This Year So Far . . .

This year we have been very busy and it seems to keep getting busier!  It has been good and we have never really had a dull moment!  Here is a recap of how the year has gone so far.  

January was a good month for our family.  Joel came to visit us for the Christmas holidays and he was able to stay until mid-January.  It was great having him here with us!  During that time we attended our annual mission meeting in Cordoba.  It is always a joy to get together with the Argentine missionaries and hear about how God is working in the different parts of the country.  This year was no exception.  The time of fellowship was wonderful and a true blessing for us.  At this same mission meeting, our team leader and his wife, Robert and Annette Crockett, were honored for 30 years of service.  They will be leaving for their final stateside assignment in November of this year.

February was filled with many meetings of our Argentine Melting Pot Strategy Group.  We have a new leader, Steve Beck, and we met with him twice weekly to learn about the new strategies.  Joshua and Jonathan also started back to school this month.  They were very excited to get back to school, not so much for the work, but to be with their friends.  Annetta Marie also started back with the school's music and drama program.

March included two major evangelistic events.  From March 12 - 17, Dr. Harold Finch was here giving his "Three Keys to Success" seminars.  There were four or five events planned each day with a large activity on the final day.  The many hours of prayer and planning were blessed as is evidenced by the good results.  Many professionals made a commitment to Jesus Christ and there are several follow-up / discipleship groups meeting.  On the heels of Dr. Finch's visit, Dr. Hayden Center was in Buenos Aires doing a church planting seminar.  Gary started back teaching at the International Baptist Theological Seminary  this month.

April was busy with another evangelistic activity planned for the North Zone area.  The Sagemont Church of Houston sent a volunteer team of 12 to work with 4 churches for a week of evangelistic activities.  This was done in conjunction with the Easter activities of the churches.  This is one time of the year when most Argentine people are interested in talking about religious things.  We focused on sharing with those whom we met during this week that the most important things aren't religious but rather relational--having a relationship with Jesus.

May was another month with several important activities.  The big event for our family was the graduation of Jason from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Medical School.  His graduation took place on May 25, 2001.  We traveled to the States to be with Jason for this very important event.  Two days after Jason's graduation, our family traveled together to Orlando for four fun-filled days, after which we returned to Buenos Aires.

Family summary . . .

Our children are doing well.  Jason, 23, graduated from medical school and will begin his residency at the Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.  The big news is that he is engaged to Jennifer Helmers, and they have a wedding date set for November 30, 2001.   Joel, 20, has finished his sophomore year at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield.  He is a pre-law student with a double major in political science and Spanish.  He will spend this summer working in Kansas City.  Joshua, 13, completed his seventh grade year.  He celebrated becoming a teenager at Disney World where all the visitors in line to see the Presidents of America sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  Jonathan, 8, has finished second grade.  He is active, along with Joshua, in the AWANA program.  He has also been promoted to Bear Cub Scout.

Annetta Marie has been keeping busy with mission activities and volunteering at the boys' school.  Gary finished translating a new textbook for the Education by Extension program of the International Baptist Seminary.  It is being prepared for publication and should be available soon.   

We'll try to keep you posted on our activities, so be sure to check back. Until then, God be with you!