Got back last night from Resistencia Argentina after a weekend youth camp. We left Friday morning at 3 AM and arrived about 10:30. Resistencia is about 258 miles from Villarrica according to Google maps, but then, according to Google maps it's also a five and a half hour drive. I'm sure it is 258 miles but it is not a 5.5 hour drive unless you are traveling at about 100 miles an hour and don't have to go through immigration or customs. Immigration and customs can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours! Yes, two hours! We were especially blessed in that regard on this trip. We sailed through immigration and customs, both on the way there and on the way back. Part of it has to do with the time of day and day of the week. We were at the border Friday by 6:30 am and on the way back, Sunday about 7:00 pm. Another tidbit about traveling in South America is that, as you travel, within the same country, you will be stopped several times on any given trip. On this trip, within Argentina, we went through about 6 checkpoints, not counting the border crossing.
We arrived in Resistencia with plenty of time to rest before the evening services. There were about 15 young people from Tucuman. Tucuman is 464 miles due West of Resistencia and is about a 12 hour drive by car and about an 18 hour trip by bus. There were maybe 12 people from Buenos Aires, which would be 643 miles and about a 12 hour drive by car. I would say there were about 40 young people apart from the adults that attended.
We had a total of 11 hours of Bible study, including the evening services. I do not know if any were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, but we did have some good altar services Saturday morning and Saturday evening. We have been emphasizing that although we hold to the truth of speaking in tongues as the sign of having been filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not seeking to speak in tongues. We are seeking the presence of the Lord and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I gave a series of seven lessons on "Grow Up!" based on 2 Peter 3:18. The need to leave off childish things and grow up in the Lord.
There are of course, as always, many details of God's provision, intervention and care. Testimonies of His guidance and deliverance. Far too many to detail, but we are simply grateful to the Lord for allowing us to be a part of His eternal purposes.
Panoramic picture. The stage is not that big or rounded :)
Only two bathrooms on the premises. They are planning on building more.
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