Ministering in Music

Dr. Monty Budahl teaching song leading.
Brian Trainer headed up the mission team and preached on Wednesday night.
Flute trio.
Clarinet quartet both this and the flute arrangements were very bright and cheerful.
We didn't a picture of us singing with the MBBC group during the service but this is during the practice.

Swine flu outbreaks both in Argentina and here in Uruguay threatened to end the plans for the missions trip of Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Thankfully, the Lord made it clear that He wanted the trip to go on and we welcomed 6 members of that team into our home, and lives, this past Monday. The other 23 members came over from Argentina on Wednesday afternoon.

Last years group was a blessing and this years group was no exception. The group was really comfortable singing in Spanish and reaching out to the Uruguayans. The Lord brought people from Montevideo, Paysandu, Salto and many from the church here to Colonia for the conference. It was thrilling to have everyone excited about taking home what they learned to use in the music ministries of their respective churches.

The conference sessions, taught by Dr. Monty Budahl, covered basic and choir song leading, voice, Music in the Ministry, Singing Unto God, and Service Variety and Vitality. After lunch and before the afternoon sessions the team spent time giving instrument lessons on the piano, flute (recorder), guitar, and clarinet.

The Wednesday night service was phenomenal. There were flute and clarinet, ensembles, a quartet and the choir specials. I hope the recordings come out as nice as the group sounded as they ministered to us in music.

We praise the Lord for all the help that we had in making the conference a success. David planned out the schedule and the sessions. Sebastian arranged for all of the housing and helped with meals. Many families in the church opened up their homes and ministered to the team through hospitality. Pablo and Pastor Gabriel drove the bus and were the asadores for the lunch on Wednesday. Pastor Gabriel also helped serve lunch in our home.

Pastor Daniel and Amparo had the team in for the evening meals on Wednesday and Thursday. Alejandra and Alicia served the meriendas (snacks). Elizabeth, Paola, Belen, and Camila cared for the little ones in the nursery. Missionary Paul Harmon recorded all the sessions and services. His wife, JoAnna, translated some sessions. They both worked on the flier for the conference and worked hard at encouraging people from Montevideo to attend. David also helped me with the decorations of the church.

After taking the group to pass out close to 1000 tracts and church brochures we took the group to Los Tre Botones a tourism farm for lunch. They were able to ride horses and a zip line. The owners asked for them to sing and the group graciously sang twice. Then we spent a couple hours with them in the old city helping them shop and showing them the sites.

We enjoyed the fellowship with these young people! Scott and I answered a lot of questions about missions in Uruguay. It is our prayer that we represented the Lord well and have been an encouragement to the team. A couple spoke with me about the possibility of coming back to Uruguay to work with us as short term missionaries.