2024 is quickly coming to a close and as I have contemplated the previous months, "frustrations" and "new opportunities" seem to be the most fitting description.

It is amazing how technology can bring people together! Lately I have had some very amazing meetings with people from all over the world, thanks to video conference calling technology such as Zoom. On June 3rd, I launched a 6 week Bible study group

Just last week we hosted a team from International Sports Federation who ran an evangelistic football camp. At the end of the camp 33 people stated that they wanted to receive more spiritual resources.

In this newsletter, I do not want you to hear from me about our ministry. Instead, I invite you to hear 2 very brief testimonies about how our Bible Studies and resources with Vertical Deportes have impacted others

Let's get right to business, here are some highlights of work accomplished so far in 2023:
Seminary: At Seminario Biblico William Carey we had a good close to 2022 with a nice graduation ceremony. Local students living in Cordoba as well as others from cities far away were present to receive their diplomas. Here is a picture of pastor Ariel Moreno, who serves in the north of Argentina in the city of Resistencia:

I have started my last year of classes, the one I am currently taking is called Biblical and Theological Foundations of Missions and Evangelism. A couple of books in our reading have mentioned the importance of Seminaries and theological training in the process of reaching a country. I am proud of Seminary Carey and am thankful that God continues to grow our enrollment. Just this past week a new study center was launched in Madrid, Spain.

A couple of weeks ago over 50 pastors and leaders came from all over Argentina to be trained in expository preaching. It was an intense but enriching time.

Have you ever been asked "What have you been up to these days?" and you really did not know where to begin? You are thinking in the back of your mind: Hmm, where should I start? There is work, keeping up with the house, taking the kids to their activities, doctors visits, special activities and events, school, etc.
I know how you feel. I think busyness is a good thing, as long as it stays within a "healthy busy."

Spain, Ecuador, and the United States have many things in common, but the one I am most interested in telling you about is that these are 3 countries where Seminary Carey is growing. Over the past week I have helped with the onboarding process for our new online students for 2022, we have over 70 new students studying this year!

We are thankful for so many things as we end 2021

We are asking for your help so we can cover the costs of printing Bibles and other biblical resources.

"I think I have destroyed my relationship with God and I feel completely lost. I don't know what to study, what sport I want to do, or how to talk to God.

We will go most of our lives without knowing the full impact we have had on others. Sometimes, however, we do receive "feedback" from others, which encourages us to continue on the path of goodness. Recently I received a text

Nothing gets me more excited about working in Argentina as seeing others trained up to be faithful workers for God's kingdom, who will plant churches, disciple others, and be champions for the faith in a land full of faithlessness.

I have launched a sports ministry called "Vertical Deportes." One of the main heartbeats behind this ministry is very much in line with what our work with Seminary Carey has been about:

The date has finally come and my book is now officially available for purchase!

That is me in the blue shirt flying like an eagle. This is a screenshot of a P.E. class I began to organize a few weeks ago. Since schools are closed, I thought that it would be good to provide a P.E. class for kids

Click the button below to see the video explaining: Quarantine life here in Argentina, Ministry event cancellations and frustrations due to Coronavirus, and how we have been keeping a positive outlook and attitude

A few days before Christmas we opened our house up for others in the neighborhood to come over. The event was held during the afternoon time, from 5-7 pm. This time of day is known to be the time when Argentines have an afternoon snack, which is called "Merienda".

We never know what God has in store for us from one day to the next. Many days may seem "normal" and other days may seem more "supernatural," yet God is in control of all of our days and his will is accomplished if we just make ourselves available to him.

So many things have happened since our last newsletter, I feel like I could write a book about them all! I hope the brief stories and pics below give a good overview of our lives and ministry over the past couple of months.

How do I know we are succeeding as a Seminary? Are we making a difference?
Those are questions that I ask my self on occasion.

We have been back in Argentina now for a little over a month and we are finally getting back to our "normal" lives here in Cordoba.
When we arrived on February 19th we felt like fish out of water.

We are full of different emotions and thoughts as we prepare to head back. We are first of all thankful for the time that we have been able to spend with our family and friends. Additionally, . . .

For the first time in over 12 years, I was able to be in the USA for Thanksgiving. Although it is not a holiday in Argentina, we do try to find the ingredients (or find suitable replacement ingredients) to make traditional foods that we eat in the USA. So, I have not gone entirely without Thanksgiving, but it isn't quite the same as celebrating with family in a typical American fashion.

A few weeks ago at our Seminary's regional conference in Tucuman, Argentina, 8 students received their diploma for completing their studies.

We are currently in the United States for our first extended "furlough" since moving to Argentina 12 years ago. It has been everything but boring!
On June 7th of 2018 we arrived in Dallas, Texas. So much has happened in the last 3 months that . . . 

The gospel is just one unique message, but God provides us with many different ways and opportunities to share this message of hope. 
In the past 12 years I have been involved with a local football club here in Córdoba, which I seek to use to build relationships so that I may share the gospel.

Within the country of Cuba, you’ll find many seminaries, of many denominations, but not all are open to the Cuban public. The majority are training centers for missionaries coming in or going out - and almost all are contraband (not allowed by the Cuban government). There are only two government-approved seminaries in the country:

Not long ago, Juan Ignacio Gonzalez was focused on becoming a professional soccer player, following in the steps of his father. A time came when God radically changed His life and gave him a passion for different things, especially studying God's word and pastoring/mentoring/discipling others.
Although Juan Ignacio is only in his 20's he is surely not letting anyone look down on him and . . . 

Did you know there are over 150 students in Cuba preparing to be future leaders and pastors with William Carey Bible Seminary?
A group of them are especially happy these days as they received some bikes thanks to a kind donation from one of our many supporters. Our leader in Cuba, Jatniel Perez has done a phenomenal job

Every year, around October, our Seminary puts on a Conference, each with a unique theme and topics. People from all over Argentina come to hear the speakers. This year, our topic was on the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation.

Every job has its "moment of glory" ... when a sale is closed, a project completed, a patient is cured, etc. Essentially, my job is to design, develop, teach, and mentor courses that are theological in nature.
What I like about our Seminary is that we strive as much as we can to connect theology with life (as it should be).

At the core of our mission at William Carey Seminary is to see healthy biblical churches planted throughout Argentina and in all of Latin America. I have lived in Argentina now for 11 years and I am still surprised by the lack of what I would call "normal" churches.

At William Carey Biblical Seminary we are working hard at building community and forging relationships:
One of our many goals for this year was to work more intentionally towards building relationships. One thing that we have already had in place for years is that we require each student to have a mentor.

So, I believe it was a Tuesday that I bought the new unit, and the salesman took my phone number and told me that the installation technician would be getting a hold of me soon. The good news was that I got a call on the next day, a Wednesday:

At William Carey Seminary, our students are having a direct impact on their churches and communities. I invite you to watch this video about one of our recent graduates, Roberto Romero: (click the button below to see the video in the original newsletter.)

In this newsletter I would like to share several stories using photos.
In this picture, the young man on the far left is Nicolás Olivera, a student of Seminario Carey. Here, you see him in his main area of service, which is to a community of Bolivians who work in tough labor making bricks.

In early April I had the opportunity to go to southern Chile, which is where one of the study centers of our Seminary is located. Together with Juan Leyton, director of the Seminary, we were invited to give some talks on the church's role in Evangelism. We also used the time to catch up with our students studying there. 

I am glad I had the opportunity to go to Cuba for around 10 days, although I must say it was a "difficult" trip.   It was tough physically and emotionally. Even though it was not too long of a trip, it was the first time I had spent a number of days away from my family, plus, in Cuba there is no wi-fi or internet, so I was without connection and the ability to communicate freely for the entire time I was there.

For the university ministry at our church, we had an informal year-end meeting. With students sitting in a circle, people requested songs to be sung, shared some highlights from the year, and prayed together.  Of course, a time of eating food was also had.
I also had the opportunity to baptize a young man, Emmanuel Alonso, who is enlisted in the Argentine Air Force. 

Last month I went to Tucuman to speak at a theological conference, along with two others who also work for Seminary Carey, pastor Sam Masters and pastor Juan Leyton. Tucuman is 6 hours north of Córdoba by car, and is the 5th largest metropolitan city in Argentina.

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What would your city look like if there were no police?
Unfortunately in Córdoba we found out the answer to that question just 2 days ago. 
It seemed for me to be a typical day in the city. After finishing work, my wife and I decided to join up with a friend for a movie.  We bought tickets to the show early, went to eat at the food court, and then when we tried to enter the theater, we knew something wasn't right.

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