We are heading toward the States for a year of itineration this month and this is our last newsletter from Argentina. Over the previous four years, we have been committed to our God-shaped call to serve Him and the people in this nation. We will continue this commitment, practicing discernment and obeying what God has ahead of us. Pray with us to be able to join God’s transformational work and discover new paths of practices and service for His glory.
Gilbert & Virginia teaching a seminar and workshop for couples in Cordoba: Building healthy marriages
“Personally, what I expected from this workshop, was what I expect from everyone else talking about marriage: that they would speak about the languages of love, assertive communication, setting a date-day for the couple, etc. That is, the things that are usually said in these proposals. But with Gilbert and Virginia I came across another proposal; with something much deeper: understand marriage from the biblical point of view, the tremendous responsibility we have as married couples to witness the values of the Kingdom of God. Also, to spend some time reviewing and reflecting on my childhood, review my history, to understand and take responsibility for my reactions instead of just focusing in trying to change my spouse. This workshop has been profound, biblical, practical; a tremendous blessing to have the opportunity to participate in it. Impossible to leave with the same vision of marriage with which I entered.” Natalia Aluen Shindler
Training Healing the Wounds of the Heart
Virginia is a facilitator-in-training of the Trauma Healing Institute (American Bible Society), and she offered twenty (20) hours of training to twenty-one (21) pastors and church planters in Posadas, Misiones.
Gilbert offered practical training on topics such as “prevention and dealing with burn-out” to finish well in ministry
“The training, ‘Healing the Wounds of the Heart’ that Gilbert and Virginia Contreras brought to our city has helped us as spouses to listen to each other attentively, share our wounds and accompany us in the process we are living as a family in ministry. We were able to grieve for the things that didn't come out for us in these 10 years of ministry and renew our expectations for what's coming with greater clarity and depth.” Pastor Zebadias & Florencia Escobar
“I want to recommend this training because we need to go back to a biblical approach to deal with suffering and hurt people. It is very important to be biblically prepared to approach people's pain in a healthy way when they ask us: Why do we suffer if God is good and almighty? Why do so many men and women who serve God end up with scandalous falls and so bad with God? Therefore, what Gilbert and Virginia brought to our city is so valuable—starting with creating a space where we can be vulnerable, going through practical and reflective times to express our pain and frustrations, and using biblical tools to begin a path of sanctification and healing. At the end of these training days, all of us we left changed and with renewed strength.” Pastor Enrique Boillat
“I have been a pastor for more than 20 years. I have participated in many retreats and workshops. Still, by participating in this one, I have strengthened concepts about wounds, grief, and forgiveness from a biblical point of view like never before. I observe the need in our churches and pastors to work on these issues. Unfortunately, false teachings predominate in our midst that does not allow the development of healthy churches. Therefore, I encourage these courses can be taught in more places. In addition, and this is on a personal level, I was ministered in a very specific way in situations lived lately, finding freedom.” Pastor Hugo Núñez
Gilbert’s devotional at the Instituto Biblico Mediterraneo
“We are so grateful to Gilbert. Wonderful, his devotional exceeded our expectations because, as is customary in Gilbert, he also gave us a lot of resources and tools. To see students so responsive, taking notes, interacting. It was also mobilizing to see the students signing a pledge to be a spiritual friend and to walk together following the Lord. Amazing! I want to emphasize again that it was excellent because it was a biblical grounded devotional, and at the same time, the application was so useful. Especially because we have small groups at our bible school, and everything Gilbert gave us helps us a lot to keep growing in this area.” Instituto Biblico Mediterraneo, Academic Dean
Virtual Congress of AG Sunday School- Bolivia
“Virginia, we are so grateful to God for your life, for this time invested to transmit your seminar in our virtual congress. God, continue to expand your ministry and all the work you do for the extension of the Kingdom. On our part and for all the SS teachers in Bolivia, we send you this certificate as a token of appreciation for your contribution to our teaching work in the local churches of our country.” Lucia O. Zapana, AG Sunday School National Secretary, Bolivia
COVID-19 Prayer Guide
At the onset of the pandemic, Pastor Dominic Yeo in Singapore launched a global prayer initiative that has been leading the world to pray through the pandemic. We have been in partnership with them since the beginning, and for 110 weeks, we worked on the weekly translation of the prayer guides into Spanish. It has been an encouragement to receive expressions of gratitude from churches in Spain and Latin America that let us know that this resource was vital for their prayer meetings during the pandemic. Recently the last prayer guide was issued. God has been faithful!
Virginia’s latest sermon at our local church in Cordoba
Title: United by faith, not by fear: listening, believing, and acting to be of influence
Link sermon in Spanish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Sp1ne-16I
Podcast “Terminando con la Trata” (Ending Human Trafficking)
Virginia and I believe that a well-designed prevention resource will reduce the crime of Human Trafficking in our cities, improve advocate's performance, and strengthen and motivate the abolitionists in our midst.
Prevention through the educating our audience in over 55 countries with the purpose of intervening before HT effects occur, for screening to identify potential victims in the earliest and for networking through collaboration among our listeners.
Gilbert’s latest sermon at our local church in Cordoba
Title: BUILDING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TO BE OF INFLUENCE
Link sermon in Spanish (starts at 1:10): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cW7C1yZCo8
“Thank you, Gilbert, for all the heavenly truths you have taught and reminded us of. May God help us treasure them in our hearts and put them into practice.” Carlos Olmedo
Prayer Requests: Time of itineration: We return to the US mid June and will be traveling extensively throughout Southern California.
- Pray for travel safety.
- Pray for divine appointments.
- Pray for additional financial partners
