I am a part of three different groups where I share my Bible devotions every day. One of those groups is my family. I look forward to reading what each member of my family has read in their Bible reading. We read the same passages, so it is fresh in my mind and heart. I look forward to it. I also have another group of friends training to be in the ministry. They have allowed me to be a part of their group to share our devotions together. I also have a group in Argentina with some of the people from the church we planted in 2017. It is a pleasure to share what I am reading and to read the perspectives of others as they are reading God’s Word, I enjoy it each day!

I am including something I shared with my friends that share their devotions with me. To understand, we must read Exodus 16:2-3, and 6-8…

“² And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: ³ And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:2-3

“⁶ And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: ⁷ And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? ⁸ And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:6-8

Is my murmuring and complaining really that big of a deal?

The congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron because they did not have something to eat. Not many days before, the congregation of Israel experienced the mighty hand of God and walked on dry land walled by the waters of the Red Sea. But now, in this passage, they complain and murmur. It is interesting that Moses told them that their murmurings were not against him, but against God, because God is the one who brought them out of Egypt and led them to that very place in the desert. So their complaints and murmurings were actually against God. God could have provided them food along the way, but did not, just to test or prove them. If God would do so to the nation of Israel, a question we must ask as Christians is, Will he do the same to us? I believe the answer is yes. God takes us to places of hardship to test and/or prove us. In these times as well as any other time, we should not murmur or complain.

Could it be that when I complain or murmur, that I am doing so against God? I hope not, but the reality is that God has led me to this point in my life. So then, in a sense, the answer is yes, when I murmur and complain, I am doing so against God. I fear God, I don’t want to murmur against Him. Therefore, I don’t want to murmur or complain at all. In times when I want to complain, instead, I should go directly to God in prayer and “vent” to Him, instead of complaining to others. I trust in God, wherever He leads me, I will follow, even if it means that I pass through times when I am tempted to complain or murmur.

Back in Argentina!

We are back in Argentina and have officially begun our second term! It is great to be back and see how God has worked in the church as a whole as well as how God has worked in the lives of individuals. It was also exciting to meet new brothers and sisters in Christ that have become part of the family of faith while we were on furlough. The attendance has grown and the church is excited to move forward. We have goals and dreams for this term, and although we do not know the future, we are confident in Jesus that He will be glorified!

We start this month off with our first camp (February is a part of the summer in Argentina)! We have had a great number of people sign up for it, more than we anticipated! Please pray that God is glorified, that lost are saved, and that saved our encouraged to do more for Jesus! We will end the month with our annual VBS. We have been doing this for years now, and it is always a blessing! Pray for us as we seek to invite children in the community to come be a part of these special services.

It is great to be back in Argentina. We thank you for your faithful prayers and support as we all serve together to reach the lost, encourage the saved, and plant churches!

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

Prayer Requests

• Pray for our first camp.

• Pray for our annual VBS.

• Pray for Faith Baptist Church.

• Pray for God to guide us as we begin our second term.

We have been back in Argentina for almost two weeks. It is great to be back and we have many goals for our second term. In this specific post, I want to share a few thoughts on our return. This is not an organized post of eloquent thoughts, nor is it an all encompassing explanation of the return to the mission field for a missionary. It is just my first thoughts after being back for less than two weeks!

• There are quite a few things to repair. This has more to do with our vehicles and the house we rent. After being gone for just over a year, we came back to a few things that are not in the same conditions as they were. Some things are little (the air conditioning in my car was not working), other things are more complicated, but a large part of what we have done since we have been back is repair (or attempt to repair) things that are not working properly.
• The church is doing great! It is great to meet new Christians and it is great to see the growth of the church! The Lord is at work in Faith Baptist Church and it is such a blessing to see what He has done and is doing!
• My ability to speak Spanish is not what it was when we left! This will take time to improve, but it will. We are still able to converse, preach, teach, and counsel, but there are words that are not as easily “accessed” in conversation. It will improve with time.
• The inflation in Argentina is outrageous! Paying for things is a gut-punch! The cost of things is outrageous in comparison to what it used to be. This is due to the inflation, the which I am told has reached 100%!!! We go to buy something, even groceries, and we walk away having spent so much more than before. To make things more complicated, at the writing of this post, the largest bill in Argentina is the $1000 peso bill. It’s worth is roughly $2.63!!! So to pay for something, you have to have a sack full of bills! This is something we are going to have to get used to. I am told that a $5000 and $10000 bill will be soon printed. The inflation is very high and it has been a “culture shock” for us!
• I love serving with my family. It is great to see the girls jump right in to love on and serve others! They are a blessing to the church! Leslie is too, she is a blessing to the ladies of the church!
• It is hot and we are loving it! The day we left the States, that morning there was ice on the windshield of the van! We arrived in the middle of summer with 90º+ temperatures! I love the summer, I love the long days, the sounds and smells of this time of year!
• There is much to do! We are just arriving and putting everything in it’s place, and we start our first camp next week! There is so much to do and we have “hit the ground running”. It is going to take time to get settled, but I do believe this is the best way to return, at least for us!

There is much more I could share, but this is a good start. Perhaps in the future I will write a more profound blog detailing my thoughts on our return. Until then, we continue on, living the dream, serving Jesus in Argentina!

Every year we hold a Vision Sunday. It is something our home church has done for years, and we have taken it and made it a tradition here. It is a time when we look back on the prior year, a time to share goals for this current year, and a time to share the theme for this year. For 2023, our theme is biblical stewardship. This is something our home church has taught us for years and we are excited about teaching it to Faith Baptist Church! Please pray for our Vision Sunday.

Missionary Stephen Underwood has invited me to preach at the church they planted in Ezeiza. Stephen is doing a great job and is gracious to allow me an opportunity to be with them. Pray that I will be a blessing to Stephen, his family, and this new church!