Pentecost in Patagonia

Editor’s Note: Below is the 2nd Prize winner in the praxis category for the Stepping into a Violent Wind Writing Competition:

In June, of 1993, during the Argentine winter, Ramon and I finished the theory phase of our YWAM discipleship school in Buenos Aires and began our “crusade”, the practical part of the training. The school went in three groups to different parts of Argentina; our group headed to Patagonia.

We made our way south eventually arriving at San Antonio Oeste, a humble fishing village tucked away on the Gulf of Matias in the province of Rio Negro. San Antonio Oeste is a place where the winter wind never lets up, the sand sticks to your face and where overcoats don’t offer much protection.

The area was comprised of miles of beach and sand dunes and when the tide rose it reached to just a few meters of town. When the tide receded all kinds of flotsam and jetsam appeared that had previously been swallowed by the sea: car parts, evidence, everything you can imagine. The receding tide also uncovered dunes and caves where you could find snails, shells, clams, crabs of every kind and color. It was a paradise for conch shell collectors and scavengers of all things maritime.

Only the main street in San Antonio was paved, the rest of the streets were dirt. Among the humble dwellings was a small church with a sign “Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica Pentecostal San Antonio Oeste”; this was our terminus for the next several weeks.

The church was filled with the fire of God; the majority of members were descendants of native Mapuche and Araucano peoples. The pastor was the son of a Mapuche chief. Unable to read, but filled with the fire of God, he had such a desire to spread the Good News that he prayed morning, afternoon and evening that the Word would be opened up to him. God indeed answered his prayer and he came to read and understand the Bible as if he had been reading his whole life.

Part of our work at the church involved door to door evangelism. Every morning we divided up in pairs and set out. One morning Ramon and his evangelism companion arrived at a house and knocked on the door. An attentive grandmother opened the door and said “I don’t want to buy anything”. Ramon and his companion responded “we didn’t come to sell anything, but rather, on behalf of the Evangelical church in town we came to see if you had any needs or prayer requests”. The grandmother replied “I’m Catholic”, Ramon responded “we don’t want to change your religion we just want to pray for your need”. When she heard this her face quickly became sad. She told the story of her little granddaughter of barely five years who suffered from an “incurable” illness. The girl was unable to hold down any solid food. Consequently, she lived on liquids and medicine only. Every two or three days the girl had to be taken to the hospital (two hours away) to receive medical attention. While the woman was telling her sad story, God brought to Ramon’s mind James 5:15 “This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person: the Lord will restore him to health…” So, Ramon asked the woman “do you have faith in Jesus?” She answered “yes”. Ramon continued, “tonight, when your granddaughter is sleeping lay your hands upon her and pray: ‘Lord Jesus, I ask you to heal my granddaughter. Amen’”. The two said good-bye and left.

As they left, Ramon’s companion, a young man brought up in a Christian home, was angry. From his point of view the woman was not Christian, she was Catholic and therefore God wouldn’t work through her because she wasn’t “saved”. Ramon responded, “don’t be mad at me, I only did what God wanted me to”.

One morning a few days later we passed near the old woman’s house and upon seeing us, began to call out, gesturing and clamoring. She got our attention, and we went over to her. She offered us something to drink and at the same time asked us: “Really who are you? Are you from another planet? Are you angels, curanderos? Who are you”? We responded “we are simply servants of God, missionaries bringing the Word of God. Why so many questions”?

The woman then told us what happened. That night after Ramon and his companion left her house she did just as Ramon had told her. While her granddaughter slept she laid hands on her and in faith repeated the prayer. The very next morning the girl awoke hungry, wanting to eat. This was not her custom at all. The woman served the young girl breakfast confident that this time she would not reject the food. Indeed, she didn’t reject the food and she kept eating, to the amazement of everyone there.

When they took the girl to the hospital the doctors didn’t understand why the she was no longer rejecting her food. They did lab-work and removed all her medications without any explanation. The girl’s grandmother, however, knew exactly what happened. God worked a miracle.

That weekend the girl’s entire family visited the small Iglesia Cristiana and gave the testimony about what God had done; they received Jesus Christ as Lord.

16 years have passed since this event occurred. We still remember the expression of the grandmother and the surprise of our own brothers in Christ when they saw how God worked.

If we had faith as a mustard seed… God is ready to show the world who He is through marvels. The problem is us. Do we really believe that He does miracles today? Do we really believe He can use us in this way to show His love, His grace and His mercy to a lost humanity? Do we really have faith? Faith doesn’t need to be big and complex. Only believe in Him and you will do greater things.

Author Bios: Ramon and Adela Alvarez pastor a Spanish speaking congregation at Hope Community Church northwest of Minneapolis and are founders of Bridge to the Nations a non-profit dedicated to supporting missions especially missionaries from developing countries.

for further reading . . .

• Daughters and Sons
• Local Mennonite Church Service Disturbed by Strong Wind
• “Oh the Glory”: Following the Spirit’s Song into the World
• Stepping into the Wind: A Pentecost-Inspired Writing Competition
• Change comes on the wind (Or at least that’s how it happens in movies).
• Pentecost and the Way of the Shaman
• The New Friars: A Missional Opportunity