Frances always did "oohs" and "aahs" over every new little baby. I always did "oohs" and "aahs" over every baby church. Last Saturday Tony and Lidia Villegas, pastors of the El Calafate "Christian Sanctuary AG Church" accompanied me going north 130 miles along the base of the Andes Mountain range to visit their newest baby church in the little mountain village of El Chaltén. Along the way huge glaciers, awesome mountain peaks and blue lakes were in view. As we approached the town of El Chaltén Tony asked me to stop just before descending into town. "We always stop here overlooking the village and pray for new victories before every service," he explained. (See photo with Tony and Lidia at “prayer point”)
At 3 PM about 40 beautiful people met with us in a borrowed school room. They seemed as hungry for God as newborn babies that wake everybody up in the middle of the night. It's easy to preach to people like that. Three were there for the first time and all three took their first steps toward their Savior. Praise God!
(Photo left) A little baby's face literally glowed with excitement when he reached out to touch my little skunk puppet, Perfume.(Photo left) I loaned my Bible to some little girls in the front row and helped them find the text. They were so absorbed in it that they didn't even notice when I took their picture.
The town of El Chaltén lies at the base of the most astounding mountain peaks I have ever seen. Last Saturday after the 3 PM service we drove the 130 miles back to the mother church in El Calafate just in time for the Saturday night service. I love it when I get to preach three times on a weekend plus almost every night of the week.
Clear back in 1996 Frances and I accompanied about 120 kids from the mother church "Christian Sanctuary AG" and preached their kids camp at the base of this glorious El Chaltén mountain peak. Unforgettable! We also designed the El Calafate church building and joined a wonderful team from Portland Christian Center who built it in just 9 days!
(See photos of church exterior and interior.) Since then the church has grown so rapidly that they had to knock out the back wall and extend the sanctuary 30 additional feet! Sunday night was missions night. Here is a church near the southern tip of South America deeply involved in sending Argentinean missionaries to many lands. Their church is only 50 miles from the world famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Congratulations Pastors Tony and Lidia! You are building the Kingdom in your city, plus now in distant El Chaltén, while at the same time reaching out to the nations of the world. Way to go!
Ralph Hiatt
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