Letter from Charlie & JoAnn Smith

Thank you very much for your prayers. It is nice to be back here in Argentina and yet strange as there have been many changes since we left on furlough. The city streets seem more crowded, there is a greater police presence, and the news states that the crime rate has increased. The weather has been cold and damp – something that I have never enjoyed but it is our typical winter – yuk. The Lord has given a beautiful cloudless and sunny, although chilly, day today and we much appreciate it.

We are staying at the present in a suburb called Santos Tesei, about an hour away from downtown. Wednesday we signed a two year contract on an apartment in Buenos Aires that is one block from the medical university. It is the main university for doctors, dentists, and psychologists. Most of the students come from the interior of Argentina. We are praying that God uses us to lead many to Christ, then disciple them so that when they return to their provinces, cities and towns they will take the Gospel with them so that other churches will be started where none exists today. Our plans are to move into the apartment the 31st of May and have services as soon as the Lord opens the doors for all the little things (like buying chairs & Sunday School tables) and other items that have not crossed our mind as of yet.

The apartment is on the ground floor and was used as a dentist office before, but does have a small kitchen and a bedroom loft with its own bathroom facilities. It is about 10 blocks from our previous location. So we praise our Lord that He has given us a place that we can sit about 35-40 for services in the area that was used previously as the reception room. There is also a nice room for JoAnn to teach the Sunday School class, which has four girls at present, ages 2, 4, 10 and 12. We downsized most everything before we left for furlough to keep the storage as small as possible so now we need to purchase many of the normal household items. So it shall be interesting getting going again.

I have been rebuked by several brothers and sisters in Christ for not keeping you informed on our material needs. At the time when we were on furlough we could not give an accurate answer to any of our actual needs here since we ourselves did not know. So, if you wish to know any need of this ministry, whether it be spiritual or material, please just ask and I will answer. JoAnn and I do ask very sincerely for your prayers for us to have wisdom, be protected, and have eyes that see how we can fill the needs in the people’s lives in the capital city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Please pray too that we would be able to get the printing ministry back up and going by the middle of July. Several churches are anxiously waiting for new supplies of tracts.
In our Lord’s care, Charlie & JoAnn Smith