Weekend Spin

Check out the excited youth group in the young Las Grutas church! (Friday night Photo)

I spent all day Saturday in the hotel in Las Grutas praying and preparing for a weekend of ministry in Sierra Grande, Puerto Madryn and Trelew. I took no time for anything else… didn’t even stop to eat. I finally finished a rough draft of a message for my Sunday night message just in time to load my suitcases in the car and get myself 130 kilometers down the road to Sierra Grande for the evening service. I arrived in time to spend some quality time with the pastors, Jorge and Norma Coba, before the service. Here the pastors are a dear couple that many years ago were my students at River Platte Bible Institute in Buenos Aires. They served for a time as missionaries to Brazil, then later, something like 7 years in Bolivia. Sierra Grande is kind of a ghost town whose mine closed down years ago. The church is small and has suffered some set-backs. The pastors said it had only 3 or 4 people in it when they came here 7 years ago. During the prayer time at the close, the keyboard player was keeping the music going while praying fervently down on his knees. I couldn’t resist clicking the camera. (Photo) Later I invited the married couples to gather up front for special prayer. There were 12 couples, plus the pastor and his wife…. (See last photo) That’s a pretty strong Saturday night congregation for a ghost town.


After church I drove another 135 kilometers to Puerto Madryn, arriving at my hotel at 1 AM. I got right to bed at 2 AM so I could be up and at the church at 7:45 AM for the 8:30 morning service where I was scheduled to minister. What a great church we have in Puerto Madryn! Pastors Horacio and Julia Balbi are the greatest! They have been like family to Frances and me. This is the area where the Welsh Christians settled many years ago. Madryn is a pretty city facing the sea. During certain times of the year huge “Right” whales can be seen playing in the waters. They say they come here to mate. I even saw one breach clear out of the water here once. Another time Frances and I and a bunch of tourists watched several of these monsters only about 150 feet from the shore just hanging around “tourist watching”… whispering to each other, “Hey Moby… Check out that guy with the striped shirt, short pants and dark glasses!” The Madryn AG church has Sunday School for the kids after the Sunday morning service and I stayed to have Felipe share a Bible story with a bustling church-full of kids of all ages. Then I drove the 84 kilometers to the Patagonian Bible Institute in Gaiman where I will now be staying in for a week in the home of Directors’ Martin and Charlotte Jacobson’s. They served me a delicious Sunday lunch. Then I crashed for an hour before rising to finish preparing my message for tonight in Trelew. Pastors Ramon and Blanca Saucedo have a powerful work going in Trelew with its fingers reaching out for hundreds of kilometers in several directions. I preached from the three parables in Luke 15: Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and Lost Son… and asked the congregation of about 300 to come seek God for the same passion for the lost that Jesus demonstrated. This church is always good for a great altar time… and I was not disappointed.

Hey… It’s 2:30 AM again… past my bedtime. Good night.

Ralph

Miracles come in many colors!

This afternoon I was driving only two blocks from the hotel, returning from a delightful lunch with Pastors Stella y Jorge Orellano, when I heard a strange sound under the car. I thought I had caught a wire or something in a wheel. I drove the two blocks and parked at the hotel, then looked underneath the hood. The main serpentine belt that runs everything important to the function of the motor and steering was disintegrating into long strings of flapping rubber. I asked the hotel desk man, Hector, if he knew a mechanic. He was just getting ready to change shifts and leave someone else, but he knew one and called a friend to get the mechanic’s number. I called the number. The mechanic’s shop is only two blocks from the church where I preach tonight. The mechanic knows the pastor. Moments ago he came and towed the car away to his shop. (See photo)

Well, what’s so miraculous about that? I’m so glad you asked. I have just driven 5,357 miles in this car on some of the most isolated roads on this earth. 95% of these areas had no cell phone service available, no mechanics, no tow facilities, no smiling faces to rescue me… unless some daring soul were to stop out in the middle of nowhere. In some cases there was only one car every ten of fifteen minutes! So the serpentine belt decided that it had no more to give and surrendered… exactly in the most convenient possible place! Had it broken at 3500 RPMs on the open road, damage could well have happened to the engine before I could bring it to a stop. Did you ever hear of anyone whose car broke down… who yelled a big loud “Thank you, Jesus!” and really meant it? Well… now you have.

I know it! I know it! You have been praying for me again. What a joy to be in His divine protection! When Frances knew that she was in her last days on this earth and I brought her home from the care center at her request, I posted two signs in large letters on the wall where she could see them. One was “Welcome Home, My Darling!” and the other “The Eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deut. 33:27. Oh, what security and comfort in those everlasting arms!

Bless you, each prayer warrior! Keep it up. You are a vital part of this team!

Ralph

Just Do It!

Much of Las Grutas beach totally disappears when the tide comes in… so scramble to safety!








I was pleasantly surprised tonight to find that Pastor Julio Chazarreta (photo) has enlarged and fixed up his church building very nicely. His was the first Assemblies of God church in San Antonio Oeste. Twenty two years ago he was a deacon in Valcheta, 65 miles to the west. At that time Juan Sepulveda, another son of old Brother Pedro Sepulveda, was his pastor. He says that Pastor Juan Sepulveda just told him to move over to San Antonio Oeste and start a church… no money, no house, no property and no back-up plan. It was a repeat of old Pastor Pedro Sepulveda’s style… “Just do it!” and his kids caught the virus. The church is small. The people humble. God’s Word is important… important enough to carry a ragged, well used Bible even when walking with your family a long way to church.

Turn in your Bible to...













Please understand that I am finding it very time consuming to keep up with my ever changing list of email addresses and may soon be forced to rely on my blog site to reach you. So please be sure to check out my new blog by simply double clicking on this site: http://hiattargentina.blogspot.com/ Thanks for your understanding.


Ralph

"Dead" Child Raised to Life

So much to tell! Last night I ministered at San Antonio Oeste. The city of 17,000 sets in a cove where fishing boats set out for the sea.

Pastors Ricardo and Alicia Espejo, founders of this new church, reminded me last night of how they were called into ministry. In 1995 Frances and I were visiting several small towns out in gaucho territory south of Buenos Aires, towing our living quarters with us. We called it our MMM “Mobile Ministry Module”. It served as our only home for 6 years. We were leaving one town when we were informed of a teenage girl and her family that wanted so much to go to the camp meeting that was just starting, but had no way to get there. So we offered to take them although it meant that Frances and the mother and daughter would have to ride inside the mobile house. We had to go about 80 miles out of our way on a back road filled with huge potholes. I remember having to slowly drive off the edge of the broken pavement many times with a huge drop off. It was stuff that no 8 ton fifth wheel should ever be forced to endure. When we got to the camp their preacher had not arrived, so I was invited to preach. Ricardo and Alicia were one of the young couples among the several hundred campers. That night I preached John 12:24 “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains sterile, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit.” Ricardo and Alicia responded to the call to come forward and plant the seed of their hopes and dreams in the fertile soil of God’s will. That night God called them into full time ministry. They left everything, sold their home and their car, took their family with them and rode a long distance bus to Rocky and Sherry Grams’ River Plate Bible School in Buenos Aires.

Upon graduation they felt a powerful call to San Antonio Oeste. They had nothing at all. Only a call, no backing, no money. Today they have a thriving church in a rented hall.

Pastor Ricardo is an unassuming guy that lets his wife, Alicia, do the talking. As we sat in their tiny borrowed house eating a midnight dinner at their table, she told of miracle after miracle, some last week, one the previous day. She says sometimes when her faith was very weak, her husband would make scary faith declarations.

Check out this recent miracle. There she is in the group of kids at Felipe’s feet. (See photo) She is standing on the far right wearing white shoes, a pink blouse, a big smile and a sparkle in her eye. She is a four year old whose mother is an alcoholic. Several months ago her mother gave her sleeping pills to calm her down and put her to sleep. Either her mother in a drunken stupor gave her an overdose or perhaps the little girl herself had access and took them all. The result was she did not wake up the next day. Her mother tried to awaken her but it was hopeless. She was limp as a rag doll. A lot of time passed. Much later her grandmother found her still in this condition and rushed her to the hospital. The doctors said it was too late to pump the stomach. The deadly medication was already in her blood stream. There was nothing they could do. The grandmother had been attending Ricardo and Alicia’s new church. There was no sign of life in the little child, but she carried the limp, apparently dead body to the church and interrupted the service. At her desperate pleas Ricardo stopped preaching. He took the limp body in his arms. The arms and legs dangled down. There was no indication of life whatsoever. He prayed for her and then they placed the slumped over little body in a stroller that someone had there. Pastor Ricardo announced to the church that before the service was over that little girl would walk out of there on her own. Then he went on preaching. Alicia admits she was worried. “After such a declaration, what will happen if she still lies there dead? He will be called a liar.” To the amazement of everyone the little girl awoke, climbed out of the stroller and walked around normally and with no brain damage. Everyone broke into praising God.

Last night a young lady called as she was returning home from the hospital in far away Buenos Aires. She had been suffering migraine headaches. Here in San Antonio Oeste the scans showed an ugly tumor inside her head, high in the frontal area. The doctors here were sending her to a hospital in Buenos Aires for the delicate operation. But Pastors Ricardo and Alicia laid hands on her and prayed. Then Alicia says, “He just announced to everyone not to worry because when she got to Buenos Aires the tumor would already be gone.” Again Alicia thought, “How can he dare to make such a statement?” Well yesterday this young lady called her pastor and announced that they had done all kinds of scans and x-rays and that they can find no trace of the tumor. The doctors are stymied. They have the previous scans in hand that clearly show the tumor, its size and location, but now it could not be found. They said there is no explanation and just sent her home. So now she is on the bus heading about 800 miles back to San Antonio Oeste. To God be the glory!

I’m asking the Lord to bless again tonight at our other AG church in San Antonio Oeste. Next week I am actually planning a couple of days off! I just checked and I have ministered 20 times in the past two weeks! The remarkable thing is that I still have a voice.

Ralph

Try It Sometime

If you think I am suffering too much, check out the view from my hotel balcony. The delightful sound of crashing surf tickles my ears as I write this. I have been looking forward to my four days ministering nightly in this area. Frances and I always loved to stop here at Las Grutas with our “mobile-home ministry”. This popular seacoast resort is named after the natural formation of hundreds of tiny grotto-like caves and strange formations in the long cliff that descends to the beach. I captured some photos as I walked on the beach early this morning while the sun was just rising over the eastern horizon. Check out that “Tall Dude” (photo below).




























Last night I ministered in Valcheta, 65 miles to the west. This is another one of the many churches started by the late Pastor Pedro Sepulveda. The place was packed with curious kids, adults and even the kid’s school teacher, all anxious to see a real live ventriloquist. Of course first my friendly little skunk, Perfume, had to come out and be petted by all the kids. I always let them know that she “hardly ever bites.” Who could ever have dreamed that kids would be so delighted to pet a real live (well almost) skunk puppet? She wiggles a lot and is made of real fur and a touch confirms the illusion that she is the real thing. (Photo) Then Felipe tells a Bible story and messes it up good so I have to straighten him out. (Photo) He never learns. Finally, now that I have the kids of all ages in the palm of my hand, I can share the wonderful story of Jesus and His love. I get to do this every single night… Wow! The Felipe gig brings ‘em in and captures their attention. Then I get to minister to both kids and adults. At the end last night the whole place was enveloped in power-packed prayer. Those that were kneeling filled the front, then the center aisle, then they stacked up the plastic chairs to make room for more.

When people get down close to ground level and do business with God things happen… like conviction, repentance, salvation, cleansing, Holy Spirit baptism, healings, miracles or a call to ministry. Our USA churches ought to try it sometime.

The tide is in. The sun is out. It’s a gorgeous autumn afternoon in Las Grutas, Patagonia… my beautiful Argentina.

Ralph

Invasion of God's Love

This morning in Choele Choel I did a “Good News-Bad News message” for the Sunday School kids with a reversible happy or sad face. Francisco, the 6 year old in the photo was quick as a blink and sharp as a pin.

After SS I drove three hours to Viedma where I just finished another dynamite service. The church was packed to the hilt, about 250 I would guess. I felt that I had a message for Christians tonight and asked if Pastor Raul Diaz would like to give an altar call for the unsaved before I preached. He did a super job of explaining Christ’s loving offer of salvation and 12 people came forward just like that! I sneaked off to one side and captured a shot of Pastor Diaz praying with these new people (photo below).

Many of the AG churches in Argentina are doing a simultaneous “Invasion of God’s Love”. They have printed up attractive folders with a tear off part. They are going house to house, explaining that they are having special prayer at their church and simply asking people if they have any special needs. They fill out the tear off portion with the names and addresses of the people together with their requests. They have been doing this for weeks and have hundreds of serious prayer requests. In a week or so they return to these houses to see if their prayers have been answered. This morning they just completed a 24 hour prayer vigil… taking turns with groups of people praying at the church for these requests around the clock. The result is that miracles are happening and many of these new people are showing up at church.

Recently I have not been taking pictures of the prayer services after the preaching since they almost all look alike, but to me they always comprise a touching sight. Almost the entire church is down on their knees, many sobbing their hearts out in total surrender asking God to give them a new chapter in their lives similar to what He has given me. If I can get a fresh start at 79 years old, who knows what God may do with these younger saints, each with an exciting new chapter!

Ralph

Little Mischief

Yes, tomorrow morning I fly south, from the semi-tropical north back into the colder Patagonia. Actually it is autumn here and not very cold yet in the area where I will be. My flight time was changed. It leaves at noon instead of 10 AM… better for me… and with less layover in Buenos Aires. I still should arrive in Neuquen at 7:40 PM in time for the 8 PM service in the city of Plottier.

The Province of Misiones has been a pleasant experience each of the many times I have been here and this was no exception. Every service has been filled with God’s presence. Tonight was very different from the other services. This is a church that was started by “Castelleros” (King’s Castle Youth). Instead of having the service in their small church hall, they acquired the neighborhood “Polideportiva”. (see photo) and 85 people from this humble neighborhood gathered to see the strange old man from the USA with his little gaucho. This was strictly an evangelistic effort by the young enthusiastic Castillero pastor Sergio Miranda and his team. There were many first timers hearing the Gospel message and a large group came forward at the altar call. One was an alcoholic man named Román. I think he really wants to have his chains broken. I know that our faithful God is doing His part. May Román do his part! The church people know where he lives and will follow up on him. I stayed for an hour or so to pray with everyone that had a need, sicknesses, out of work, kids in the hospital (two cases… one was a 3 week old baby girl), husbands bound by alcohol, homes in disarray, etc. One young girl about 16 years old did not want to discuss her problem, but wept so hard that I felt sure that she is either being sexually abused or perhaps pregnant not by choice. So many precious lives struggling there in the darkness! I preached Jesus who said, “I am the Light of the World, he that follows Me will no longer walk in darkness”, (John 8:12) It is interesting to me that this verse immediately follows the story of the adulterous woman who escaped a shameful death and stepped out of her darkness of condemnation into the glorious light of Christ’s freedom and His real love. The religious leaders that dragged her into the temple to trap Jesus in His words did her the best favor of her life. They took her to the only One that could give her a fresh start in life.


A mother had her baby girl in her arms when she came for prayer. The baby reached out her little arms wanting to come to me. So I couldn’t refuse. She was so cute that I asked someone to take our picture. While the guy with the camera was taking aim, little mischief decided to borrow my glasses. (see photo)

Ralph