by Grace Wu
I call Pastor Jorge my Argentine pastor and his family my familia argentina. Although I said this in jest in the beginning, each year I get to know him and his family it becomes more real that he is my Argentine pastor and they are my family. This is because his care over his American sheep is an extension of his own care over his own flock in Tucumán.
Even with a language barrier, Pastor Jorge’s mannerisms and jokes can make you laugh and let you warm up easily to him. But he has his serious side too – the side that is devoted to worshipping God in his life and making sure others are doing the same. His ministry in the church is tireless. Because of the shortage of male leaders in the church, a lot of the responsibility falls on Pastor Jorge to disciple the men and visit families.
His ministry in his own home is also tireless, which is evident in how he loves his wife Norma and his son Josué. The affection and care that Norma, Josué, and Pastor Jorge have for each other is something very rare to find in families today. At age 13, Josué adores his parents, enjoys spending time with them, and actively helps out in his parents’ ministry either by playing guitar or leading the younger children. Pastor Jorge and Norma have also raised him to think about how the Gospel personally applies to him and how to make God-honoring decisions for himself.
As it is custom every year, we spend a morning with the Ahualle family to share their testimony of how God called them to ministry. This year was no different, but instead of normally meeting in the hotel lobby, the Ahualles welcomed us into their cozy little home to have breakfast, practice shooting a BB gun, and share their testimony again for the ones who have not heard it. The Ahualles’ faith in going into ministry was not an easy one; Pastor Jorge never wanted to be or ever thought about being a pastor, but when the opportunity came, he prayerfully considered it and consulted Norma and then 5-year-old Josue if Pastor Jorge stopped working to go into fulltime ministry. Josué at the time told his dad he didn’t want him to stop working because if dad didn’t work, there would be no food. However, Pastor Jorge even took that opportunity as a way to teach 5-year-old Josué to trust In God’s provision.
Even now it is still difficult to trust that God will provide. January marked the end of the 2-year period that White Fields’ (the missions organization that supported the Ahualles) financial support for Pastor Jorge and his family, thus losing a source of income. To compensate, Norma now makes and sells baked goods such as empanadas and alfajores to bring in extra income. Even with having to think of creative ways to generate income, the Ahualle family continues to be confident in the provisions of the Lord. Whether in financially tight times or in worry-free times, they keep their perspective eternal by saying that they are never lacking in anything because what they have (or don’t have) is exactly what God wants for them.