July - August Blessings!
We enjoy the friendship, fellowship and the mutual encourgement of missionary colleagues and visitors throughout the year. We´re grateful to the Lord for the Mission house we administrate that provides plenty of space for visitors. In July we enjoyed the visit of first term colleauges from Uruguay, Andy and Kolette Thompson and their two children Josiah and Natalia.

Starting left: Debbie, Lois McAllister & Lois Kenney (colleagues in Chivilcoy), Nikki Fredette (student visitor from Northland Baptist Bible College), Andy, Danny, Josiah Thompson, Natalia Thompson (hidden), kristi, Kolette and Andy Thompson (missionaries in Uruguay).

On July 2nd. Tom turned a whopping 43 years old!


On July 23rd. short term missionary Julio Method and Angela Flores (chilean p.k.) arrived for few days visit! Julie was finishing her second short term in Chile before returning to Florida where she teaches in a Christian school.

Angela Flores, Julie Method and Dámaris Pérez (a youth from the Chivilcoy Bible Center)

On Sunday July 27th. at four a.m. we were bleary-eyed, but waiting expectantly for Kati and Grampa Gibbons to come through customs in Buenos Aries!! Kati had been away for one year, almost to the day! Grandpa had not been in Argentina since 2002. We enjoyed a faboulous four and a half weeks together.


Left to right: Grandpa Gibbons, Danny, Tom, Debbie, Katie, Kristi and Andy

Kati shares a testimony at church about her first year away from home at Bible Institute.


Kati, Natalie Holmes, Kristi and Pamela Buasso sing special music. Natalie and Pamela were visiting from Buenos Aires.

One of our family get-aways while Kati and Grandpa were here was a day trip to Temaikén, a beautiful zoo about two hours away.

Grandpa seemed to have a great time, but we thought maybe our daily pace was a little taxing for him!!!!

Below Grandpa takes a trip down memory lane looking over our neightbor´s 1929 Ford!


Debbie and the kids use their music talent in Sunday School and church

April to June Memories

On April 17th. Andy blew out candles celebrating his 17th. birthday. Andy is a dilligent student and continues to work hard at the bakery. We´re very proud of his example.

How about a weekend in Argentina? We were privileged to have the visit of Dave Schwanke and his daughter Katie for a weekend in April. Dave is from Merrimack Valley Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, and came to expose his daughter to missions and visit the camp and church ministries here in Chivilcoy.

On May 17th. our last child became a "teenager!!" Danny turned 13 years old! Danny recently started working some hours at the bakery operated by a family in our church. What a great opportunity to learn skills and aquire a good work ethic.

Each Friday evening Debbie and Tom teach an extension course at the church here in Chivilcoy. Debbie is teaching "Women in Ministry" (her class pictured below), and Tom is teaching "Leadership in the Local Church".

In March our Chilean National Church Fellowship sent Chilean Missionaries, Saul and Claudia Pailahueque to the southern Argentine city of Bariloche to begin a church plant. Our Argentine Fellowship is facilitating their visa process and necessary paperwork for legal permissions to meet as a church. This month (June) the Pailahueques are in Greater Buenos Aires and here in Chivilcoy getting to know the Argentine Fellowship of Churches. Pray for the Argentine churches to be burdened to pray and give to their support needs. Remember this young couple and the new ministry in Bariloche.

Danny, Andy and Kristi team up to tickle the ivory playing a little "Heart and Soul!!!"
Debbie and Kristi practicing choruses for Sunday School opening.

Our men´s breakfasts have had a fabulous turnout! This month we had the visit of a building team from Maine to work on the camp project and they participated in the June men´s breakfast. Our visitors prepared a real american style breakfast for the Argentine men with bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and toast!! Visitor Danny Chamberland shared his salvation testimony.

The youth group sharing special music in our worship service.

Friends Luis and Bev Arce of Merrimack Valley Baptist Church in Nashua, NH have come to Argentina to help on building projects so many times I think we´ve lost count. They arrived in Chivilcoy the end of April to work on the camp house project. Their hard work was a great asset in preparation for the group that came on May 31st., especially since Tom was at the Annual General Meeting of the GMSA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida May 16 to 26. Thanks Bev & Lu. Click here to see all the work accomplished at camp in the last seven weeks.

On May 31st. Danny and Rita Chamberland, Pastor Bob Philbrick and Roy Welsh arrived from Clinton Baptist Church in Maine to work on the camp house. What was accomplished in just nine working days is truly astounding!! Click here to see the work accomplished.

Debbie took advantage of her Dad´s visit (Pastor Philbrick) to have a surprise birthday party. His birthday was celebrated ahead of schedule (don´t know if he liked that or not at his age!!!) since he wasn´t due to turn ??? until a couple days after his return to the U.S. We won´t tell you how old he turned, but if you can read backwards just look at the cake below!


The boys have mixed feelings about Grandpa´s visits because it usually means a haircut!!

Rita Chamberland "adopted" Aylen, a girl from our youth group. She wanted to take Aylen home with her!!

Roy Welsh shares special music.

Rita Chamberland shares her testimony as Debbie interprets.

Pastor Bob Philbrick preaching in Chivilcoy.

Our team poses with bakers, Ana and Alberto, after eating "calzones" at their bakery one night - a real treat! They gave a hat with the name of their bakery to all the visitors. Left to right: Roy Welsh, Ana and Alberto Tufilaro, Bob Philbrick, Bev & Lu Arce, Danny and Rita Chamberland.

Northland Baptist Bible College student Nichole Fredette arrived on June 13th. for a two month short term in Chivilcoy. Nichole is teaching and observing in a local English Institute to meet requirements for her graduation. She´ll also be doing some cultural studies. We appreciate her helpful spirit and desire to be involved in the different facets of the church ministry here.

On Saturday June 14th. we participated in a day pastor´s retreat in Greater Buenos Aires at one of our fellowship churches. These a great times of fellowship and welcome encouragement are a blessing. Our speaker brought messages on ethics in ministry.

Over one hundred days of agricultural and trucker strikes ended last night. We look forward to saying good by to gas rationing and long lines at the gas stations, as well as the increasing lack of daily commodoties in the grocery stores and price gouging. Pray that many will come to Christ in this needy land.

Debbie turns ?????? It´s becoming a military secret, but it happens every March 11th.!

Since Tom was leaving on a ministry related trip on March 10th., we celebrated Deb´s birthday a couple days early with co-workers Lois and Loida (pictured above). However, the ladies of the church planned a surprise party for her actual birthday!