PIONEERING IN NEUQUEN, ARGENTINA
In 2016, while capturing "KAINOS" year of Hope Singapore and seeking time with the Lord through fasting and prayer, the leaders of Hope churches in South America had been sensing that the year of 2017 will be a year of "Crossing over". God is going to bring us to CROSS OVER to NEW realm of supernatural favor, harvest in the current locations, and cross over to new localities.
By faith, the leaders worked together to identify cities and countries that the Lord had been impressing upon our hearts. We then began to pray and seek the Lord of the Harvest to direct us to find men and women of "peace" and "seed" men and women that would like to be part of Hope Family and Mission and desire to multiply disciples and churches together.
One of the countries identified was Argentina. By God's divine appointments through Hope Germany, in early 2017 my wife and I got to know an Argentine family (Pedro, Erika and their children) doing church planting work in Spain. Through various skype chats and prayers with Pedro from March to August, we sensed that God was directing us to visit Pedro's family in Neuquen, Argentina. Pedro's family has been exposed to Christianity to a varying degree, some were believers, some were active serving members of a church. However, due to different personal and church issues, many of them have become rather inactive spiritually.
From 24 to 27 August, my wife and I with our 4-year-old boy flew from Santiago of Chile to Neuqeun of Argentina. We were received very warmly into the different homes of Pedro's sisters. Almost instantly, all of us connected very well, and the family even joked that we seemed to have known each other many years. They even said that I spoke like Pedro (even though I have only talked to Pedro a few times, but have never met him in person thus far). Within just first two days of eating (eating their Argentine food especially Argentine barbequed beef) drinking (drinking their typical drink) and chatting with different family members of Pedro, the Spirit of family and God's love was so strong that we connected with everybody supernaturally well. Some of them even opened their hearts and life to us with deeply personal issues. It was simply amazing. On the third day, we gathered those who had indicated spiritual interest or interest in who we are and who we do in Hope.
In the gathering in one of their homes, with very little physical preparation to worship and ministering in the Spirit, I sensed that the Spirit wanted us to start with worship and in God's Presence. I asked the group if anyone could play one or two worship songs. As we began to worship, the Holy Spirit began to move. The words of the Spirit were released through prayers and word of knowledge and the whole group broke down in tears and crying out to God. The Spirit's Presence and move was so strong that we felt like the gathering was taken up to heaven (there was like lost time on earth) for a few minutes. Afterwards, what I prepared to share was easy. When I shared about "Crossing over" from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive, from being lost in life to purposeful living, from operating in the natural realm to operating in the supernatural realm, there was great response. When I shared about Hope Family and Mission, the people were thrilled to see God has done great things through Hope Family of churches in different parts of the world. At the end of the meeting, when the call was given to be discipled and to learn to disciple others through life group and A-B-C-D discipleship, a lot of them sensed God is doing a new thing in their lives and they responded positively.
Since the first visit, my wife and I continued to disciple them through skype meetings, on different topics ranging from marriage and family to how to disciple others. Indeed, God has opened the hearts of the Argentine family we met, and they have been actively practicing what they learned and imparted from the Spirit. As a result, they began experiencing breakthroughs and healings in their own lives, as well as seeing the same in their life group since then.
On 5 Nov, we inaugurated our first Sunday Service which is fashioned to be a bimonthly "Encounter with God". Our Hope Argentina newly appointed leaders, 7 of them with small kids (who have been under training and discipleship via skype) organized everything from the sourcing of location, sound equipment, transport of equipment, preparation of food, worship practice, decorations, invitations, etc. By God's divine appointment, a Hope Germany couple was also present and ministered along with the Hope Argentina team. Indeed, Hope Mission is never done alone. We are always better together. In the first "Encounter with God", 25 people were present. Some had their faith was renewed, some were healed, some gave their lives to Jesus for the first time. Praise God for His Mighty work and Hope Argentina team for birthing Hope Argentina!!!
1 Cor 2:9-10, "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."
Written by Andrew Teoh, Hope South America
