WE ARE GROWING!!!

Beyond Our Limits!
Our student body is growing!  We have seen and felt the need to expand.  Not only are we having to defer to a waiting list for married students, but we have no adequate childcare facility.  With more married students come more children.  They're adorable, and they need a spacious and fun place to be while Papi and Mami are in class.
This is one of two projects that we're praying can become a reality soon!  A large family center which will include six to eight married student apartments and an adequate childcare facility.

Growth is a Good Thing
This "growth problem" is a new, exciting, and also disappointing experience for us.  It is disappointing to have to tell young couples and families that there is no room at this time.  The good news is that we have the property!  The land is ours and paid in full.  All we lack are the funds to begin building.  Please pray that we can raise the funds quickly for this very important project.  Plans are underway!

If you saw the picture in our last post which showed the large crowd at our graduation, then you may also have read about the need for a large hall where we can have our graduations and other important events.  This building has already been started.  Our home church, Destiny Christian Church, in Rocklin, CA, came in 2016 and put up the roof.  The next phase will be to pour the cement floor.  

This building is to be a gym/chapel or event hall that will be great for hosting large crowds of up to 400.  It will be so good to be able to have this, not only for IBP's own events, like graduations, but for other events as well.  During the breaks from classes, we rent the campus out for kid's camps, men's and women's camps, and family camps, etc.  This is one of the ways IBP raises funds to provide for the ongoing operation of the school.  

Thanks so much for your prayers and giving!  Our Patagonian Bible Institute, one of only 3 resident schools in South America, would not exist without the help of friends like you!  This is missions... being a part of what God is doing around the world. 

The Second Half

CELEBRATING THE GRADS!!!

The second bimester is always the busiest time of the school year.  In the weeks following our Spiritual Emphasis week, the students, in addition to focusing on their studies, get ready to put on the annual end-of-year party honoring the ones who will be finishing their time here. Student Body Pics

Clad in black are our first year students.  In red and white are second year, and dressed like movie characters, are the honored third year students. We had 21 graduates this year!  Praise the Lord!

Below is their picture on graduation night.

This year for the first time we had our graduation ceremony at a nearby school.  Looks like we will be needing to build in the near future as we have no facility large enough at this time for a large crowd.


There were close to 300 guests in attendance so there was no way we could do the ceremony on campus. In this picture you can get an idea of the crowd we welcomed that night. Congratulations Grads!!!  

An Awesome Bimester

It was great to be on campus again, seeing the called ones so hungry for more of God.  IBP continues to grow as God continues to answer the prayers of believers for him to send out workers into his harvest field.  

The school term started out great and then at the half-way point, we had our Spiritual Emphasis week with special guest, author, singer, song writer, Bob Kilpatrick.  What a fun and inspiring week as Bob, not only ministered in song, but also with daily messages which called on all of us to know our God better by learning to spend time in silence and to listen to his voice.
Bob even produced a recording of our students and student musicians singing one of his songs they learned as a surprise... 
And was our featured guest speaker for our annual open air youth event, IBP Joven. This is a special event which draws young people from cities near and far and offers a day of workshops, fun and fellowship, and then culminates with our invited speaker and a concert. 
To the left our students are praying for the young people who came to the event.

Thanks, Bob, for coming and pouring into our students! 
     

Getting Settled

This took a while!

With the spring (October/November) school term having been on the verge of beginning, there was little time to unpack our bags and relax.  We housesat from mid September to the end of October for the directors who had to travel unexpectedly.  Actually, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  We wanted to be close by during classes and the director’s house is right on campus, so we couldn’t be closer.  I enjoyed walking to the house on campus.  Everything is so green right now.

  

 

We had found a house to rent earlier than any other term, but that first month was a month of getting it painted and moving little by little…  Devoting most of our time to the work at IBP and then painting and working on our move as we were able.  

We also enjoyed visiting the church we led before we left.  It was so awesome to see first hand how it is growing and flourishing in the capable hands of a devoted IBP alum and his wife.  Eddie preached and we received such a warm welcome and lots of hugs and Argentine kisses.  

Getting to Know a Great Bunch of Students

Then they came.  First we received the student supervisors, the new students and a few others.  Then all weekend the rest of the student body began to arrive.  

We enjoyed welcoming each one back and spending a few moments getting acquainted with the students we had not met and reacquainted with others during registration.  This spring we noticed that there was much joy and anticipation in the air for what God was going to do here in each of their lives.

Yes! We're Back!

And Here We Are

Eddie was given the thumbs up and we departed the USA on August 30.  After arriving on Thursday evening, August 31, we were given a warm reception lunch on Friday with the staff.

Our First Week

We temporarily got accommodated and rested up on Saturday in the professor’s apartment at our Patagonian Bible Institute and then on Sunday visited the fairly new church that is being planted by former student and IBP’s administrative secretary, Rocio and her husband, current student, Jonhy.  (They are also pictured above with our staff.) How awesome to see what has come out of their hard work and dedication.

It was pastor appreciation day and the congregation was being encouraged to help their pastors and to pray for them just as Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms when he grew tired.

 More Traveling

We hardly had a chance to get over jet lag when were already on the road again.  This time to what we would call in the states, district council.  Their “Convención Regional” was held about 14 hours south of us in the city of Rio Gallegos.  What a joy to see so many familiar faces and to reconnect with IBP grads and pastors after being gone for over a year and a half.  

Our Bible school held a tea at a nearby church for alumni, students, staff and professors.  The small hall was filled to overflowing.  What was so awesome was seeing so many of the young people who we’ve had as students over the years, pastoring and serving God in ministry. 

Just in Time

After returning from convention, we received the news that our friends and current directors, Martin and Charlotte Jacobson, had to make an urgent and unexpected trip to the states.  They would leave immediately and not return until the end of October.   We are so thankful that God allowed us to get back here in time to support them and take the wheel at this crucial juncture at IBP.  Everything was gearing up for the coming bimester.  Things were really starting to get busy with all of the final preparations that were needing to be attended to before the students would begin to arrive.  Thank the Lord for his faithfulness and for his provision!

Here We Are Going

Eddie’s Health Update

     As I wrote in a previous blog post, Eddie has been dealing with this acute condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia.  Basically, it is extreme, though not constant, facial pain caused by an exposed nerve which comes into contact with an artery.  For many people, the pain can be constant and very unbearable.  There is a surgical procedure that we thought was a possibility where a small separator is placed between the nerve and the artery.  After an initial MRI, the first doctor told Eddie it looked like a hardened artery and that, for him, surgery was not an option.  Later, when Eddie was speaking to Jeremy’s neurologist at UCSF, he recommended that Eddie get a second opinion.  Our boss suggested Eddie be seen by Stanford since we are in California.  

     At Eddie’s first visit there, the pain management specialist who attended him said his case was interesting and that he might possibly be a candidate for surgery.  He referred Eddie to a neurosurgeon for further followup.  Last Thursday Eddie met with the neurosurgeon and his MRI was discussed and explained in detail.  The bottom line was that, because of the position of the very fragile looking artery in relation to the nerve, surgery would be risky and was not recommended.  The doctor was very concerned about that vascular artery, which to him didn't appear hardened, but rather weak, as it was abnormally enlarged and curvy.  He explained how this could lead to other problems and referred Eddie to a vascular specialist.  He has an appointment with that doctor on July 10.

     As for the trigeminal neuralgia, Eddie will continue to take medication as needed.  The doctor also explained another procedure that is not invasive where they use a gamma knife or cyber knife which is a laser with a bit of radiation.  In this procedure they target the nerve, and shoot a bit of this laser at the nerve endings to deaden the feeling.  The side affect is a bit of numbness in the cheek which is a great exchange for not having that intense pain.  The downside is that it is not permanent and has been known to last from 2 to 8 years. For now, Eddie chooses to return to Argentina with a supply of meds in his bags and trust God for healing.  It is a good thing that he does not have this pain constantly.  It comes and goes.  He has had a very good month and at times he may even forget about it.  The problem is that when it comes, it can be intense.

     Be praying that the positioning of this enlarged vascular artery in his head will right itself, be miraculously strengthened and will not be a problem in the future, and that Eddie will be given the thumbs up to return to Argentina soon.  

Thanks, Friends!

Winding Down and Counting Down

It’s interesting how two moves have come about at the same time.  It had been our most recent plan to be out of our house by the end of June.  Now it happened that my mother’s mobile home just sold recently and, as we had talked about for some time, she was to move into my sister’s home.  She will be 89 in July and we didn't want her to be alone.  Last year my sister’s husband converted two bedrooms and a bath in their home into a small apartment.  On Monday we all got together and moved my mom out, furniture and all.  She had been in that mobile home, originally with my father, for 23 years.  There was sure a lot of stuff.  So now a huge yard sale needs to happen..…. and now I can concentrate on getting “our” bags packed.  No boxes for us this time, just a bunch of suitcases.

At the same time, we have been counting down to meeting our financial goal.  On the 21st, we launched a 10 day campaign to reach 10K that our budget for Argentina was still lacking.  (We did a short home video that we posted to fb).  Thanks to those who have responded.  You are helping us chip away at this mountain (which is shrinking by faith every day) that is standing between us and Argentina!  This is the bigger challenge.  We’re also trying to reign in the last of the monthly pledges needed to complete our ongoing monthly support.  We only lack a few more pledges to wrap up this part of the fundraising.  If you’d like to make a donation to our ministry, here are a couple links.  For one time or occasional gifts, go to:  http://s1.ag.org/give2ech.  For ongoing monthly support, go to    https://secure3.ag.org/AGWMCommitForm. Any amount gets us closer to reaching our goal!
Also, we have a fairly new website that our daughter made for us.  Check it out:  eefamily.org.  From there it is easy to send us an email message and say hello.  Our hearts are committed to making our God known.  He has called us to do this by training up others who know Him and who also have a passion to make him known.  Like these 24 who graduated last December.  

Just think how many lives will be touched by each of these prepared servants of God.  80% of our graduates are actively involved in ministry.  Some are pastors, some are church planters, some are missionaries, and some are in ministry in their home churches.  

Thank you for investing in our ministry which, in turn, is an investment in preparing lives who will reach and disciple other lives for the Kingdom of God! 

Some Personal News

Eddie had his appointment at the Stanford Pain Clinic last week and was told that his situation was unique and that he may be a candidate for a surgical procedure.  The doctor referred his case to a neurosurgeon who was to review the case and then get back to Eddie.  We are thanking God that today Eddie received a call and an appointment was set to meet with the neurosurgeon at the end of this month.  At that time we will know more clearly what his prognosis is and whether a surgical procedure can be done or if he will remain on medication.  We are anxious to hear what the neurosurgeon will have to say.  In the mean time we will continue to work and prepare to return to Argentina as soon as we can.

Last Wednesday my mother and I made it back from our quick trip to Phoenix.  The home going services for my Aunt Lucy were beautiful.  There was much singing and even special songs sung by my cousins and other family members.  It was good to see family that we hadn’t seen in years.  My mom’s side of the family is very musical and my Aunt Lucy’s family is the most musical of them all.  I will miss her lovely, angelic voice.  I’m glad she recorded a couple of CD’s so she can still encourage friends and family through her music.

Yesterday, just ten days later, my Aunt Martha joined my Aunt Lucy in heaven.  While in Phoenix we visited her in the hospital and although she was weak, she was able to receive many guests and even laugh as stories were shared from their childhood.  Above, my mom shares a picture of her grandchildren with her younger sister.  There were eleven siblings in both my mother’s and my father’s families.  Several are no longer with us.  It is hard to believe we were just together with her last week and now she is gone.  Although I did not see my Aunts very often, their great faith encouraged my life and I will miss them.

Moving Near and Far

We are in the last weeks of our time here in the states.  This means preparing both physically and emotionally for the move that is just around the corner. . . again.  This means packing and preparing our hearts for another season of working and watching what God will do during this next term we will spend in Argentina.  As I write this, I smile looking to the future and knowing God is going to do great things.  What a joy it is just to think about all He has done already.  An institute has risen up on a beautiful piece of property and lives have been growing both intellectually and spiritually as young and old alike have obeyed the call of God on their lives to devote a period of time at the Patagonian Bible Institute.  And now we have been there long enough to see the alumni pastoring, planting churches, teaching, and even serving as missionaries in other parts of the world.

The Bible School is also providing ongoing education to our graduates, as well as to pastors (some of which are our graduates) and our professors (and again, some are our alumni).

This past weekend many of these have gathered for an educational conference at the Patagonian Bible Institute.  Above is a picture of the group who are leading and playing in the worship band . . . all previous students who are in the ministry.

In addition to those leading worship, seated are more who came because they want to be better equipped for the work they are doing wherever they are.  In total there were 52 in attendance. There is much hunger for learning among the believers in Argentina and it is great to be able to offer these ongoing educational opportunities to them.

Things Going OK and Things Unexpected

We continue to keep busy trying to raise the remainder of our funds so that we can be given the thumbs up and purchase our plane tickets.  Trusting it will be soon.  Jeremy was released from UCSF with the doctors not discovering anything during his stay.  Not what we wanted to hear but then that’s better than hearing they found something bad, like a tumor or some other illness.  Thank you, Jesus!  For now the doctors decided to change Jeremy’s medication, saying that the side effects, like weight gain, are not good and can lead to other negative consequences.  We are glad for that.

Yesterday, both Jeremy and Felicia left on a mission trip to Ireland.  They were very excited as this is their first trip to a region other than Latin America and they’ve been looking forward to it for several months. They will be ministering with Global Passion Ministries to the children of Cork, Ireland.  This morning they arrived in Amsterdam, where they enjoyed their all day lay over before flying out in the evening for Ireland.  Thanks to all those who have helped them raise their funds for this trip.  It truly is an investment in lives for the Kingdom of God.

On a sadder note, my Aunt Lucy, my mom’s sister, passed away last week and I (Diana) will be accompanying my mom to Phoenix tomorrow for Aunt Lucy’s celebration of life service and funeral.  Overall, in this area, it has been kind of a somber time at “home”.  My mom lost her second brother last year, her brother Jesse.  I accompanied her to Denver for his funeral.  This year my Aunt Lil passed.  She was one of my late father’s sisters.  Also, we just learned yesterday that my mom’s sister Martha is very ill with the last stages of congestive heart failure.  She lives in Phoenix so we hope to be able to visit her.  

The one thing I can say that makes all the difference is that these precious ones are believers in Jesus Christ and have the hope of heaven and we have the hope that one day we will see them again.  It is not a “Good-bye”, but a “We’ll see you again one day soon!”

One of my favorite passages of scripture is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  The first two verses say, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”      

Preparing to Return to Argentina

It is already May 2017.  Where has the time gone?  The time has been filled with miles and smiles.  Trips all over these United States and precious times with friends and family.  It has felt weird that this time at home in the USA, it has only been the two of us traveling around, as our 19 and 22 year old kids have been busy with their own lives...  church involvement, work, school, and friends.

It also feels weird that when we go back this time, it will only be two of us boarding that plane and only two of us arriving in the Patagonia to set up for another term of service at the Patagonian Bible Institute.  This reality brings with it a range of emotions.  It will be a new chapter in our lives.

How will we face this new reality?  We will trust God with our children as we always have, and we will obey what we believe he is asking of us.

We have learned over the years that the Lord's timing is perfect.  We have been here for over a year and are still working to raise our funds so that we can return to Argentina.  It seems to be taking longer this time, but we will keep pressing on and doing what we know to do and trusting God for his provision.

Considering that this year we are also dealing with health issues, our extended time here has not been unwelcome.  Although we know we cannot be here indefinitely to be with Jeremy as he  deals with his health issues, we are thankful that we can be here this particular week as Jeremy is being evaluated at UCSF for his problem with seizures.

Also, for several years now, Eddie has been dealing with a miserable pain on the side of his face.  It is a condition called Trigeminal neuralgia.  It is an intense pain that comes in waves, stays for a few days, goes away for a spell, and then comes back and stays for another short stint.  He has seen doctors in Argentina and here in California for this condition.  He has taken pain medication which doesn't seem to be helping very much.  More recently, he has been referred to Stanford Pain Management Clinic and is scheduled for an appointment in a couple weeks.  It is our prayer that this will be able to be taken care of in a significant way before we leave to Argentina.

In the mean time we are packing and trying to prepare for our departure.  It is a bit difficult because we are traveling so much, but the time has come for getting serious about our upcoming move.  These last weeks are going to fly by.

Thanks for your prayers.  They are much appreciated.

Update on Jeremy... One year later...

God Is Good

I can't believe that this year has just flown by.  It has been almost a year since Jeremy's near drowning that brought his medical condition to the forefront of our lives once again.  We are so very thankful that God has had his hand of protection on Jeremy's life all these years.  We do not know God's specific plans for Jeremy's life but we do know and believe God's word which says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  We believe this and declare it over Jeremy's life, for he belongs to the Lord.


Since that scary incident a year ago, Jeremy has been on medication, which has had it's side effects.  Most notably, weight gain.  Jeremy's local neurologist has referred Jeremy to the doctors at UCSF to see if they can uncover the mystery of why he experiences seizures.  So this week, Jeremy has been admitted to UCSF for another spell of monitoring.  We have been praying and believing that the doctors will capture something this time around that will help them help Jeremy.  This is the only time we pray for a seizure and ask others to pray that something will happen while he is all hooked up.  Thank you in advance for your prayers!