October 2014 Report

End of the year. As in North America, Uruguay’s school schedule begins in the fall and ends in the spring. The timing of the seasons differs, though, which means that the academic year—approximately March through November—falls entirely within the calendar year. Next month, by God’s grace, we expect to finish the first year of classes in the FEBU Bible-college project. It has been a year of much learning—both for students and for teachers. God has given us a great group of students (17 this second semester, 8 of whom are taking a full load). They have been eager, motivated, and tolerant of mistakes and consequent adjustments in the program and schedule. We’re also thankful for the teachers who have cheerfully given of time and resources, sometimes traveling several hours from the interior of the country each week to spend an evening teaching.

 

 

Teachers. While teachers are indeed one of our greatest assets, they are also one of our biggest needs. The solution has several potential facets: First (though not necessarily first in importance), we would welcome the arrival of the right qualified teachers who would be willing to make themselves servants to the Uruguayan churches for the sake of Christ. Second, we want to encourage and provide resources for the teachers that the Lord has already given us (not only those teaching in FEBU but also those who continue to teach in the EMU Bible institute). Finding textbooks and materials is an ongoing challenge. Many good tools are available, but sometimes the logistics of putting them in people’s hands is complicated. Third, we recognize great potential in many of the current college and Bible-institute students and in others that have not yet received any formal training. Please pray that their hearts would remain warm toward God and His Word and that they would take full advantage of the opportunities being given to them. They are the next generation of teachers.

 

 

 

Pastors and Evangelists. The same three facets apply to the need for pastors and evangelists. There is room for more “pioneer-level” work in Uruguay: many towns and rural areas lack a clear gospel witness. If on Sundays you pass several other Bible churches on the way to yours, maybe you should look at a map of Uruguay (or France, or Cambodia, or Morrocco). The Garwoods (who returned to Uruguay on October 17, after 9 months of medical furlough) regularly ask for help in the church plant in Pando, with which we are involved on the weekends. In recent months we’ve enjoyed fellowship with a missionary family newly moved from the U.S. to San Jacinto, another town in need of a Bible-preaching church. However, we understand that the focus of the work for which we’ve been sent has to do with those other two facets: in short, equipping national pastors and training new ones. Who is sufficient for this? When we stop to think about it, it seems foolish that we should be in such a position. It is an undeserved privilege. We love this. But we do need wisdom and prayer.

 

 

July through September. At the end of July we traveled to Paysandú for the first week of the FEBU pastors’ program: classes designed to supplement the previous experience and training already received by Uruguayan pastors and leaders. Thank you for your prayers for this class. It was well attended, and the instruction set a high standard for future courses. The next block will be the week of November 10 at Camp Emmanuel in Guazuvirá, where Dr. Gary Reimers will teach expository preaching. Pastor Reimers is a professor at Bob Jones University Seminary and pastors Cornerstone Baptist Church. We hope to see another good group of pastors attend, representing many churches that will consequently benefit from the investment of these days. In August JM co-taught a series of classes on biblical principles of music at a men’s retreat in the department of Treinta y Tres, several hours from Montevideo. Once again, the pastors and other men there represent local churches that we’re privileged to serve throughout Uruguay. Please pray for the strengthening of these works.

 

September 2 marked an entire year since our final arrival. The process of settling in has been a two-step-forward, one-step-back affair. Our day-to-day activity has distilled into something resembling a schedule: Morning study and class preparation, afternoon home life, and evening teaching or other related activities. At any time of day visitors—students, for example—might stop by. Correspondence and Skype calls with many of you ought to fit somewhere in the paradigm; but we apologize for not keeping up with this better. Please know that we appreciate you. Thank you for your continued friendship!

 

National elections. On October 26 (and then probably for a run-off on November 30), every Uruguayan adult is required to cast a vote to help decide who will govern their country for the next 5 years. Judging from the last 10 years—and especially the last 5—there is much at stake. Please pray for God’s mercy to Uruguay, for the success of the gospel here, and for wisdom for Christian citizens. While believers might come to different conclusions as to how to vote (in any nation), there exists a heart issue of allowing Christ’s lordship to extend even to the level of which paper list one places in the ballot box. And as God sets up one government and takes down another, He might be even more concerned about the individual, eternally-secure sanctification of His children and about what’s going on in their hearts as they cast their vote.

July 2014 Report

¡Saludos! Thank you for your faithful prayers, interest, and financial support toward the work in Uruguay. We appreciate each one of you and know that your partnership is sometimes a significant sacrifice. We hope that the Lord is giving you much grace during these summer months. At this latitude the days are shorter, and the sun hangs in the northern sky above Brazil—where most of the world’s attention has been fixated on the World Cup this past month.

 

FEBU. During the last full week of June, FEBU students took first-semester exams in six classes: Principles of Bible Study, Fundamentals of Speech I, Biblical Foundations (Genesis 1-11), Spanish Grammar and Composition I, OT Survey, and Christ-Centered Life. Classes resume in August for second semester: Evangelism and Discipleship, NT Survey, Introduction to Music, Spanish Grammar and Composition II, Fundamentals of Speech II, and Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ.

 

FEBU students, enjoying an outing: a pre-World Cup
friendly match between Uruguay and Northern Ireland

 

July. This month we host a friend from SC and prepare for upcoming classes. JM will work as a counselor for a 3-day winter youth camp at Camp Emmanuel (July 3-5). We expect up to 12 teens from Iglesia Bíblica Maranatha in Pando to attend. Some of these come to meetings throughout the year, others occasionally or never. Undoubtedly many are unsaved.

 

 

 

Winter Bible School at Iglesia Bíblica Maranatha in Pando

 

We plan to take part in the first of a series of pastors’ classes offered by FEBU. This program is projected to offer 10 basic theology and ministry courses over a period of several years, and is designed to supplement previous experience and Bible-institute training that pastors and leaders have already acquired. The July course (July 28—Aug. 1) deals with Local Church Administration and will be offered at a camp in Paysandú. Ron Self from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will be the teacher.

August. The Bible institute follows roughly the same schedule as FEBU. Beginning in August, JM will help teach a music class, particularly in the areas of congregational song leading and philosophy of Christian music. Some of this overlaps another project with which the EMU churches have asked him to help: Later this same month the pastors meet for a retreat in the department (similar to county) of Treinta y Tres, where they hope to develop some guidelines for music in the churches connected to the mission. These churches have long maintained a conservative worship style and desire to continue this pattern. Please pray for wisdom for JM to know how to provide appropriate encouragement, caution, and tools.

Later in 2014 Uruguay holds national elections. For almost 10 years (2 presidential terms) a third party made up of a collection of socialists and communists has been in power. In recent months the government has officially legalized abortion, legitimized homosexual marriage, and sanctioned the use of marijuana (and at the same time taken salt off restaurant tables).

 

 

We believe not only that Christ will reign in a physical, visible way in the future, but also that He is reigning now over the affairs of men and nations, be it the realm of soccer or that of politics. Certainly it is appropriate for us to pray that He—the ultimate “blessing” of Psalm 67:1—will continue to save, so that the nations of this earth might glorify God for His mercy.

My Right to Be Ignorant

If I am to follow the example of Paul—and of Christ—who gave up personal rights for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. 9 and Phil. 2), then I must at least be willing to give up my right to be ignorant of things that bore me. No, I cannot be so diversified that I never learn anything well. I need not be scattered. My time and energy are finite. But if I am unwilling—and a willing or unwilling attitude, I think, is key—unwilling to discipline myself to care about tennis, or cricket, or soccer; unwilling to listen when I have the right to speak;  unwilling to learn which way is north (or south!); then I am exercising a right that may hinder me from being the global-minded, useful Christian that I otherwise might have been. To such a list we could add more significant data: the persecution of Christians in Mexico or Nigeria, the existence of something called Khmer, or the demographics of Provo, Utah. I have a right to be ignorant. But to insist on this right is not the way of a Christ-follower. Such discipline to care will, as always, require grace.

April 2014 Report

The first quarter of 2014 has evaporated. Most of January was taken up with camp (for JM) and school (for Elizabeth and Déborah). Campamento Emanuel is operated by the Misión Evangélica del Uruguay (EMU) and serves many of the churches in Uruguay. This year a group also came from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gabriel Gómez, one of the Uruguayan missionary-pastors who counseled with JM, commented especially on the great number of unsaved young people—in many cases, teens who have grown up regularly attending an evangelical church, who have come to camp year after year, but who show no evidence of a real conversion. This is an ongoing concern: the genuine salvation of children and teens in the churches here.

 

 

On the other hand, we are repeatedly encouraged by many young people whose big thoughts about God and whose commitment to Christ make us feel dwarfed. In their efforts to follow His leading, they are pursuing fields of physical therapy, agronomy, computer science, and teaching. They will be—indeed, already are—essential parts in their local bodies, Uruguayan churches. They are taking the gospel to hospitals, public places in the city, and nursing homes. And some of them are pursuing further Bible training. We have to think that some of these young men should not only be lay leaders in their churches but also constrained ministers of the gospel. And we must pray that the Lord of the Harvest would make it clear to those whom He has called in this way.

 

 

Elizabeth (and Déborah) plowed through second grade work (homeschooling) until the end of February, when Elizabeth began third grade in a school operated by Tabernáculo Bíblico Bautista in Punta de Rieles, on the outskirts of Montevideo. She’s doing well, and we’re grateful. During the month JM helped prepare for the opening of FEBU (College of Biblical Studies of Uruguay) and translate material for upcoming pastors’ training.

 

 

We’re encouraged with the work in Pando (Iglesia Bíblica Maranatha)—with faithful attendance and with enthusiasm among the half-dozen teens who regularly come. Gonzalo and Sebastián have taken opportunities to involve themselves in ministry and are seeking baptism. Recently JM preached for a baptism service for three believers from Iglesia Evangélica Siloé (the EMU church in Colón). Nearly all of the teens from Maranatha attended to observe. Please pray that we would have well-grounded confidence that all are genuinely converted.

 

 

In March, sixteen students (eight of them taking a full load of classes) enrolled in the very first semester of FEBU. These men and women are from Montevideo and interior Uruguay, along with an Argentine and an American expat. Déborah is teaching Spanish Grammar & Composition. JM is assisting with Principles of Bible Study and is helping as interim director while the Espinels are in the U.S. One week later, Bible institute classes began on the same “campus.” All classes this year are held at Iglesia Templo Calvario. JM is teaching the Pentateuch in the Bible institute. Our living so close facilitates not only teaching but also informal opportunities to talk with students, eat together, help with a sermon, or give song-leading tips. We’re glad to be here. Thank you for your part in making it possible! Please pray for God’s working in us and our students.

Argyle Paddock

Coming home from Pando Sunday night—just hours before hearing of Dr. Paddock’s homegoing—we stopped at the home of some friends on the north side of Montevideo. We talked, drank carbonated water, and watched tennis. They told me that one of the tennis players is quite good (and quite famous, though I had never heard of him). As we sat I remembered an afternoon a number of years back in the home of other friends. The television was on, and the world was very aware that this was Andre Agassi’s last match. Even I had heard of this man. And this was his day.

We weren’t there to watch tennis, though. We had gathered to say “thanks” to Argyle and Wanda Paddock. We were a small group; only a few people knew we were there; and the crowds cheering Andre didn’t know that the Paddocks even existed. Somehow I have to think, though, that God was more interested in our living-room meeting than in the fame and spectacle that happened to form the backdrop that day.

The Paddocks had loved and served us in many ways, largely in the context of mission trips to Mexico or Spain. We had watched them defy the challenges of their aging bodies, driving vans full of immature youth to take the message of Jesus to the sides of steep mountains, the streets of tiny villages, and plazas of Old World cities. Most of us gathered that day had traveled with them to represent Camp META in Mexico, a vision that Dr. Paddock never forgot.

In one of the messages that we heard Dr. Paddock preach, he raised the question of why a Christian’s rewards will not be given to him immediately upon his arrival in glory. He concluded that one reason must be that even after a person finishes his race, the fruit that he sowed has not yet been harvested. The results are not yet in. He went on to talk about former students who had traveled on mission trips with him and how they were serving the Lord, revealing his interest not only in the immediate effects of these trips but the ongoing results that they had in the lives of the students that traveled.

Dr. Paddock will have to wait for his reward, too. And I think when Jesus’ mission has been fully brought to completion, Dr. and Mrs. Paddock’s privileged part in this wonderful, ages-long Story will be stunning. We’ll see how God made Dr. Paddock—and hundreds of students influenced by him—look like Jesus. And that will be Jesus’ day. I can’t wait.

But now, Dr. Paddock, for a few more short days, we have fruit to harvest from seeds you and your dear wife planted. We go gladly back to work.

January 2014 Report

Happy New Year! We are grateful for the many ways you have encouraged us and participated in the work in Uruguay over the past year, in addition to the ways in which you serve the Lord where He has placed you. All of us will undoubtedly need much of God’s grace for the days ahead. We are highlighting some opportunities here in Uruguay in the upcoming months—work in which you can participate through your prayers (2 Co. 1:11). Most of these needs involve not only our family but many others as well.

 

Campamento Emanuel in Guazuvirá. Most of the summer camp season this year takes place during January. JM will spend most of the month there (about an hour outside Montevideo), helping with counselor training, counseling and preaching. Please pray for long-term fruit from this effort to serve Uruguayan churches by means of the camping program. Please pray for Déborah and the children during his absence. Due to new immigration requirements, she and Elizabeth are working hard to finish the U.S. school year (at home) so Elizabeth can be ready to start the new Uruguayan school year (probably in a small Christian school on the outskirts of Montevideo) by the end of February.

FEBU. On November 16 a group of well over 100—including potential students, their pastors, and other interested people—met for a youth meeting designed to offer information about the Facultad de Estudios Bíblicos del Uruguay (FEBU) (College of Biblical Studies of Uruguay) (www.febu.org). On March 10 the school year will begin with sessions for teachers and an opening meeting for teachers and students. The following evening the first classes will be taught in an upstairs hall provided by EMU’s Iglesia Templo Calvario. A different, long-term facility—especially as the number of classes and students potentially increases each year—is a matter for which we would appreciate prayer. Matías and Kristine Espinel will return to the U.S. for a furlough following the opening of the school year. The timing of their trip helps to avoid an absence in upcoming years when he will be teaching more courses. JM will help to fill Matías’ place as director during these first six months.

Primer Instituto Bíblico F.V. Dabold. Classes ended for the semester in November, and Juan José graduated from the three-year program of EMU’s Bible institute in Montevideo. A separate, parallel course of study is offered in several churches in the interior, primarily via DVDs. In one of these locations (Iglesia Templo Betel in Pando) two young men, Rodrigo and Claudio, graduated a week later. Pray for the Lord’s leading of these three men.

 

Iglesia Bíblica Maranatha in Pando. On January 13 the Garwoods will travel to Jacksonville, FL, where Don (Déborah’s father) will undergo surgeries to correct blockage in a carotid artery and to replace a heart valve. These are high-risk procedures, and we would appreciate your prayers for him and for the group of believers whom he serves as missionary-pastor. The date of his return is indefinite, depending on his progress following surgery. We, along with Daniel and Viviana, Iguazú, and Cristian, will help to maintain weekend services at IBM.