Los Pozos – An unreached area of Argentina.
In 2015, Marcela and Fabian Abregú were called by the Lord to leave their jobs, their family, and their city, and move to the tiny town of La Rinconada, located in the desert and only accessible via dirt road. US and Argentine partners came alongside the Abregu family to help them construct a house, a church, and reach the lost in La Rinconada.
When Marcela and Fabian’s ministry began to branch out into surrounding villages and outposts, once again, stateside partners made sure they had a good off-roading truck that could get them from point A to point B without breaking down. This vehicle has often been used as a “church bus” to bring faraway families to La Rinconada for Sunday services. It has also allowed the Abregus to expand their evangelism and discipleship to other areas, one of which is Los Pozos.
Los Pozos has never been reached by any Christian missionary. While the locals are open to visitors, they are suspicious of any new “religion” that might change their way of life.
This means that missions in Los Pozos is a long-term effort of building trust and sharing the gospel. To help with this process, an Argentine partner church, Iglesia Crecer, recently sent a team to serve the village. And what a team!
Forty-seven people, of all ages and backgrounds, visited Los Pozos the last weekend in September with the sole purpose of helping the local missionaries establish relationships and build trust. Dentists, doctors, engineers, hairdressers, and many others offered their services free of charge to the entire community. Bibles were offered and the gospel was presented, although it was clear to see that locals are not yet open to the message of grace. There is much work to do. This trip was the first of several missions initiatives aimed at Los Pozos.
The outreach to Los Pozos represents the domino effect of missions. One church is planted and grows to the point where it can reach beyond its own local community and seek to plant churches elsewhere. It also shows the importance of partnerships - US and Argentine churches have come alongside the church in La Rinconada at critical moments, not only through offerings, but with missions teams, construction trips, and fervent prayer, which has allowed the church plant to grow and expand into other areas.
Finally, Los Pozos leaves us a challenge: how can we use our resources and abilities to pave the way for Kingdom growth? Forty-seven believers used their job skills to reach a tiny town with the Word, but the work in Los Pozos is just beginning. The Kingdom needs more and more partners working to see our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters build strong, healthy churches in communities throughout Argentina.
How will you use your job, your training, or your talent to impact the Kingdom, in your church, your community, and internationally?