As I look back, I see that God was preparing me for this time of ministry in a unique way. You may remember that Frances and I lived in a large fifth wheel mobile home the last 6 ∏ years of our ministry here. In response to our Argentine leadership we dedicated ourselves to the remote corners of this huge land, taking our rig anywhere and everywhere we heard of a need. When someone would tell us of a young Bible School graduate that was trying to start a work off somewhere near the edge of the earth, the Lord would often speak to our hearts and without hesitation we would hook up again and make our way, sometimes nearly 1,000 miles to join in the effort. We helped them find a building to rent, contacted Argentine pastors of established churches that we had earlier helped to plant… to cover the rent for the first year and to donate musical instruments and sound equipment. Then we stayed there for weeks or months helping to move some walls, painting, fixing it up, painting a sign, printing flyers and then preaching their first campaign to win souls.
In other cases we visited pastors and families in remote little towns. Some had never had a visiting preacher. They had raised up a church without outside help. God was their only source. Nobody had ever come by to check on them and tell them what a great job they were doing. Frances dedicated herself to the PKs, giving out fluffy, stuffed animals supplied by one of our churches. When she discovered that the only Bibles some of these PKs could have were the old broken up ones with pages missing that had been left on a church bench, she got Bibles from “Light For The Lost” or somewhere and made sure that every PK had his or her own new Bible. One 9 year old PK drummer, sat at his drums before church practicing and every time someone would come in the front door he would stop and raise his new Bible in the air and proclaim, “Look! I’ve got my very own Bible!” Always we would invite the pastor and family into our luxurious mobile home. They could not believe the way their feet would sink down into the plush carpet. The kids would all want to sit on it. We would serve them a good meal at our table and, well… just try to bless them. Many of these choice servants of God would beg us for a date when we could return. In those final years we knew it could never happen and we wept with them when we left them.
Neuquen Wednesday kids and adults ready for Felipe (photo, left)
But NOW… yes now that the Lord has thrust this 79 year old retired preacher/missionary into a brand new chapter of his life… God is saying to me, “Take your little Felipe and go back there to visit these saints and their kids.” I am now over 6,000 miles into this wild adventure (counting last November and December) all of it in a borrowed car. You cannot imagine the reception I have been getting. Beautiful young people in their late teens and early twenties rush up to hug me till it hurts. They remind me of the stories that Felipe told when they were little kids sitting on the floor. Some still have their stuffed animals. Many are going on to Bible School. Some have already taken over the church that their father previously pastored.
Can you imagine what it is like to literally have hundreds of dear friends almost begging you to come to minister? Love flows like a river. At the prayer time, youth and adults are seen kneeling all over the floor pouring their melting souls out as living sacrifices. I’m sure some are being called into ministry. Last night, Wednesday, well over one hundred people were on their faces down front, some for over an hour. Finally, closing in on midnight, the pastor was trying to close the church. The lights were turned off. Everyone had left except one young lady that was still sobbing her heart out at the altar. I commented to the pastor about her. He said, “Oh, she’s okay. The night watchman will let her out.”
I have been carrying a promo display for the Patagonian Bible Institute directed by Missionaries Martin and Charlotte Jacobson and Eddie and Diana Echevarria (what a team!). Almost all the large stack of registration forms have been picked up by interested youth! Only God knows where He is taking this.
Ralph
Tonight an elderly sister was in the service who had won one of my pictures as a prize for bringing the most new people one night in one of those evangelistic crusades many years ago. She brought the picture with her! It was a representation of Jesus on the shore of the sea of Galilee calling his first disciples. She reminded us that she had brought 54 new people that night and her son was there to confirm it! THIS LADY was a real fisher of men! (See photo of her with me and her son). I remember that night. A brother had brought 40 and had lost it to the lady with 54! I painted another identical picture during the next day and publically presented it to him. It just wasn’t right not to reward him after that effort. I would often have around 100 first timers there every night. Somebody would bring 15, another 20, and others lesser amounts and somebody would win the picture. It was a lot of work carrying around the easel and equipment, but the bottom line is that many people heard the wonderful good news of Jesus for the first time and I think a conservative estimate would be about 75% responded to the altar call. I expect to see a bunch of them in heaven. 
