We are in the last week of 2016. This is the time where we look back and reflect on the year. 2016 has brought a lot of changes. There are so many things to be thankful to God for. For example, we started 2016 off living in the United States and we end this year living in Argentina. We completed deputation in 2 years and have now completed language school! We started 2016 off barely able to speak Spanish and we end the year almost fluent. There are so many things I am thinking back on through this year. Here are just a few tings that come to my mind as I look back on 2016…

• God has been faithful! I know this is obvious and it is a beautiful thing to see first hand in your own life. Every step we have taken God has proven Himself. I believe God will be faithful through 2017 as we step out even more!
• Worrying about things was a waste. I worry at times…and when I worry, I worry a lot! Worry hurts the “worrier”. It takes away any happiness or contentment. It keeps you from enjoying the “here and now”. It obviously hurts your faith in God as well! I look back on the worries I have had in 2016 and I think, “Why did I worry?” If I will just remember that God is in control and that I am His servant, everything will be okay. There is no use in worrying. It really doesn’t change anything and if it does, it doesn’t change anything for the better!
• 2016 has been a foundational year. This year has been a foundation for our ministry here in Argentina. We moved down to Argentina, we have learned (and are still learning) Spanish. We are continuing on. While it has been foundational for future ministry, it has not been easy. It is difficult to be the different one. It is even more difficult to be the different one and not being able to understand anyone. It may not have been easy, but it has been very enjoyable! For a long time I could not understand almost anyone. The man who picked me up at the airport says we spoke more with our hands than with words that day. Even so, we have had a blast! I have preached and have messed up everything I was trying to say. People have laughed at me for saying something incorrectly, and I have responded by laughing with them! We have enjoyed this time so much and I think this kind of attitude has helped us grow.

There are many other things that could be said. These are just a few things that come to my mind as I think about 2016. So what about 2017? When we look back on this year, it is natural to think about what you would like to do in the coming year. That is for another blog post and it will be coming soon…

This is our first Christmas in Argentina. We are excited to be here and are learning more about the Christmas season from an Argentine perspective. Over the past month, I have been asked several questions about the Christmas season here in Argentina. This post will answer a few of those questions…

What is the weather like?  This post is being released on the first day of Summer. It is hot and humid here. Yesterday, the temperature was around 85º F. It is hot, the sun doesn’t set until well after 8:00 PM and I am loving it!

Do people decorate their houses? While we really don’t see houses decorated on the outside (with very few exceptions), people do have Christmas Tree’s in there homes. They are all artificial trees and are decorated on December 08 in celebration of the immaculate conception of Mary (a subject for another post. Click Here).

How is Christmas celebrated? I am told that Christmas Eve is celebrated more than Christmas Day. There will be music, fireworks, presents, more fireworks, and of course food. The climax of the night is at 12 midnight. At that point the fireworks start and continue for a long time. People will stay up as late as 3:00 AM in celebrating Christmas! Christmas Day is a time to sleep in and maybe have a lunch with the family. It is basically all over after that lunch.

What are some traditional foods during the Christmas season? I love Gingerbread, but you won’t really find that here. Think of a summer activity. Fruit salad is popular. An asado (grilled steaks and other meats) is popular but that is popular throughout the year. They have a sweet bread called “panettone” that we see in the super markets. We will be trying it out in a few days.

What does the church do for Christmas? I can really only speak for the church we have been attending. Lighthouse Baptist Church had a Christmas Program on Sunday night. It went very well with a number of people visiting. The church looks pretty with a few decorations up.

So there you have it. Christmas in Argentina is very different from what we have experienced in our lives. We have enjoyed it thus far and we are looking forward to Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas!

Last week we had a holiday in Argentina (actually we had two). I was talking to a man who warned me about the upcoming day. We are new here and without any knowledge we will go out to the grocery store, bakery, butcher shop (where I practice my Spanish), and some or all of them will be closed for the day. We have learned that Argentina has it’s own holidays. This can be frustrating when you are trying to accomplish certain tasks (like learning a language) but it does happen. Some holidays are like the holidays we have in the States. We have Mother’s Day here in October, Labor Day here in May, and of course Christmas and Easter. But Argentina also has unique holidays. The holiday last week was to recognize the “immaculate conception”. The immaculate conception that was “celebrated” was the “immaculate conception of Mary”. Many believe that Mary was somehow conceived naturally but kept “immaculate” by God, thereby not ever having sin in her life. Where in the Bible does it say that Mary was conceived of a virgen? The answer is nowhere. This is not a Biblical belief. I don’t understand this. In fact, I first thought the day of the immaculate conception was to celebrate Jesus’ virgen birth (a common mistake according to an article I read on the subject). Mary was a wonderful woman, but not God and not equal to Jesus. As I have had the opportunity to witness to others, this is something I have heard, that Jesus and Mary are equal. Again, there is no Bible principle to back this up. To the contrary, there is Luke 11:27-28, which seems to take the focus off of Mary and on to keeping Jesus’ commandments.

In closing to this very short blog, I would like to encourage you to search the Scriptures. I can think back on many things I use to believe because “someone told me” but upon reading the Bible, I found out I was wrong. Read the Bible. Spend time in studying God’s Word. You don’t have to be a Bible College graduate, a Pastor, or a Theologian to study God’s Word. I was told some time ago, “Have Bible to back up the things that you believe.” I think that is good advice. Don’t just believe what you believe, but know why you believe it and where God teaches us it in His Word!

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.