Good News from Cordoba

This past week we have celebrated the baptisms of two people. Friday, October 14, Juan Serres was baptized into Jesus. Juan has been attending the small group that meets in the home of Cristian and Susi Azabal. Then... October 17, Susi also made a decision to be baptized. Cristian came to know the Good News of Jesus through reading the Bible in English, LST. The seed of God's Word is growing. The church rejoices with these new births!

LST Teams 2011

Inspite of my schedule being interrupted this year due to unexpected trips to the States, it's been a good year for reading/practicing English with LST readers. There's a range of students from new to LST to those who continue to practice after at least 4 years. Here are pictures of the 3 groups of LST workers who have helped this year. We continue to pray for the increase that comes in God's time and by His power.

May Team: Mary Arnold, Caroline Arnold and Brittany Shelton

June Team:
Vicki Grubbs
Mary Stephens

October Team:

Nicole Mamoe

Traci Binion

Overview of LST 2011

I'm going to try and share a few pictures from this past year. It's been good. Lots of hours reading the Bible in English. Meals together in the church and in other's homes. Game nights where we laugh and play together. Handwork projects (crochet) shared in my mountain community.



Meals and games shared....

Practicing English with the Bible....

Sharing new handwork in my mountain community and reader, Erika....

Ladies Class

Saturday, Sept. 24, the ladies initiated a new class. They plan to gather on one Saturday per month. Judit will share from the Word and then they plan to work on "projects". Right now, they are knitting newborn stocking caps to give out in the hospitals. This is also a good time to invite friends to join in and share the Word and participate in "projects" done in the name of Jesus.

Fire/July 24-25

Sunday noon, July 24, I received a call from a neighbor that they could see smoke close to my place. The phone started ringing. I started calling. It was a very windy, hot, winter day. The kind of day that makes us keep our eyes on the sky looking for any signs of smoke.I immediately headed home from Cordoba city. Well... an electrical highline broke in the winds and fell to the ground causing sparks to fly and a fire began. The fire was on the ranch next to my place. Scarry as the winds were blowing in my direction. 50 fire fighters and 2 planes kept the fire contained to the ranch. No houses were lost. Just 100 hectors burned. Took til Monday afternoon to get it under control. Prayerfully this will be the last fire for this year....

July Fire

Ladies Breakfast

June 20 the ladies of the church gathered for a Bible study and breakfast. It had been a long time since the ladies of the church had met together to share in a time of song, prayer and study. Blanca Ludemann and Judit Fuente led the morning's activities. Following our study, Mary Stephens and Vicki Grubbs, visiting LST workers, shared with us the handwork that they had brought to share with the community in Atos Pampas where I live. Everyone took home new ideas and some yarn to work up a dishcloth for their own home/use. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a new ladies group. Judit is working on that.

Please enjoy the following short slide show.

Alto Alberdi Building/Work

I arrived back in June to lots of nice changes at the building. I drove up to find the front of the building had been painted. That was just the beginning. Shortly there after one of the big windows was cleaned up and the window bars redone. Nice! Lots more light in the auditorium. Hugo had added a long needed doorbell. Cristian made a new pulpit. A picture/directory of the members put together. And a new tract has been printed to hand out to our neighbors and friends. There's been some rearrangings. ALL very nice. Very useful. Looks great! Below you will see a slide show of some of these changes....

New...

LST/2011

We've been blessed to receive two LST teams thus far this year. The first team arrived in May. A group from Harding University. Brittany Shelton, Mary Arnold and Caroline Arnold. This team also worked in passing out more fliers in the streets and universities. From this effort, I have picked up new students after the winter holidays.

The second team arrived in June. Mary Stephens and Vicki Grubbs from Texas. This was Mary's third trip to Cordoba. Mary and other women she knows in Texas have been sending handwork to the community where I live on the mountain. This trip Mary and Vicki were invited to teach some new handwork to the ladies there. We spent a delightful Saturday afternoon teaching young girls and older women how to knit dish cloths. The women in the States had sent lots of "Peaches 'n Cream" yarn just for the occasion. A service rendered in the name of Jesus. I've been invited back to continue these classes later in the Spring. This is all good....praying as we reach out and touch other lives....

Mother's 90th

May 7 we had a party! Friends gathered from several states and the surrounding area to celebrate mother's 90th birthday. Many know mother as Grace, Gracie, Grandma, Big Nana, Aunt Grace, Grandma Grace. For Darlene and me she's Mom. I found a Mother's Day card with 3 verbs that perfectly describes Mom's life: Love, Live and Laugh. And... I added one more verb to describe her life "Christian". She's my hero and my Mom. I'm so blessed.

May 7th Celebration

Church Retreat

April 17-17 the church gathered at my place for a spiritual retreat. Our weekend study centered around Psalms 23. All my beds were full! 17 present. Good times shared together in the name of the Lord.

Time Together

Big News for Cordoba

March 30 I made a quick trip to Buenos Aires to pick up Hugo, Judit and baby Zoe. The evening of April 1 several members met us at the church building to unload their things. They lived in the building for the first month while they look for housing. They hit the ground running. Words are not enough to express what it means to have them here. They're a "breath of fresh air." Humble servants. So wise for their years. We are blessed to have them working with us in Alto Alberdi.

Headed to Cordoba