We Know the Grace

• By: Matt Postiff

• January 17, 2020

Mark and Bekah Perry write in their update this month:

Paul, encouraging the Corinthian church to give toward the relief project for the brothers in Jerusalem, reminds them that they too have received grace: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor 8:9). Paul uses the word “grace” interchangeably throughout this chapter to refer to “undeserved favor” and “freewill gift.” The Corinthians had personally experienced grace—the grace of Jesus Christ who humbled himself, took on humanity, and became poor for us. Those who have received grace show grace—if we have been the recipients of such self-emptying grace, why would we not be willing to impoverish ourselves to enrich others? After all, we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We experienced God’s grace in many ways this past month. Although we never received the paperwork we requested, we were still able to travel to Argentina for our mission’s conference the first week of the year. Mark spent the following week in the south of Chile at the annual pastors’ meeting. God has been gracious to us.

Now we are in the middle of “summer vacation,” where our city has a different rhythm. Some of our church families have been traveling on vacation. The nightly violence downtown has continued most weeknights, with groups of hooded youths destroying, looting, and burning. Our hearts break for the destruction of jobs, property, and savings, but even more for the emptiness and desperation of heart that drives people to these deeds. Surely they do not know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We continue to await the processing of our residency paperwork as we enter the seventh month of an expected 11–13 month wait. Our church continues looking for a more permanent place to meet each Lord’s Day.

We appreciate your prayers for God’s grace in these things.

Opportunity: 2020 Work Trips

• By: Matt Postiff

• January 16, 2020

Missionaries Dan Vallette (Camp Pirque, Chile) and James Morrell (Camp Chivilcoy, Argentina), in conjunction with Pastor Bill Park who is helping to organize this year’s trip, have sent us information concerning 2020 work trips to South America. The following is a tentative schedule for work trips scheduled to Argentina and Chile in the Fall of 2020.

Camp Chivilcoy, Argentina

• Leaving USA Thursday PM, 10/15 arriving Friday AM 10/16 in Argentina.
• Leaving Argentina Wednesday PM, 10/28 arriving in USA Thursday AM, 10/29.

Camp Pirque, Chile

• Team members who choose to travel from Argentina to Chile for the second leg of the work trip will leave Argentina on Wednesday, 10/28 will arrive in Chile on the 28th.
• Leaving USA Thursday PM, 10/29 arriving in Chile Friday AM, 10/30
• Leaving Chile Wednesday PM, 11/11  arriving in USA Thursday AM, 11/12 

We want to encourage everyone who travels to Argentina or Chile arrive in the country where they will work in the AM of the listed day and head back to the USA during the PM of the listed day. Some workers may stay for one week instead of two and their flight back to the USA will be on a different date than listed above. Workers will want to check their passport well in advance to make sure it is up to date.

This work trip is an annual occurrence over the recent years and has resulted in much productive work being accomplished for the Lord. Pray for 12-20 workers to be at each camp!

Morrells Remind Us that God Answers Prayer

• By: Matt Postiff

• January 9, 2020

Missionaries James and Donelle Morrell In three specific ways, the Lord has answered the prayers of His people:

Starting in July, we asked you to pray for our situation here with immigration. It was complex and held ramifications that could have affected our long-term goal towards permanent residency. We praise the Lord that last week we were able to finally bring a resolution to the issue which did not have any affect on our residency goals. We praise the Lord for His answer to our prayers!

At the end of October, we had our annual work team with Pastor Bill Park. We are thankful to the Lord for sending 20 people to assist with the preparations for the summer camp season. The second cabin is virtually completed, and many more advancements were made including constructing a game hut which will be used for Human Foosball. We are thankful for the Lord’s provision of workers to advance the ministry!

We asked for prayer for his provision for the completion of the pool before this summer season. As a result, God moved in the heart of an individual to donate enough funds to make that goal a reality. The patio around the pool is almost completed and Lord willing the filter system will be installed within the next week! What a blessing it is to see the hand of God work in the hearts of men to accomplish His work! We praise the Lord for His constant provision for His ministry!

Summer CAMP season is upon us!! Please pray for us as we run and host camps starting December 30 and running till February 20. Please pray that God would work in the hearts of kids, youth and families to bring about consecrated lives and the salvation of many!

Helen Prado Promoted to Heaven

• By: Matt Postiff

• December 31, 2019

We must share the sad but good news that retired missionary Helen Prado entered heaven this morning around 3am. She had been in very good health until just recently when she suffered a stroke.

Helen was married to John Prado and together they ministered in Chile for many years. You can read more about Helen in an interview that we did with her in February of 2014.

Christmas Greetings from Bobby and Nadia Vallette

• By: Matt Postiff

• December 24, 2019

New Group of Believers in Bragado, Argentina!

• By: Matt Postiff

• December 20, 2019

We have been praying for a new church plant ministry in the city of Bragado which is about 40 minutes from Chivilcoy. For the past year the Colby and Lesa Holmes family have been faithfully witnessing and handing out tracts in the community. Last month a group of believers from a neighboring city contacted Colby with a desire to meet because there is no church of sound doctrine close to them. The result is that they will be holding services every other week in the respective cities. Last week we had our first service in Bragado! Please pray for wisdom and growth as this fledgling group of believers grows.

Colby reported a little more detail this morning to the Southern Sentinel that he was contacted by someone in the neighboring city called Nueve de Julio. This person had been looking for six years looking for a church with sound doctrine. When Colby and Lesa spoke to them, they asked many questions. When they visited, Colby was asked to share the gospel, which he did from Romans 1:1-7. As a result, two families and an individual have started coming, along with another neighbor. The Holmes’s are praying that the Lord will grant them wisdom about when and how to carry on this ministry in two cities separated by 60 kilometers.

Colby said, “We have been doing door ministry to door here in our city, and at the same time God had been doing door to door work in our neighboring city. This is all of God’s grace!”

Editor’s note: sometimes the fruit doesn’t come directly from where we think it will. God arranges things so that He is glorified instead of us being glorified. We reach out in one place, and God sends people from another place. Join us in thanking God for His work!

GMSA at a Glance

• By: Matt Postiff

• December 9, 2019

Are you looking for information about the Gospel Mission of South America? Want to know what we are about, where we are, and what we do? Interested in our history as a mission? The “At a Glance” tri-fold could be a help to you. You can see full brochure here.

Missions Internship Program

• By: Matt Postiff

• December 5, 2019

Are you interested in learning more about missions? Gospel Mission of South America offers a program called “Training in Missions” (TIM) that offers on-the-job training with “real live” missionaries on the field. You can spend a few weeks, a few months, or even an entire year exploring the ministry of GMSA, church planting, Christian education and camp ministries, and South American culture.

Perhaps God would use such an experience in your own life to guide your future.

You can see a brochure here and visit the website for TIM here.