April 2024 Update
I’m so excited to be able to give this update on my time in DTS (Discipleship Training School) with Youth with a Mission. I just got back home a couple days ago and am spending some time reflecting on all that God did these last 5 months. I apologize for not sending out a letter sooner, I had the intention of sending one at the end of lecture phase but I ended up getting a terrible flu for a couple weeks and once I got better, outreach was in full swing but I'm so happy to tell you about it now and so thankful to all of you that helped make this possible.
My outreach trip was to Argentina and Paraguay!! We got to do a lot of different types of ministry. We did a lot of street ministry, public worship, public sharing of the Gospel and testimonies, ministering and sharing within local churches, public skit performances, youth groups, a youth summer camp, kids ministry, Bible distribution, visiting and ministering in orphanages, and an indigenous Guarani village, and working with recovering addicts. Team Argentina/Paraguay felt like such a good fit for me and I can see how God has prepared me for it ahead of time. I had the opportunity to help a lot with translation, which allowed our team to be able to talk to more people and knowing Spanish helped me to connect with the people in a really special way. We moved locations roughly every two weeks. In Argentina, we moved throughout the province of Buenos Aires and we stayed in 3 different churches as well as a faith based rehabilitation home for recovering addicts. In Paraguay, we spent a few days with the YWAM base in the capital, Asunción followed by two weeks partnering with a local church in a town called Raul Arsenio Oviedo.
My outreach trip was to Argentina and Paraguay!! We got to do a lot of different types of ministry. We did a lot of street ministry, public worship, public sharing of the Gospel and testimonies, ministering and sharing within local churches, public skit performances, youth groups, a youth summer camp, kids ministry, Bible distribution, visiting and ministering in orphanages, and an indigenous Guarani village, and working with recovering addicts. Team Argentina/Paraguay felt like such a good fit for me and I can see how God has prepared me for it ahead of time. I had the opportunity to help a lot with translation, which allowed our team to be able to talk to more people and knowing Spanish helped me to connect with the people in a really special way. We moved locations roughly every two weeks. In Argentina, we moved throughout the province of Buenos Aires and we stayed in 3 different churches as well as a faith based rehabilitation home for recovering addicts. In Paraguay, we spent a few days with the YWAM base in the capital, Asunción followed by two weeks partnering with a local church in a town called Raul Arsenio Oviedo.
In Argentina, there are a lot of people who have known about Jesus but are currently distant from him or “apartado” as the locals called it. They also told me about there being a big problem with church hurt which really broke my heart, but I was so happy to be a part of Amor Eterno church and the special ways that they’ve been reaching out to the community and inviting people back to Jesus.
There’s a really big economic crisis happening in Argentina right now and many Argentinians are dealing with a lot of stress and desperation due to extreme inflation and rising poverty.
Yet as one of the pastors, my friend Carla from the first church we stayed at, explained what the situation is really like currently, she looked me in the eyes and said to me, “But if we have Jesus, we have everything” and I know she meant it with her whole heart. The un-shakeableness of the church leaders we got to work with and the heart to just see Jesus’s face rocked me. I met so many incredible people with a hunger for God and I can see how people are putting all their hope in Him. I think God picked a really strategic time for us to go down there and help share hope and light in the midst of these really challenging times. We saw many people give their lives to Jesus for the first time as well as many making the decision to return home to Him. So many people received prayer as well and I know that God is going to continue watering all the seeds that have been planted.
In Paraguay, the situation is a bit different. I was told by one of the local leaders that Paraguay is one of the only nations in Latin America that is yet to experience its own nationwide revival. At the YWAM base as we were preparing to go out to the town of Raul, they told us that Paraguay is one of the easiest places to share the Gospel and that people just receive it right away. There is such an openness and hunger in Paraguay and many believers believe that they are on the brink of a Paraguayan revival. It feels quite distinct to Argentina. I saw far fewer churches, heard more stories about witchcraft and many people didn’t have a Bible of their own but I saw what the YWAM staff were talking about when we went out to minister in the town of Raul. The YWAM base has an initiative to go through every neighborhood in the country and make sure that every home has been offered a Bible. As we went out to share about Jesus in the neighborhoods and offer Bibles, we came across people who really wanted them and people would even ask, “How much?” and we had the joy of telling them they were free. It was such a privilege to be able to give out Bibles and know that so many people’s relationships with God are going to be deepened having received a Bible of their own!
There’s a really big economic crisis happening in Argentina right now and many Argentinians are dealing with a lot of stress and desperation due to extreme inflation and rising poverty.
Yet as one of the pastors, my friend Carla from the first church we stayed at, explained what the situation is really like currently, she looked me in the eyes and said to me, “But if we have Jesus, we have everything” and I know she meant it with her whole heart. The un-shakeableness of the church leaders we got to work with and the heart to just see Jesus’s face rocked me. I met so many incredible people with a hunger for God and I can see how people are putting all their hope in Him. I think God picked a really strategic time for us to go down there and help share hope and light in the midst of these really challenging times. We saw many people give their lives to Jesus for the first time as well as many making the decision to return home to Him. So many people received prayer as well and I know that God is going to continue watering all the seeds that have been planted.
In Paraguay, the situation is a bit different. I was told by one of the local leaders that Paraguay is one of the only nations in Latin America that is yet to experience its own nationwide revival. At the YWAM base as we were preparing to go out to the town of Raul, they told us that Paraguay is one of the easiest places to share the Gospel and that people just receive it right away. There is such an openness and hunger in Paraguay and many believers believe that they are on the brink of a Paraguayan revival. It feels quite distinct to Argentina. I saw far fewer churches, heard more stories about witchcraft and many people didn’t have a Bible of their own but I saw what the YWAM staff were talking about when we went out to minister in the town of Raul. The YWAM base has an initiative to go through every neighborhood in the country and make sure that every home has been offered a Bible. As we went out to share about Jesus in the neighborhoods and offer Bibles, we came across people who really wanted them and people would even ask, “How much?” and we had the joy of telling them they were free. It was such a privilege to be able to give out Bibles and know that so many people’s relationships with God are going to be deepened having received a Bible of their own!
I’m so excited to be able to give this update on my time in DTS (Discipleship Training School) with Youth with a Mission. I just got back home a couple days ago and am spending some time reflecting on all that God did these last 5 months. I apologize for not sending out a letter sooner, I had the intention of sending one at the end of lecture phase but I ended up getting a terrible flu for a couple weeks and once I got better, outreach was in full swing but I'm so happy to tell you about it now and so thankful to all of you that helped make this possible.
Street outreach with Amor Eterno church Sign reads,“I ask your forgiveness if the church has hurt you”
At a children’s home in Argentina: I loved getting to play with the kids and tell them about the love of Jesus. All the kids at this orphanage received either a children’s Bible or a faith based book as well as toys and treats. We shared a skit, short message, face painting, and games.
Getting to preach my first full sermon, about “Walking on the Water” with Jesus
This is José from Argentina, and he prayed with us to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior! He told us that he didn’t have direction or a place to go and came to the train station looking for direction and that’s where we met him. He didn’t have a Bible so someone on the team gave him some money to buy one. He came back the next day and showed it to us. He said he was reading it all night ❤
Translating my friend Hayley’s testimony at a train station outreach
The church we were staying with, Casa de Oración, blocked off the street and we hosted an event with public worship, message, skits, and free food, balloon animals, and face paint for the kids. Lots of people came out and we had an amazing time getting to help at this event, connect with the community, and pray with people.