Monday, December 31, 2007

Hola amigos! Como estan? Bien? Bueno.

I´m writing from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our team has been here for a couple weeks now, and I thought it was about time to update this blog.

I bet it´s pretty cold in Minnesota, but here it´s, well, not cold at all. Today, it´s just over 100 and it´s always pretty humid here. So I´ve been drinking a ton of water and eating a ton of ice cream. The ice cream (helado) here is amazing.

So we´ve been staying at a church here and they have been incredibly nice and hospitable to us. They cook for us every day and night and the food is amazing. And they´ll offer you seconds and thirds and I´m sure they´d give you ninths if for some inhuman reason you made it there. They just love to feed us and help us out and hang out with us.

Our ministry has consisted of mostly dramas and testimonies and some preaching. We go to a lot of churches around the area - there seems to always be a church service somewhere, every time and day of the week, not just Sundays. We also have just set up shop in certain public places. There is a walking area in downtown Quilmes (the suburb area of Buenos Aires where we are staying) where there are tons of shops and always tons of people. We´ve done some programs there and some people stop to watch and listen to us. It´s pretty cool. And we pray for divine appointments to be set up and we can already see that taking place sometimes. For example, a few days ago we did a program in a park where afterwards some guy came up to Mark (one of our leaders) and said he had come there to just think and he was really moved by the dramas.

The churches here are pretty sweet. None of them are very modern and nice, but man, do they worship. You can really see the passion here and it´s inspiring. I love it. It´s also pretty spontaneous. Back home when I help lead worship for North Heights or wherever else, I´m used to knowing what songs we´re playing a week ahead of time or something and then practicing with the band 2 hours before the service and always having chord sheets. They wanted me to play the past couple evening Sunday services at the church we´re staying at here and I had none of that. No practice, no chords, no words. Just play. It was actually pretty fun and it was actually amazing. It was the most intense time of worship I´ve experienced in my life, let alone led. We were singing a Hillsong tag over and over that goes ¨Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Our God Reigns¨and we probably played that for at least 20 minutes straight. People were crying, on their knees, hands in the air, and it was just so cool to worship with mixed culture like that.

Please pray for our team, that we would continue to be unified and build deeper connections with each other, and just that we would be excited about our ministry, that it wouldn´t just become routine and boring. I really want to be open to the Spirit´s calling and what God has for us, but most importantly, those we meet. I want to give this outreach my all, otherwise I won´t get everything out of it that God has planned. That would be a bummer. So please just pray for excitement and motivation and inspiration and a heart for the lost, so that we can show them at least a glimpse of hope. At least a glimpse of true life. A glimpse of Jesus.

LoveChris

2 comments:

Caitlin said...

Hey Chris, it sounds like you guys are having an awesome time, I'll be praying that you do have those divine appointments and God is able to do everything he wants through you. Don't you just love the way South Americans worship? The church services in Uruguay were always so long, but they didn't seem it cuz they were so good and people were so into it. I miss it so much! Please say hi to that beautiful continent for me! Bless ya, bud.

Em said...

yeah, it kind of seems like Americans are some of the only people that don't openly give their all in worship. hm. I miss the spontaneity of worship too. It always seems most genuine that way.

Anyways, Argentina sounds so sweet. Love hearing the stories, they're inspiring. Keep serving and updating!