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






Fisher of Men

My voice continues to be unusually strong for all its use after preaching six times on the weekend and every night before and since. And my zip still hasn’t zapped yet. There is only one explanation. God is answering your prayers. Thanks for joining the team.

I just got in from another great service in the city of Alem. Many years ago I preached several crusades there and in the surrounding cities. I painted a picture each night in pastel chalks on special art paper to illustrate the message and to serve as a prize for the person who brought the most new people the following night. I did this all over Argentina, but here in several cities in the Province of Misiones the competition was always tense. 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.

Ralph

Spiritual Hold-up

I finished my ministry at the youth leaders camp this morning. They are “Castilleros” (King’s Castle Kids… a growing powerful AG youth movement now in many countries.) 72 fabulous dedicated youth, mostly teenagers! (See photo)

The time is now 2 AM and I’m back home in the hotel. I thought I was going to preach one service tonight at the mother church, but it was two, back to back. The adolescent youth… up to 19 yrs of age comprised the first group at 8 PM and then at 10 PM the youth group 19 and above. I guess none of these come on Sunday in order to leave room for others in their three back to back Sunday services 4 PM, 6 PM and 8 PM. So far my voice is miraculously holding up… three preaching services today and again three tomorrow. Then one every night this coming week. My voice may be reaching its limit. My strength is great. To me it is invigorating to preach. If I ever feel sick or exhausted I just get up and preach and never feel sick or weak again until after it is all over… ha. Go figure! Anyway, please keep “holding me up” in prayer.

Speaking of “holding me up”… at the youth leaders camp today I heard this testimony. This Christian “Castillero” kid was walking home late one night last week. He was approached by a bigger kid pointing a gun at him and demanding everything he had. He handed over his cell phone and was fishing around in his pockets for money. The big kid with the gun was very nervous and kept telling him to hurry up and to take off the back pack… “I want everything!” So this kid started to tell him… “Hey, Jesus loves you, man. He really can make a change in your life. He did it for me and he can do it for you, too.” And he kept talking about Jesus and his love. As he handed him his back pack… he offered to help him pray the sinner’s prayer to start a new life with Jesus. The robber now had everything this kid owned in his hands but was obviously jarred by what this Christian kid was saying. Finally he tucked his gun in his belt, handed the kid back all his stuff and agreed to join in praying the sinners prayer which he did right there on the street. After praying, the “would be robber” gave this Christian kid his address so that he can take along some friends and visit him this week.

So keep “holding me up”, but IN PRAYER… please, ha.

Ralph

The Night Watchman Will Let Her Out

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

This Ole House

I found this huge, abandoned house fifty miles from nowhere on Tierra del Fuego island.  It reminded me of the song from the past that I think Stuart Hamlin used to sing, “This Ole House.”

This ole house once knew his children
This ole house once knew a wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As we fought the storms of life
This old house once rang with laughter
This old house heard many shouts
Now she trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about

(Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer)
(Ain't a-gonna need this house no more)
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't a-got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend no windowpane
Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
She's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

There are more verses… lots more… look it up on the net; “This ole house lyrics.”

Ralph