Astonishment and Disappointment

Today I suffered both astonishment and disappointment in a single day.  Guatraché, where I am staying in a little hotel, has a large colony of German Mennonites nearby.  One can see them walking on the streets all dressed exactly alike.  The men and boys in long sleeved checkered shirts and bib-overalls and the girls and ladies in long dresses, bonnets and hair parted in the middle and pulled back inside a black scarf which hides under the bonnet until they remove it to eat.

Several Mennonite families like this were eating in the restaurant where I was having lunch.  Maybe it was because I have distant ancestors that were German Mennonites, but I could not resist going over to their table to speak with them.  Two couples and a baby were at this table.  I asked them if they were of German descent.  The young man replied, “We speak German.”  Obviously he spoke Spanish, too, but I actually think he didn’t know what “German descent” meant.  He asked me where I was from.  I told him I was from California in the United States of America.  He asked me, “Is that far from here?”  As I tried to explain it to him, I realized... here was a sharp young father (on right) that did not know where North America was and had absolutely no concept of distance.  I was astonished beyond comprehension!  I requested, and they gave me their permission to take the above picture at the table, but they did not look up.

 

 

Later I was told that these Mennonites do not allow their children to go to school and do not home-school them either.  And that the Argentine government had to give them status like a separate nation since Argentine kids are required to go to school. 

Then this afternoon I was scheduled to do a kids event in a public school in the little country town of Darregueira about 20 miles away.  All had been previously arranged by the local AG pastor who is starting a new church there.  We were promised freedom as long as we did not promote a certain religion.  We arrived with Felipe and my little amplifier.  But now a different lady principal came out to meet us.  The “morning principal lady” that the pastor dealt with had seen my video and loved it and given her permission, but now we were dealing with the “afternoon principal lady”.  She was very wary and said we could do our event only if we did not mention the name of Jesus.  She said there might be a “Jehovah Witness” or atheist’s child there that could report her.  I told her that Felipe has only one name that he sings about and tells stories about… and that is “Jesus.”  I tried to imagine myself working out a dialog with Felipe without mentioning Jesus… impossible!  And without purpose!  So we walked away disappointed. 

But the pastor had prepared flyers to hand to the kids as they left school and many of them showed up at the church along with their parents.  It was a super challenge that night to control them since they were a rowdy bunch and unaccustomed to be in church, but I managed to make it though with the help of the Lord.  I think some of the parents who were lined up against the back wall were hearing the message of the gospel for the first time. 

This little barefoot lady saw Felipe and immediately it was "love at first sight."  She ran to the front and reached up. 

I stooped down and she gave him a hug and didn't let go.  I think she wanted to keep him!

We witnessed no great break-through, but perhaps, just perhaps... a seed was planted.

As often happens, after church the kids begged for another showing of Perfume and Felipe.  I am a soft-touch and can't resist little charming kids.

They swarmed me to pet Perfume.  She was suffocated with loving hands.

I will be preaching in the southern part of Buenos Aires province on Thanksgiving Day since I am ministering daily.  I am hundreds of miles from the other missionaries in Buenos Aires so I won’t be able to attend their wonderful Thanksgiving Day feast.  I will greatly miss the fellowship.  But don't feel sorry for me. I am right where I want to be!

Ralph