start of a new year

      Aside from arriving back to the sweltering heat of La Plata, I had a smooth transition. I got my last taco in the Airport, spoke English to the sales-lady and headed here to Argentina. January here, as you may know, is the busiest month in ministry. This year we had our staff retreat, summer camp, missions project, and then vacation. 

     For staff retreat, a couple from Florida came to give all of us staff a seminary course on the history of the church and missions. It was as if we were all back in college again. The mornings were spent in class, learning about our early church fathers and how Christianity started. The afternoons were spent with our class groups working on our presentations. It was a great time to build relationships with the staff as well as to learn in a class-like intensive atmosphere. We all got to spend New Year's Eve toasting to what the Lord was going to do in our lives, ministries and cities over the next year! 

Staff women preparing the salads for our New Year's Eve cookout! 

      Emotions began to heighten as we prepared for camp "Revolucion" 2011. Seven days of heart changing worship, in-depth ministry training for the students, delicious 3-course meal times, deep small group talks, and a lot of new friendships being built.

Big Group Outside Meeting Room 

campamento 2011

Returning back again this year to Cordoba was exciting and refreshing...

       Every year we have the summer camp in the same place called the Hotel Casa Grande. There is a girl there named Antonela, the daughter of the couple who owns the snack bar in the hotel. Antonela and I had a strong connection last year at my first summer camp. Despite my limited Spanish speaking skills, I was able to share the gospel with her right there in the entry-way of the hotel one afternoon. So this year, needless to say, I was excited about being reunited with my 14 year old friend Anto! The second I got to the hotel, day 2 of being back in Argentina, I went to visit my buddy Anto. Her parents said that she wasn't there and that she'd be back the next day.

        I saw her the following day and it was a fun reunion, she was just as excited to see me. Over the next week we got to spend time talking and hanging out. One afternoon the Lord gave me the opportunity to talk deeper with my friend. I explained the gospel once again and we had the chance to talk about a personal relationship with God instead of just attending her Catholic church's mass once a month. The idea interested her and she asked questions about the religion she was following and about the relationship I was offering. We had a great conversation, she still wasn't ready to accept the gospel. However, the Lord provided a good time for me to step out and share my faith with Anto. I am going to continue praying for her and await next year back at the Hotel Casa Grande to reconnect with my friend! 

christmas blessings

Wow I know its been so long since I've updated this. If its any consolation, the day after Christmas I was on an 11 hour flight back here to Argentina and just stopped traveling 3 days ago. That would make the total of days traveling to Staff Retreat, Camp, Mapuchee Missions Project, Vacation...40! Before all of that traveling I had the blessing of spending time with my family and friends! Here are some pictures...

With my brother and three cousins in Cherryville, NC

With high school friends in Lexington

With my family at the Christmas eve service at SGPC.

It was a wonderful time at home visiting and catching up on the 14 months I had missed. One of the many blessings the Lord sent my way was on the morning after Christmas, I woke up to snow on the ground! I remember last year my family calling about the huge snowfall in Lexington in 2009. It never snows in Lexington! Meanwhile, I was burning up here in Argentina (because its summer) while at home they were enjoying the snow. This year we all got to marvel together at the white coated wonderland of Whiteford (my neighborhood). It was such a blessing before returning to 104 degree weather in the dead of summer Argentina!