The Basics

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times......

It occurred to me that many may not know the basics of this trip. We are working with two Baptist churches in Buenos Aires Argentina. Both churches have connections with Edgardo Mansilla. Charly Pauer is the pastor of the larger of the churches, Lanus Este. Pablo Vernola pastors the other, Valentin Alsina. Our first trip to these churches was 2 years ago (2005).

Argentina is overwhelmingly a Catholic country. Although there is freedom of religion, in a way Baptists are considered a cult. Years ago Baptist churches were required to provide membership registers and lists of people attending their services to the government. Things have improved but traditionally they have not had the same rights. Edgardo tells me that it is still illegal for a non-catholic to be president.

There is an Argentine Baptist Convention. Unfortunately, they are going through a very similar experience to the Southern Baptist Convention of the United States a few years ago. In many ways, these two churches were very isolated.

The members of these two churches are not wealthy individuals. Many are very poor. And yet, they see it as their responsibility to help those less fortunate than they. Both churches run community centers to minister to their neighborhoods. They set up clothes closets to help the very poor have clothes. They hand make clothes and toys. They run support groups for Cancer patients and survivors and for parents of disabled children. They dedicate Saturdays to children's programs for children in the neighborhood. And they have organized their own mission trip sending 8 individuals to another area for mission work.

Two years ago, we came to these two churches. We helped them paint their community centers. We helped them set up some computers. We spent some time with them in their support groups and shared some ideas we use in the US.

They in turn, cooked for us whenever possible. They made us empanadas, pizza and offered us mate. They painted with us and helped us set up their computers. But the single biggest gift I beleive we brought was hope. I do not think it is overstating things to say that they felt that our willingness to come was a message from God that He loved them and they were not alone.