very grateful for those of you who have supported us both financially and in prayer. We are also thankful that you listen so patiently to our stories as we share just a glimpse of our joy with you. Thank you.

Please continue to pray for Global Encounters as plans are already underway for next year’s teams.
Bruce Meyer

God Works it Out

2010-08-17T10:43:00.003-03:00

Dear Praying Friends,
Seeing how God works everything out is amazing, especially because His ways are so much better than our ways. We spent Friday and Saturday in Martinez with Pastor Gabriel Verdi and his family. One of the highlights of their year is having Team Argentina at their church. “Pastor Gabby” is very outgoing and always does a huge promotion for our concerts. Last year, the team went to downtown Martinez to play on the street corners and pass out flyers. We were all set to do the same again this year. We had only been playing a few minutes, though, when a policeman came and told us we were not allowed to play there. Pastor Gabby explained that the municipal office had given us permission, but the policemen would not let us continue. We packed up our instruments and started passing out flyers while Pastor Gabby went to the municipal office to complain. The municipal officer told him that, since last year, the law had changed; groups now need written permission to play downtown. But the officer also said that his grandfather was a Baptist missionary and anytime Pastor Gabby needs permission, to come to him! God took a frustrating situation and worked it out better than we could ever have imagined. Not only did Pastor Gabby gain an influential contact, but also, 25 people came to the Friday night concert because of the flyers we passed out. Thank you so much for prayers! God is working in Argentina and in our lives as well.
Becky
Is. 55:8-11

Hospital Visit

2010-08-17T10:40:00.002-03:00

Dear friends and family,
Hola from Argentina! We have been enjoying our time here and getting to meet the many people of this country. Everywhere we go, we are met with warm greetings. It is beautiful here and most of us are hoping to come back again someday. We have had the opportunity to visit many different churches as well as a school and a children’s home. The three nursing students of the team (including myself) had the amazing privilege of visiting a children’s hospital in Buenos Aires where we got to observe two surgeries. This day was probably one of the highlights of the trip, at least for me. The experience was interesting and even though there was a language barrier most of the time, we still could learn as we watched the procedures. Some of the hospital personnel graciously gave us a tour on each of the floors and answered our questions – all through a limited vocabulary of Spanish and English. I am excited for the opportunities our team has already had and am looking forward to what is ahead for the next few days. I just wanted to thank each one of you who is praying for our team and ask that you would continue to do so. We want to be a light for Jesus everywhere we go and this is something we cannot do in our own strength. Join us in prayer as we seek to glorify God in Argentina! Gracias!
--Bonnie, for the team

Ministry to Children and Orphans

2010-08-13T10:23:00.003-03:00

Wednesday found our team in Isidro Casanova, a part of Buenos Aires that most locals will advise you NOT to visit. It is on the “other side of the tracks”, so to speak. However, there is a thriving work being done in that community, and we were grateful for the privilege of being able to minister there.

Pastor and Mrs. Barry Courts of Calvary Baptist Church were our hosts. The morning brought an unexpected opportunity. They took our team to a local public school where we performed a “mini concert” and did instrumental demonstrations. The kids loved it! We showed them how to play the guitar, flute, clarinet, cello, oboe, and viola. We also sang several sacred songs. Students and teachers alike expressed their appreciation. We hope and pray that this random visit will provide an “open door” for future outreach opportunities within that community.

Another opportunity was given us to visit Grace Children’s Home (a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church). A couple within the church lives in the home and provides parental support to these kids, who range in age of about 18 to 2 years. The team got to visit the home and spend all afternoon with them. We made what seemed like hundreds of balloon swords, animals, and flowers. With our make-believe swords we conducted “friendly duels” and even gave one little boy the status of “knight-hood!" The team also played volleyball with the older kids. They’re amazing athletes and showed us a few good moves! The evening service wrapped up a wonderful day of fellowship and ministry!
Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers.
--Sherry Trainer

A Life-Changing Bus Ride

2010-08-13T10:17:00.002-03:00

This has been such an excellent week! God has continuously proven His grace to us, in that, He continues to use us in ways we can’t even comprehend.

On the bus ride back from Tandil to Buenos Aires, I was able to give a tract to the man sitting across the aisle from me. The man began to skim through the tract, but about halfway through, he actually started reading it. Then, he went back to the beginning and read through the whole thing again. I noticed that his facial expression began to change. After he finished reading, the man turned to me with a huge smile and thanked me for the tract. I asked him if he believed what the tract said, and he smiled and said, “Si.” The man explained that he had never read the Bible but had heard it in church, and he had been thinking about Christ. He thanked me again for the tract and said that he accepted Christ just like me. When I asked if Christ was his personal Savior, his smile widened and he joyfully answered, “Yes! Yes!” God was so gracious! Not only was a man saved, but God’s love was able to cross our language barrier! God allowed me to use what little Spanish I know to share His love with a lost soul!
This past Saturday, the team helped Don Torcuato host their annual Child’s Day Festival. We ran several booths including face painting, balloon animals, and many others. Many families from the community came to the festival, and many heard the gospel!
God has given us some great opportunities to minister to different churches and witness to the lost through our music and the preaching of His Word. So far, about 9-10 people have professed that they have accepted Christ. Please, continue to pray that our team will allow God to work through us. Pray that we will be unified with the sole purpose of bringing glory to the name of Christ!

--Sarah Ray

Argentina Team on Radio Friday

2010-08-12T17:55:00.001-03:00

Our team will be showcased on the radio again on Friday. We are taking a couple of students to play and to discuss God-honoring music. You can tune in at 9 am central or 10 am eastern time at the following link: http://fmfenix.com.ar/

Near the top of that page you will see WMP or "Online." Clicking on either of those links will access the program. Please remember the program is in Spanish so you will hear a lot of Spanish in the first 5-10 minutes or so, but remain patient and you will hear the interviews translated. Also, don't bail out on the program too soon. The host often has a local in to discuss an issue later in the show but so far, he has always given us the last 5 minutes to present the gospel.

More Photos From Liz

2010-08-10T12:34:00.010-03:00

Liz Lodwick (right) has already submitted nearly 100 photos from the Team Argentina trip. We appreciate both the quality of her work and her willingness to help. You can see all of the photos here:

http://photos.mbbc.edu/Ministry/Missions/ArgentinaTeam2010
If you just like looking at photos of Maranatha people and events, you can find more in a different place on the same website:

http://photos.mbbc.edu/

Halfway There

2010-08-09T10:51:00.002-03:00

Dear Praying Friends,
We have just passed the halfway point in our trip and are rejoicing in God’s goodness. Earlier this week we traveled to Mar del Plata and Tandil, two beautiful but vastly different towns, just a few hours south of Buenos Aires. In both locations we sang outdoors and distributed flyers and tracts, inviting people to the evening services. We also enjoyed a wonderful fellowship and testimony time with Pastor and Mrs. Don Harris, Pastor Tom Eckman, and Don and Ruthie Harris.
One of the highlights of this trip was being able to perform classical and sacred music for a local music conservatory in Tandil. After singing and playing, we hung around and talked with the students. Some of us had the opportunity to give a gospel witness. Many of these students ended up coming to our service that evening.
After the evening concert I was able to talk with two young ladies, one of whom is studying voice and wants to become a professional singer. The other is studying business in the local university. Both were very appreciative of the musical presentation and how we seemed to evidence a real peace as we sang. That was a wonderful entrance to being able to share the gospel with them. Pray for Estafania and for her friend, Lucia, that they will come to accept Jesus as their Savior and be able to know the true peace that passes all understanding.
Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers! To my husband, Brian: I love and miss you very much, but don’t worry; the kids are taking good care of me!

Sherry Trainer

Dr. Meyer on Radio

2010-08-05T15:37:00.006-03:00

I am appearing on a provincial radio station Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to noon concerning addictions. The host has an award-winning radio program and likes to address topics relating to Christians. I was on already this morning for a short interview to get started.

The web address is: http://fmfenix.com.ar/ and the program is Diálogo franco. Keep in mind that we are 1 hour ahead of Eastern Time and 2 ahead of Central.

Next week, he will have some students on also, but the days are yet to be determined. It also appears that he will have Dave Ledgerwood on to discuss music at some point.

Please be aware that the first 5 or so minutes of the program are in Spanish with no translation so don't panic. Once the interview starts, you'll hear one of us in English along with the translation.

Dr. Bruce Meyer

Visitors and The Flaming Pants

2010-08-05T15:31:00.003-03:00

To all our praying friends:

God is really blessing our team! We’ve had very good turn-outs for all of our services. We are in Mar del Plata right now and had 20 visitors in last night’s service! What a blessing! I had the opportunity to preach on the love of God and He really spoke through me. We were able to be a tremendous blessing the church.

Continue to pray for good turn-outs and for us to stay focused on serving God. Also pray for our health as many of us are getting sick.

As a side note you all need to ask Dr. Ledge how he almost set his pants on fire! Funny story!
Thanks for your prayers,
Ben Flack

Coughs and Sniffles

2010-08-03T10:43:00.002-03:00

Thank you all for praying for our team! We have seen God working in so many ways - and it has been incredibly exciting! We do ask for specific prayer for the health of our team. Being that it is winter here in Argentina and colds are going around, our team has begun to sniffle and cough a little more each day.

As far as ministry opportunities are concerned, we have had many - some aniticipated and others not. We have done eight services or so and have seen many decisions made. The team is currently staying in various host homes; and it has been a blessing to get to know some of the church families better. Tomorrow morning we will be going south, to Mar del Plata, to minister for three days in the surrounding churches; and then we will come back to Buenos Aires. Thank you for all your prayers concerning our team. They truly are much appreciated.

On another note, here are some interesting tidbits about members of Team Argentina:

Ben Flack was able to make his connection for the Argentina flight, due to an hour delay of the plane to Argentina praise the Lord!

Lacey Bland is drinking plenty of water. (It has been neat to see how the Lord provides even the "little" things like bottled water).

Liz Lodwick is doing a wonderful job taking pictures for the team.

All of the Argentine people love Dr. Meyer's preaching. And there are many people at the church tonight listening to his lecture on "Addictions."

Dr. Ledgerwood is doing a beautiful job on the piano (no surprise : ) - and the people LOVE it when he plays his "Mickey Mouse" song.

Everyone on the team has been very enthuisiastic and it has been very neat to see how we have "pulled together."

We will do our best to continue to keep you updated. Please continue to keep us in your prayers! THANK YOU!!!

~ Emily Flack, for Team Argentina

Loving the People

2010-08-03T10:34:00.004-03:00

Team Argentina highlights:

A teen retreat at a camp from Thursday night through Saturday provided the team with multiple ministry opportunities including: planning and organizing activities, producing skits, playing games, discipling the teens, counseling, and learning Spanish. My heart was really blessed watching our team members as they spent time talking with the Argentine teenagers. An additional strength of our team was their versatility in adjusting to pouring rain on Friday. All outdoor games were impossible (except for football in the mud) to have so the team creatively accumulated indoor games. We didn’t have Internet access during this retreat so weren’t able to post any news.

We have ministered now in three different churches. We have already fallen in love with the Argentine people—they are such sweet people. The team has been ministering in music with the people responding so sweetly to our music. We really have had such a wonderful time ministering in music and the Word. I have had the opportunity to preach 6 times in 3 days. Ben has also participated by preaching for the teens at the retreat.

Sunday evening we ministered at Do Torcuato and were so thrilled to see a 25-30 member orchestra debut in the church using instruments donated by Maranatha over the last two years. The team also ministered a full package of music including testimonies. Praise the Lord especially for several who professed faith in Christ.

We have gone on three shopping trips now in various parts of Buenos Aires. We have also experienced a variety of Argentine food in a number of settings; most agree that the Empanadas are the best (except for the plates of steaks we enjoyed at “Follow the Cow”).

Early Tuesday morning, the team leaves for Mar del Plata (south about 5 hours) to minister in a number of churches. I remain in Don Torcuato to teach a class on Counseling Addictions Monday through Friday in the evening. Please pray for the team’s health (cold weather has been difficult) since the team is heading into even colder temps with snow in the forecast. Sore throats are beginning to emerge already.

Dr. Meyer

Team Argentina Arrives

2010-07-29T10:05:00.002-03:00

Well, Team Argentina has finally arrived safely after a couple flight delays. We have already seen God work in many different ways. For example, our flight to Argentina was delayed, but that was truly a blessing because it meant that all of our team members were able to catch that flight. We have just finished our orientation with Ron Self and the next few weeks will be busy, but we are VERY excited to see how God will use us, teach us, and stretch us. Please keep us in your prayers and we will do our best to keep you updated as our trip continues. - Emily Flack, for Team Argentina

Team Argentina Agenda

2010-07-20T15:17:00.002-03:00

The 2010 Argentina Team will be ministering in Buenos Aires and Mar Del Plata. They will be participating in a youth camp, a children's festival, and street evangelism and offering hospital Bible studies, English classes, and several public musical concerts. The missionaries and pastors they will be working with include James and Amy Greenwood, Don and Lois Harris, Tom and Donna Eckman Don and Ruthie Harris, Scott Brackett, Carlos and Susana Lopez, Jorge and Graciela Lopez, Andrew and Romina Self, Ronald and Christine Self, Barry and Diane Courts, Gabriel and Gabriela Verdi, Adrian and Ema Andrada, and Eziquel and Elizabeth Esposito.

Team Argentina Members

2010-07-20T15:15:00.002-03:00

Team Argentina 2010 consists of:
Faculty Advisors: Dr. David Ledgerwood, Dr. Bruce Meyer, Sherry Trainer.
Students: Lacey Bland, Becky Dean, Ben Flack, Emily Flack, Elizabeth George, Josh Komis, Bethany Ledgerwood, Joanna Ledgerwood, Matthew Licht, Liz Lodwick, Bonnie Matras, Alysha Morris, Sarah Ray, Skiler Shough.

Welcome to our Blog!

2010-07-20T15:13:00.004-03:00

Thanks for reading! This page will be used to update friends and family on the progress of Team Argentina as the group ministers there July 28-Aug. 18, 2010. We will attempt to post photos and video as well. If you want to see a real-life example of the work we will be doing, check out the archives on this page and see posts, photos and videos from the 2008 trip. Please pray for safety as we travel and for the hearts of the people to be open as we attempt to reach them with the Gospel.

Video: Brass Ensemble

2008-06-11T16:43:00.000-03:00

Team Photo

2008-05-30T13:09:00.003-03:00

Praise the Lord

2008-05-25T15:00:00.004-03:00

Praise the Lord for safety in each of our flights as well as during customs and security.

We are now back in the states and I would assume that most everyone from the team is going to take a day or two to recoup from an amazing time in Argentina. The Lord was so good to us while we were there. If you see one of the team members, just mention the plaza ministries, youth group, churches, or the missionaries, and I am sure they would love to tell you how God worked in several different ways to see souls saved and added to the local churches in Buenos Aires.

We would like to say thank you to everyone for your prayers and support. We don't believe the trip would have been as effective in our hearts and lives or the people of Argentina without your prayer support during these past three weeks.

Thanks again,
Team Argentina

From Emily Sieger

2008-05-22T09:03:00.002-03:00

My dear Family and Friends,

All is going well here. It has been a busy week. I look forward to seeing everyone next week. However, I have come to the point where I do not want to leave. I love it here so much. God has given me such a love for Argentina. It will be very hard to leave. But I know God had me/us here ¨for such a time as this.¨

God has been doing great things as usual. Today we went to Pilar. . . in two days we passed out 8,000 fliers and tracts. We had a concert tonight. . . we did not expect much, but God ¨wowed¨ us as usual. We had 19 visitors. And to make the night even better, 2 people got saved! It was amazing! God is so good. He works in wonderful ways. I love it here. I´m not lying when I say I would be so happy if God called me to Argentina. The ministry here is thriving. I can´t wait to someday be on the mission field.

We have a busy rest of the week. Keep praying! God is working!

I love you all and are praying for you!!

Love, Emily

Alex - We went to a big restaurant and our waiter´s name was Alejandro. . . that´s Alexander in Spanish. I thought of you. . . miss you and still pray for you.

From Heather

2008-05-22T08:13:00.002-03:00

Hey, Buen Dia (accent the i ) :)

Yesterday was amazing! We were going to sing in a plaza in the morning but no one was there so we decided to pass out flyer's for the concert we were having later. We covered more ground faster then we thought because we kept running into each other. After we were done passing out flyer's we went to Siga la Vaca again :). We had a fun time hanging out in the playground just outside the restaurant after we ate. We went back to the plaza we were at on Tuesday and passed out more flyer's. I was able to talk to a man who went to America for 7 years as a Mormon missionary. I think he originally wanted to talk to me because I spoke English but it was good to encourage him not to fall away from the Lord. He said that he is a former Mormon, so I asked what he is now and he said he was nothing because he had too much religion (20 years). I told him you can have too much religion but you can never have too much of God. I invited him to the concert but he was not interested. Pray God will grip his heart.

Time and time again the Lord blesses even when we doubt. Many of us did not think we would have a good turn-out because the people who would come would be off the street that received a tract with an invitation. The Lord allowed about 15 - 20 people to come. Many of them stayed after to chat and have some soda and cookies. Mellisa had an opportunity to talk with two ladies and gave them the plan of salvation. Mr. Greenwood was able to talk with a man for a while and eventually Jeremy talked with him. One of the ladies and the man Jeremy talked to made professions of faith. God called two more people into his family! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Today we are going to a public school to do a concert and hopefully preach the simple gospel! I have been wanting to go to a school to minister to the children and today's the day. I am super excited. Please pray that the Lord will continue to show himself faithful in the next three days. God is doing a great work here and as a team we appreciate your prayers. Thanks for your faithfulness

Heather.

From Tiffany

2008-05-22T08:08:00.002-03:00

Hola everyone!

Praise the Lord for His amazing power. I doubt Him constantly yet He never ceases to ¨wow¨ me! Last night we held a service in a rented building and 19 people attended - just from receiving one of the 8000 flyers we passed out the last 2 days! The Gospel was presented and after the service, 2 people accepted God´s free gift of salvation! The Lord has been so good to us the past 3 weeks. Althought I am looking forward to getting home and seeing my family, I will greatly miss the ministry here in Argentina. It´s just not the same back in the States! But we do serve an unchangeable God and He does great and wonderful things all the time - whether we are in the U.S. or in Argentina! Please pray for us today - we are going to a school to do a musical presentation. Afterwards they want us to have a Q and A time about our faith. Pray that seeds are sown!

Thanks for your love, prayers, and support. -Tiffany

P.S. I miss you, Tim! I will call you as soon as I can on Sunday morning! I love you!

Recent Web Updates

2008-05-19T22:52:00.002-03:00

Blog Posts:

All posts from Monday, May 19

Photos:

Wednesday, May 14 - New album! 59 photos uploaded
Thursday, May 15 - New album! 56 photos uploaded
Friday, May 16 - New album! 31 photos uploaded
Sunday, May 18 - New album! 44 photos uploaded

From Ryan

2008-05-19T22:31:00.003-03:00

Hey Family and Friends,

This trip has been amazing, and I cannot wait to tell all of you about it. The Lord has been working a lot on me on this trip, and I would like to share what He has been teaching me. The Lord has showed me that ministry is not about me, but about Him and others. I cannot be focused on me, because it is not about me. As a team, we have been reading through II Corinthians, and in verse 5 it says that we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ. Ministry is not about us, but it is about sharing Jesus Christ with others. Another thing the Lord is teaching me is Courage, not being afraid of talking with people I do not know especially those that we minister to in the different churches. It has been difficult with the language barrier, but God has given strength to fellowship with people I have never seen before, but they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. It has been a blessing to fellowship with fellow believers across the globe even if there is the language barrier. It is been Fun!! I love it here, and I would come back if the Lord allowed it. The people are great, the food is wonderful, and a whole lot more could be said as well! Thank you again for your prayers, and support! Again, I cannot wait to tell you all about me trip.

Mom, Dad, and crew - I love you and miss you. Looking forward to seeing you. Hope everything is going well. I am praying for you.

In Him,
Ryan
Isaiah 6:8

From Us Both (Owens)

2008-05-19T12:19:00.003-03:00

Hi, this trip has been such an incredible experience! We have been especially blessed by the interaction we've enjoyed with the missionaries here in Buenos Aires as well in Uruguay. The world has gotten so much smaller as we've found how many friends we have in common.

The opportunities for ministry have been great! What a privilege to have a small part in what God is doing here! The Christians are so dedicated to God--how refreshing to see their love for the Lord and each other.

We have seen several come to the Lord, after one preaching service that I preached with an interrupter (Pastor Self) one young boy raised his hand to indicated he had accepted the Lord.

Thank you for your prayers and support so that we can be part of this ministry.

Glenn and Becky

From Ben

2008-05-19T12:15:00.008-03:00

Hey Everyone!

I don't have a lot of time so I'll make this quick. I love Argentina!!!!!!!! It has been so wonderful! I almost don't want to come home : ) I could sit here and tell you tons of stories but then we wouldn't have anything to talk about when I get home. The ministry has been so great and we have actually been privileged enough to see some of the fruit of our ministry. We got beat pretty bad in our USA vs. Argentina basketball game (we had some of our better guys who were sick and couldn't play). But after the game we got to share the gospel with the other team ... about 20 guys. It was such an amazing opportunity. God has taught me so much this trip and I'm really excited about His plans for me in the future. Maybe He'll allow me to come back here someday. I love you all and miss you all ... especially you, Em : )

Ben Flack

From Rachel

2008-05-19T12:15:00.007-03:00

Hola Familia y Amigos,

We went to Colonia, Uruguay, by boat, and Bethany and I stayed in a home where the family only spoke Spanish. I really enjoyed talking to them even though we did not always understand each other. I also tried mate, which tastes similar to tea. Jessica was able to lead two people to the Lord by talking to them about Christ through English classes. She speaks Spanish very well, but I think she was able to explain the plan of salvation mostly in English. Argentina has been amazing, and I have so much to tell, but I cannot write for long. Hope everything is going well with everyone.

Love and miss everyone,
Rachel

From Sam

2008-05-19T12:04:00.003-03:00

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for you prayers. Please continue to pray for us. Hi to the Brice family. Things are going great. I was feeling sick at the end of last week, but now I am feeling better. It has been a blessing and an encouragement to see people accept Christ. Please continue to pray for us.

Sam Prusak

From Josh

2008-05-19T11:59:00.003-03:00

Hey ya'll,

What an exciting time we've had in Uruguay. It was for one and a half days only but still was a blessing to minister in the church in Colonia. The church has a team working together, including the Mexican pastor, a gringo missionary, and a Peruvian pastor. Pastor Perez has a interesting testimony having been saved out of Mormonism. It is neat to see how God has placed him in Uruguay and is able to directly witness to Mormons in the city, there being a Mormon building there. Usually the Mormons follow behind and 'convert' people from baptist, but in Uruguay, God is using the Perez family to win people from Mormonism.

It was very enjoyable to be in Uruguay, nevertheless it was nice to return 'home' to Kairos. It is interesting how quickly one can become attached to a place.

We are in our final week and it sounds like we'll be doing most of our ministry in Pilar, a place to the north of Buenos Aires. There are many lost people in Buenos Aires, so pray for the Lord to continue to work in people's hearts.

From Sherry

2008-05-19T11:56:00.002-03:00

Hello Everyone!

What an incredible and memorable trip this has been! From day one we hit the ground running, our daily schedules packed with all sorts of activities, such as morning cross-cultural training sessions, music and preaching in the open-air plazas, canvassing neighborhoods, conducting basketball, conversational English, and music workshops, sight-seeing, as well as ministering in the nightly services in area churches.

The host missionaries have been a tremednous blessing and encouragement to the team and have ministered to us in countless ways! They have done our laundry; allowed us access to their house so that we can check our emails, make phone calls, or just relax; taken us sight-seeing; brought us meals; and made us all feel right at home! Their ministry to us spiritually and physically will leave an indelible impression on our hearts, long after we are gone.

To my husband, Brian, who is currently on another continent, I would just like to say how much I love and miss you! I'm so thankful to be sharing with you this incredible advantage called ministry! Even though we are miles apart, I have the complete peace and satisfaction of knowing we are in the center of God's protection and provision. Thank you for being such a wonderful example of encouragement to me.

To our parents, I want to say how much we love you and that we continue to reap the fruits of your investment in our lives over the years. Thank you for faithfully teaching us to love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sherry Trainer

From Tiffany

2008-05-19T11:53:00.001-03:00

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, Friends, and Tim ~

Sorry we haven't blogged in a long time--but we are alive! :) We are still having a great time. The Lord is blessing our time down here--we have seen so many answers to prayer. We got to go to Uruguay for a few days. It is so beautiful there! I hope everyone is doing well in the States--I can't wait to get home and tell you all of my stories and share my pictures!

With love,
Tiffany

From Emily S.

2008-05-19T11:47:00.002-03:00

Hello Everyone!!
Hi Dad, Mom, Siblings, Alex, Mr and Mrs Board, and everyone else!

All is well here. We have not been able to blog in a while, so this is the time for me to catch up. We had a great time in Uruguay!! I got to go horseback riding and it was wonderful!! I was in my element!! We had a blast. We all stayed with different people and that was a lot of fun. We took a three hour boat ride there then when we came back we were on a boat that felt like the Titanic. It was huge and amazing!!! I cant wait to show you pictures!! I have never been on a boat that big before! And the cool thing, was that while we were on there, some of us girls were able to give the gospel to some guys from a soccer team. It was so neat. God is so good how he puts situations like that in our laps.

We have been doing lots of shopping and I have loved that to its fullest!! I have definitely bought too much stuff...but hey, as we all say, we are only in Argentina once!

We are painting today, and we are looking forward to that. The church ministries have been wonderful. It has been such a blessing to watch God work in the lives of the church members as well as other people. God is so good. This missions trip has been amazing. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to be a part of this wonderful team.

I miss you all!! Praying for you!

Emily

From Heather

2008-05-19T11:35:00.003-03:00

Hey, all! I just wanted to give a little update about what we have been doing. We went to Uruguay for a few days and it was great! On the way there it took three hours. It was in the morning so it was foggy and the sunrise was beautiful. When we got there we meet the family we were. We were able to work with Pastor Perez and we did a concert at his church and helped with their visitation. In the afternoon we went to a ranch and fellowshipped with the people and team members. There was a big cookout for us so we had some great food! We were able to horseback riding and that was amazing! That night we had a service and we sang and Mr. Owens preached. It was a great message and I think it impacted many people. We were on a fast boat on the way back so it took only an hour. We went to La Boca to do some shopping and eat at Siga la Vaca. We got back kinda late so we had to change quickly for the evening service at Pastor Ron's church. It was intense but fun. It is great to serve the Lord!

This weekend was a bit lighter. On Sunday we had a morning service in San Fernando and in the afternoon we were supposed to go shopping at Tiger and the guys were going to have a basketball clinic but both were canceled so we were able to go back and get a much needed rest. We had a service that evening and Dr. F (he is a doctor that goes to that church) preached out of Psalms and did a clinical study on the "blessed man" and I stood in the back to get the translation from Mr. Greenwood. Many of the Doctor's friends came to the service so it was interesting to see how they responded because most of them were fellow colleagues. One of the people who was there was a lawyer who defended abused children. The Dr. has talked to her about the ministry she could have if she became a Christian. As far as I know she still shows no interest. The Dr. is not giving up though :)

We are having a blast here in Argentina. I can't believe we are here for one more week. It has gone by so fast. I will miss it.

My time is up so I'll be signing off.

The Leader’s Report

2008-05-15T18:50:00.000-03:00

On behalf of the team I want to summarize the first full week o f the team’s activities. As you have read in the various blog posts the team’s schedule has been full of various ministry opportunities. Our primary host, Ron Self, did an excellent job of coordinating a variety evangelistic outreaches that impact all levels of society and utilize every gift and talent on the team. Though the primary drawing card has been the musical presentations, English camps, basketball, balloon animals, and the simplicity of an American presence has drawn visitors for the various churches in the capital city. The focus of every outreach is to assist the local churches in developing contacts which the national and missionary pastors can develop. Our role is that of “bait.” Or to use the Biblical term from our team chapter of 2 Corinthians 4, we are but the “earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.”

A quick summary:

1. Physically: Six to eight team members wrestled for 24 hours with the natural effect of traveling overseas and experiencing a new environment. Thankfully, most of these challenges were temporary and the recovery was quick. There are still a few lingering physically challenges primarily connected with travel. We are thankful that the impact of these illnesses have been slight and manageable.
2. Food: The food is great. Everything is enjoyable. The first week we have been treated to multiple (6-8) pizza nights. When eating at a church, that is the easiest thing to do and works well when feeding collegiates. The pizza in Argentina is distinctly different than the US. The toppings are onions, tomatoes, and/or olives. It is different, but good. The rest o f the trip promises more wonderful Argentine meat. The ice cream here is also a big winner with the team. No one is suffering from a calorie crisis.
3. Housing: The retreat center at which we are staying is truly a retreat. After a busy day it provides a quiet place of rest and relaxation.
4. Weather: Phenomenal! God has blessed with blue skies and temperatures in the 60’s-70’s. This is the Argentine fall, and thus the expectation was for cooler weather, but each day has allowed for outdoor activities that are crucial for the evangelistic outreaches.
5. Hosts: The team has consistently communicated that the interaction with the American missionaries and Argentine national pastors has been impactful. At each location we have listened to these men and women share their testimony of salvation and God’s direction in their lives. Their transparency, passion, humility and humor have left a deep, positive impression. The Selfs, Greenwoods, and Estremas are a joy to work with.
6. Ministry: As you read the blog you sense the excitement of the team’s ministry. Each team member is seeking to build relationships with the Argentines. The team has a repertoire of two hours of music. This includes multiple songs in Spanish and the use of 7-10 instruments in various arrangements. The evening presentations have encouraged the churches and challenged the unsaved. Even when we miss a note or a word, the folks have responded with thanksgiving and appreciation. The other formal ministries, English training and basketball, have also been well received and have created platforms for relationship building. The most enjoyable aspect of the trip is to see the Americans and Argentines work through language barriers at developing friendships.
7. Spiritual Growth: The testimony times within the team are an encouragement for all. As you read the blog you emphasis is on all that God is teaching the team. We have learned of our dependence on God, the power of prayer and the gospel, the importance of fellowship, the joy of ministry, the threat of selfishness, and the needs of the world. These lessons alone make the trip a worthy investment.
8. Future: The next two weeks are filled full of more open doors. On Wednesday, the team leaves by boat for Uruguay. They will spend two days in Colonia working with missionary Archie Perez. The boat ride is a three hour excursion through the delta region. When there, the team will live in the homes of the Uruguayans. This new experience will be stretching. The team then returns on Friday for a three day evangelistic emphasis in the primary church in Buenos Aires. Our last week will be spent working with the Greenwood family as they seek to start a church in the northern suburb of Pillar.

Overall, the team has responded excellently in every situation. We greatly appreciate your prayers. Each day God has graciously allowed us to both sow the seed of the gospel and bear fruit. This could not have happened without the support of many people.

Thank you for taking the time to read our posting. I trust it gives you a little flavor of being there.

Brian Trainer

From Laura

2008-05-13T15:12:00.004-03:00

Hey All! Just giving a quick update....Everything is still going awesome. Yesterday we had a nice rest day but then that night we did English classes and the basketball clinic again. I found a girl at the basketball clinic!! I was so excited! She was there with her dad because her brother played there but her dad asked me to teach her a few things. I was more than happy to do that =) God is so good and I have so many stories to write but I don't have time! I can't wait to see what the next few weeks will bring. I love you and miss you all!

Josh, Mary, Sarah, and Donald-I got something really cute for the new babies in the family....There gonna look like cute little Argentines =)

Laura

May 12 Web Updates

2008-05-12T15:00:00.000-03:00

Blog Posts:

All posts from Monday, May 12

Photos:

Saturday, May 10 - New album! 52 photos uploaded
Sunday, May 11 - New album! 140 photos uploaded
Monday, May 12 - New album! 11 photos uploaded

From Rebekah

2008-05-12T14:17:00.002-03:00

¡Hola a mi familia, amigos, y iglesia! [Hello to my family, friends, and church!]

First of all, Happy Mother´s Day to the best mom in the whole world! I have to say something sentimental, even though every other mother can see this: Thank you, Mom, for all that you do and all that you are to me. I can never say thank you enough. As I get older and spread my wings (i.e.- coming to this country halfway around the world), I am realizing more and more the special connection we share.

On another, less sentimental, note . . .
I hope the computer is still working! : )

And now, a continuation of my week 1 overview. Not only are the smells unusual and the sights are amazing, but the sounds are also incredible!

Our "home-base" is peace itself. (Psalm 46- "Be still and know that I am God.") While similar to a girl´s dormitory (as far as loudness after 11 pm . . .no names mentioned except for room #5), I love the warmth and hospitality of Kairos as well as Buenos Aires.

To break the silence, our team provides the music [of life]. God has given us a bond in Christ as we minister and are ministered to. Please continue to pray for unity.

The language continues to be a barrier for most of us. Mr. Trainer jokingly wished we still had the gift of tongues. But our weakness, our inadequacies cause us to rest on Christ´s strength. He has already used us beyond what we could ask or think. Thank you for your continued support!

Sometime soon I will continue the overview of our missions trip in Buenos Aires.
But now I must press on in our busy, yet relaxing schedule!

Love, Rebekah

From Matt T.

2008-05-12T14:14:00.002-03:00

Praise the Lord for a great first week. We have seen Him do so many incredible things through the missionaries down here, and some of the stories are incredible. Hearing how God has been working over the past few months is really cool as well.

The other night, our group had the opportunity to present about 25 minutes of special music for a one year anniversary service for a new church. It was such a blessing to see how many people came out to celebrate the Lords working in that church.

I have loved getting to know the missionaries here - they all have an incredible zeal for the Lord, and also have a great sense of humor. Pastor Self and his wife are a great couple - yesterday was Pastor Selfs birthday, and we celebrated it at each of the churches, and then he bought really good ice cream for everyone when we got back to the institute.

Jeremy Estrema, one of the other missionaries, took a group of girls out to buy flowers for Mrs. Trainer for Mothers Day, and because it was so late, he took them to a funeral home, where they purchased flowers for 30 pesos. (we think they went and picked them up off the tombstones, but who knows.)

Praise the Lord for all that He has done and is doing. Please keep us in your prayers!

Matt Tanis

From Josh

2008-05-12T14:06:00.002-03:00

Dear Folks,

What a blessing to minister in the churhces. The people in these churches are willing to go all out to bring people to the services. They have already invited people out when we get there. So when we hand out fliers, it is just based already on the fliers they have been passing out.

Yesterday we were in a plaza where we were unable to pass out fliers. We had several people come up to our group and ask for fliers. 2 people who asked about the music were there in the evening for the service.

There are so many opportunities, but much more needs. Pray for God to work through us as we minister.

Joshua Steinbart

From Emily S.

2008-05-12T14:02:00.002-03:00

Dear Family, Friends, and Alex,

Hi Everyone!! I miss you all so much! So much is happening here! Life is busy each day. Today is an easy relaxing day. Its been nice. We have been in churches every day and sometimes more than once a day. God has been doing some great things. It so encouraging to work with the missionaries here, and the people are so wonderful. It will be hard to leave.

Mr. Trainer leaves tonight. We are going to miss him a lot. It wont be the without him.

We leave for Uruguay Wednesday morning at 6 a.m., and we will be there until Thursday night. It will be an amazing experience! I am very excited about that! I have gotten a few things for you all and I hope to get a few more...we will see. I miss you all!

Alex - I miss you more than I can say. I am sure you are busy with everything, and I hope all is going well. Thining and praying for ya. Write me back!

Emily

From Rachel

2008-05-12T13:50:00.003-03:00

Dear family and friends,

I have been here for over a week now. We have seen God at work in the churches and in our own lives. On Friday we passed out fliers in Martinez and we had 45 visitors. On Saturday 5 of us were passing out fliers with this lady and her daughter, and they didn't speak any English. They took us to their home and gave us juice. It was an interesting experience but really fun. The people in the churches are extremely friendly. They always go out of their way to make sure we have enough food, and at one church they even played English music for us while we ate lunch. They are such a good example of how we should go out of our way to make visitors feel welcome in our churches. Thanks for praying and please continue to pray.

Love and miss you,
Rachel

From Steve

2008-05-12T13:45:00.002-03:00

Hey everyone!

God has been so amazing! He has given us opportunities to pass out thousands of tracts and talk to hundreds of unsaved people. God has also been teaching me so much while I am here. He has really shown me how much I lack a burden to see souls saved. Here in Argentina my honest desire is to see every person I give a flier come to know Christ but when I am at home I am indifferent to any visitor that walks in the doors of my church. God really rebuked me in this area. This is just one of the many areas God is working in my life. I wish I had time to tell you all of them.

To my family... hi and I miss you all. I wish all of you could be here so I could share this with you instead of just telling you.

To Jenny... I miss you like crazy! It is beautiful down here! I have so many awesome stories to tell you. Can't wait to see you!!

To my Mom... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Sorry it is a day late, but I just wanted to let you know how much I love you! Thank you for the Godly influence you have been in my life! You are amazing!

Much love to all,
Steve

From Leanna

2008-05-12T13:44:00.001-03:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!

I wish I could be there with you today… wait, I wish you could be here with me and experience all of the amazing things we are doing! Have an amazing day and don't forget to pick up your Mother's Day gift! I love you bts!

Love,
Leanna Joy

From "Ur Stage Buddies"

2008-05-12T13:43:00.000-03:00

Dearest Paulie & Joshie,

We just wanted to say hey--well, Loony & Perky at least… Fatty's being difficult. Argentina is amazing!!! We wish you could be here enjoying it with us, but we know you had better things to do! :) Hope you're enjoying sleeping--do a little extra for us PLEASE! God has been doing incredible work here, can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back!

Love Ya,
Ur stage buddies

From "Room 5"

2008-05-12T13:41:00.001-03:00

Hey Hey Hey!! I'm sure you've been anxiously awaiting another update from room 5, so here it is. A lot has happened the last few days, some we hope to never be repeated again... Let us begin where the day begins; in the AM. Our mornings are extremely interesting, because anonymous person 1 and 2 do not wake up to an alarm or anything else for that matter, so anonymous person number 3 has to attempt to wake everyone up. She has an ok time waking up anonymous person number 1, but when it comes to number 2, it's well, we'll just say...interesting. Anonymous person number 2 is whiny, difficult, and not a morning person by any means (anonymous 2 is aka foot in mouth). When we wake her up she whines; when she gets to the shower, she whines or screams and cries for her mommy if it's cold, then gets out and whines some more. This morning we actually had to discipline her, she received her first Argentine spanking. Usually a half hour after after breakfast, she is back to being...special. Please don't read into this, she is not a bad person and we love her dearly. Oh, little update on Mr. Trainer, he finally had enough of us...we've scared him off to Turkey, he leaves today, but don't worry we have a great surprise comin' to him before he leaves. Oh quick note, last nite our group was trying to be sweet and get Mrs. Trainer some flowers for Mother's Day, and it flopped. We thought about it during the evening service and it was a little late, so the only place open was a funeral home. We ordered flowers from there, but as we should have known, they never came. It was pretty funny!! K, well, someone else wants the computer, so we'll have to end here! Have a great day...chau Americanos!!

From Matt H.

2008-05-12T13:39:00.001-03:00

Hi Everyone,

This first week has just been so amazing. God has been doing so many things and it is such a privilege to have a part in the blessings. On Friday night, we were in a very small church that has had some struggles in the past. While it has been in existence for about 8 years, it averages less than 10 on any given Sunday. The pastor, Gabriel, promoted our coming by posting fliers and passing out papers, etc. Even our team had some part in this. We were told to pray for about 3 new families for the church to reach out to, but God blessed and over 65 people came to the service. Later when Mr. Trainer asked Gabriel how many people he was expecting, he said 3. This is just one of many, many stories of how God is just working in ways that we could have never imagined. Its hard to believe that only a week has gone by, but we are looking forward to how God is going to work in the coming weeks.

--Matt Huggins

From Glenn & Becky Owens

2008-05-12T13:36:00.001-03:00

My first thought is WOW! What a way to get your heart pumped! WE had a great flight over. It was a little bumpy for some of the flight, but it was ok. When we arrived at the airport we didn't see anyone we recognized, so we waited... and waited... and then began to think maybe we were forgotten. So I did what any good techie would do: I went to the "Telecom" room and paid a dollar for 30 minutes of internet service. We started our search for the Selfs' web site so we could see if we could call them. Sure enough in just a few short minutes after figuring out the different keys for the @ sign, we got to their web site. Praise the Lord their phone number was right there. So then I paid 25 Pesos to make the phone call. Well, an English speaking man answered the phone, so I figured I got the right number. He said his wife and one of the team members should be there, to just look around. So as soon as we left the Telecom room, we found them. From the airport we had a tour of the city. Really interesting to see the sites, being Sunday, the roads were pretty much empty, so the tour went pretty fast. Then we went to our first church but had just missed the service but got there in time for the meal. Again, WOW! It was really good. We went to another church for the evening service, and we joined the team in singing. The young men all seem to have a real servants' heart. It was the young men helping to serve at lunch and dinner, though we missed the dinner, and went to the Center early. We are excited to see what the Lord is doing in and through the team.

In His service,
Glenn and Becky

May 9 & 10 Web Updates

2008-05-10T08:53:00.004-03:00

Blog Posts:

Photos:

Wednesday, May 7 - New album! 135 photos uploaded
Thursday, May 8 - 127 photos added
Friday, May 9 - New album! 129 photos uploaded

From Rebekah

2008-05-10T08:44:00.003-03:00

No, I did not die from the water... :)

Yes, I am still alive, but Argentina has consumed my entire way of thinking, the way I look at the world, at people, at people in need of a Savior.

How do I take a life-changing experience and describe it in a few short paragraphs? Is it done?

Everything is different here. If I could somehow capture the smells and bring it back to Los Estados Unidos [the United States], I would. The smell of poverty, the smell of a plentiful supply, the smell of a freshly-killed pig, and the sight of the pig's head hanging for sale. The sights are not easily captured by even the best photographers. From 9 de Julio to a home with 18 abondoned and abused chilrden, I was overcome with myriad of emotions.

Right now, I am going to the airport to pick up Dr. Budahl (not by myself :) ). I promise to write more in the next few days, and I am keeping a journal. Maybe I'll let my mom read it when I get back.

Love,
Rebekah

From Sam

2008-05-10T08:35:00.002-03:00

Hi everyone,

Well, the weather is still really nice which is good because we have been doing a lot of walking around passing out fliers.

I really could not explain to you the joy it is to see God use us to minister here. Please pray for a couple of things. First, pray for a man I was able to present the Gospel to. He couldn't believe it was that easy to be saved. He thought there was something else he had to do. Second, please pray for the church we were in Friday night. It is a small church that has been having troubles and there were over 40 visitors for the service. This was a blessing because the church people put a ton of work into it, but pray that these people will come back to the church.

The people here are really nice, welcoming, and helpful to us. Seems like every time I turn around we are eating again; this I have no complaints about. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I already have stuff for most of you. Any requests, please let me know.

Jo, thanks for the note. It was really good to hear from you. Congratulations on graduating! You know I would love to be there with you for that. You have always worked really hard, and you deserve what you have earned.

Don't worry, I have already taken a lot of pictures, and we still have a couple more weeks. Peter, good call on the shoes.

Love all of you. Please continue to pray for us.

HAPPY MOTHER'S, MOM!

Sam Prusak

From Emily S.

2008-05-10T08:30:00.001-03:00

Dear Family, Friends, and Alex,

May 9, 2008. A day that I will never forget. I will try to sum it up...

We went to the city of Martinez for the day. We did two plaza ministries where we passed out fliers and did special music to get people to come to the service in the evening. We passed out thousands of brochures. This church normally has 3-5 families at the church. But when it came time for that service there were about 40 people who showed up. We were so amazed. The small church was packed! It was so encouraging! "God is so good!!" It is not in our strength but by the power of God. Keep praying. I love you and miss you.

Emily

From Lori

2008-05-10T08:28:00.001-03:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

Love, Lori

From Chris

2008-05-10T08:27:00.000-03:00

I can't begin to write all that God's been doing! Last night God worked in a small struggling church by bringing 40 visitors to our evening service. God worked in lives… mine… theirs. I feel like Peter begging Christ to depart from him after they caught so many fish. Thank you for your prayers. Keep praying. Ha! Keep praying that my Spanish get better than my Russian or my Chinese! And to my family… I love you and I miss you.

- Christopher

From Betsy

2008-05-10T08:22:00.000-03:00

Our God reigns! Visiting these churches has been such a blessing. Yesterday I was with Jeremy Estrema and others, passing out fliers and tracts in San Miguel. Jeremy is a passionate Italian set on evangelizing Buenos Aires. He told us that the area we were in was one of the roughest, and that five of ten would accept the tracts. Also, he asked us to notice the peoples' faces--he described them as hard, angry at God and the world. It was true; their faces portrayed more accurately their eyes--a hopelessness in their hearts.

The church people though, shared vibrantly the joy and certain hope they had in Christ. Ultimately, I think they bless and challenge us more than we could ever do for them. It brings me to shame when I consider the many times I have taken my Christian home and heritage for granted. So to respond to your comment, Aunt Sherry, the Argentines have returned more than I have given. And Jacob, I've had the pizza and its muy ricas! I'm told that means "very delicious." And I especially like the olives on top. We are doing well. Good food, good people, and a good God. Thank you for your prayers.

- Betsy

P.S. Jacob, could you tell Andres there is a sever shortage of tacos!

From Heather

2008-05-10T08:20:00.003-03:00

Hola!

I want to say right off the bat that we have had many blessings so far on this trip. I am sorry I have not said much on the blog but I will make up for it now :). The first week has gone by so fast, and we have done so much. We have been to at least 3 churches, 2 plazas (parks) and have handed out tons of literature about our concerts with tracts. Last night we were at a church that was struggling and the pastor took so much time making nice flier's for us and just promoting our coming. The night had to be from God because over 50 visitors came and they listened to the music and the message intently. Some of the songs they would sing with us and were blessed with all the music that was presented. After the concert we stuck around to fellowship with the people and I meet a girl who was disabled. She was a sweet girl and she was blessed by the music. I was able to talk to her for a bit about how she learned English and what she likes. I meet her Aunt and sister. They were all so nice and wanted to practice there English. I was able to get her e-mail and I hope to stay in contact with her! If she is not saved I hope to witness to her, but I think she is a believer.

The messages from Mr. Trainer have been a huge rebuke to me! I have been convicted of my lack of love and devotion to the Lord. I have been encouraged and blessed by the music too! It is amazing to sing in a language you are not familiar with and know that it is impacting people :). It is also interesting to think that God does not just know English and Spanish but every language and He hears them all at the same time. He is truly an amazing God!!!!! I am looking forwarded to receiving blessings and being a blessing as well.

Mom, I love you and miss you!!! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!I hope you can handle me being away for just one more month...now 2 weeks :)! Is there anything specific you want me to bring home for you? I have key chains, mugs, and some jewelery. I also bought a cool frog puppet. I am looking forward to wearing my Argentina Jacket, too. The experience of shopping in Argentina and paying with Pesos was cool.

Church, Thanks for your prayers and support! I am blessed to know that I have a wonderful church family that is willing to support me! Words cannot describe the feeling that overwhelms me when I think of all the thing you have done for me. I am so thankful!!! I will have a ton of stories for you when I get back. I am trying to get enough stuff to make a display board for everyone to see. I am trying :) to take pictures but I am not much of a photographer. Jacob is taking a ton and will burn them on a CD for us. I hope to use the stuff I get here for a display board in my classroom or when I am on deputation :) I will let the Lord make that decision....maybe both.

Well, thanks for listening to me ramble. Again sorry I am not been faithful in blogging more. I am not much of a writer :(. You can read what is going on in other peoples blogs too if you want more information. I am going to try to write more.

I LOVE YOU ALL AND AM EXCITED ABOUT COMING HOME AND TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL!!!!!!!!!

His Servant,

Heather

From Ryan

2008-05-09T14:54:00.002-03:00

Hey Family and Friends,

This trip has been amazing. Thank you so much for your giving and your prayers. I cannot wait to tell you in detail of what has been going on. Today has been great so far in the plaza. Next week we will be in Uraguay which will be awesome. Well, I got to go, but wanted to say Hi again, and I will talk to you later.

Love you all,

Ryan

From Emily D.

2008-05-09T14:37:00.003-03:00

Mom & Dad!

First things first. Alex is this guy I met in Argentina... just kidding. There are two Emilys on this trip and that post was from Emily Sieger. They thought I wrote it :) I'm looking foward to coming home and getting my cell phone back so I can try to fix what you have done. :) I love it here! The pace is a lot slower than in the States and people don't like to get up early so, they don't. Hmm... I think God wants me to stay here!? ;)

Dad, you would've LOVED the hospital. They let us take pictures of some of the surgeries! Not all of them turned out but I can't wait to show you the ones that did. We almost got to see a baby being born but we were a little late because she came so fast. When we got in the room the doctor was holding the baby and they hadn't even cut the cord yet. It was still amazing to see and that baby had a ton of hair! :) Mom, I have a little bit more respect for you now. :)

We went shopping yesterday and that was so much fun! I bought a soccer jersey so that made me happy. Mom, I got you something that you'll probaby like because, every girl would like what I got you :) Dad, how does a tie sound? :) They are cheap here, only about six or seven U.S. dollars.

I love you all! Tell the rest of the fam Hola for me and give the dog a scratch behind the ears. I'm sure she knows I'm gone. :)

Miss you,
Emmy

From Laura.....again :)

2008-05-09T14:31:00.007-03:00

Familia and Amigos-
Hey its Laura again...I'm in an internet cafe right now and i figured I should write when I have the chance. Today I found out I had the hidden talent of making animal balloons haha it was alot of fun....I helped make them for kids at a park that we were singing at. The kids are so cute here. The parks here are goreous. Tonight we are going back to the same park and this time the radio and TV will be there which is pretty exciting, so listen if you can! ......I keep telling everyone to let me sing my solo but for some reason we seem to never have time for it ;) haha (jk Ill stick to the animal balloons) . Next week we are going to Uruguay! Lots of people are hearing the gospel so pray that the people will clearly understand and that God will soften their hearts! And also pray that all of us will keep getting the rest we need :) I miss you all! Love you! Hasta Luego! -Laura

Sorry if the punctuation is messed up...this keyboard is just a lil different :)

From Emily S.

2008-05-09T14:31:00.004-03:00

Dear Mom, Dad, Casey, Molly, Jennie, Tom, Cassie, Sarah, Alyson, Megan, bro-in-laws, nephew, niece, and Alex,

I know it's a long greeting, but I wanted to make sure that you all know you're thought of. I hope you all get this. Earlier we had a mix-up... there are two Emily's on this trip, me and Emily Dow, and when I did my posts on the blog, they put my post under Emily D.'s name... so I hope that doesn't confuse you. Everything here is great! We are getting a lot of great experiences. God is so good! We even got to go shopping yesterday! I wish you all could come here! You would love it!!
I miss you all and think of you often. Has Sonya had her puppies yet?

Love ya and prayin for you all,

Emily

Alex, I wish you could be here! You would love it! I'm thinking of and praying for you!

Team in Martinez

2008-05-09T14:20:00.002-03:00

Today we're ministering in an area by the name of Martinez. We headed out from where we are staying at about 9:00 this morning and will be here all day, probably not returning until at least 10:30 tonight.

We first met at the church and then headed out to distibute tracts and flyers for the concierto (concert) that we will be putting on tonight at the church. Please pray that the concert would go well! The church is really hoping that this will be a great evangelism opportunity!

Those in the brass ensemble played on a couple different street corners while others of us handed out the flyers and tracts. Then we moved to the plaza (which is what most of their parks seem to be called) and set up a sound system and began playing instruments and singing. Quite a few people stopped and listened, and we were really able to get the word out about the concert tonight a la iglesia (at the church). Some of the team members made balloon animals for the kids that were in the park.

We enjoyed an excellent lunch of sloppy joes (probably some of the best that we've ever had) along with really good potato chips and some jello-mixed-with-whipped-cream dessert.

This evening we will be performing in the same plaza and then going to the church to play and sing there as well! Please pray that God would bring in unsaved souls to hear His Gospel, and that they would respond! Please pray that God would make us a blessing to the body of believers here in Martinez!

Jess also had an amazing conversation with a few Argentines, and she said that at least one of them seemed really close to accepting Christ! Pray for them to understand and to accept Christ, as well as to come to the church with any questions!

Thanks for your prayers thus far, they have been immensely appreciated. The fellowship that we have been able to enjoy with our brothers and sisters in Christ has been incredible!

(posted by Jacob Job)

Quick Correction

2008-05-09T14:15:00.002-03:00

There was an earlier post made which was titled as being from Emily D.

It was actually from Emily S.! This post is the one being corrected:

http://argentinateam.blogspot.com/2008/05/from-emily-d.html

The comment left for Emily D. was still given to her :)

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL

2008-05-08T23:33:00.002-03:00

We will be performing in a local plaza (basically a park) Friday, May 9, at 6:10 CST.

A local radio station will be broadcasting some of our events.

The radio station is live via the web at the following web address:

http://www.fmfenix.com.ar/

Look at the top for where it says "Escuchanos"!

May 8 Blog Update

2008-05-08T23:32:00.000-03:00

It's 11:20 Argentina time and we just updated the blog and uploaded photos from the last few days!

Click here to view all of the blog posts from Thursday, May 8.

Photos:

Some more added from May 5
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 7 (hopefully coming soon!)
Friday, May 8

From Emily

2008-05-08T23:31:00.001-03:00

Dear Mom, Dad, Familiy, Friends, and Alex,

Our team is memorizing 2 Corinthians 4. Verse 5 says, "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." This passage has meant so much to me while I have been on this trip. The Lord has caused me to look at my life in a different light than before. It's been such a blessing. God is doing so much in my life. I love this trip. Argentina is wonderful. I could easily stay here...it's going to be so hard to leave!! But I love you my dear family and I miss you all...you too, Alex.

Bye!
Emily

From Leanna

2008-05-08T23:30:00.002-03:00

Hi all,

It is so amazing here. I love every aspect of this trip. I love watching the faces of the people when we sing, they are so excited that we would come and do this for them. Yet, I feel so inadequate and I am, but the Lord is still using me! The ESL is also exciting. The last time I had two twelve year old girls. The girls knew very little english, and I know very little Spanish, but yet we were able to teach each other a lot. They were so excited to be there with me, and actually wanted me to give them homework for Friday. Hopefully, I will see them again.

I love you and miss all of you,

Love,
Leanna Joy

p.s. Mom and dad consider this your first postcard

From Ben

2008-05-08T23:30:00.001-03:00

Hey everyone,

The basketball clinic was amazing. I was so nervous going into it. It was a regular club team of about 20 guys who were all pretty good. I had the opportunity to share my testimony with the coach before practice. Practice went well. We went through some drills, and the coach really appreciated it because it was reinforcing skills he had been teaching. They scrimmaged for a little while and Steve Thayer and I stopped them periodically to stop them to coach them on things that they were doing wrong or poorly. After practice, they all sat on the bleachers, and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with the whole team. It was so scary. I have never been more frightened or intimidated in my whole life. James Greenwood, who was interpreting was a real blessing and helped me along through the whole thing. It was such an amazing opportunity. The Lord is so amazing. We are so blessed to have gotten this chance to share the Gospel.

Love you all...especially, you, Em!
Ben Flack

From Rachel

2008-05-08T23:29:00.000-03:00

Hola family and friends,

Today we went downtown Buenos Aires. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. Nine lanes were going in one direction. There were literally millions of people, and we ate in a three-story Burger King. Don't worry I didn't get lost, and I always had other people with me. Tonight, we went to a church in San Miguel, and I gave a testimony in Spanish. I was nervous, but it went O.K. After the service, a man gave his testimony about how the church started. His son was born blind and deaf, and he came to the church because he wanted his son to be healed. He is glad that his son is born like this so that he and his family could come to know Christ.

I love you and miss you,
Rachel Alley

From Laura

2008-05-08T23:18:00.000-03:00

Hey Family!

Argentina is amazing! I wish you guys could see it. Everything has been going really well so keep praying! I found out that girls don’t play basketball here, so me and Nat can’t really do anything in that area but we are still helping out where we can. The people here are so awesome, their faith is so strong. Praise the Lord that I have found a few that speak some English :) Even when they don’t speak English its fun trying to communicate with them. I have so much to tell you guys when I get back. I hope you all are doing well! I love you all! And I am praying for you.

Laura

From Ryan

2008-05-08T23:17:00.004-03:00

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hope things are going well at home. It’s been a lot of fun, especially today. We went touring today, which was a lot of fun. Tell Abigail and Aushly that I got them a gift. Will tell more later, but thought I would say hi. Love you,

Ryan

From "Room 5"

2008-05-08T23:17:00.003-03:00

Hey, hey, hey! It’s room 5 checking in again! So, we’ve been rooming together now for several nights and it has been interesting learning about each other. Recently we discovered…WE’RE ALL O.C.D!!! We set our alarm clocks at odd numbers, we can’t squeeze the toothpaste in the middle, and we all sleep on our right sides—FREAKY!! Oh, yes, we can’t forget the dancing skills, they’re stellar! That’s all the O.C.D.ness we can release tonight. Please keep in prayer for Mr. Trainer; as you can see he has his hands full—Chau Che!

—Room 5—

From Natalie

2008-05-08T23:17:00.001-03:00

Family and friends,

Argentina is amazing! God has been so good and has been completely giving us strength. Our days have been very busy with different ministry opportunities and my life has already been impacted greatly. I can’t wait to share it with you all. I miss you, Mom, Dad, and Dave – I love you very much.

Natalie

From Bethany

2008-05-08T22:47:00.001-03:00

Howdy folds,

So much has happened in just being here for five days. I am doing well. The food here is amazing, and I eat so much. Today, Thursday, I got to go shopping. I really enjoyed it, probably because I was shopping for others and not myself. For lunch I ate a whopper and fries in a three story burger king. That was amazing! The thing that has encouraged me the most while being here is the testimonies of the missionaries and Argentine Christians. The Lord has used the group to be a blessing to the Christians here, but they have been a bigger blessing to us. I love you, Mom, Dad, and siblings.

Bethany

More Photos from Monday

2008-05-06T14:17:00.004-03:00

We just uploaded some additional photos from yesterday (Monday, May 5).

Please click here to continue on to Monday's album.

We have also just posted many messages from team members! To view all of them, click here to visit the May 6 post archive.

From Joshua

2008-05-06T14:16:00.002-03:00

What an exciting time we’ve had already. After arriving safely we exited on a different terminal than we were supposed to, but we got to the conference center in one piece. From singing and passing out fliers, it has been wonderful to see God working already. Yesterday a young man came to one of the ESL classes and afterwards was led to the Lord. There are many opportunities, one of which is doing music in plazas followed by a gospel message to whoever is there. Pray that Christ would be lifted up.

Love,
Joshua Steinbart

From Rachel

2008-05-06T14:16:00.001-03:00

Hey family and friends,

Argentina is amazing! The weather is gorgeous and I’m having a great time! The people in the churches are so friendly and it is fun to talk to them. A man was saved during the English classes!! Rebekah Peters and I taught a lady who knew no English some words in English. I love talking with people in Spanish even though we often don’t know what each other is saying. Alley guys, you would love it here! A steak is cheaper than a Big Mac! I also tried blood sausage, and Mr. Trainer explained what it was to me after I ate it. It wasn’t too bad though. I love all of you and miss you.

Thanks for praying for me.
Rachael

From Steve

2008-05-06T14:15:00.000-03:00

Hey everybody!!!!

Just wanted to say “Hi” to everyone and let you know that all is well and God is amazing! He has already worked in so many ways. I absolutely love this culture and these people are so friendly. Just a quick note to the family…I love you guys and miss most of you…haha just kidding! Hang in there Dad, don’t let the girl’s make you watch too many chick flicks, I’ll be home soon! And Jenny…hey sweetie I miss you tons and I can’t wait to see you again!!! Thank you all for your prayers.

His servant
Steve

From Melissa

2008-05-06T14:14:00.000-03:00

Dear Mom, Dad, Friends and Family,

Hola from Argentina!! The weather is beautiful and the people here are wonderful. I’m having a great time. I’ve been able to talk to a lot of people already! (so I’m getting a lot of practice speaking Spanish) I’m so excited for everything that’s planned for us in these next three weeks. We are already pretty busy so far but it is a privilege to be a part of this ministry and doing work for God. So far we have sang Sunday night at church and Monday night at the pastor’s fellowship. Also, on Monday we passed out flyers for upcoming events and I was able to help teach a children’s class through ESL. Today we will be having a number of events at the same time such as: singing in the plaza, basketball programs, ESL and other music events. I will write again soon, but I have to go.

Con todo mi amor,
(With all my love)
Melissa

From Hannah

2008-05-06T14:13:00.000-03:00

Mom and Dad,

Thank you so much for investing so much time and money into my musical things. I’ve been able to communicate through oboe and piano. Anyway, things are going really well, and the people here are so friendly. Oh yeah, the food is amazing!!!

I love you both very much,
Hannah

Mom, I’m praying for your recovery. I hope all the kids are taking good care of you.

From "Room 5"

2008-05-06T14:12:00.001-03:00

Hey hey hey! This is room 5 checkin’ in. We just wanted to let you know this is amazing and we’re having a blast in Argentina! Last night we had some energy and they locked us IN our room, but don’t worry they missed us too much to leave us there long! Well we gotta scoot cuz there are many fun adventures awaiting us … don’t worry, you’ll be updated! Adios Americanos!! : )

From Lori

2008-05-06T14:11:00.001-03:00

Hey everyone,

This trip is way better than I ever could have imagined! I was a little nervous because I am not a city girl at all, but I have fallen in love with Argentina. It’s only our 3rd day and I don’t want to come back. Thank you for your prayer and support, none of this would be possible without you! Tomorrow we get to go to the children’s home and I am stoked! It’s going to be heart-wrenching, but children are where my heart is. Our group is incredible and to the glory of God a man accepted Christ yesterday in an ESL class. The people here are very hospitable, and our time in the “dorms” has been, well … exciting! : ) I love my roomies! Mr. Trainer may split us up … please pray for him, his room (and the Mrs.) is located on girls side right next to us! I love you all!!

~Lori

Mom and Dad I love you and hope you both have had great b-days!

From Emily S.

2008-05-06T14:10:00.000-03:00

Dear Mom & Dad, Family & Friends, and Alex.

It’s been so wonderful here so far. I love Argentina. The ministry is such a blessing. We started teaching English yesterday. It was such a great experience. We had seven kids our first day, and they did great. We were able to minister to all the Pastors and wives from Buenos Aires last night and it was such a blessing. It’s been so great to see how this ministry has started and grown. God is so good! This trip has been amazing. I miss you all!

Emily

From Ben

2008-05-06T14:03:00.004-03:00

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say "hi" to everyone who's back in the States praying for us. I miss you all… but not too much. Buenos Aires is great! I'm really having a great time! We have our first Basketball Clinic today. I'm really excited! Keep praying for us. Love you all… especially you, Em!

Ben Flack

From Sam

2008-05-06T14:03:00.003-03:00

Hi everyone and family. Mom and Dad, we are all safe and sound. We are all having a great time. The ministry is great. It was a blessing to see a young man get saved through the English classes. Joe and Susie, you would love the weather here, even though it's fall here. Love all of you.

Sam Prusak

From Matthew T.

2008-05-06T14:03:00.001-03:00

Hola! from Argentina! Everything has been great so far, and the food very good. The institute we are staying at is a huge blessing and a pretty cool place. Last night, we had the opportunity to present several music pieces to many of the local pastor's and wives in the area - it was a huge blessing to them. The people here love fellowship, and the place is much slower than America - which is a blessing as well. Praise the Lord for the testimonies we were able to hear from the Self family, the Greenwoods, and the Estremas. We have been having classes in the morning with the missionaries where they get to share their heart with us. This morning, Jeremy Estrema presented his heart for Evangelism from Acts 11 - it was a great challenge and encouragement. Micah, he reminds me a lot of Uncle Bryan - you would like him a lot. I am very excited to be here and see what God is doing in our hearts.

Buen Dia y Chao.
Mateo Tanis

From Jessica

2008-05-06T14:02:00.001-03:00

Hey Zach!

I know it's not your birthday yet, but tomorrow ill be a busy day and I don't know if we'll get a change to write. So…

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY!!! :)

I love you and miss you and can't wait to give you your present! Good luck with your permit test tomorrow! Drive safely… so scary! :) Have an amazing birthday!

Love you,
Jess

From Bethany

2008-05-06T13:59:00.002-03:00

Hi Mom and Dad, Family and Friends,

I have arrived in South America to warm weather and friendly people. The food is amazing. Mr. Trainer said that a steak is cheaper than a Big Mac. Flying for the first time was a little scary, but I ended up enjoying it. My favorite part so far has been the incredible opportunity to use my God-given talents in music to encourage the believers here! Chao!

Bethany

From Ryan

2008-05-06T13:59:00.001-03:00

Buenos Tardes Mom and Dad,

The trip has been great so far. The people are great to talk/fellowship with. The flight down here was fun, too, even though it was long. Continue to pray for us. Say "Hi" for me to the church family, too. Will write later. Love you.

Ryan

From Betsy

2008-05-06T13:58:00.001-03:00

I believe I can speak for the rest of the team when I say, "We've already started falling in love with this country, its people--especially its believers." But with a comment like that comes great responsibility. Love, in its purest form, is the God who sent His Son to die for sinners. Love requires sacrifice, selflessness, and a servant's heart. This certainly isn't always easy for humans--even redeemed ones! So please pray for us that we might bring glory to God, and become conformed to the image of Christ.

It was a joy to fellowship with believers on another continent. Our prayer is that we can encourage different local church bodies, and be instrumental in their outreach ministries. Our opportunities in this area are numerous, and seem to be multiplying. In truth, expectations for our proficiency in music, TESL, etc. are high. I know I feel a level of uncertainty and inadequacy to meet these expectations. Be in prayer for us that God will teach us dependence on Him, and that His strength will be magnified in our weakness.

Betsy

Note from Mr. Trainer

2008-05-05T23:14:00.000-03:00

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We will update the blog as often as possible, but our busy schedule will limit the amount of information that we are able to communicate daily.

Online Photo Gallery

2008-05-05T23:09:00.002-03:00

Family & Friends,

We will be uploading some photos as time allows. You will be able to view these at the following address:

http://picasaweb.google.com/teamargentina2008

- Jacob

From Emily S.

2008-05-05T14:00:00.004-03:00

Correction: This post was originally posted as being from Emily D.; it is actually from Emily Sieger.

Dear Dad, Mom, and Family,

Hi dear ones. I can't believe I'm writing you from Argentina! It's amazing here. I love it already! The people are wonderful, the food is amazing… they feed us very well… the country is beautiful and I love it here. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to be part of this team. God is doing great things and I look forward to watching him do more. I love you all and miss you tons and pray for you too.

Love always, Emily

Alex: I miss you and think about you often. You're in my prayers.

From Jessica & Emily D.

2008-05-05T14:00:00.003-03:00

¡Hola a todos!

We've only been in Argentina for a short time, but it has already been an amazing experience. Our hearts have been overwhelmed and it is clear that God has been at work. Thank you all so much for your prayers. Church last with fellow believers was a huge blessing! At church we met the pediatric surgeon, and we will be observing several hours of surgery on Wednesday. He has an amazing testimony and is excited about the witnessing opportunity he will have because we will be there. Please keep us in prayer. We can't wait to share with you how God works.

Miss you all.

--Jessica and Emily Dow

P.S. The food is so good here that they can even make cow intestine taste… ok :)

From Tiff

2008-05-05T14:00:00.000-03:00

Buen día, Mom, Dad, and Tim,

You told me not to get lost while I'm down here, but it's a possibility I might get "lost" on my back to the States! We are having a wonderful time so far getting to know the culture and people. The food is amazing. Dad and Tim, you would love the meat they have here. The only thing that you might not have liked was the cow intestines… I tried it though! I love you and miss you all and can't wait to tell you everything in person.

Love, Tiff

¡El viaje y parte del primer día!

2008-05-05T12:00:00.002-03:00

From Jacob Job

Translation: The trip and part of the first day!

I was first able to travel via the airlines when my senior class headed out to San Diego nearly two years ago. Boarding that aircraft (I think it was a 727) was a exhilarating experience, considering the first and last time I had flown had been at least six years prior, and that was in a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor. I've also taken a couple of other trips in the last couple of years by way of the airlines, and had yet to experience anything go wrong.

Well, this would be the trip that things just weren't intended to go as smoothly as one might hope with the airlines, but thankfully for us there would not be any serious implications involved a couple of delayed flights. On Saturday, my dad and stepmom drove Chris Jochum and I to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to meet up with the rest of the team. (Chris will be driving back to Maryland upon our return, so things work out best for him if he leaves his car at our place.) The timing of our arrival at O'Hare was pretty cool. We were the first to pull up to the curb outside of Delta's check-in, and within ten minutes, everyone else had arrived as well.

So we checked in, some of us said our goodbyes, and through security we went to wait for a couple of hours at the gate. Of course we had to grab some food (two McDonald's double cheeseburgers for me). We played some cards and talked for awhile while awaiting our flight to Atlanta.

I went to China last year with the team from Maranatha, and it's apparent that the dynamics of this team are vastly different. Last year, I walked up to the Midwest Express check-in and began talking to my fellow team members that I barely even knew. This team, it seems, already knows each other fairly decently, which probably has a lot to do with the preparation that has gone into the trip (specifically working as a team in regard to singing, but also even with ESL and basketball).

Our flight out of Chicago didn't depart for around an hour after the scheduled time. That was fine; we knew that we would have a decent layover in Atlanta, and actually ended up having an even longer one than expected.

It seems as though I can only sit in a seat at the gate for so long. I need to be standing or moving or something. Well, Atlanta's a big airport with, I think, six concourses. The concourses run parallel to each other with planes parked all around. Several of us (Ryan, Matthew H., Betsy, Leanna, and myself) eventually got to the point to where we had to do some moving, so we started hopping the underground trams that run between the concourses. Our flight would leave out of a gate at Concourse E, so from there we headed all the way back to A and checked out some of the restaurants and stores. We worked our way back somewhat slowly, sometimes taking the tram and sometimes taking the moving walkway until we finally arrived back at gate E-4.

Well, we definitely wouldn't be leaving from E-4. I'm still a little confused in regard to all of the details, but it seemed as though there was a plane sitting at the gate that probably wasn't supposed to be. There were a lot of people trying to leave for a flight to Zurich from the same gate, and they weren't having much success with that venture (it sounded as thought they'd been waiting way past their departure time). Eventually we were moved down the concourse to another gate where another airplane was sitting. That airplane had to be removed, ours transported from the hangar to the gate, and then prepped by the pilots and flight attendants along with being loaded with food and baggage and probably fuel.

Our scheduled departure was 8:40, but I think we left the ground somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00 EST. The pilot said over the intercom that they arranged it so that our flight would be quicker that originally planned (we'd be flying at mach .81!). The flight attendants brought out the in-flight meals after close to an hour into the flight. Chris gambled on the pasta while I played safe with the roast chicken (Chris lost by the way).

I watched city after city of lights from my window seat on the left side. Oh, we were flying in a 767 in case anyone would be curious. We flew an MD-90 to Atlanta. Can't forget those important details! Soon enough, on came the in-flight movie. I watched the first few minutes and then opted to put on some headphones with my own media instead. A couple hours later I was definitely ready for some sleep.

I woke up enough once in the early morning to catch a glimpse of the beginning of the sunrise over the great Atlantic. Then I drifted back off to sleep and awoke again probably twenty minutes later to behold a more fully developed sunrise. Matthew Huggins got some pretty good shots of the sunrise.

That window seat definitely paid off though as we flew over the Argentine topography north of Buenos Aires. The sun had continued to rise as the local time was now close to 9:00 a.m. (Buenos Aires time is one more hour ahead of EST). All across the landscape lay scattered blankets of fog, with the edges of some parts wisped away by the wind. One patch surrounded a river and had crept underneath a bridge that spanned across it. Seeing the fog from the skies was a completely new sight for me.

Finally we came in near Buenos Aires, overflying some of the surrounding areas. The buildings just stretch on and on. The taller buildings rose toward the sky some way off to the east. Soon enough we came into Los Aeropuertos Argentina and put down on Runway 11.

It is very late as I'm writing this, and I really want (and, yes, probably need) to grab some decent sleep before tomorrow. The place that we're staying at though is great. There will be some photos available on our web albums.

Meet Our Team

2008-05-05T11:28:00.002-03:00

Safe Arrival!

2008-05-05T11:17:00.002-03:00

We've made it to Argentina! We will post more when we have a chance. We were two hours late, but everyone is safe. We enjoyed a great steak lunch and are resting this afternmoon. We will be singing and preaching in the evening service. --Brian