by Eugene Park

Wow. Waking up at 4:30am is not a fun thing to do. But that’s what we had to do in order to get to LA on time for our flight. But I was really encouraged by how many people came out at 5:30am to see us off. I know that I would have had a hard time getting out there that early so I understand if you didn’t make it.

So the flight down to Buenos Aires was pretty uneventful. Well, except for the fact that we had to walk about 2 miles to get to our connecting flight in Miami. And that I slept for about 15 minutes on the plane because I can’t sleep on planes. Man, can’t wait until we get to Tucuman tonight so I can sleep…oh wait…

When we arrived in BA we were picked up by our usual driver Juan Carlos and he took us over to Eduardo Buldain’s place which also doubles as the Centro de Capacitacion Pastoral (Pastoral Training Center). It’s so encouraging to see the work being done there in training up pastors to preach the word of God. It was also neat to hear Eduardo share about his vision for the CCP and the plan to plant churches all over the place. I also got a chance to see some old friends from my days at Palabra de Vida.

So we left the CCP and headed over to the national airport (Aeroparque) to get on the plane and head up to Tucuman. Unfortunately our original flight was cancelled so they started putting us on the next flight a couple of hours later. Okay, I can accept that. But then after four of us got our tickets, we found that the flight was booked and the rest of the team couldn’t get tickets. So we were basically forced to turn in the tickets we had and exchange them for a flight the next morning at 6:30am so all of us could stay together. And because it’s an early flight I made the decision to just stay overnight at the airport. The team was very supportive of this decision which I appreciated. But for some reason Elisabeth was really excited when she heard that we were staying overnight. Ha! I guess she wants the full missions experience.

So that’s where we are right now. Hopefully we don’t have any issues getting up to Tucuman tomorrow. And hope to keep you all updated on the adventures of the “Argentina 9.” Until then, see you on the flip side.

by Pastor John Kim

This year’s trip was truly a blessing from God. As our family and the rest of the team were able to continue the work that was started in Tucumán back in 2005, the fellowship and the ministry that we were able to participate in was truly wonderful in every way. Partnering with Pastor Jorge, Norma, and their son Josué was a mutual encouragement as we were able to enjoy the building up of our relationship after a particularly challenging time earlier this year as we contemplated having to possibly end our relationship due to some doctrinal confusion. But God was gracious in not only allowing us to clarify all the issues, we were able to move forward and really enjoy a time of both evangelizing the lost as well as equipping the body at IBM. Our debriefing time in Buenos Aires was quite cold and rainy. We spent a couple of days in discussion over what we had learned during the trip as well as to prepare for our return back to San Diego. Our talks were encouraging as we were able to bless each other on Friend Day, where you give a small gift to those that you would call your friends. We were able to share with one another all the various ways in which we saw God at work but in the team and through the team. Some might wonder if these kinds of discussions are necessary, but they are indeed because during the trip itself it is hard to have time to really think through what you are learning as you are busy with ministry.

Debriefing is also important because it helps prepare the team members for re-entry back home. Expectations can be raised dramatically as to how church ministry should be because for several weeks the team has been able to do ministry 24/7 with no distractions from school, work, or even mundane things like cooking and cleaning. It is a unique opportunity, but it can also be somewhat discouraging to come back because it seems like the ministry back home can be so slow and not as exciting. It relates to the heart being prepared more than anything, that there would be a killing of pride and nurturing of humility that all the lessons learned would not simply be used as a means of comparison to others but rather to grow in Christlikeness and to be more willing to serve the body.

We also had a wonderful time with Eduardo and Gloria Buldain, who brought their son Matthias along so that we could hear about their churchplanting ministry as well as their pastoral equipping ministry which they just started recently. The energy and vision for the future was exciting to see and hear and I personally was challenged to expand my vision for the future beyond even just what Lighthouse does but how we might also partner with others who have similar vision.

As we traveled back to San Diego, it was a similar feeling that I would experience coming back from a summer mission trip. There is a certain sadness in leaving the people that we have ministered with but there is also a certain excitement in looking forward to the future. One of the biggest encouragements was to see how our team was able to grow together and encourage each other throughout the pre-trip preparation as well as during the trip itself. My hope is that the team would take this experience and build toward the future by investing the lessons learned abroad into the church here at San Diego. And Godwilling, we will see our commitment to the MVP continue to grow.

Thank you all for your prayers, financial support, and encouragement!

by Kim Phan

One of the prevailing themes of A Gospel Primer and For the Sake of His Name is the glory of God. As we prepared for missions, it was a vital reminder that the goal of all things is to bring God glory. The goal of the gospel is not so much about man’s salvation, but it is about the glory of God. The Great Commission is not so much about making converts but it is about bringing people to worship the one true God.

A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent focuses on preaching the gospel to yourself daily. In this book, Vincent shows us that the gospel is not just for nonbelievers, but for believers as well. Giving us thirtyone reasons why we should do meditate on the gospel daily, he shows us how essential the gospel is to our daily life and how we can never exhaust the depths of it. We tend to struggle and strive on our own strength, falling into legalism and forgetting that our justification lies in Christ, not ourselves. This is why we need the gospel. As Vincent writes, “On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine,” (20).

In the second and third parts of the book, he writes out the gospel message in both prose and poetic form. In it, we see how God’s glory truly is the main goal of why Christ came to die for our sins. It was God’s glory that was magnified on the Cross as Christ bore our sins demonstrating His righteousness and it was for His glory that we have been saved so that we would live “to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12).

There are many, however, who do not live for His glory yet they profess to believe. They pursue their own idols rather than following Christ. This is one of the main issues Doran addresses in For the Sake of His Name. Doran says, “The Great Commission produces disciples, not decisions,” (77). It is not merely enough for people to confess that they believe in Christ, but forsake all to follow Christ. If God’s glory is truly supreme in missions, then we should want to see people give Him the glory that He so rightfully deserves. Yet today we see that the goal of missions is getting the most number of people possible to accept Christ, often at the expense of the truth of God’s Word. Doran reminds us that our first priority must be faithfulness to God over fruitfulness in our ministry.

Doran also shows us through the Word that the biblical pattern of missions is done through the planting of local churches. All through Acts, we see that Paul planted churches on his mission journeys and that he was even sent out by the church at Antioch to do the work of missions. It is through the local church where disciples are made and equipped. In this way, the Great Commission is fulfilled and God is glorified.

Missions is meant to be centered around God, not man. While we may want to see people be saved and may have a heart for a certain group of people, in the end, our goal is to see His Name be made known to the ends of the earth – for Christ died for us so that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:15). Soli Deo Gloria.

by Stephanie Lim

God gave me the great joy of ministering to the people of barrio 24 de Septiembre with half of our LBC team for two days. He was so gracious to provide opportunities to share His love and mercy with many, some who were hardened to the message and others who had heard it for the very first time.

The dirt-road streets and humble homes were familiar to me, because I had walked the same paths last summer as well. One of the first ladies I shared the Gospel with mentioned that she remembered seeing me walk in front of her home last year, but we didn’t meet or talk at all. (I thought, “How did she remember my face?” But I guess it’s not every day that an Asian girl walks around a Tucumán neighborhood…) By God’s sovereignty, He led me to her home this year. At first I felt like she wanted me to leave because she said she had heard the Gospel before and was opposed to it, but after conversing with her for an hour, I praised God in my heart as she slowly began to acknowledge her sinfulness and need for a Savior.

What brought me so much joy though was seeing the vital role the local church (IBM) has in that neighborhood. They faithfully follow up with these people and provide ways for them to hear from God’s Word through activities and Bible studies. I went to another lady’s home because her daughter attends the weekly children’s program in the neighborhood hosted by IBM, and one of the church members had her contact information. God was so gracious to us, because as my translator and I were sharing with her, she wanted to learn more and more about the Gospel since this was the first time she had heard it in its entirety. In the afternoon, I introduced her to one of the older ladies from the church, who encouraged her to attend the weekly women’s meetings in the neighborhood to get to know and learn from more Christians.

This neighborhood is so precious to me because I witnessed God’s grace and kindness before my very eyes. Praise Him alone!

by Keziah Kim

A bumpy, dirt road invited us into San Pablo. To our right side was what seemed like endless lush fields of sugar cane and to our left was a line of small homes that filled the barrios, or neighborhood. We stopped in front of Virginia’s humble home as she and several members of Iglesia Biblica Misionera affectionately welcomed us with the typical Argentine kiss on one cheek and a hearty embrace. After asking the Lord for His blessing and for His will to be done, we split off into groups which consisted of a Lighthouse member, a translator, and a member of IBM. We walked along narrow, dirt paths to share the gospel door-to-door in our designated area. Many children, in tattered clothing and covered in dirt from head to toe, wandered around the streets. Some of them were frightened to see a gringo while others were fascinated at the sight of an American in their obscure hometown. Taking my hand, some would ask, “How do you say this in English? How do you say that?” I recall one excited boy, thrilled to practice the one English phrase he knew, asking me repeatedly, “Hi! How are you?” We asked some of the children where their parents were. Most of them shrugged, responding, “They are at work.”

There is at least one church member of IBM residing in each of the barrios that our Lighthouse Team visits for the gospel campaigns. Virginia, a resident of San Pablo, has been a faithful member of IBM for years. Upon meeting her, I immediately noticed her abounding love for others and her gentle and quiet spirit. She is always beaming with a warm smile on her face, reflecting her steadfast, joyful heart. All of her belongings (mainly a bed, a refrigerator, a little plastic table, and a mini stove) filled her home, a single cramped room. Despite the little that she has, she constantly demonstrated her generous, giving heart. After our last morning campaign, she prepared and provided lunch for several of us. She then diligently spent that afternoon preparing and baking fresh bread in her outdoor brick oven. Her actions plainly revealed her desire to serve the Lord joyfully and diligently with all that He had given her. Not only did we notice, but so did the community of San Pablo. She is loved by the people there, many of them who are unbelievers. Weekly, children throughout San Pablo will gather at Virginia’s place for Sunday School where they learn about who God is and of His great love. It is no wonder that the people of San Pablo love her and perceive that she is different from other people. She constantly thinks of others before herself. When she was not serving her community in San Pablo, she took a long taxi ride out to the church to labor in the kitchen in order to serve us meals. One time, she tasted a little bit of the trail mix that our beloved home team had packed for us and she loved it. I had not yet eaten my little Ziploc-filled portion and wanted her to have it. Surprised she asked, “For me?” “Yes!” I replied. I was floored by her excitement as she remarked how much the kids of San Pablo will love it!

Virginia’s life is a testimony of God’s grace and of His great work in Tucumán, Argentina. The Lord is mightily using Virginia and other faithful members of IBM to make Him known. It was such a delight and privilege to have been a part of God’s grand plan by sharing the gospel with the people in San Pablo. Many of them are willing to listen and have softened hearts that desire a hope beyond this world. For the most part, the families with whom I was able to share were willing to listen and desired to hear the Good News. However, there seemed to be a lack of urgency and a shallow understanding of sin. Many of them do not see the need to repent, claiming to be a “good person.” One woman responded, “I believe this message but I am just too busy to really act upon it.” Jesus Christ is LORD and this is the message of hope that I am praying will penetrate their hearts.

I wrote in my journal on July 17, 2009 of how the Lord burdened my heart for the people in San Pablo. “I love San Pablo! I love Virginia!” God opened my heart to see the great need through a small glimpse of Virginia’s heart. In tears (while gently holding my arms) she urged me to pray for the people of San Pablo, that they would come to know Christ. She loves the people there so much; as I embraced her, I could not help but shed tears with her. The Lord grew my love for San Pablo and a desire to see Christ known among the people there. He also challenged me to ask myself whether or not I love my own community to the point of tears out of a deep desire for them to know Christ. Whether we are in San Diego or in San Pablo, my hope is that we would fervently desire Christ to be magnified and made known. I hope that we can join together in prayer to “Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,” (Ephesians 3:20), asking Him to glorify Himself and to make Himself known among the people in San Pablo as well as the people in our own communities.

by Teddy Yu

Hola a todos! Como están? *hug!* *kiss!*

That was how the team and I were greeted multiple times a day while with the church in Tucumán (known as IBM). Sure, such intimate and expressive greetings resulted in more than a couple awkward moments. But not only did it not take very long to get used to, it also quickly became a time that I looked forward to throughout the day. This was because their affectionate greetings were only a part of their expressions of love and joy toward us.

It was apparent from the first night we arrived that the church was extremely excited to have us there. As we entered the meeting place (salón), some church members greeted us with hugs and kisses while others lined the walls and back of the room cheering and singing their greetings. And this wasn’t a calm and collected, “Hello, welcome to Tucumán.” No, the members of IBM definitely made sure we knew how much they appreciated us. I saw team members who had gone previous years being greeted like children having returned home after being away for too long. The tears of joy and laughter they shared spoke of the depth of their shared affection. For a newcomer such as myself, it served as an appropriate introduction to the reputation of love that IBM so richly deserves.

One tangible expression of IBM’s love toward our team was clearly seen in the food that they provided for us. Each day, from morning to night, there was a team of IBM ladies (and Julio Lizarraga, a leader at the church) preparing, cooking, and cleaning for our meals. These meals included: breakfast (in addition to the breakfast from our hotel), lunch, tea and pastries, and dinner. And each meal was exquisitely delicious; from the hand-made empanadas (pastrylike dumplings) to the mounds of meat lovingly grilled by their grill master Marcelo Espeche. Also, the youth girls of the church served each of the meals, making sure that the members of LBC were served first and to full satisfaction before they would serve the members of IBM. They wanted to make sure that we had enough to eat so that we could better continue the work of missions. Such selflessness! Furthermore, the cooking and preparation of our food came at no small cost for some of the church members. Marcelo had worked extra hours beforehand so he could take time off from work to grill meat while we visited the Ahualles. In a country where work is hard to come by and money is not easy to earn, that’s a big deal. One of the church ladies, Virginia, walked and took a bus for two hours to get to church so she could help prepare our meals. Such examples of self-sacrifice just to have the opportunity to spend time with us were a common sentiment held by the church members of IBM.

Yet the provision of food, as delicious and abundant as it was, paled in comparison to how IBM loved us and welcomed us into their lives. We served as partners in ministry as our team came alongside their existing ministries in the barrios (neighborhoods) to go door-to-door and hold neighborhood outreach events. There were also plenty of occasions for playful fun from the park days to the traditional orange peel fight to the spontaneous cheering and singing and other “talent.” Additionally, we were privileged to join IBM in worship each Sunday and thereby have a glimpse of the transcendent glory of God as it overcame both culture and language differences. Yet we not only ministered alongside IBM, but we also had many opportunities to minister to the church members as well. Each member of the LBC team was enveloped by the various members from IBM as they opened their hearts and shared of their struggles and triumphs. Together, we mourned at the destructive power of sin and we rejoiced at the sweet grace of God that leads to life. And all of these aspects of serving together, serving each other, and worshipping God together flow out of our fellowship together as fellow believers in Jesus Christ. And indeed, it was this fellowship that we enjoyed and celebrated as brothers and sisters in Christ that was the sweetest blessing of all.

by James Lim

Iglesia Biblica Misionera of Tucumán, Argentina is not the typical church seen in the United States. They do not have a building with a cross at its highest point to indicate that it’s a church. They do not have colorful stain-glass windows or comfortable pews for the members. They don’t have a stage where the pastor preaches or a praise team to lead the members in singing with different musical instruments. While they may lack these exterior things of a church, they did not lack in their desire to meet regularly and to serve others in genuine love.

Our first Sunday together with IBM was held at a local park. People came at different times, but once everyone gathered, we started our worship service together. Although the setting seemed unusual, times of worship and studying of the Word was no different. We were worshipping God with songs of praise and we were all eager to hear the Word of God preached. Young and old, we worshipped our God together as one big family. After the service, we continued to have fellowship through wonderful meals and different sports activities for the entire day.

IBM was in the process constructing on their new church property. Please continue to pray for them as God uses IBM and their new church location to reach out to the people in Tucumán.

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.

by Yanina Valdez

Hi everyone! For those that don’t know me, my name is Debora Yanina Valdez.

I recently turned 18 years old and I’ve been a part of 4 different campaigns in the last 4 years!

It’s a great privilege to be able to serve in the Work of God in different ways this year. I wasn’t asked to go out to share the Gospel with the others but I was able to be a helper in the kitchen cleaning among other things. This helped a lot in my growth because in the mornings we would share about our quiet times with the rest of the people in the group.

I also give many thanks to God because every year He has something to make me change my life. This campaign, God helped me a lot in growing and has spoken a lot to me that I need to preach the Gospel everyday of my life and not forget it.

I saw the Lighthouse members speaking about how God is forming them and the work that He is doing in each one of them. I am very thankful to our Heavenly Father for the privilege he gave me to get to know them. The truth is if I hadn’t been walking with the Lord I would have never been able to meet people from another place, much less another country!

I am truly thankful for the support that LBC as a church are giving to our church. And as always, every campaign has been of great blessing. Each campaign bears its fruits.

Something that amazes me from seeing from every campaign is seeing my ministry leader. He was the fruit of a campaign a couple of years back and he says that he was a fruit of the campaign thanks to your guys’ help. You can imagine that you all helped in the growth of each and everyone person in our church!

The truth is that it is a privilege to be able to communicate our love in Christ that we share with one another.

I will end on a very happy note, giving so much thanks to God and the leaders of my church and Lighthouse.

I’ll be available next time that you need something from me. I don’t have much to give but I have my entire life and my gifts to serve and help those who need it.

by Emanuel Romano

Hi everyone! My name is Emanuel Romano, I am a member of IBM in Tucuman and I came to Tucucman in February of this year, and since then God has not ceased blessing me greatly as well as my family. In the beginning of the month of March I was challenged to work in the ministry with the young adults. It was something new for me, but even still I was motivated.

In His grace, God used me greatly despite the fact that we are not deserving of so much love. And the campaign this year helped me to discover that truly the work is outside but also it helped me discover that God is great and He does everything with a specific purpose.

When my parents divorced in 2002, I moved to Monte and there I had the opportunity to study English. During this time my heart was hardened and I began submerging myself in the trash of this world up to the point to even being addicted to drugs, which gave me problems at home.

After a long process, God molded my heart and showed me His love even when I didn’t deserve it. Thus I decided to submit all of me to Him and I truly experienced His love…by His grace God allowed me to collaborate and translate during the campaign, which I had never done before and it was a wonderful time sharing with each one of the members of the team. But what encourages me the most is that now has come the time to work because the ministry is growing because each campaign left its fruits and this one was no exception: in the young adult ministry we have 7 new people, and we are staring a soccer ministry with the people from the neighborhood for Juan Pablo. We are encouraged and there is much need.

We love you and we ask God that we would continue receiving His blessings. Pray for us; we have limited resources but we know that everything in the hands of God is worth much more. One of the challenges this year was starting an English workshop that would allow us to communicate on a basic but fluent level with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and this would be a useful tool in ministry. And we are definitely starting that up. Lately we have been getting around 10 people who are very motivated and at the same time motivate my life. It’s a great challenge that God has given me, so I ask you all that you pray for my life.

It was truly a pleasure enjoying the time of the campaign as a church. We were greatly blessed and it is the desire of our hearts to have blessings like this that promote growth, but even more, that challenge us to perfect us in His word. I sent you my greetings and I thank God for having used us in such a great way.

1.sam12:24/heb.6:10