Ministry to Children and Orphans

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

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

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

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

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