May 2013

May 2013

Bonandini’s

Chronicles

May 2013 - Argentina

fast Year start

The year started very fast after vacations. March is a kind of super month. Everything starts in March: school, church activities, work, invitations, ministry, etc.

The relaxation of the spiritual retreat we attended faded rapidly away. Martin Jr. started 2nd year of high school. Natasha is in 6th grade and Lara in 3rd. Wow! These kids are growing fast.

We had visitors. Jim Klass came from Canada to visit and to conduct a workshop about “Discipleship is a Verb” he is a former missionary with Navigators and lived in Argentina for many years.

The Clays came to visit and blessing us in many ways – See the side note

I started the Bible study for leaders that I lead with others two friends every Friday. We have about 20 people involved. The idea is to deepen our root in the word of God, something that nowadays in Argentina is less and less common.

I led a workshop on “biblical dating” in La Plata. The youth Group of Pastor Lucas church invited me. We went to a park, have fun and learned what some principles to have a successful dating experience are.

2 weeks ago I led a workshop on “God’s plan for sex” we had a bunch of guys and girls with open eyes learning about the beauty of sex and also about the dangers of using it contrary to what God intended it to be.

This and more is done thanks to the generous support some of you give every month. People are in serious need of mature Christians who can help them grow in the Lord. Most of the mature Christians have very demanding jobs and many other are too busy to help people grow. Very often after spending hours listening to people they say: “Thanks for your time” I say: “do not thank me for the time, thank God that we run into each other to grow together” So I thank you that give for the privilege of ministering to people in need.

Next Friday 18^th of May I will lead a workshop on limits for parent of a Christian school. Please pray for me that God’s grace and his Spirit would be evident in me. Most parents that will attend are not believers.

Let me show you some pictures

The Family! They are growing and growing, we are older and older J

Dating Workshop in La Plata

Thanks SO much for your support and friendship!

The Navigators From the dry bone valley Thinking about the dry bone valley makes me ponder on several things:  1.       A dry bone valley is a sad view of reality 2.       It makes me feel hopeless 3.       I feel like going away from it 4.       God asks me to speak truth to it 5.       He transforms it into something alive I have not reach point 4 yet.  Sometimes I wonder why I chose to work in this kind of job.  Then I reflect that Jesus also went through times of hard reality, death, treason, frustration and… after dying… RESURRECTION.  Isn't the story of Easter? I just talked on the phone with one disciple that finds so hard to grow; reaching his 30’s, he was kind of distant with me because last time together I helped him to face certain realities that were very hard to accept. Why do we fight growth? Why do I? Because… it hurts… God allowed me to get involved in very hard situations: I’m helping a married couple facing separation.  At one point thinking that things were going better to realize later, that little or nothing really had changed. I just discovered that a friend was living a double life, full of lies and sin. I’m counseling a widow that lost her husband because of a heart attack.  He was also my friend.  For the first time I had to speak at a funeral. Speaking the Word of God in the midst of pain and confusion because of death was a whole new experience. I can keep writing about people who are facing very hard realities, some of them sit on my couch to tell me their stories. So many times I felt hopeless… and you know what? it is a good thing because it means that God can step in and change them. I also experience that many of you emailed me to tell me that you were praying or to send me a Bible verse or to say “I’m with you” Those emails are so great to receive! I felt so encouraged by many of you, thanks! From the resurrection valley On the other hand God has been doing something in my life.  For the first time in many years I’m experience freedom in some areas of my existence. I’m rejoicing in God’s mercy and grace! Claudia and I are having opportunities of helping couples in their struggles.  We will start another couple workshop in May.  There are already people waiting to start it because they heard how good it was from people that have attended before. I’m preaching at 2 different churches every month.  In one I started a series on marriage, inspire by a book that Roy Williamson (a good friend who some of you know) recommended “The Meaning of Marriage” By Tim Keller.  Excellent book on marriage that will benefit anyone who wants to understand better what is God’s idea on marriage. At the other church I’m preaching a series on the book of Romans.  The letter to the Romans has been used by God to speak to me in many ways.  Last Sunday a 19 old mother received Christ after the talk on “repentance”.  So praise the Lord! I have been connecting with my kids more.  Specially with Martin Jr. Since he is now at home in the morning, we talk and read together the Bible and we are currently reading “A tale of three kings” by Gene Edwards a great book on the subject of brokenness and submission. God is always good.  I’m learning that whenever I lean on my own strengths things are forced, but now that I “relaxed” on God’s leading, things tend to happen better than when I push them. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.  We need more of both to keep going and doing God’s will in Argentina. Upcoming Events April 5 Attend Relational Healing Workshop Santiago de Chile 5-9 of April April 26 Regional Meeting Full time laborers Buenos Aires April 26 - May first April 11 My Birthday! all day! For Donations If you want to donate to our ministry you can give through the Navigators.  You will receive a tax deductible receipt Donation Page Friend us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Forward this to a friend

A Year in Pictures

A year in pictures is an attempt to help you and me to get closer together in spite of distances and culture.  You’ll see we may not be that different, we all are humans with a limited time on Earth and we value things.  We all do this.  In this video you will see what I value (actually there are a lot more people that I value of whom I didn’t have pictures )

Can you discover some of the things I value by watching this video? Let me know and ask yourself about the things you value and we can share.

This video of course is very limited, but would give you a glimpse of the ministry and opportunities God has given us here in Argentina.

Thanks for being there and please put up with the video at the end… when I listen to my English I shriek 

A year in Pictures

2 years worth of work in 4 full days!

In September a group of almost 20 people from the Blythwood Presbyterian Church in SC, came to help building a church in a little town called PILA, in the province of Buenos Aires.

A pastor friend of mine, began planting a church 10 years ago in that area.  He had build a very small room for meetings and a nice grill to make BBQs  

We also had an evangelistic meeting in the town.  We had a nice attendance.  The pastor told me that it was the first time that so many people gathered for a Christian meeting there.

I was moving from one place to another, translating here and there, dealing with the small hotel owner and all the different tiny things that were difficult to put up with.  One afternoon there was no hot water.  A dear brother with a big smile said to me: “I just shower with cold water” I said: “Really, why?” he said: “there is no hot water” So I went to the lady in charge and place my complaint and she said: “Today is Saturday, maybe Monday someone could come to fix it…” I started to feel my Italian blood pumping, some clips from the movie “The Godfather” crossed my mind… and said: “well, this is not the answer I want to hear, you must find someone that would come right away.” The problem was fixed within the hour. Praise the Lord!

We had so much fun together and worked a lot.  The pastor told me that with the little resources he had, it would have taken 2 years to complete what we accomplished in 4 full work days.

This is before we went and worked there:

This is after we worked there: a 7 by 15 yards meeting room

This was a great time! Everybody had a great attitude and I could spent some very good time talking to some guys, it was great!

I had the privilege of sharing God’s word for devotions each day the team was here.  It was a challenge, English  doesn’t let me to have the freedom I have in Spanish, perhaps a good thing and yet many told me that God spoke to them through it.  God is faithful and glorifies in our weakness.

I also had the opportunity to listen to one testimony of what God had done in the life of a couple.  He had come with a previous group and God delivered him of some deceptions he was believing.  This time he came with his wife. My pastor friend and I could listen to the whole story from them. (one of the advantages of translating)

The small print:

1. Claudia and I started another couple Bible study and in 2 days we had 9 couples to go through the course.

2. I lost 14 pounds in 2 months and I’m very happy

3. I almost had my car stolen 2 weeks ago, they try to open it and broke the handle. I do not know how to handle the situation anymore

4. The kids are doing well, Martín Jr. is the most challenging (he is 12 years old)

5. We meet as a family every Thursday afternoon to talk about how we feel in the family and share the Word of God. This is very helpful.

6. Right now I have a strong cold, and I feel terrible

7. Thank to all of you for your support.  If you think about giving to our ministry, DO IT (as Horace from CSI Miami would say) we still need some money coming in.  To give go here: Donation Page

Thanks a lot! God bless you!

The Bonandinis in Argentina

Changing Families to Change Society

What can I tell you! Working with couples has been a challenging, exciting and fruitful ministry experience.

As she was crouching into the corner of a full room, dissimulating her sobbing, with a gesture and few mumbled word, she let us know that she didn’t want to talk and yet she expressed that she didn’t want to stay any longer bound to her husband.  All the room was filled with silence and the husband spoke: “we have been struggling since way back, however I love her and I’ll do what it takes to be together”

We met several times out of the couples group.  There are so many things to work out.  A complicated family history, sin, secrets and twisted believes make their story a mess.  At some point I thought: “God, What am I doing here?” But as you may know, God give his support when you are doing his will.

This is the picture we took while we did the renewal of marital vows. We invited our children to be part of this.

God has been changing them and they are together.  Last meeting I saw her showing him affection something very unthinkable comparing how they were during the first meeting.  Even more now she is pregnant! So it seems so far that they are doing better

I have found out that many couples are struggling Christians and non Christians.  It seems that in our Christian communities very few people are talking in an open, honest and practical way about what it takes to build a real family which of course is not and will never be perfect.

One very interesting comment some people made as we were closing one meeting was: “I discover in this group and in particular in Claudia and Martín that you are human and Christian and not only Christian”

This comment got me thinking.  How come can we be Christians and not humans? What she meant is, in case this is not clear, that some seem to live so “perfect lives” where “everything is fine” that there is not much room for the mistakes and imperfections of others, so people (the others) just keep their problems quiet.

How sad I thought! Where is grace? where is “nobody is good, not even one” in our daily lives as children of God? Where is the picture of the prodigal son and the gracious father hanging in the mental rooms of most Christians?

I recognize however that I learn recently about grace.  About love.  I learned because I didn’t have another option.  God put me in a corner when I had to care about my sick mother. By the way she is doing very well in the new nursing home.  I had breakfast with her the other day, I think it was one of the few times I actually enjoy being with her.  Thanks for praying about it!

The side note:

• From the 22nd through the 28th of September a team of Americans most from SC are coming to build part of a church in a small town in the province of Buenos Aires.  The small town is called “Pila” same word we use for battery in Argentina.  Pray for good weather and open hearts to the Gospel. I write more about it after they leave.

This is where we are going to work for almost one week.  As you can see no much is around.

• The challenges in the ministry have gone away.  We still have challenges of other kind, but they are not that demanding.  We had a good weekend meeting in July where we listen to God and all the body of the Navigators. I share a Picture with you.  There you will see our kids as well.

• I keep growing in my counseling career and thanks to all of you who give financially I have the opportunity to help a good number of people through it.
• My kids are growing.  Martín Jr. is almost my height. He is 12 now and  I’ll ask for prayer since he will change schools this next year and that will be difficult in many ways and also because this will not be a Christian school.
• My wife and I are doing well.  Enjoying the ministry together and growing in our marriage.  This newly 2nd (13 years of marriage) decade of marriage is bringing good enjoyment and understanding (of course not all the time )
• Teaching in the school is going well.  I might not continue next year.  Please pray for this to be a God lead decision.

Thanks to all of you!  You will be hearing from me about giving to our ministry. 

Thanks to many who already are giving and praying for us.

The Bonandinis

Jesús mi Counselor

Este año comencé a leer el Evangelio de Mateo.  A diferencia de otras veces donde yo era el que trataba de interpretar lo que decía el texto, esta vez dejo que el texto me estudie a mí. La forma en que hago esto es registrar los movimientos internos de mi mente y cuerpo al ir leyendo.  Al ir leyendo mi mente, emociones y cuerpo van reaccionando.  En un principio escribo en un diario lo que voy experimentando y luego me hago la pregunta: ¿Cómo es esto para mí? ¿de que me doy cuenta? ¿Qué estoy evitando? etc.  Esto sale de mi práctica de counseling y de lo que la Biblia dice acerca de Jesús siendo “maravilloso consejero” (en inglés counselor).  Se me ocurrió sentarme con Jesús y registrar como reacciono a su palabra.  Así que anoto la frustración, la bronca, la desesperanza, la confusión y aún el gozo que puedo sentir al leer diferentes pasajes y me hago preguntas sobre esos sentimientos en mí.  Esto me llevan a profundizar mis creencias o darme cuenta que en mi mente estoy creyendo algo que en lo profundo es diferente.  Ha sido muy refrescante para mi vida devocional, probalo!

La mentalidad de Reino

“Ama a tu enemigo” “da la otra mejilla” “perdona a los que te ofenden” ¿Qué reacciones registrás cuando lees estas oraciones tomadas de los labios de Jesús?

Yo te puedo decir como reacciono yo: “No me gusta!” Todo mi ser reacciona en sentido contrario de lo que Jesús dice.  Jesús está hablando de “la justicia del reino de Dios” yo estoy acostumbrado a la “justicia del hombre” Jesús dijo: “amen a los que los ofenden, pues si aman a los que los aman ¿qué hacen de más? ¿no hacen eso los que no creen en Dios?” La justicia del Reino de Dios no es de este mundo, es sobrenatural y solo alguien que ha tenido un encuentro con un Dios sobrenatural puede vivirla.  Oren por mi!

Últimos meses en Fotos:

Con mi hermana nos reencontramos después de algunos años sin vernos para el cumple de mamá.  Nos habíamos distanciado pero ahora Dios nos ayudó y pudimos dejar atrás algunas cosas.  Fue muy lindo pasar ese tiempo juntos y luego pudimos ir a su casa para el cumple de Samara (la que está a upas de su papá)

El 10 de Enero cumplimos con Claudia 13 años de casados.  Fuimos a ver una peli y luego a comer.  No parecen 13 años! Cuando uno se divierte el tiempo pasa volando.

 

 

De vacaciones en Córdoba.  Psamos un lindo tiempo en Villa Giardino en un lugar de retiros Bautista.  La pasamos de 10 con algunos amigos.  Hasta corrí una carrera de 10k con un amigo! increible.

 

A mi suegra se le estaba acabando la cuerda Se le estaba acabando la pila del marcapaso.  Y recibió de un amigo un marcapaso nuevo.  La hija de este amigo justo venía para la argentina y Dios hizo que todo funcione para que ella lo pueda traer.  Como mi suegra dice: “Dios me ama tanto!” a lo que yo respondo: “Nos ama a todos igual”

Bueno espero que les haya gustado recibir esto en Español.  Gracias por el sustento y sus oraciones!

Si desean colaborar con nuestro ministerio por favor comuniquense conmigo a losnavegantes.ar@gmail.com muchas gracias!

Jesus my Counselor

This year I started reading the gospel of Mathew.  This time I began with a different attitude.  Before, I would go to the text to find out what the text said. Now I have an attitude of letting the word of God talk to me. How do I do this? I read and I pay attention to my inner reactions and thoughts and then I journal.

I’m honest about how I take what the Bible says.  Emotions like anger, disappointment, doubt, fear, frustration that I may experience while reading, I write down on my journal.  Then I ask “Where is this coming from?” and keep journaling.  I have to come to terms with many things.  The idea for this came thinking about my counseling practice and remembered about Jesus being the Beautiful Counselor.  So I picture myself sitting before Jesus counseling me. You may want to give it a try!  It may refresh your devotional life.

Kingdom Mentality

While reading Mathew I have to face how far I’m of a Kingdom Mentality. Things like “turning the other cheek” or “Love your enemy” are far from being “Natural in me” they actually are supernatural!

I had to confess before God that I was seeking my righteousness instead of the Kingdom’s righteousness.  The righteousness of the kingdom is to love the enemy instead of hating him.  It is to solve your issue with your brother or sister before any act of worship to God from your part.  These are difficult things that I was putting aside because I was choosing to hate my enemy and going to God even when I had things to solve with my brother and sister.  Pray for me that Jesus would manifest his love and truth through me!

Things that Happened in the last 3 months

I guess some of you already know that after many years I have come close to my sister Elisa.  Some years ago she got mad at me (and I was upset) because I ask her to take some responsibility regarding supporting our mother, especially when at that time she (mom) was very sick.

This past year I called her and invited her home and she came and we had a good time.  Then she invited us over to her place and we met all the family of her husband. It was a really neat time.

My sister is the one in the middle with the red shirt.  Pray for her that she ask Jesus into her life.

We had a 10 days vacation thanks to a good friend who donated the money for it.  We had a very great time in a Baptist facility in the province of Córdoba.  I could read my Bible and other books and speak to friends and play soccer with Martin Jr.  We really had a very good time.

The 10th of January Claudia and I celebrated our 13th Anniversary and went to watch a movie and eat.  Time flies when having fun

 

Praise the Lord with me:

1. I have a good number of people for counseling.  Couples are coming closer together and individuals are discovering how to live in freedom thanks to God’s grace and love.

2. God is helping me heal a lot of relationships that were deteriorated and now are blossoming.

3. I got an Ad Honorem (for free) assistant teacher position in a counseling institute.  This will give me a good environment to meet people and show Christ.

4. God with some friends have help me to overcome sin in some areas of my life.  I’m so happy for this!

5. That God provided some support of what we need.

Ask with me:

1. a reliable vehicle.  Need to sell the one I have and get a better one.  I’m asking for a new or used in mint condition car.  I praying that God would provide without going into credit.

2. that God would provide more support.

3. That the ministry of the Navigators would flourish in Argentina.  I’m asking at least 6 couples to go North, West and South of Argentina.

Thanks for your friendship and support!

The Bonandini’s

Follow me in Tweeter MartinB_navsarg