I am here in La Plata, Argentina. We have been attending the Lighthouse Baptist Church here in La Plata since we arrived. We were able to be a part of the church’s 12th anniversary on Sunday. There are 5 churches here in La Plata and Quilmes (another city) that were started by the same missionary a decade ago. It was exciting to see the four other churches join in with Lighthouse on Sunday night to celebrate the anniversary. Lighthouse was the “mother” church from which three of the other four churches started. The church building was full for the celebration. There was special music from the other churches, a special testimony from a missionary from the states that is going to Africa, and a Peruvian missionary in Ecuador who has been preaching the mission conference brought the message. After the service we all stayed around to have cake and fellowship. It was a very special night for the members of El Faro.

There are a few things I took away from Sunday night. The singing was some of the best I have heard, the message was stirring, and the cake was really good too! But there is more to be learned…

The missionary who started this church was not here. In fact he has not been here for some time. God is using him greatly in the States. The church celebrated 12 years going strong without the man who started the church. Some may find this sad, but it is actually very beautiful. The missionary worked hard to help this church “stand on it’s own two feet”. The church would have loved to have him here, but they are continuing the work of the Gospel as a church. God is blessing here.

This is my dream! I pray that churches we will one day plant will continue advancing the Gospel long after I have left them to start other churches. This is really the goal of missions, to share the Gospel, plant churches, and train men that the work of God will long outlive the missionary! We will be starting the first church in Argentina very soon. There is much work to be done. I know there will be obstacles, but I also know that God will be glorified in it all.

Finishing The Year Strong

2016 has been an incredible year for us full of changes and progress. Those are two words I could use to describe this year for our family. Change in the way that we are in another country, another continent and even in the other hemisphere! Change in that life and culture are very different. Change in that we are in a new language. Through this change God has proved Himself in us as we have seen much progress. When we arrived in Argentina, Pastor Jorge drove us to our temporary apartment. He says that the 2+ hour drive was spent with us trying to communicate in hand signs with each other. Since that day, I have preached multiple times, I am teaching a 2 1/2 hour long class for 4 Tuesday nights, and we converse for hours daily in Spanish. Progress in that we have completed language school and are still learning. Progress, meaning we are still on the road to fluency. With changes we are adapting and seeing great progress.

Plans For 2017

We are very excited to see how God continues to bless as we enter 2017. We still have much to learn, but are at the place where we can move further into ministry in Argentina. We are so excited for the future! The days ahead are filled with the hopes and dreams of years past that will soon begin to be realized.

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, and Ivy Henry

I am in the midst of teaching a class at the Bible College here in La Plata, Argentina. It is a 4 week class (1 night per week), and last night we just completed the third of the four. The class is 2 1/2 hours long. Obviously it is all in Spanish. This has really stretched me and I think it is going pretty well. Last night we had a visitor (from the United States) with us. He taught much of the class and I did the translating. This was my first time translating and I think it went well (albeit not perfect). Through this class I have learned a valuable lesson.

People have grace. I know I don’t speak perfectly. The students in the class know that as well and have had grace as I have attempted to communicate the truth. They correct me (I asked them to do so), they respond with facial expressions letting me know that they understand and that I am saying things correctly. They laugh with me at my mistakes and allow me to move forward in the lesson. People see that we are trying and have grace as we struggle to speak correctly.

We have one more week to go before the class ends and summer break starts. One of the students actually asked if we could continue the class for a 5th week. I think they are really learning from the class and enjoying it. There is still much to learn but we are at a place where we are able to move forward.

Great days are ahead. I believe firmly that the harvest field here is wide open and God desires to make Himself known to men and women across this country. We are honored to have a small part in it.

 

We have been in Argentina for almost eight months. We love it here. I have been asked a few times what I miss most in the states. Obviously we miss family and friends. Thanksgiving is this Thursday and I am sure we will miss the traditions we have been a part of all of our lives. There are other events that we miss as well. One of the greatest is the annual Summit we have in December. This year the Summit is going to be in a new location, Lanier Islands north of Atlanta. There will be missionaries who are currently serving in Nepal, South Africa, Peru, Tunisia, China, and the United Kingdom! There are also missionaries on deputation who are on there way to Burkina Faso, Turkey, China, Colombia, Indonesia, India, China, Bosnia, South Africa, Chile, Japan, and Argentina! This is going to be a great conference! The dates are December 29-31, 2016. For more information, click this link to VisionMissions.com.

So, what makes the Summit so special? The missions emphasis makes it very different, the time of year is a special time of year, but in my opinion the Summit is so special because during the times between the sessions and services, you are able to spend time with the missionaries. I have been to many good camps, conferences, and retreats. When the services are over, we normally don’t get to spend real time with the preachers. The Summit is a place where you can talk to the missionaries, spend time with them, ask them real questions, and become friends! I encourage you to go to the Summit. I encourage you to take your youth group to the Summit. I believe you will be glad you did!