Tag: outreach

Today we climb a mountain. The idea was to reach the top, but after a late night last night, and with a very late start to the day, our chances were diminishing rapidly. Add to this a very large group of people, and you start moving quite slowly, according to the abilities of the weaker members. This is not a problem, it is just that with the time we had available to us, getting to the top was now looking very unlikely.

Our outreach team (LtoR: Tabita, Guillermina, Gabriela, Karley, Leonor, Miguel, me)

Continue reading “Outreach – Bariloche Day 4”

Today I wake with one eye stuck closed. After washing it with water and heading to the doctors I am informed that it is conjunctivitis, a common ailment here often contracted through dust entering the eye. Unfortunately, all of the pharmacies are too far away to get the needed eye drops, so I continue the day without them, washing my eye in cold tea as a home remedy to help for a while.

Our day, upon reaching the church, is to help prepare lots of food for what will be a church party to celebrate the end of 2009 and the beginning of a new year. Three of our team head out with the pastor to a neighbouring city of Bariloche, called Dina Huapi, to visit with families related to the church, while the other four remain in the kitchen to help with the food preparation for what is expected to be a very big party tonight.

The pastor with his son, me in the middle, and Miguel and Gabriela on the right.

Continue reading “Outreach – Bariloche Day 3”

Our second day is quite different, and we spend the morning building brick walls, cooking bread and gnocchi for lunch. All of us get to do something that we have not done before, and have fun doing it too. After lunch we then put on multiple layers of jackets for the cold and the rain that has arrived, and head out to go to a distant neighbourhood to share with the people about Jesus.

Once we have knocked on every door, or actually clapped loudly at every yard entrance (you can’t enter normally because of the fierce dogs kept in the yards), we then arrive at the house of believers where they hold a church service every week. It is here that we do a couple of skits for them, before Karley (Canada) and Tabita (Romania) lead worship. I share a reflection on who God really is, based on Revelation chapter 4 and we then bid our friends good bye and return for dinner in the church.

Building a brick wall to separate the kitchen from the dining area.

Continue reading “Outreach – Bariloche Day 2”

On the 26th of December, Boxing Day, we gathered our team together and heading off on an 18 hour bus journey from Puerto Madryn to Bariloche. Upon arriving in Bariloche, we head out to the church with which we will be working for the next week. Our outreaches tend to be organised per week more than anything. Our goal is to help, serve, teach, and be an asset wherever and whenever we can during this time.

This first day was filled with getting to know different people, being introduced to the church and its members, and being allocated our home for the week. Miguel and I stay with Luis, in his small home, while the girls head out on the bus to a much larger house. After settling in, we all return to the church for the last service of 2009.

Taking advantage of the bus ride to catch up on some sleep after the Christmas celebrations.

Continue reading “Outreach – Bariloche Day 1”