The following is an email sent to us by our precious Alvena. She is our intimate connection to Argentina. She emails & phones many believers in Argentina. She is their prayer warrior & encourager. Please read these praises & prayer needs & PRAY FOR ARGENTINA!!!
GOD IS AT WORK IN ARGENTINA, TOO!
It has been a long time since you have had an update about how God is working in Argentina. Hopefully this email will give you reasons for *PRAISE AND **REQUESTS FOR PRAYER.
* El Centro Familiar La Roca (The Rock Family Center) is alive five days a week with about 100 children eating lunch, and then after school participating in all kinds of learning experiences.
* Several people help with the meals and teaching the children: Carolina and an assistant have the older children; Patricia and an assistant, have the children who are from 5-9, and Romina (wife of Javier) with the help of several others, teach the very young ones. Martin is the chef and has a couple of helpers in the kitchen.
**Romina requests prayer for an opportunity to reach out to the mothers of the younger children. She is planning a conference where her mother will be speaking about marriage and parenting. Please pray!
* ** Carolina’s pregnancy is going well now. She and Martin are anxious for their little son to make his debut in June. The ladies in the Tuesday morning Bible study are going to send money to them the middle of April as a Baby Shower. Buying gifts here and mailing them to Argentina is not an option because the Customs Officials in Argentina make receiving boxes of things very difficult. (If any of you will want to be a part of this endeavor, please let me know.)
* Last week Francisco finished laying the tile in the rear room of La Casa. Money for operation of the center sent January 15th from the Rock of Southwest Baptist did not get into Martin’s hands until about the 20th of March! **There has been a continual problem getting funds from our church (and people who are supporting a child for $25.00) into the account for the operation of the Center. We have tried many ways, and now Scott Millar and Pastor Diego believe that maybe Western Union is the best way to go–and Martin said in his last email that the rate of exchange with Western Union is better than the banks.
* With part of the money, the tile was purchased, and also a support beam in the front porch was replaced. This latter project was a very difficult job for Martin and Francisco, but praise the Lord, neither was hurt getting it finished.
* Using a book given to them by Ruth Millar, Carolina, Patricia and Romina are teaching the older children about the names of the parts of the body, and also about the five senses. The ladies have been amazed at how little these children know. This informa-
tion is laced with Scriptures and the children are memorizing Psalm 139:13. With so much sexual abuse in the community, the ladies are hopeful that their efforts will be beneficial. ** Please pray.
* Iglesia Emmanuel has had a fresh touch from the Lord and over 200 people were in attendance on March 1st. ** Please continue to pray for Pastor Diego and his wife Sylvia as they seek to minister God’s truths to these brothers and sisters in Christ.
There has been a severe drought throughout Argentina this past year. Cattle are dying on the fields, and there has been rain only two or three times in Santiago Del Estero for the past 10 months. The costs of electricity, gas and telephone has tripled during the last year, and there are many, many without jobs. So that means that the people have to do without these utilities. ** Please pray–for jobs and for the government.
** Martin’s letter received on March 3rd stated that many parents of the children who come to the Center are out of work. If they earn ANY money, they buy drugs because the drugs ease the pain of hunger. Please pray, especially for the parents of the children attending the Center.
* Several months ago, Martin and a group of other Christian musicians prayed about opening a Music School in Santiago del Estero. Their goal is to train Christian young people who like music and then give them opportunities in local churches to use their talents for the glory of the Lord. Three of these talented young people are serving at Iglesia Emmanuel, and also are helping several hours a week at the Rock Family Center. This is surely a praise!
** Francisco and several young people from Iglesia Emmanuel travel twice a month to a town, Anatuya, to minister, teach and share the Word, and encourage a small group of Christians there. This is a rough town because there are gangs who kidnap children, and then sell body parts. How horrible! But True!
*Joel believes God wants him to get another degree in Physical Education/Coaching, which will be a means of income if God continues to lead him to be a Youth Pastor, or missionary. The university is in Catamarca, and is recognized as the best one in Argentina. This course is very difficult, and will mean living in Catamarca one week per month for 24 months. ** Please Pray.
* Danny, the artist, has painted several murals on the walls of the Center, and now believes God wants him to teach drawing to the children. ** Please pray that his talent for art and his testimony will be used by the Lord in the lives of the children.
* In Catamarca, Norma (the widow with seven children who were helped a lot by our team in 2006 by putting in windows, a door, tile in the bathroom, a stove and washer) and Gustavo were married on February 21. Ruth wrote that she was helping Norma to find a dress for the wedding and attending to some of the details. We have had no up date since then from the Millars.
* However, can you imagine how grateful Norma is to have her home now being used as a NEW CHURCH? Scott, Pastor Diego and Martin prayed together about this new work and the first service was to be last Saturday, March 7th. ** Please continue to pray for Scott and Ruth, and decisions to be made about the church plant in the east part of Catamarca. The Millars will continue to minister to the people who attended that church in the Millar home, but the building they were renting is too expensive right now. **And also pray for Pastor Julio and his wife, Maggi, as they minister at Encuentra.
* Probably the biggest blessing at the Center is that it is a new church plant!!!!! Bible studies will be offered at times during the week. Word of mouth invitations to the neighbors, and asking the parents of los ninos to attend will be a great start for the new church. But MOST of these adults do not know how to read, so teaching them about Jesus without their being able to read the Word will be a challenge to Pastor Diego and Martin. ** Please pray 1) for God to touch the hearts of people in Iglesia Emmanuel to come to assist in the launching of this new work; 2) for parents of the children and all the neighbors to hear and respond to Christ’s knocking at the doors of their hearts (Rev. 3:20); and 3) for Pastor Diego and Martin to have God’s wisdom as they reach out to people in this very poor community. Some have been involved in voodoo; others have a little Catholicism in their background. The neighbors have been asking Carolina and Martin about the music they have heard from the fiesta for the mothers and also the children singing. ** Please pray.
** Daniel Lencina in Catamarca writes that he is busy in the university, and has also begun selling herbal products. There are still some questions about whether he is a believer in the biblical sense or not. Please pray.
Thank you for reading this update. And the next one hopefully will be on its way soon!
Thank you for your prayer support for this ministry, and also to those of you who pray for and send $25.00 a month to the Rock at Southwest Baptist for feeding one child for a month. God bless you and may He continue to show Himself powerful in our lives and in the work that He is doing in Argentina.
Ephesians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
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