Youth Drama & Supper Draws a Crowd!

For the second consecutive year our youth practiced a drama and hosted a supper for the church family and assorted visitors.  With the help of youth leaders, Martin and Sandra, they prepared a drama that gave a clear Gospel presentation.  Later the group of around 65 gathered in our multi-purpose room for supper and fellowship!  Different ones from church generously provided the ingredients for "canelones" and prepared flan for dessert.  No admission was charged, but a free will love offering was taken up to help our youth attend winter Bible camp.  The generous offering paid for over half the cost of camp for each camper!!  Six of our youth participated in the July 16 through 20 camp with young people from other fellowship churches.

An event like this is not just about raising money for kids attend camp.  It provides a valuable ministry opportunity for many:  our youth leaders, who for the first time organized and directed the preparations from begining to end; our youth, who participated either in the drama or in serving tables and helping with preparations; our church family, some donating ingredients, some preparing dessert and most giving to the offering (some probably a little of everything!!!). 

Pray for camp to have a lasting impact for Christ in our youth, but also pray that the process involved in getting them there will do the same in our entire church family!

June 23rd. Wedding Bells

Debbie and I want to say thank you to our family, church family in Maine, Mission family and many others who made June 23rd. a VERY SPECIAL day for Kati and Devin.  

Reception Hall

(above & below) Many hands make light work!  Prepping for the reception.

Kati with her bride's maids

The wedding cake - a family favorite (cheesecake)

Grampy Philbrick officiating

Our family

Danny, Devin's sister, cousin Silvia (mk in Spain) and Andy

Grandpa Gibbons, Tom and Deb

Pray for Devin and Kati as they begin their life together!  They will be spending their first two years in college while Devin completes his studies.  As for the Gibbons, we return to Argentina on June 28th. and appreciate your prayer for a save passage!

2012 Men's Retreat in Paysandu, Uruguay

April 30 through May 2 over fifty men from our Fellowship churches in Argentina and Uruguay gathered for a three day retreat in Paysandu, Uruguay. 

Five men from Chivilcoy participated, all for the first time!

Times of prayer (above) and singing (below) were a great blessing.

GMSA missionary to Uruguay, Sergio D. (above) and Pastor Bob P. from Maine, also former missionary to Argentina,(below) brought challenging and relevant messages from God's Word.

As seen below, fellowship was greatly enjoyed at the retreat. Most do not see each other during the year.

Still another blessing was running into friends and colleagues.  We met the first couple below, a retired pastor from Maine, while on deputation 24 years ago!  The second couple are missionaries in Uruguay and dear friends we had not seen in years!

In Honor of my Brother Ray

My (Tom) family was recently reunited by the sad and sudden passing of my brother Ray.  I'm grateful that around ten years ago Ray professed faith in Christ.  When we visited home he was always interested in speaking about Christ and the Scriptures.  While at his funeral I was approached by a friend who my brother often visited.  He said, "the first thing Ray always did in the morning was read his Bible."  I trust in the Lord that today Ray is with the Lord and that his suffering has ended forever.  

In Memory of

Gerald Ray Gibbons

July 16, 1962 - February 25, 2012

Obituary

After a long illness, Gerald Ray Gibbons passed away on Saturday at the age of forty-nine.He was born in Bremerton. and graduated from North Mason High School in Belfair.

He was pre-deceased by his mother, Sharon Gibbons, and his infant brother, Gordon. He is survived by his father, Douglas Gibbons; his brothers, Gary and Tom; his daughter, Reanna; and family members who live as nearby as Bremerton and Spokane, and as far away as Arizona, North Carolina, and Argentina.

Gerald (called Ray by his family) is also survived by his beloved companion, Shadow, a sweet-natured cat he rescued more than 17 years ago. He was a kind-hearted and generous man who loved animals and the outdoors. A fine fisherman and carpenter, he spent many years working in the forest industry. He also enjoyed collecting chanterelle mushrooms that he would then add to his famous spaghetti sauce with bite-sized meatballs. He preferred cooking from scratch and loved to barbecue ribs, chicken and salmon, and bake banana bread.

Gerald's presence was larger than life, and he will be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved him. At his request, a simple and informal service (closed casket) will be held graveside at the Twin Firs Cemetery in Belfair on Sunday at 2 p.m. His brother Tom, a missionary visiting from Argentina, will officiate.

Foto Memories From my Time with Family

Dad/Grandpa with my neice and her husband

My brother, his son in law and daughter, Dad and my sister in law

Mom and Ray would make the picture complete 

Flowers are arranged by my brother and his son in law

I had the great privilege of preaching at muy brothers graveside funeral in Belfair, Washington.

Dad drops a flower into Ray's grave while my brother looks on

Dad with my neice and family

We have been flooded with dozens of e-mails and want to thank all of you for your prayers and kind words of condolences.

Six of Our Youth at Summer Youth Camp February 13-17

Pray for our youth as they join around 70 or 80 more youth for a week of Bible camp!

DVBS 2012

February 7-9 we held a daily vacation Bible school!  Our own youth and adults worked in all the different facets of the event and our visitors from Wisconsin headed up the hand work and game times.  Praise the Lord for new children who participated and for three who made professions of faith.