News from Mariano & Fanny

Some of Christmas 2011

2012-01-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

Right after Christmas we received the visit from the Templeton family, serving in North Africa. We had a wonderful time together catching up as they were already gone when we were in Wisconsin this summer/fall. It is good to have friends around the world!

You may remember that Spain is not fond of Santa Claus. The 3 kings are the ones who bring presents to the children, as they did to Jesus. This year Teo and Tomas were brave enough to sit not their laps (not last year!).

9th EJE in MADRID

2012-01-20T03:46:00.000-08:00

And we couldn't find a better way to celebrate 10 years since our arrival in Spain than hosting an EJE (Youth Encounter). The weekend of December 2, 3 and 4 we celebrated our EJE # 9. It was a great experience in many levels, we praise God for everything we experienced. Here you can see a picture of the volunteer team: more than 50 young adults who dedicated their time, their gifts and their service to God and to others. In this occasion, we also received a team from Tarragona (North East Spain); they are planning to "import" the tool and implement it in that city. Some of the teenagers we are in contact with here in Tres Cantos experienced it for the first time and we also received youth from different parts of the peninsula and even one from Fez (Morroco) and Melilla (Spanish territory in North Africa). We praise God as we see Him using this tool to heal, equip and transform many students. To Him be the glory!

Advent Devotional book

2012-01-20T03:38:00.000-08:00

Once again this year, our Christian Community of Tres Cantos has used Fanny's devotional book as a daily advent reading. We've received a very positive feedback from the reading experience of many people (both last year and this year) not only from our local church but from people allover Spain and even from people who don't consider themselves followers of Jesus.

Ana (one of Fanny's classmates at her Masters), just to give an example, wrote her:

"Your book has truly helped me to connect with lots of past experiences in my relationship with God that I had forgotten. Thank you so much".

We are very impressed to see how God has used this little seed in the lives of many people and we acknowledge thet it's not us. It's Him, His Word and His Spirit who are working in them. We praise God to be co-laborers for His work.

Thanks to all who participate to make this possible. The books are almost all sold and we are planning a new edition for next year!

A new resource for children and families

2012-01-20T03:26:00.000-08:00

Last summer Fanny and other two coworkers -Miguel Angel Cano and Daniel Demai- joined efforts to produce a new resource for families: a CD with hymns and traditional Christian songs sang as lullabies. Efraín Ungría -musician and composer- joined the project and the CD saw the light in July.

And not only that: it is now a part of Splash! magazine issue #16, a magazine designed to share Christian values to children in a fun and creative way.

We praise God for this opportunity to continue to bless many families of this country through this new resource.

If anyone is interested in getting either one of them (the CD or the magazine), please contact us through email and we'll be happy to assist you.

November 20: an important day for Spain

2011-11-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

Next Sunday is an important day for Spain. It is national election day. These are the 2 most powerful candidates to the presidency of the country: on the left, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, from the Socialist Party. If he wins, he will continue the lead of Rodriguez Zapatero, the current president for the last 8 years (from the same party). On the right, Mariano Rajoy, from the Popular Party, from a more conservative and in some way related to the Catholic church party. Polls anticipate the last one is going to win this time. Still, a movement among the youth claim that both parties don't really represent them and are fighting for a more authentic democracy. The big issue is the crisis and unemployment. Here in Spain unemployment has passed 22% and continues to rise. Whoever wins has a big responsibility to lead this country during these uncertain times. Please pray for Spain, specially this sunday on election day, that God's will be done in this country.

Radvile

2011-11-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

Radville (on the left) is from Lituania and is staff with Agape there. She has asked to be transfered to Spain and she is raising support to come as soon as possible (her goal is January or Februrary). She would join our team in Tres Cantos and help us with EJE, the English Camp and other initiatives with students. Would you pray for her as she raises support?
She was able to attend to our national conference this year and here she is with Marilo, one of the students from Malaga who will come to experience EJE next month.

Youth Workers Prayer Retreat in Rome

2011-11-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

After the National conference, Mariano flew to Rome for a Youth Workers Prayer Retreat sponsored by Agape Europe. More than 40 people from 10 European countries gathered together for a time of prayer and teamwork.

Sharing and praying

Prayer walks and listening to a native Roman talk about the expansion of the Roman Empire.

Agape National Conference: Llamados

2011-11-11T13:42:00.001-08:00

Right after we arrived from the United States, we drove 8 hours up northeast to Girona, Spain (the closest spanish region to France) to participate in our Annual National Conference. This time, 200 people attended, including staff, volunteers/disciples and children. Some of our key volunteers from EJE decided to join us as well.

Ana was one of them, who we had the privilege to baptize a few years ago if you remember. She also took the lead of our youthgroup in Madrid (along with 3 other students) when we moved to Tres Cantos and she is now one of the key leaders in EJE and she also helped us this summer at the English Camp. At the Conference, she was invited to share her testimony among a group of university students. It was a blessing both for her and the audience. We are amazed to see her process in the journey of faith. Please pray for Ana. We've asked her to join us as an intern next year and she is prayerfully considering it.

Maria, Teresa, Blanca and Lidia are also key students in Madrid. We discipled them many years ago and they are now part of the EJE team and students at the University. It was great to reconnect with them after 3 months and see what God is doing in their lives.

Some informal times during the conference, catching up with our friends from Madrid.

One of the worship times

Yolanda is another faithful volunteer since we started the EJE ministry in Madrid. She is part of the leadership team and has been a huge help over the past 2 years. On the way back from the conference, she travelled with us in the car, so we had the opportunity to debrief and listen to her heart. She shared that the conference had been very thought provoking and that God had spoken to her heart in different ways.

Praise God for this wonderful time at the conference. Thanks for your prayers!

Ministry in Churches

2011-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a true blessing to be a part of three local expressions of the body of Christ in Wisconsin. We enjoyed every moment of it either at home groups, speaking at missions conference, sharing about our ministry at Sunday Services, staff meetings, with children and even more! We've been encouraged and blessed every time. Thank you Brooklife, Northbrook and Elmbrook!!!

At Brooklife...

At Northbrook

and at Elmbrook

Praise God for these three local churches, their leadership, their involvement in Global and Local missions and their faithfulness in partnering with us with the Gospel in Spain! What a privilege to be in the same team! God bless you!

Visiting coworkers

2011-11-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Wendel family has been coworker with us in Spain for the last 10 years (we arrived in Spain the same week back in 2001) and we've worked alongside them in Tres Cantos for the last 3 years. They were a key to start the English Camp in our city and planting the church as well. They are on home assignment now but they've been appointed as Regional Directors for Latin America with C&MA, their organization, so they will not come back to Spain after this year. We had the opportunity to visit them in Wheaton while we were in the States and talk about the future. They will be missed here in Tres Cantos and Spain not only by us but by the many lives they touched over the past 10 years. We know they are following God's will by taking this new position but it will not be easy. Please pray for them and for our team as we both adjust to the new reality. We will miss them! Praise God for this opportunity to spend time with them!

Our time in Wisconsin

2011-09-29T09:48:00.001-07:00

Mariano speaking at a Bible Study group

Fanny singing and sharing at Kidlife (Brooklife church) and being prayed for afterwards

One of the many meals we shared with so many friends.

Thank you Lord for these opportunities to share about Your work in Spain!!

Fun times

2011-09-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

At Timber-Lee Christian Camp

At Lake Michigan, having fun chasing seagulls

At Fond Du Lac

Apple picking in Mukwonago

Enjoying a Brewer game with our host family at Miller Park in Milwaukee

Thank you God for your wonderful gifts!

English Camp 2011

2011-07-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

For the third year, Mariano led a group of teenagers who were part of the Service Team at English Camp. Most of them are students from our city and are unchurched youth.

Snack time

Songs time

Meals time

Closure session at one of the city's sports facilities. Parents and grandparents come to see what the children have learned.

Service team at work

This year Mariano had a great team to help him lead the Service Team. From left to right: Stephanie, from Arizona; Rebekah (a coworker from Granada); Ana (former disciple at SOMA); and Samuel (Rebekah's husband, from Granada)

Thank you so much for your prayers!!

15-M movement

2011-06-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

May 15th began the protests in Madrid, Spain's capital. Today is June 10th and the "revolution", as they call it, continues. Thousands of people, primarily young people, have taken over the main square of the city (Puerta del Sol), which also surrounds the Zero Kilometer mark (where all roads in Spain begin), or the heart of the country. They are protesting out of frustration with the political system, feeling they are not being represented and have no voice. They are protesting the job shortage, particularly for recent grads, the overall economic crisis, and that nothing seems to be changing.

Please pray with us for Spain and for the young people of this country. Pray that they would see their need to be changed, their inability to do so alone, their need for a Savior and that their eyes and ears would be opened to the One who can and will bring about true change and peace in their lives and in the World.

Mom's break

2011-06-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Fanny continues to seek oppportunities to reach out to other young moms of preschoolers. Praise God for the door he is oppening. She believes the Master's in Counselling she' is taking will allow her to connect with these women in deeper ways and felt needs.

Fairwell to a great coworker

2011-06-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our friend and coworker Dawn (left in the picture) has worked with us for the past 5 years. She played a key role in our EJE leadership team and she proved to be a faithful servant in many ways. She is now going back to the States (her home country) to receive more training. She'll be gone for at least 2 years. We will miss her a lot! Please pray for her for this new season in her life and for God to bring more people like her to our team in Madrid.

Youth workers retreat in Switzerland

2011-06-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

In May we travelled to Basel, Switzerland where we gathered together with other European Youthworkers. 7 countries were represented: Germany, Estonia, Portugal, Switzerland, Holand, Italy, Austria and off course Spain! It was very encouraging to learn what God is doing to reach the youth in each particular context. Thanks for praying!

St. James' pilgrimage

2011-06-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

As we shared in our last newsletter, Mariano took a group of students from Tres Cantos to do a few stages of St. James' pilgrimage. It was a very positive experience for the whole group. They walked about 55 miles in 3 days.

The yellow arrow and/or the shell are all over the Camino indicating the way.

Taking a break
In one of the refuges where they spent the night
Praise God for this opportunity to experience authentic community and a great analogy of the Christian life.

EJE # 8 in Madrid

2011-06-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

In April, we celebrated our 8th EJE in Madrid. As always, it was a great opportunity to share the Gospel and share the light of Jesus with the youth of our city. This time, a nice group of student from Tres Cantos attended and they loved it!
In the picture, the volunteer service team.

And they turned 2

2011-03-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Tomás (left) and Teo turned 2 years old on March 19. It's amazing how fast they grow! We are sooooo thankful to God for the gift their lives are. Praise Him for these 2 years of learning, adjustments, growth, tiredness, joy, parenting...
Grateful and proud parents of twin toddler boys!

B.E.L.L.S.

2011-03-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

We continue to invest in the lives of some teenagers from our city, being available in their spiritual journey. Our aim is that B.E.L.L.S. {Bible, Eating (= community), Listening (from God and from each other), Learning and being SENT} will be a reality in each of their lives.

At the same time, we are mentoring Jaime and Raquel, a young couple, seminary students with whom we are sharing the task this year. Praise the Lord for them.

Youth workers training weekend

2011-03-23T08:48:00.003-07:00

One more time Mariano was the speaker/trainer for the YouthWorkers Weekend in partnership with the Association of Christian Educators. For this edition, 5 youth leaders from different contexts participated in these sessions and expressed being blessed and enriched by these contents and personal interaction.
Praise the Lord!

3rd EJE in Barcelona

2011-03-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

In late February the Barcelona team organized their 3rd EJE. Mariano travelled along with a group from Madrid (smaller each time) to continue to help in the development of this tool in that city.
21 students experienced EJE for the first time and more than 35 volunteers were part of the Service Team.
We praise God for his answers to many prayers and for the work He did in the lives of each person involved in this unusual weekend. We are surprised to see how He continues to use this tool for his kingdom!

Valentine's Day Dinner

2011-03-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

Each year our Global Ventures Association hosts a Valentine's day dinner for married couples. This year he had a record: 40 couples! Mariano worked really hard with the logistics between the speakers, the hotel, graphic design and invitations and he MC the event. Everything went really well and it gave us another opportunity to connect with more people in our city and strenghten existing relationships.

We praise God for oppportunities like this one.

Mom's break

2011-03-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Fanny has been feeling the need to start something with the moms of preschoolers in our city. She feels God is opening a door for ministry within this group. In January she started with a mom's breakfast, hoping to do it every month. Although only one mom showed up for the first encounter, she is really excited about the possibilities these meetings could have. And this one to one meeting was really meaningful. THere are several moms who have shown interest in this new initiative so we hope to continue to offer a time and space for these women to share and be connected. Please, keep praying for this project.

New AGAPE SPAIN website

2011-01-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

After a lot of hard work and effort, a team has launched a new website for Agape Spain. From there, you will be able to see the big picture of this national movement. Feel free to browse and take a look at it! Thanks a lot!

Our Christmas Time

2011-01-27T08:10:00.002-08:00

We enjoyed so much the Advent & Christmas season this year, with Teo and Tomás more ready to participate in our traditions. They learned some Christmas Carols (Tomás is still singing to himself "In Excelsis Deo" at bedtime!)

We read the Christmas story several times this year (in English and Spanish!)

We celebrated Xmas with argentinean friends and enjoyed being the hosts this year!

Traditions: pannettone (or sweet bread) is one of Betty's legacies (Mariano's mom). It's not Xmas if we don't have one of those home made breads in our table.

12Grapes: this tradition is learned in Spain. On New Years' eve, people are supposed to eat one grape for each bell ring anouncing the new year. Very few people make it!

Instead of visiting Santa, children visit The Three Wise men here. Well, at least one of them is sitting in each mall. Our kids weren't ready to do that. Tomás started crying when he saw the man with the custom and long beard, and Teo just greeted indiferently and walked away, as you see. Next year, maybe...

THree Kings Parade (the 3 wise men are called the 3 Magic Kings): Christmas ends in Spain with this festivity on January 6th. It is them who bring presents to the children. On January 5th there is a parade in every town, where the Wise Men appear and bring candy to the children before going into each house to bring presents.
Praise the Lord for a wonderful Christmas and the opportunities we had to share His love.

Advent Book!

2011-01-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

Finally, the Advent devotional book was published right on time to be used on the First Advent Sunday. Thanks for your prayers!

We've experienced that it has been a blessing for many people, and we even had the chance to share it with many non Christian friends. Besides that, it became the "official" Advent reading both at our family table and our local church, so we are very excited about this. We are so thankful to God.

We also had the chance to give one copy to the Public Library in our city and they received it with much enthusiasm and gratitude (and they even asked Fanny to sign it!)

But beyong that, we are joyful to have our #1 fan at home! ;)

File 0 in MADRID's EXPOCOMIC

2011-01-27T08:09:00.001-08:00

Many years ago we shared with you about a tool we were developing within our ministry. It was called EL SISTEMA, remember? Well, this tool has evolved and now it's called FILE 0 (file zero) and with the modernization of the new technologies, it has become more modern (should we say post-modern?) as well. It is a tool designed to reach this generation of stutdents with the Gospel spoken in a relevant way. Through a website, digital animation, challenges and other activities, it aims to reach those youth interested in Comic art.

Mariano and Dawn (another co-worker) had the chance to help the File 0 team from Barcelona to have a booth at EXPO COMIC in MADRID. We also took some of our students and volunteers to help at the booth. THey all did an excelent job in connecting with many students who stopped by the booth asking for questions.

We praise God for this tool. More info at: archivocero.net

7th EJE in Madrid

2011-01-27T07:43:00.001-08:00

In late november we hosted our 7th EJE in Madrid. In this opportunity, we had the largest volunteer number ever: 58 people serving! And 24 teenagers and young adults experienced it for the first time. We are really glad and grateful to God, to see him at work in the lives of so many students and also consolidating this tool.

Mariano, with the small group leaders.

A week after the Encounter, we gathered once again for a "post-EJE" event, to watch the video and remember the moments and experiences of the weekend. We had a great time and many people signed up to serve in the next eje.

THanks for your prayers!

Service Team unplugged

2010-11-17T03:46:00.001-08:00

One of the goals for this year has been to offer the English Camp Service Team participants (teenagers from our city) a safe place to hang out, build significant relationships with other adults, and explore what it means to follow Jesus.
We offer a monthly activity in which we begin to build trust through games and informal chats.
This year we have Jaime and Raquel, a young couple who are in Seminary, and willing to invest in others. We praise God for that.
Students seem to be very encouraged and grateful for the program. We ask your prayers for them and for us to gain wisdom, grace and creativity.

2nd EJE (Youth Encounter) in Barcelona

2010-11-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Later in octubre, Mariano travelled to Barcelona along with 10 volunteers from Madrid, to help in the 2nd eje in that city. It was a very good weekend, with about 25 students participating and another 25 serving (plus the 10 from Madrid)
The Barcelona team is almost ready to run the program on their own, so we praise God for that! (In the picture, the whole service team, 10 from Madrid and 25 from Barcelona)

Youth Workers Conference in Holland

2010-11-17T03:38:00.000-08:00

Right after pastor Fred's visit, we left towards Holland for a Youth Workers Conference, sponsored by Agape Europe. We took Daniel, Marta and Ana (from left to right in the picture), three people in which we have invested over the years. The three of them are part of EJE volunteer team. It was a great experience for them. They learned, they were challenged and they built relationships with other youth workers in Europe. For two of them it was the first time they participate in something like this so it was eye opening in many ways.

It was also good for us. We were encouraged as we listened what God is doing in other countries and we came back with fresh ideas and reinforced some we are already developing.

Besides, we took the chance to celebrate our 13º wedding anniversary back there. We praise God for his love and for the family he is allowing us to form in Him.

A visit from Arizona

2010-11-17T03:35:00.000-08:00

Early in october, we enjoyed the nice visit of pastor Fred Beasley from Arizona. We always feel blessed and cared when we have the opportunity to receive those who support us in a holistic way. We praise God for this time.

Norwegian TV

2010-11-17T03:31:00.000-08:00

While we were in Ligonde, we were interviewed by the norwegian television. They recently sent us the link where we can see the program. If you are interested, take a look: http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/683614/.
Our part goes from minutes 10' 40" till 12' 40".
Jose Antonio, one of the elders of our church is the one who speaks, but you can see Mariano at the table in some of the shots.

Our week in Galicia (La fuente del Peregrino, The Pilgrim's Fountain)

2010-10-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

First missionary trip for Teo and Tomas

Morning Devotionals with our team

Giving materials to the pilgrims

Hundreds of pilgrims walked by every day!

Dinner time, story time

Yellow arrows are all over the Camino, pointing the way towards Santiago, where the pilgrimage ends.

Some of the evangelistic materials we offered, plus the Jesus film DVD

Teo and Tomas wanted to help too

One pilgrim's comment in our guest book (click to enlarge).

Ligonde

2010-09-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Recently the City Hall inaugurated this monument which points the kilometers between Tres Cantos and Santiago de Compostela (652 km, about 404 miles). Tomorrow we are departing towards Ligonde, where we will be serving at La Fuente del Peregrino, the refuge Agape has 73 km from Santiago. We ask your prayers on our behalf so that this will be a very special week in the lives of many pilgrims seeking for truth.
Thanks for your prayers!!

Baptisms

2010-07-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

We praise God for Maria, Sarah, Ana and Stephanie who decided to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!

Graduation at BFA

2010-07-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

Katey Westergren

Yes, I'm the shortest!

English Camp 2010 Snapshots

2010-07-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

The whole English Camp (participants, moms, monitors and service team)

Members of the Service Team in action

The major closing the Camp at the graduation ceremony

One group with their monitor (teacher, in blue t-shirt) and a service team member (red t-shirt)

Mariano with the Service Team

Family

2010-07-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

Playing in the sand at the park: Teo (left) - Tomas (right)

Walking is and adventure!

Fun times at the pool

Baptisms day at Arroyo de la Angostura (northern Madrid)

World Cup Champions!

2010-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Wining the Soccer World Championship was a historic event. Spaniards celebrated with lots of joy and excitement their deserved triumph.

We watched the last game at home with some of the teenagers from the Service Team. It was great!

Then we went to celebrate to the main fountain of our city (where everybody was gathered) but Teo and Tomas fell asleep before we got there. This picture will be a good reminder -though- that they were there!

EJE nº 6 in Madrid

2010-05-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

We are very glad with the success of the 6º EJE in Madrid. This time, 21 teenagers and young adults experienced this "unusual weekend" and 43 people were part of the team. We are really surprised by God's intervention in the lives of the youth every time we run this ministry. We are already planning our next EJE in november and Mariano will travel to Barcelona in october to continue to assist the team there for their 2nd EJE. Thanks for your prayers. Please, continue to pray for the development of this tool in both cities.

Agape National Conference

2010-05-28T03:39:00.000-07:00

Early this month we had the privilege to gather in Torrox (a beach town close to Málaga) with our National Team. Under the motto "fulfill your ministry" (based in 2 Timothy 4:5), workers, volunteers and disciples enjoyed a good time of fellowship, worship, teaching and challenge.

We also had the opportunity to explain (well, not so much, you know it's all SURPRISE!) about EJE and share some testimonies. Here's Mariano with Marta and Ana, 2 young girls from the volunteer team, sharing what it meant to them to experience EJE and to serve on it.

Xacobeo 2010

2010-05-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

EJE (Youth Encounter) in Barcelona

2010-04-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Mariano with the two teams from Madrid and Barcelona. Together and with your prayers, the first EJE in Barcelona was made possible. Praise God!

Birthday Boys!

2010-04-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Teo and Tomas 1st Birthday in Argentina was very special for us.

Tomás

Teo

Sitting with Carmen, their only great-grandmother, as a symbol of all the extended family members who were waiting to meet them face to face, hug them and kiss them!! What a great blessing!

European Youth Conference (EASY) in Tres Cantos

2010-01-13T12:18:00.003-08:00

From December 27 to 31 we celebrated a European Youth Conference for teenagers in our city of Tres Cantos. We received almost 100 students from 11 countries (The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Israel, Spain and even Southafrica!). We gathered together for 4 days under the motto "Sharing the light" (Mattew 5:8)

Valentín Panojo is the Youth and Sports councilman of the city. He helped lending us the facilities and he give closure to one of the sports events. We are thankful for the doors this event opened for Mariano to connect with him in a personal level.

A dutch band (www.insalvation.com) led worship in a very powerful way

We visited serveral spots of the city offering a candle - symbol of Jesus' light- to the people walking by as we asked the question "How are you going to ignite your life in 2010?" We are thankful for all the conversations and people that were touched by this event.

A special Christmas Season

2010-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas with Teo and Tomás was very special.

We also enjoyed having Analía (Mariano's sister) with us during the holidays.

The Three Kings parade is something very important in the Spanish Christmas calendar. In Spain is the Three Kings (the Wisemen) who bring gifts to the children. Every town has its own parade in which the Three Wisemen (or Kings) appear and give candy to the children the they before they receive the important gifts (January 6).

This year Teo and Tomas enjoyed their first parade. Although they are not allowed to eat candy yet, they had fun watching the wisemen pass and the following day they enjoyed the presents (new highchairs and toys!).

A visit from USA

2009-12-31T12:17:00.001-08:00

Jason Webb's visit was really encouraging to us. We was with us during the busy EJE week but despite all the work we've been able to share very significant times together and dream about future partnership possibilities.

He was able to share words of encouragement and wisdom to our youth group too and it was really inspiring to listen to him. We praise God for him, for his family and for his ministry in Wisconsin.

Youth Encounter # 5 in Madrid

2009-12-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

We are please to share that in november 23 to 29 we celebrated our 5th eje in Madrid. It was a very good week both in those who experienced it for the first time (21 youth) and in those who served as volunteers (39 youth and young adults). Two stories are highlights of this special week: Fatima, who experienced eje last year 2008 and served for the first time this year. Through EJE, her youth group, her local church and christian friends, Fatima has been growing in the LOrd until last summer she decided to be baptized. It was a blessing to have her serving this EJE and see Jesus in her life. The second story is from Patricia, another Spanish girl who experienced EJE this time. At a specific time during the weekend, she decided to give her life to Jesus.
Stories like those encourage us to keep going with this tool that continues to be relevant in this culture. Thanks for your prayers!

Missions conference in Arizona

2009-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Our time in Arizona was very encouraging too. Not only we were able to introduce our kids to the congregation and give testimony of the miracle their lives are, but we shared about our ministry and the spiritual reality of our mission field. Here we are dressed up with the typical MADRID custom for festivities, called CHULAPO custom. Praise the Lord for HIS body around the world!

Mariano in Portugal

2009-12-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Mariano travelled to Lisbon, Portugal for a Euroepan Youth Task Force with other Agape staff. They discussed about challenges and opportunities of the ministry among students in each country represented and they dreamed about possible approaches. This picture was taken in the Vasco Da Gama Bridge, in Lisbon. From left to right: Mariano (Madrid), Marc (Barcelona), Daniel (Suiza), Vince (USA), Annete (Alemania) and on the floor, Eva (Barcelona) and Pedro (Portugal) took the picture.
We praise God for this encouraging and blessed time with other co-workers around Europe.

Discipleship

2009-10-26T12:38:00.001-07:00

Recently we have started a new discipleship group with some teenagers from our city. We are glad to see their response and enthusiasm each of them have. It encourages us to see their hunger for growth and meaningful relationships, their willingness to be part of a christian small group/community in which they can learn to be true followers of Jesus. Please pray for us so that we would be good mentors and shepherds to these kids.

EJE

2009-10-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

We are moving towards our 5th EJE in Madrid! This is exciting! These are the faces of some of the members of the Coordination Team. Recently, we were working with them to be able to have this outreach by the end of November. We need your prayers! It requires a lot of work, logistic and human resources to make it happen.

Visit from our directors

2009-10-26T12:36:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago we received the visit of our directors from Barcelona (Edi, National Director, and Marc & Eva, Student ministry directors). We spent a good time with them and our team, listening to the master plan and vision for the next few years in Agape. Please keep praying for Madrid team (working in 3 different geographic areas), for our directors and for the ministry of Agape allover Spain.

Celebrations

2009-10-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

October is a month of family celebrations: Fanny's birthday...

... and our wedding anniversary. We celebrated 12 years of marriage (and the first being a family of 4). We praise God for his faithfulness unto us.

Goodbye, hunch

2009-10-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

Madrid was really close to be chosen as host city for the Olympic Games of 2016. On september 27th thousands of madrileneans gathered to support the candidacy of the city. Finally, on october 2nd in Denmark, the International Olympic Commitee voted for Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

p.s.: The slogan for Madrid's candidacy was "I have a hunch"

English Camp 2009

2009-09-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

Go, service team!! Mariano with the 45 teenagers (or most of them) who were part of the Service Team @ English Camp this summer.

It was fun to serve! Helping prepare the snacks for the children and building relationships.

Helping prepare the materials for the children participants.

Filling and refilling bottles of water! It was really hot this summer and no air conditioning in the building.

And some team building too! With teenagers it is very important to build relationships and a sense of belonging.

Morning devotions and team meeting with the monitors.

The closure event at a Public Sports place with the parents. The city authorities came to close and congratulate the families and Global Ventures for a great work.

Thanks so much for your prayers! They were a key part!

Aunt Johanna

2009-06-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

We are thankful that Johanna has been able to come to meet her nephews and help us with the daily tasks with the house and the babies. She's been such a blessing to all of us. We'll miss her. We pray that the remaining uncles, aunts and grandpas will be able to meet Teo and Tomas soon.

Babies dedication

2009-06-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Last month we had a ceremony at our local church where we dedicated ourselves, our home and our children to the Lord. It was a very special time for us. We pray to be godly parents to our children and to be able to reflect Jesus with our lives.

Agape National Conference

2009-06-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

We travelled to Tarragona (northeast Spain) to participate in the Agape Annual National Conference. It was a great time of fellowship and connection with coworkers and God. Praise the Lord for that.

It was also a great chance to introduce our children to the rest of our team (most of them living in other cities)

The family is growing: it was the conference with the largest number of children in the last few years! Some of our coworkers are having babies too. Twelve new babies since last year's conference and lots of elementary schoolers.

Please remember to pray for the whole Agape Spain Staff (mostly Spaniards) working in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, Valencia and Malaga. Some of them are going through some difficult trials. Pray for spiritual and emotional health, our relationships, team work, different ministries represented, financial support and partnerships with other organizations and local churches.

Eje team

2009-06-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for EJE tool and for the steps towards out 5th event. Pray for the coordination team and for every youth involved in this outreach.

Teenagers

2009-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for the youth of Tres Cantos and Spain, that they will be able to know Jesus and learn to follow him.
(Mariano took this picture at an after school High School event, where one of the girls from our church sang.)

Three cups

2009-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

We've been in Spain for 7 and 1/2 years now and Mariano always thought that he should find a Spanish soccer team to cheer. But it was too hard to choose another one appart from his argentinean team Club Atletico Independiente, which he cheered all his life. He finally thought that before the boys were born he should made his choice so that they will cheer the same team (after all, they will be more Spanish than Argentineans). So he choose BARCELONA FUTBOL CLUB, were the argentinean player Lionel Messi (in the picture) plays. And it happened to be that this year the team won the 3 cups possible: the National League, the King's Cup and the UEFA Champions League. It's the first time in the history of the spanish football (soccer) that a team makes it to win the 3 cups.

Trip to Granada- Red Bull Team

2009-05-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Recently Mariano travelled to Granada to join the "Red Bull" Team. Above, from left to right: Joel, Joan Armand, Garrick, Mariano. Below: Eva, Marc and Dziu.
The group was formed to help develop the ministry resources available to Agape so that the ministry can be a catalyst for starting new ministries and movements to reach Spain. Two of the areas that we will be working on to build resources for reaching Spain are developing funds for the national ministry and also constructing a missional training course that will help to train people in launching cross-cultural ministries.

Grandma's visit

2009-05-10T02:05:00.000-07:00

We praise God that Fanny's mom was able to take a month off from work and come to Spain to help us with the babies. She was a huge help for all of us and it was great for the boys to be able to meet their grandma.

Doubly blessed

2009-05-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

On March 19th we were doubly blessed with the birth of our twins, Teo and Tomás. We are so thankful to the Lord for these two "little" miracles in our lives.

Teo was born at 12:20AM, weighting 6 pounds and 18 ounces, and 18.7 inches long.

Tomás was born at 12:25AM, weighting 6 pounds and 22 ounces, and 18.9 inches long.

We pray and praise along with the author of Psalm 40 "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and thell of them, they would be too many to declare." (Psalm 40:5)

Thank you for rejoicing with us! We feel loved by all your prayers, emails, cards, gifts we've been receiving. What a blessing to be part of His family all over the world!

Training Youth Leaders

2009-03-11T15:17:00.001-07:00

As we've been doing for the last 3 years, we continue to train local church based youth leaders from Madrid and other areas of Spain, in partnership with the Association of Christian Educators.

Last month Mariano taught at the 4th Edition of the 1st. Training Weekend for Youth Educators and he had 7 participants on it.

Two of these youth leaders (Esteban and Liliana) completed the 3 weekend cycle and "graduated" from the program. Churches and leaders are showing quite an interest in this training and some of them are even saying that they want a 4ths module, instead of just 3. So we believe that God is using us and these materials to multiply what He has given us and to be a blessing to the whole body of Christ. Praise God!

Discipleship

2009-03-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

Mariano has started to meet with Dany for discipleship, a young boy who came to Christ a couple of years ago, through EJE and other experiencies. They are studying the book Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. They are having very interesting discussions and this material is helping them think about Christian Spirituality and what it means to be a follower of Jesus in this broken world and in daily life.

EJE retreat

2009-03-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

Last month we had a retreat with most of the youth from Madrid who have been involved in EJE for the last 3 years.

Through music, drama, small group sessions and informal conversations we had the opportunity to continue to build and strengthen the team in order to be ready for our next event.

We praise God for this wonderful time and for these core group of youth who are willing to pay the price of following Jesus and reaching others.

Let it snow!

2009-03-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

There is a saying here in Spain that goes as follows: "Año de nieves, año de bienes." Roughly translated that works out to "A year of snowfalls is a year of blessings."

Although it doesn't snow much in Madrid, this winter has been particularly snowy. We had at least 4 big snowfalls this year (of course after living in Wisconsin for a year, the concept "big snow" is a little different for us than for the Spaniards), and people enjoyed them a lot since it is something unusual.
Our prayer is that this saying will be true this year in the spiritual lives of many people here. Please continue praying with us for that.

Women's outreach

2009-03-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

Once a month as part of the church plant initiative, we organize a special event for the women. We do some kind of craft or practical activity, we have a guest speaker and later we have dinner.

In January Fanny was invited to be the speaker to this group. She taught about personal development, new year's resolutions, and how to find balance and set goals in every area of our lives. She also had the opportunity to speak about spirituality and a God-centered life.
The response was very positive even among the "seekers". Praise the Lord for that.

Atheist Campaign in Spain

2009-02-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

Atheist bus ads launch in Spain

by Ethan Cole, Christian Post

Posted: Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 16:09 (GMT)/
Source: Christianity today

The anti-God bus ad campaign has now spread beyond the UK to the primarily Catholic nation of Spain and was also scheduled to start appearing in Italy next month.

In Spain, where 94 per cent of the population is Roman Catholic, buses started on Monday to carry the same atheist slogan as the London buses, according to Agence France-Presse. Buses on two routes in Barcelona display the message, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life,” translated into Catalan.

Atheists in Spain say they plan to expand the campaign to the rest of the country.

In MADRID:

Atheist bus campaign reaches Madrid

Submitted by admin on 26 January, 2009 - 08:24.

Unión de Ateos y Librepensadores reports: From Monday January 26 2009, buses on routes 1 and 17 will be on the move in Malaga bearing the slogan "Probablemente dios no existe. Deja de preocuparte y disfruta la vida” (There's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life). Also, on Tuesday 27 January 2009, the bus advertising campaign will begin on routes 3 and 5 in Madrid.

--------------

Please, continue to pray for postchristian Spain and Europe. Thank you!

Youth research

2008-12-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

We've been meeting with some key Christian teenagers of Tres Cantos in order to learn more about the spiritual reality among the youth of the city. We want to listen to them and know their own and their friends' needs to see how we could best serve them and help them in their walk with the Lord. Please pray for direction as we seek God's will for the youth of Tres Cantos and how we can join Him in His plan for this city.

Ministry with the local church

2008-12-30T06:46:00.000-08:00

In December we had the privilege to share the word of God at our small fellowship during the Advent season. We were asked to speak about Zachariah and Elisabet. We think God answered our prayers and used us as we shared about this story in the Bible and our personal journey as well.

EJE monthly gatherings

2008-12-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

We continue with our monthly gatherings as a follow up activity for the youth that participated in EJE. Although not all of them decide to continue to meet, the percentage is pretty high and these meetings are a great tool to create community. Please continue to pray for our next EJE event as we decide the best dates to host this outreach weekend.

The Significant Woman

2008-12-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

In November, Fanny was invited to join other Agape staff women to experience and receive training in a new discipleship tool: The Significant Woman. It was a great time of learning and fellowship with women working in different cities (Barcelona, Seville, Madrid and Málaga).
The conclusion was that the material was good enough to translate, adapt and try it in our own contexts. Fanny was asked to translate the whole book. That's a huge responsibility! So please, pray that God will give her wisdom and anointing from the Holy Spirit to do this translation work. We pray that this tool would be a blessing to many women in Spain as they learn to have a meaningful life following Jesus.

Visits from Wisconsin

2008-12-29T05:43:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed our time with Mark and Moira, friends from Wisconsin who came to Madrid to visit their son Andrew. We had a wonderful and encouraging time together.

Interesting facts: Christmas and Spain

2008-12-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

Here's what Raymond Ebbett, director of C&MA Spain wrote a few days ago, regarding the Christmas Season in Spain:

Yesterday morning in Spain everything ground to a halt for more than four hours. On December 22nd the entire country is glued to their radios and TV sets. Few things throughout the year cause more excitement and anticipation. This key event is said by some to really mark the beginning of the Christmas holidays (which in Spain run from Dec. 22nd to January 6th). What is this big event? It's called "El Gordo", the "fat one" or loosely translated, "the really big one." It is the Spanish Christmas lottery and it is literally the richest lottery in the world, with over $3.2 billion in tax-free prize money distributed this year. (Click here to see video and BBC news report.) Tickets were sold online in more than 140 countries and were purchased by four out of every five Spanish residents.

With all the hoopla over "El Gordo" we cannot help but think of the true, eternal riches we have in Christ, and the fact that so few people in Spain have yet to discover the real reason to celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

A little bit of our Christmas

A leg of smoked ham is a typical Christmas present here in Spain. This year we received one of those.

Mariano, teaching the kids (our coworkers' boys) how to cut the leg in a Spanish way.

The Christmas lights downtown Madrid.

Fanny made "pannettone" (a sweet bread most Argentinean families eat for Christmas and which Mariano's mom used to bake every year) to give to some friends.

Thanksgiving event

2008-11-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

As we have American coworkers, Thanksgiving- the American holiday- is a good opportunity to communicate some Christian principles, like Gratitude. With Global Ventures, the non profit organization we partner with, we use this event (an others during the school year) as a follow up activity for the Summer English Camp. It's a great tool to stay connected with the kids and the families who participated.

Parents and children learned about Thanksgiving and made crafts together

Fanny and Betty helped the children decorate cookies

Mariano (along with Charlie) was the official photographers.

We organized this event in the Casa de Cultura (the cultural branch of the City Hall) as a "Cultural Event" but we were able to say that we are thankful to God, who gives us every gift. The people's response was pretty good. About 80 individuals came and participated.
Please continue to pray for this kind of events that help us connect with people in natural ways.

Back in Spain

2008-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends! Sorry it has taken us so long to update this blog, but the first 2 months in Spain have been really busy with our resettling process. Plus, we didn't have internet connection which make this updates really difficult. We are more settled now and enjoying this new season for our lives and ministry.
The two pictures you see here are:
* Tres Cantos' shield
* A satellite map of the city
Why are we showing these to you? Well, so you can pray for us and this city, because for this new term of service in Spain we will be focusing in the city of Tres Cantos, in the north area of Madrid.

Why Tres Cantos?

* It's a city of about 50,000 people and only 3 local churches
* It's also a very strategic place as 30% of the population are under 15 years old.
* It is a well delimited city (geographically), which allows us to have a more effective and holistic ministry with the youth and their families.
* UAM (Autonoma University of Madrid) is only one train stop away and there's a large population of university students living in Tres Cantos
* There are many opportunities to serve the Community and to share the Gospel in very natural and relevant ways, through our daily life and significant relationships

What will we do?
* We are joining a small community of believers, "La Comunidad Cristiana de Tres Cantos", a church plant initiative from the Christian & Missionary Alliance that has started not so long ago. We will continue to partner with this organization as we've done in the past, not only within the local church but also with their non-proffit association "Global Ventures", through English Camp and other programs.
* As Agape (Campus Crusade) Staff we will seek for opportunities to connect with unchurched youth (win), to disciple young christians (build) and to train youth leaders (send) among High School and University students from this city.
* We will continue to develop EJE (Youth Encounter) in the whole Madrid area and beyond.
* Our aim is to raise a family (with the 2 babies on the way) that will be a light in the darkness and bring glory to God in this city and nation.

We appreciate your prayers!

Keep reading!

2008-11-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a brief summary of what has been going on since our arrival. Thanks for your interest, prayers and support!

Youth Leadership Training

2008-11-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

For the 3rd year in a row, we organized and taught at the Third Training Weekend for Youth Educators. Ten youth leaders from Madrid, Valencia and other areas of Spain participated this time, and 4 of them completed the 3 weekend cycle and "graduated".

It was a very interesting and fruitful time. It's a privilege for us to be a blessing to these leaders from different contexts. Thanks for your prayers!

We've moved!

2008-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

After living at another coworker's house for a month, and after a long and exhausting search, we found and rented an apartment that fits our ministry and personal needs!
Praise the Lord for his provision.

EJE leadership team reencounter

2008-11-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

It was good to reconnect with the EJE (Youth Encounter) leadership team in a one-day retreat. After over 7 months since our last Encounter, there was a lot of excitement about planning for the future and continuing to use this tool to reach the youth of Madrid. Although we miss 2 couples who are part of the team (one in the US for home assignment and the other in Argentina for a sabbatical) we had a great time together with fellowship, visioning, planning, brainstorming and scheduling for the next event.

SOMA: Next step

2008-11-03T03:33:00.000-08:00

As you may remember, before we left for our year of home assignment, we trained 5 young adults in order to be in charge of Soma, the youth group of our local church we had been leading for more than 3 years.
It was good to come back and see that these leaders did a great job. Although it has not been an easy year for the church in general, this group remain united, healthy and growing. Praise the Lord and thanks for your prayers!

We got together with them to evaluate the past year and the conclusions were pretty positive. One of the girls said: "Having the responsibility to lead this group made me realize that I really like working with teens". They all agreed that they learned a lot about team work and discipleship. So they will continue to lead this group as our work among them is finished.
Please pray for wisdom as we try to find the best way to continue to serve and bless these young leaders.

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to this dear congregation. The elders and the church commissioned us for our work in Tres Cantos and the youth said words of blessing for us. It was a very special service that will keep in our hearts.

Teams

2008-11-01T03:30:00.000-07:00

This year we will be working closely to this team from the C&MA: Tim & Melanie Wendel (from the US) are planting the local church we will be helping, and Charlie & Becky Buhler (from Canada) have come this year as interns.

As part of Agape (CCC) we will also work closely to Dawn (first to the left) as we try to reach the students of the city. Marc (next to Mariano) and Eva (next to Fanny) are our ministry directors from Barcelona. They came to spend 2 days with us for strategic planning for 2009.

We praise God that we are not working alone but with other committed and faithful workers.

Interesting Facts: Beijing 2008

2008-08-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Just for fun: Take a look at how Spain and Argentina did it in the Olympics (click the links below)

Spain's Medals - Beijing 2008

Argentina's Medals- Beijing 2008

Plane crash in Madrid: 153 people die

2008-08-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Please pray for the people of Madrid and the families affected by this tragedy. Here's an article from BBC News explains the accident:

August 20th, 2008

The death toll from a passenger plane crash at Madrid's Barajas airport has risen to 153, Spain's government says.

Nineteen people survived when the plane swerved off the runway but some are in critical condition, said Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez.

It is thought the left engine caught fire as the Spanair flight took off for the Canary Islands at about 1420 (1220 GMT) with 172 people on board.

Helicopters dumped water on the burning plane and some 70 ambulances attended.

Spain's development minister told a news conference that investigators had ruled out foul play and considered the crash an accident.

As night fell, recovery teams were still removing bodies from the crash site, which is now silent and in darkness, except for the occasional flashing blue lights of emergency vehicles, the BBC's Steve Kingstone in Madrid says.

See satellite image of airport

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero cut short his holiday in the south of the country to visit the scene of the crash.

Speaking at the airport, he said: "The government will make all its efforts to support the families in this hard moment as they have received the news of such tragedy."

Safety record

Spanair flight JK 5022, bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, came down during or shortly after take-off from Terminal Four at Barajas.

According to Spain's airport authority, Aena, the plane had been due to take off at 1300 but its departure had been delayed.

He said Spanair had a very good safety record.

Reports say it was the first crash at Barajas airport, some 13km (8 miles) from central Madrid, since 1983.

Thanks for your prayers.

2008-08-13T12:50:00.001-07:00

Our Time in Argentina

We've been in Buenos Aires for 2 months already. Our 3 priorities have been FAMILY, CHURCH and FRIENDS.
Here are some pictures of those moments...

Time with Family

2008-08-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

(click to see a bigger picture)

We asked you to pray for a joyful time with our extended family in Argentina, and God certainly responded that prayer. After 2 years of not seeing them face to face we have taken advantage of every opportunity to spend time with them. We have lots of memories already! Praise the Lord for the gift of family.

Time with Church

2008-08-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had several opportunities to spend time and reconnect with our church, in various activities, programs and gatherings. We also had the chance to share about our ministry and teach.

Time with friends

2008-07-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

God gifted us with wonderful moments to catch up with dear friends and some supporters. It has been a real blessing to us.

Please pray for our home country of Argentina

2008-06-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

It was shocking for us to return to our home country after 2 years and see it experiencing a crisis similar to the one it faced 7 years ago. Conflict between government and farmers, who are the basis of our national economy, is the main reason for the crisis.

There have been several popular manifestations on the streets in the country's main cities. The middle class asks the government to start a dialogue with the farmers and to come to an agreement soon.

Here's an article from the New York Times explaining the situation our country has been facing over the past 3 months. We appreciate your prayers for our nation in this particular time.

Conflicts Hang Over Argentine Leader

(published by The New York Times on May 26th)

By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
Published: May 26, 2008

BUENOS AIRES — These could be giddy times for Argentina and its first elected female president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Prices for agricultural commodities are soaring, consumer spending has been rising and foreign investment is flowing in.
Some 300,000 farmers rallied in Rosario, about 190 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, on Sunday to protest what they said was the government’s failure to support the country’s rural interior.
But through five troubled months in office, Mrs. Kirchner is struggling to break free of the curse of Argentine leaders past: the failure to govern successfully in the good times.
The economic strategy designed by Mrs. Kirchner’s husband, Néstor Kirchner, who preceded her as president, is showing increasing signs of strain. The president has so far refused to change course, which has helped to define the early part of her four-year term.
Rising inflation has become the preoccupation of many Argentines. A two-month conflict between the government and farmers over increased export taxes has weakened Mrs. Kirchner’s popularity and caused fissures in her Peronist party. And with winter just weeks away in South America, Argentina’s chances of avoiding another energy crisis like last year’s might come down to weather and the generosity of neighboring Brazil, which pledged to export some electricity.
Even Mrs. Kirchner’s speech on Sunday on the anniversary of Argentina’s May Revolution did not live up to her ambitions. A “social pact” she had planned to announce with labor unions and other groups to battle inflation did not happen. Instead, Mrs. Kirchner was overshadowed by a huge rally organized by farmers’ groups, which have become almost a nascent political movement in recent weeks.
Mrs. Kirchner had billed May 25 as a chance for Argentines “to leave behind once and for all 200 years of failures and frustrations.” But instead of announcing anything new in her speech of about 15 minutes in the northern city of Salta, she recited the accomplishments of the past government.
She made no direct mention of the conflict with farmers.
Across the country in Rosario, an estimated 300,000 flag-waving farmers staged a demonstration. They took on the president for failing to support the rural interior of the country. “Mrs. President, don’t lie to us anymore,” said Alfredo de Ángeli, president of the Entre Ríos chapter of the Argentine Agrarian Federation. “You don’t know how to run this country.”
Mrs. Kirchner, a former senator who was handily elected president in October, is seen as a modern-day Eva Perón. She promised to continue the country’s prosperity and adopt additional social programs to redistribute wealth.
Mr. Kirchner became hugely popular after he revived the country from a crippling economic crisis in 2001 by devaluing the peso; subsidizing transportation, energy and food; and using taxes on agricultural exports to amass revenue. The economy has grown by more than 8 percent every year since 2003 and added more than 3 million jobs. Many private economists expect that growth rate to fall this year.
Almost from the beginning, Mrs. Kirchner’s administration has been defined by conflict. Just days after she took over in December, a Miami prosecutor announced a controversial case involving a suitcase containing about $800,000 that he said was intended as a campaign contribution to Mrs. Kirchner from Venezuela’s government. The Argentine president reacted furiously, and the resulting diplomatic row strained relations with the United States.
Then in March, the Kirchner government raised agricultural export taxes for the second time since October. The farmers reacted with a crippling strike that shut down many roadways, caused domestic food shortages and made international buyers nervous.
Mrs. Kirchner viewed the farmer protests as a political threat. To the producers, the tax increases were “the equivalent of telling someone that you are going to go bankrupt at some point over the next four years,” said Alfonso Prat-Gay, a former chief of Argentina’s central bank who was the economic adviser to Elisa Carrió, the opposition candidate defeated by Mrs. Kirchner in last year’s election.
The prolonged conflict has caused Mrs. Kirchner’s popularity to sink from 70 percent to close to 50 percent, according to Eurasia Group, a risk consulting firm in New York. “Without a doubt, damage has been done,” said Julio Burdman, a political analyst here. “The Kirchners’ own supporters, union leaders and provincial governors, are starting to question them.”
Agustín Rossi, the head of the Kirchners’ Peronist congressional delegation, defended Mrs. Kirchner, saying she tried early on to propose solutions that would tax smaller-scale and larger-scale farmers at different levels.
With prices for food and other items rising rapidly, ordinary Argentines are having a tough time accepting official government statistics, which many private economists believe are being manipulated.
These uncertainties have led some middle-class Argentines to cash out savings accounts to buy dollars, a sign they think the government is troubled. Those exchanges are spurring fears that the government will freeze bank accounts and prevent withdrawals of dollars, in a repeat of the economic measures taken in 2001 to stop a bank run.
Mr. Rossi dismissed such fears, noting that the country has $50 billion in reserves, compared with less than $10 billion in 2002. But he said the government will have to make changes.
Argentina’s economic policies are beginning to limit foreign investment. While foreign direct investment in Latin America increased 46 percent in 2007, Argentina’s investment rose only 14 percent, badly trailing Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru, according to a study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, the conflict with farmers is unresolved. Last week, the farmers ceased their second round of strikes to resume negotiating. But the government remains unwilling to yield on the export tax issue.
Mr. de Ángeli of the farmers’ federation said Sunday that if on Monday “there are no solutions, we will take action on Tuesday.”

2008-06-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our last month in the U.S.

May was our last month in the U.S.

Here are some highlights of our time there.

Goodbyes

2008-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Lord gave us the opportunity to say goodbye to many of our friends, pastors, and supporters. We are thankful for that...

With Matt, one of the pastors at Brooklife, the brand new church we've been helping to and learning from over the past several months.

With Paul, mission's pastor of one of our supporting churches.

With Dave & June, dear friends.

With Northbrook missions commitee.

With Tony, dear friend.

We'll miss you all!

Resources for ministry

2008-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generosity of several brothers and sisters in Christ, we were able to purchase this software we needed for our ministry. With this tool we will be able to continue to develop, design and publish educational materials for youth in a more professional way. Praise God!

At the Mission Café

2008-06-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

We also had the chance to share about us and our ministry with people who stopped by at the Mission's café at our church. It was good to have this opportunity and another way to say goodbye to several friends.