After flying over 12,000 miles this past week, I landed around 10:30 this morning back in Kansas City. My mind and backside were numb, restless leg syndrome jerked my legs in spastic movements in the miniature-sized airplane seats and the taste of bad airplane coffee hung in the far corners of my mouth, but I was content in knowing that God has answered every prayer and that the objectives for this trip to Argentina had all been accomplished.

Here’s a couple of “Did you know’s” –

• Sometime between 2012 and 2015 Latin American will become the youngest continent in the known history of mankind.
• Calcutta, India is rapidly become the Bangalore for Latin America. When you call a help line chances are you are talking with someone in Bangalore. In the next few years Latin Americans will be talking to someone in Calcutta. This means that Calcutta is desperate for Spanish teachers.
• India does not allow visas for traditional missionaries.

Do you see a connection between the points above?

I’m having a hard time getting out of my mind the images of all those Latin American and European young people to whom I had the privilege of ministering last week. They are the future.

I’m also having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Even though I was able to catch a few hours of sleep on the overnight flight, I am ready to a real night’s sleep in my very own bed! I’ll try to get this blog back to normal tomorrow.

I’d love to be home, so why am I still in Buenos Aires? My stay is extended to do one of my important functions — networking. A dear friend, Roscoe Brewer, arrived this morning and we spent the day together talking about the kingdom and what God is doing around the world. Many of you will get the chance to meet Roscoe when he speaks at KCBT June 29th. He is one of the most passionate individuals I have ever met. Fortunately he is passionate about God’s mission. I consider him to be one of a handful of life-transforming mentors. Roscoe is working with least-reached people groups in India, central Asia and the Middle East.

Another friend here, Edgar Sureniam, has some key contacts Roscoe needs to meet and there are possibly ways that they can work together even helping to channel more Latin American missionaries to the least-reached. Edgar speaks little English and Roscoe speaks little Spanish. I believe so strongly the two of them need to connect that I have stayed these extra couple of days to bring them together and translate for them. I have no idea what God is going to do with this, but I am convinced something good is going to come out of this. We are meeting tomorrow at noon, and then my flight leaves tomorrow night.

Short Term Opportunity – For any of my student readers I want to toss out an opportunity and see what happens. While meeting with Thomas and his team, as I described yesterday, I learned they have been praying about expanding their short term team. CEC has a constant group of about 14 or so European students, mostly German, Swiss and Austrian (all German speakers). Most have a 6 to 10 month commitment. For the first time they want to open a couple of spots for select North Americans. These students are involved in a number of ministry opportunities, but they make it clear that the major objective is the learning experience for the young person. In other words, it’s more about being and learning than doing. They live in local homes and spend the first couple of months in intensive study of Spanish. I was pretty impressed with the level of Spanish after such a short period of study. For an American coming down, there would probably be the opportunity to learn a bit of German, too. German is a major second language in this part of South America.

Following the initial language study and orientation, CEC likes to give each student the opportunity to have two different experiences during their time here. One might be in Chile and the other in Paraguay, or Bolivia, Argentina or Peru. If you are interested, let me know and we can talk. You would need to raise your own support for your plane ticket and monthly expenses. One of the main thoughts going through my head as I reflect on the networking and partnering I have been doing, or the short term opportunity for students, is the blessing of being able to work together with people in the body of Christ who are from other places and speak other languages. This is a life transforming experience.

Whether it is connecting two contacts who need to know each other, or trying to channel students into a wonderful opportunity to find their places in God’s plan, I am totally committed to learning how we can all work together for the sake of the kingdom and not having to reinvent the wheel or jealousy guard “our” ministries. I get so weary seeing folks building the own personal empires that I want to learn to do God’s business in better, more effective, more Christ-like ways.

Well, I must go. Roscoe and I are going out in search of world famous Argentine beef! There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. I can hardly wait! Let’s see … I think we’ll go here!

It’s amazing how spoiled we are and how desperate we (I) become when cut off from cyber communication. These are good times, though, to recharge the batteries literally and figuratively. Anyone ever heard of this concept called fasting? Well, this must be something like that — a cyber fast.

After a fabulously beautiful drive through the “Little Mountains” outside of Cordoba we arrived at a Baptist Camp where CEC‘s leadership encounter would take place. I have no idea what the altitude is, but this is stunningly beautiful country in all the beauty of early Fall and the air is crisp.They are called little mountains only because of the comparison with the Andes range to the west.

I was the speaker to kick things off after dinner Thursday night. I’m always a bit nervous that I will be able to “connect” in that all important first impression moment, especially with such an eclectic group from so many different countries, backgrounds and languages. At least I didn’t have to worry about speaking through a translator. I spoke on multicultural ministry as a biblical mandate. I know that might sound a bit academic and dry to you, but I promise it wasn’t. In fact, it was a very special service and ended with what some have called a “holy hush” falling upon the place. We are all pleased and thankful for a good start.

In all, I would speak three more times. Joining me were some other speakers I felt blessed to hear. My roommate for the week has been Hans Walter Schütze, a German missionary with WEC in Brazil for 20 years. Ever hear of C.T. Studd, missionary to Africa. This is the mission that grew out of his life and influence. Frank Dietz is one of the original Operation Mobilization folks and for many years directed one of their famous boats, the Doulos. He’s a guy who can tell you some amazing stories. Jonathan Lewis grew up as an MK here in Argentina and is currently associate director of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). Daniel Bianchi, Argentine, is the head of COMIBAM for the southern cone of South America.

Perhaps the most personally rewarding moment of my time here was a reunion with a man I had not seen for over 25 years, Junior Zapata. His uncle began a church in El Salvador not long before Cheryl and I arrived. We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with that church through the years. Junior is from Guatemala and directs a 5,000 student private school. He has become one of leading voices in youth ministry in the Americas and recently wrote a book on the emerging generation that has sold over 100,000 copies. He’s another man who has been there and done that, yet he seems to see and understand more than many of the rest of us put together. If you ever want to stir a pot, just toss in Junior!

When I saw Junior’s name on the list, I had a momentary flash back of recollection, but couldn’t believe this was the same guy I met so many years ago. He was! He came up to me, right in my face, and said, “Do you remember me? It’s your fault and my mother’s that I’m in ministry today. You spoke at Mount Sion campground in Guatemala over 20 years ago and my life was changed forever. Getting even closer he said emphatically, “I’ve read your book on Job FOUR TIMES!”

When they introduced him to the crowd, he called me up and gave me a copy of his book and read the inscription, “To Jeff – This book is fruit of your ministry in my life.” I had no idea. I guess that’s why they say what you don’t know won’t hurt you.

We finished at noon today with the Lord’s Supper, drove the hour and a half back to Cordoba and they put me on the flight to Buenos Aires. I’m getting established in a hotel here and will be here until I head home Tuesday night. I’ll tell you more tomorrow, but wanted to get this off to those of you who are helping me in prayer on this trip.