Welcome Ana Widgeon

Ana arrived on December 14th. from Salavador, Brazil wheres she´s doing a year of university studies on an exchange program. She will be with us until January 24th. This is Ana´s third stay with us in eight years!

Church Inauguration in Uruguay

On December 2nd. a new church facility was inaugurated in Fray Bentos, Some 250 people were present, including neighbors, friends, business people, the local mayor, and believers from the other U.C.B. churches in Uruguay. Tom had the privilege of preaching at the inauguration, and then again on Sunday. This beautiful new property and facility replaces a small chapel six blocks away that had no potential for expansion. Missionaries Sergio and Andrea Duarte have been ministering in Fray Bentos for eleven years.

November 5-9 Tri-Country Pastor & Missionary Conference
For the first time in the history of the "Unión de Centros Bíblicos", the National Church association founded by the GMSA in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, our pastors and missionaries from all three countries met for three days of teaching and fellowship. Some traveled as far as 24 hours by bus to participate. Others crossed nearly the whole width of the southern cone, while still others crossed the craigy Andes.


The conference was held at the base of the majestic Andes Mountains. One of the highlights was renewing old friendships and making new ones.

Missionary Stan Templeton, and pastor and seminary professor Enóc Príncipe came all the way from Trujillo, Perú to bring messages in the Pastoral Epistles as well as teaching on expositional message preparation.

We suffered through four days of fantastic food! Inspite losing power because of a major electrical storm, we enjoyed a typical Argentine "asado" (beef cooked on an open grill over hot coals).

We praise the Lord for new relationships that were forged as a result of this historic retreat, and for the sound teaching of God´s Word. Many pastors have already requested that we make this an annual event! Pray that this retreat will help further the cause of Christ establishing His church in the southern cone of South America.

June - July - August 2007

Debbie leads a June Baby Shower




Baby showers have provided an opportunity to encourage young mothers, draw the ladies together, teach Biblical principles related to child raising, and invite unsaved relatives. As displyed in the pictures, it also provides a time for fun!







Short Term Missionaries Visit Argentina


Brother and Sister team, Esther and Drew visited Argentina as short term missionaries for three weeks in July. They were able to spend several days with four missionary families. They left behind an excellent testimony, and deserve your prayers regarding their future.

Drew shares his testimony in church in Chivilcoy while Tom interprets.

Esther shares her testimony while Debbie interprets.







Happy Birthday Kristi!!!


On August 11 Kristi turned 14 years old. Since Kati and Debbie were leaving on July 30 for the States, we celebrated a little early!














Youth Ministries


The church here has been blessed with a youth group of 14 to 16 kids. We´re constantly grateful for the ministry of Martin and Sandra Gorosito and Pablo and Marcela DeGodos with the youth, which includes Saturday nighte youth group, individual discipleship studies, as well as a variety of other events throughout the year.


Kati enjoys a sleepover with girls from the youth group.



MK´s in Ministry
Kati, Andy, Kristi all have been active in music in church. Kristi plays both the organ and the piano, and Andy plays guitar. Below Kati plays the organ. Andy and Kati take their turn working in the nursery.

Saying Good-bye

We are thankful for the opportunity Kati and Andy have had to work in the bakery of a couple from church. The picture below was a going away party they had for Kati.

A last picture of Kati with her Sunday School class.




One last family picture before our nest begins to shrink!



Kati, Carol Thompson, and Debbie at the Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport enroute to Maine from Florida after an overnight flight from Buenos Aires to Miami.

April & May

April 22, 23 & 24 Evangelistic Meetings
This year we held our second annual evangelistic meetings at the Chivilcoy Bible Center Church. National Pastor Julio Llagarías brough excellent evangelistic messages. Over the three days of meetings we received nineteen visitors, mostly unsaved. There was also excellent attendance on the part of the church family. Praise God for two decisions for Christ as a result of the meetings!

Tom Gibbons, Alberto Tufilaro, and Martin Gorosito sing a special number.

Debbie and Kati Gibbons sing a special number together.



Another Birthday Celebration!!!
Danny turned 12 years old on May 17th. Wow! Our baby will soon be a teenager. Since Tom was traveling to the U.S. for Mission adminsitrative meetings the 16th. through the 27th., we celebrated Danny´s birthday on the 15th.




Continued Training for Present and Future Sunday School Teachers.
Though it may appear to be a church supper!!!!, in reality it´s a brief lunch break during teacher training sessions held on May 19th. We´re grateful for the ministry of colleague Priscilla Goossen who taught the sessions (the third time she´s taught our teachers).


Studens hard at work learning how to better communicate the truths of God´s Word to boys and girls in Sunday School.



A Surprise Project
While Tom was away in the U.S., Debbie and the kids repainted the hallway and the boys room!

Debbie recuperates energy!!!

What a job well done!

Below, Kristi and Kati. Just six more weeks and Kati will be off to Bible College. Our lives will change drastically as we begin this new part of life: letting our kids leave our protective care. Pray for us!

Kristi (above), Kati (below)

"Cool sisters"


Please take a few moments to visit the Argentine Camp Project link on the right hand side of this page and see what was accomplished during the May 29 - June 8 visit of a building team from Clinton, Maine.

March and April were birthday months in the Gibbons household!

Kati proudly inspects her new "mate" while celebrating her 18th. birthday on March 8th! At her ripe old age it was decided she probably couldn´t blow out 18 candles, thus the "1" and the "8" on her birthday (cheese) cake! Kristi looks on (below) while Katie exerts her energy.


Not to be outdone, Debbie celebrated her birthday three days later on March 11th. We can´t mention her age, only that she was born in 1964! She too likes cheese cake for her birthday. Kristi, Kati, and Danny look on while Debbie closes her eyes and concentrates on blowing hard!!!


April 17th. marked Andy´s 16th. birthday. He had the lung capacity to blow out all 16 candels!!!



Below, Andy enjoys a birthday celebration at the bakery where he works.

A March 27 Baby Shower for Sandra

Baby showers have become a common event in our church with the number of young couples having children! This was Sandra´s second baby shower, and was done after baby Mateo´s arrival in order to maintain the element of surprise! In the picture below Sandra is seated in front of a grey door holding her new born.

A contest is held to determine who can empty a baby bottle first. Below, ladies compete to eat the contents (carmel cream) of a disposable diaper. Gross!!

Three friends: Paloma, Alfonsin and Sofia (daughters of three young couples from church).

Welcome Arces!!

Bev & Lu Arce were with us for three weeks in March. They origionally came to work on the maintenance building at camp, but God had other plans! Because we were unable to enclose the building so Lu could work inside, he spent his time doing much needed computer maintenance for the Gibbons, along with a variety of projects doing finish work on the Mission house here in Chivilcoy. Mrs. Arce kept everyone in sweets!!! Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Arce!!! Pray for the Arces who are now working for a few weeks on a construction project of an orphanage in Greater Buenos Aires. Later they´ll work on the Temperley Church building doing finish work, and Lord willing back to Chivilcoy the end of May for three more weeks.

.
Pardon the feet!!!!

April 8th. - Easter Baptisms

On April 8th. five people shared their testimony of how they came to Christ for salvation and after were baptized. The Lord gave us a day of sunshine among many days of rain. The service was encouraging and different visitors were present. This is the fourth baptism in the work here in Chivilcoy. A portable pool was set up in the back yard of the church for the event. Pray for each one baptized that they will continue on with Christ.

Paula & Matías (above)

Marcela & Vreni (above), Silvana (below)