Quarantined But Serving

May was spent in quarantine. We were not able to have any services in the church, but we continued with our online services. We also started our weekly Friday night youth night via Zoom. This is not at all what we anticipated for 2020, but it is where we are and we are making the most of it. Our online presence has increased and we are able to reach others who have never been to our church. We have gained faithful “viewers” who are growing in their faith! We also have been continuing with the Bible College. We meet virtually twice a week to go over various books we are reading. The two young men are also essential parts of each online service. 

We have been in quarantine since March 20, it has been extended every two weeks.  Some parts of Argentina have more freedom, but it is still strict in and around Buenos Aires (where 1/3 of the population of Argentina lives). Even so, we now have the opportunity to meet with people one on one, which we are using to be able to have discipleship. We hope the quarantine will be lifted in June and we can start meeting as a church.  

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, Ivy, and Isla Henry 

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Matías and Brian as they continue studying, preparing, and serving in the church.
• Pray for the members and regular attenders of Faith Baptist Church.
• Pray for the discipleship meetings during the quarantine. 

Today is day 71 in quarantine. What was supposed to be 2 weeks has turned into much longer, and I don’t know when it will end. The latest extension is due to expire on June 07, but I fully expect it to be extended for another two weeks. The news is reporting that South America has become the epicenter for COVID-19. Although we are quarantined, we are still serving. We have 4 online services per week, one of which is a youth service. Two of the young men training for the ministry are involved in every service, preaching the Bible and sharing the need around the world. We have also added a fifth opportunity to have a “physical meeting”. Although we are not permitted to meet together, I am allowed to meet with those who need counsel and prayer. Because of this, on Wednesday afternoons, I am at the church meeting with some of the youth. We have a time to share what we are reading in the Bible, a time for personal counseling, a time where I share a few Bible verses to encourage them, and a time of prayer to close out the meeting. It is not a church service, and only the youth are invited as for now.

I don’t know when this will all end, but we are trusting God.  We are working in the ministry, trying creative ways to serve our brothers and sisters in the church, and reaching out to those in the community (via online services). Thank you for praying for us.

I have many missionary friends in countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. I only know of two of them who are able to have services. While it seems that the United States is starting to open back up, we are still continuing in the quarantine. We are still not able to meet. All of our services are on online. Our classes for the Bible College are online as well. The quarantine has been extended four times, each times for two more weeks. As for now, it should end on May 24, but with the numbers of new cases increasing every day, there is a strong chance of it being extended again. Argentina has also stopped all flights, domestic and international until September 1st, hopefully that is not an indication of how long the quarantine will last.

Please pray for the ministry in Argentina, the men who have surrendered their lives to the ministry and are preparing, and the men who are on the cusp of surrendering. Please also pray for the King family and the Underwood family who are stuck in the United States.

Serving Jesus and Others in the Quarantine

April was one of the most unique months of ministry we have had since we arrived in Argentina. The quarantine in Argentina is law, enforced by the police and has been extended twice. We were forced to cancel all of our services, which included our Good Friday service, Easter service, our third anniversary, and our conference with Pastor Austin Gardner and missions director Jeffrey Bush. This obviously was supposed to be a huge month for us and it did not go the way we had hoped, but God still worked through it all. 

When the quarantine began, we immediately started offering our services online. We believe that The Lord is using these services. There are those who would never normally enter our church building, but who have watched one of our online services. Two of the young men who are training for the ministry are integral parts to each online service. While it is not a replacement for our church services, it is the best we can do. We plan to continue this “ministry” when the quarantine ends as a means to reach out to more people. While we don’t know how May is going to be, we will be using the opportunities we have to reach others for Jesus!

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, Ivy, and Isla Henry 

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Matías and Brian as they continue working. 
• Pray for the members and regular attenders of Faith Baptist Church.
• Pray that God will use the month of May to establish our church after a long quarantine.