Estremas: Missionaries to Argentina

Jeremy, Katie ('01 Pierce), Joshua, Johnny,Ellie, and Abigail Estrema

Contact Information

Jeremy and Katie Estrema
Rio Negro 1151
Bella Vista (c.p. 1661)
Pcia. de Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
(719) 302-2514
Email:jkestrema@gmail.com
Blog: www.estremafamily.blogspot.com

Missions Agency

Baptist World Missions

November 6, 2009

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have found a meeting place! It has a great location, will give us a place for adults and children (about 50 adults and 40 children), and the price is within our budget. Just perfect for a new church plant. Praise the Lord. The owner accepted our offer today and now we are in the process of doing the paperwork. Please pray as this can be very tricky if we are not careful. Pray that they do not put any hidden clauses in the contract that could come up and hurt us in the end.

Lord willing, the building will be ready by January 3rd. It just so happens that our first service will fall on our wedding anniversary! What a day to begin a marriage and now what a day to begin a new ministry!

Please continue to pray for God to provide all the needed ministry items for the church. We still lack a pulpit, a sign for the building, and some other small things. God has already provided us with chairs, bibles, children’s church materials, hymnals, and much more.

We stand amazed at how God is working. The owner, who lives just a few blocks away, was really impacted about having a church in his building. He finds it to be incredible that we would have a place where we are going to teach the Bible, teach English, and offer the possibility of learning musical instruments all for free!

Please pray for God to prepare the people of our town for this church. Please pray as we are planning out the first few months of ministry. We would like to get out as many flyers as possible to let our neighbors know that there is Baptist church now in their town. How exciting!

Thank you for your love and prayers,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and Abigail Estrema (Acts 20:24)

October 27, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Life with Abigail has been great so far. Our newest addition has been a tremendous blessing to all our family. Yesterday, she gave us her first smile! Praise the Lord. Please continue to pray as we are in the process of getting all her paperwork done.

After seeking much counsel and after much prayer, we have decided to focus our attention on the new church plant in Bella Vista starting in January. Please pray for us as we make the transition out of the church in San Miguel. We are thankful to God for the time He allowed us to minister in that wonderful church. Ezequiel is a godly man and pastor, who we really believe that God will continue to use in our absence. Please pray for God to give him strength and wisdom as he plans all the ministries and activities for the next year.

Meeting places in Bella Vista tend to be scarce and pricey. Please be praying for God to guide us to rent just the right one. We are currently looking at a few different places that range from very nice but small to a decent size but needing much work. We appreciate your prayers on this matter.

The church at San Miguel continues to go strong. We currently have had some new visitors come along our way. Please pray for Victoria and her young friend Katerine. Victoria comes from a Bible-preaching church, but has not attended church faithfully due to health problems. Katerine is young teenager who we are really not sure of her spiritual state. Please pray for God to help us minister to their needs.

Julio is a young man who studied in the Baptist seminary at Trujillo, Peru. He came to Argentina to find more financial security. However, after a few months of being in the country, he realized that the economy here is not much better. He is now torn about what to do. Please pray for God to give him direction.

This week, Jeremy has a meeting with a young man named Adrian. He is 21 years old and really has no direction in life. Please pray for his salvation.

Juan Carlos and Adrian continue to come to church faithfully. Pray that they will take the next step and become members. Their last experience in a church did not go very well for them. Therefore, becoming members of our church may be a big step of faith for them. They would really appreciate your prayers.

Please pray for us as we will be traveling to Uruguay the 11th to the 15th of November to preach in a missions conference. Please pray for God to use His Word in the lives of the people we minister to.

Wow! A new baby, a new focus in the ministry, and best of all, new mercies every day of our lives as we walk with our Lord. We appreciate you all so much!

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and Abigail Estrema (Acts 20:24)

October 4, 2009

September 16, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

It feels like Spring in Buenos Aires. Our son Johnny has really been feeling the affects of the changes of weather. Last month, we were in the emergency room because he was having breathing problems. He seems to get better, then get worse, then get better. Some medicine helps him for a little while, then nothing seems to help. We have been to a specialist here in Buenos Aires, but the medicine she recommended to us was not very effective. The possible side effects seemed to outweigh the benefits. Please pray as we believe that it is allergies that is causing all this. Pray that we have wisdom on how to help Johnny, and that we could possibly find a good allergist here and determine what exactly is giving him such trouble.

Greek class has officially begun! There are 21 students in the class. Praise the Lord that there is a good group of pastors and future pastors in the class. Please pray for Jeremy as he seeks to lead them through 12 intense weeks of Greek.

Xoana has finished the five step discipleship study. Along the way, we found out that she has a boyfriend who seems to be stunting her spiritual growth. Please pray for Fabricio, this young man. We were able to share the gospel extensively with him. Pray for his salvation. Also, pray for Xoana to make wise decisions regarding this matter.

The Lord continues to bring new visitors to church. Juana has been coming and recently brought her neighbor Silvana. We are unsure about their salvation. Please pray for them. Juan Carlos and Adriana have been coming very faithfully for the last two months. Their mother has also decided to attend our church.

Please pray for Marcelo and Gabriela. They have yet to come to church on a Sunday, but have expressed great interest in the things of the Lord after the passing away of Marcelo’s mother. Please pray for an open door to do a visit in their home. Also, pray that they will go to the married couple’s meeting this Saturday.

Thank you for praying for Katie and the baby. She is due sometime in the next two weeks. Please pray for a safe, healthy delivery. We had a great opportunity to share the gospel with our doctor. He is one of the few practicing Catholics that we have met here in Argentina. It is no coincidence that he lives in the same neighborhood as another BWM missionary, and that they have been trying to develop a relationship with him and his family. Please pray for the salvation of Dr. Turri.

Lord willing, in our next letter will have a picture of our newest addition, Grace Gabriela Estrema. We have decided to call her Grace. Everything we are or ever hope to be is because of God’s grace.

We need your prayers,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and Grace (Acts 20:24)

August 24, 2009

Praise the Lord for this year’s team from Marantha Baptist Bible College. We had an intense three weeks together of ministering in various churches in Buenos Aires. The group did a fantastic job ministering to the Argentines. Their love for the Lord was clearly evident as they sang and did manual labor. Praise the Lord for the many opportunities we had to share the gospel.

What a privilege it was to minister alongside them and get to know them. Seeing them leave was very hard. God knew that we needed some encouragement after we saw the group leave the country. Did He ever give us some! Yesterday, our son Johnny, after struggling with the fact that his heart was “black because of sin” (those are his words), decided to make his heart “white” by accepting the Lord. He asked Jesus to come and save him. Praise the Lord!

Thank you for praying for Xoana and her family. A year ago, Damian, Xoana’s brother, refused to do any Bible studies. Since then, he has gotten a piercing in his lip and was not going to school like he should. His life was going down hill fast. A couple weeks ago, he was present while we were having a Bible study with Xoana. After the Maranatha group came and sang in our church, he asked for an evangelistic Bible study. The following Tuesday he accepted the Lord and was in church on Sunday with a suit jacket on! It is amazing to see God work! Praise the Lord. Please pray as we have begun the 5 steps of follow-up with him. Also, pray for Xoana that she will obey the Lord and get baptized.

God has brought some incredible visitors to our church this past month. One, Valentín, is a prosperity gospel preacher. The timing is amazing because Pastor Ezequiel is preaching through 2 Peter where it talks about false prophets and teachers. After reading an article that Valentín wrote, our people understood right away the error of a prosperity gospel! May God work in Valentín’s heart and show him the true way of salvation.

Juan Carlos and Adriana have been coming faithfully to church the last month. They brought his mother Rita last night. After the service, she said, “this is my church from now on!” Praise the Lord. She comes from a Pentecostal church where the preaching of the Word does not exist. Please pray for us as we minister to this family.

Abel, from Bella Vista, came to church last night. He too is seeking a church where he can hear the Word of God on a consistent basis. He was very happy with the service last night. Please pray as Jeremy plans to visit him this Wednesday.

Leticia agreed to come to our home this Friday night to talk. She has been coming to church for several months but still has not accepted the Lord. Please pray for her salvation.

Thank you for praying about the future work here in Bella Vista, the neighborhood where we live. Our prayer is to find a place to meet by this January and to start sometime in March. Please pray for God to provide just the place we need.

Just this month, several people have made comments about the need for a good church in our neighborhood. In fact, God just recently brought to us new neighbors. They knocked on our door and asked to talk with the pastor! This is unheard of around here. Most people keep their distance when they hear that we are here in the country ministering the Word. There are a group of other people as well that are anxious for a church. May God direct every step. We appreciate your prayers.

Last, but definitely not least, please pray as Katie is only a month away from giving birth to our daughter Gabriella Grace. Please pray for a smooth delivery. Pray that we will be a good testimony to those who we come into contact with.

Thank you so much for being a part of our lives. We love you all!

Because He lives,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and Gabriella (due Sept. 30th)

Estrema Family Prayer Update
August 3, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Praise the Lord that we were able to return to normal with our church services. We had a great service last night. There were 72 in attendance with a few visitors. This is coming off a month of the “swine flu scare” in Argentina. Please pray for us as we minister God’s Word.

Praise the Lord for the return of Xoana (pronounced Johana). The death of her grandmother has renewed her interest in spiritual things. She has completed the first two discipleship studies. Please pray that she will finish all five. Also, pray that she will be willing to be baptized and join the church.

Marta (a lady in her 60’s) has been coming off and on for the last few weeks. On Wednesday, she would like a visit to talk about spiritual things. Please pray for her salvation.

Leticia still attends church but shows no signs of salvation. Pray that, through the preaching of the Word, God will convict her heart of her greatest need. Many come to church looking for solutions to their temporal problems. Pray that she will see the real need in her life!

Juan Carlos and Adriana have come to church the last two weeks. They both come from a charismatic background. Usually, those kinds of visitors don’t come back after their first visit. However, God seems to be working in their lives. Please pray for an open door to minister to them during the week. So far, they have not been open to any meaningful conversations. Therefore, we really don’t know where they stand. Pray for God to impress upon them the importance of sound doctrine.

The group from Maranatha Baptist Bible College arrived safely yesterday. Their whirlwind of activities has already begun! Please pray for all the seeds that will be planted over the next few weeks. They will be in San Miguel ministering next Sunday. Pray that God will bring out many visitors to here the gospel preached.

Pray for the missionaries as we will be very busy both with the extra activities that involve the group and our normal ministry activities. This is a wonderful time to show college students first hand what the mission field is all about, and for them to be a blessing to the believers in Argentina.

We are so thankful to God for all your prayers and support. Please keep praying for Katie and her pregnancy. Her due date is the 30th of September. All of us in the Estrema home are excited about the baby’s arrival. Yesterday the kids made up four pictures representing all the Estrema children. To them, Gabriella is already part of the family. Also, please pray for Katie as she will be giving an evangelistic devotional to a group of ladies on the 12th of this month. Pray for God’s Word to impact the people that come.

As you can tell, God is at work. One more special request. Our prayer is to begin a Bible Study in Bella Vista by next March. We have officially begun looking for a small meeting place to rent. Our idea is to rent by January and get it ready for March. We are finding out that prices are very high right now. Also, most places are not made to accommodate a Bible Study. God is able! We need your prayers. Please be praying for God to open up the exact location and place that He would have us to start in.

Thank you so much again for your love and support,
Estrema Family (Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and Gabriella (due Sept. 30th)

July 17, 2009

It seems like the swine flu has really hit Argentina. Argentina has the second most number of deaths of all countries. Schools have shut down, churches are canceling services, and pregnant women are being advised to stay home. At the church in San Miguel, we have decided to cancel everything but Sunday services for the month of July. Even with all that is going on around us, God continues to bring new visitors to church.

Please pray for Martha who really enjoyed her first service with us. Also, please pray for Leticia who has heard the gospel numerous times. She is in a very difficult relationship that seems to be hindering her decision to follow Christ. Please pray for her to obey the Word.

One of our deacons recently lost his mother. We were able to minister to the family in a number of ways during this time. His father who has refused to listen to the gospel, has now promised to go to church. Please pray for Gaby’s family. Sergio and Damian (his nephews) have expressed interest in a home Bible study. Both are unsaved. Pray for God’s Word to penetrate their hearts.

Please continue to pray for Katie’s pregnancy. Pray for protection against the swine flu. Pray for the baby to continue to grow in the womb. Only 10 weeks left until her due date!

We have found a good doctor who happens to be a neighbor of a BWM missionary in Pilar. Pray for God to open the door for us to share the gospel with Dr. Turri.

A group from Marantha Baptist Bible College is coming down to Argentina at the beginning of August. Please pray for their trip. They will be very busy ministering in various churches in Buenos Aires and Uruguay. Pray for open doors for them to share their faith. Also, please pray for those who will be invited to church. The group will be using their musical talents to draw people to church. The gospel will then be preached at the end of every concert. What a great opportunity to preach the gospel! We are so excited for them to come.

We love you all in the Lord. As you can see, we need your prayers.

Because He lives,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and Gabriela (due Sept. 30th) Acts 20:24

June 26, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you so much for praying for open doors for the gospel to be preached. God brought a young couple to our church last Saturday. We were able to visit them on Wednesday and both made professions of faith! They have four children and one on the way. Please pray for Javier and Mabel as they begin their spiritual walk with God.

Paola made a profession of faith about a month ago and has been struggling with some doubts. We were able to visit her and encourage her through the Scriptures. She is a single mom who works very hard for a living. Please pray for her to be grounded in the faith through the study of God’s Word.

Gonzalo and Karina have asked for an advanced discipleship time together. We are going through the 10 basic doctrines. It is so neat to see God’s people desirous to learn more about Him and His Word. Please pray for this study.

God has been working on Raul’s heart. He has now asked for someone to lead him in a Bible Study. What an opportunity! This is something for which we have been praying for over a year. Please pray as we will be doing the evangelistic Bible Study with him. Pray for God’s Word to penetrate Raul’s heart.

After much prayer, we decided to change cars this last week. With the coming of the new baby, our family was in need of a bigger car. God provided another car that runs very well and has 7 seats. Praise the Lord! Please pray for all the paperwork to go through. Paperwork in Argentina can be very trying at times. We need to wait 10 days as they are in the process of putting everything in our name. Pray that all goes well.

We have entered into flu season here in Argentina. Our son Johnny was the first in our family to get it. Please pray for him as he has troubles breathing when he gets sick. Also, pray for Katie and the pregnancy. Lord willing, we will see Dr. Turri for the first time this coming Tuesday. Pray that we will be a good witness to him.

As you can see, God is doing wonderful things here in Argentina. Please continue to pray. We love you and miss you all greatly.

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and baby (due Sept. 30th)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter
June 7th, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from beautiful Buenos Aires. Our first week back was very busy. Just in this past week, we attended a pastors’ meeting, deacons’ meeting, a quarterly business meeting, preached on Thursday and Sunday, went to a birthday party, and had a work day at the church. Welcome back to Argentina!

Our culture shock has not been that hard this time. Our adjustment to life again in Argentina is coming along rather smoothly. The children have seemingly forgotten all their Spanish. The good news is that it will come back to them very quickly. Our Spanish is doing well for not speaking it for so long. Praise the Lord.

The church at San Miguel is doing great. It is such a blessing to see those who have accepted Christ attending church faithfully. Sergio and Lorena are doing very well. Sergio wants to glorify God with his life. Fernando and Gonzalo are making great strides for Christ. They love to talk about the things of the Lord. It is refreshing to be around people like that.

God has brought some new visitors to our church as well. Leticia needs much prayer. She has made some really bad decisions over the past few months. Pray for her salvation. Soledad is another visitor that needs prayer. We are pretty sure that she is saved. However, she is living in sin. Pray for her to make the right decision and follow God with all her heart.

Tonight Raul was in church listening very attentively to the sermon. We are unsure of his salvation. He has come faithfully to church for some time now. Usually, he hides with his little son in the nursery during the preaching time. However, tonight he was following along. Afterwards, one could tell that God was working on his heart. Please pray for him to respond to the Spirit’s conviction.

Please pray as we seek a doctor for Katie and the baby. Her due date is September 30th. Also, pray for us as we transition into ministry again. Pray that we will get into a good routine and glorify God in all that we do.

We love you and desperately need your prayers. May God continue to open doors as we preach the gospel.

Because He lives,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and baby (due Sept. 30)

May 19, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers. Our furlough has finally come to an end. In just 9 days, we are headed back to the field. We can’t wait! Let us share with you some of the highlights of our furlough.

1. The opportunity to be with family and friends. We didn’t realize how much we missed them. God allowed us to spend some precious time with those who have been praying for our ministry. A special thanks to all those who opened their homes to our family. We love you all.

2. The conception of our baby girl (due Sept. 30th). God saw fit to allow us to have another child. Praise the Lord that Katie and the baby have done very well through all the travels of furlough (over 14,000 miles!).

3. The provision of ministry materials for the container. In just 3 short months, God provided us with tables, chairs, discipleship material, Bibles, and musical instruments. It was amazing to watch God do that. Not only that, but all the materials passed through customs without a problem! Praise the Lord.

4. The many opportunities to preach God’s Word. We were able to minister at schools, funerals, churches, and youth meetings. Many were encouraged to live for the Lord and even one young girl got saved during our meeting in a church in Colorado. Praise the Lord.

5. The continual growth of the church at San Miguel during our absence. We stand convinced that it is God who builds His church. God began the good work and we are persuaded that He will finish it (Phil. 1:6). San Miguel has had a steady attendance of over 70 these past few months. Some of the people that we were able to minister to have now been baptized and joined the church. To God be the glory.

6. A renewed freshness in our spiritual walk and vision for ministry. God has used this time for us to be able to reflect on our walk with Him and His calling for our lives. We have decided to make changes that will help our marriage/family and ministry. Our vision for ministry is much clearer now. We believe that God has called us to help churches reach the point of independence and then move on. Our hearts for the people of Argentina are more burdened than ever. We learned some wonderful methods of evangelism and discipleship. Please pray that we can put them into practice when we return.

7. An increase in support from 74% to 92%. While the economy is at one of its lowest points in a long time, God enabled us to raise some much needed support. As we are looking to rent a building in our next term, please continue to pray for God to meet all our needs. He always has!

8. An incredible sending off service by our sending church Emmanuel Baptist this past Sunday. God encouraged our hearts as they had a special sending away service for us. Their love for us and our ministry are clearly evident. We count it a privilege to partner with this great church.

Well these are just some of the blessings that God has allowed us to participate in during our 6 month furlough. Thank you again for being such a vital part of our ministry.

Please pray for our trip back to Argentina. Pray for our children during the long plane rides. Pray for their parents as well. Pray for our transition back to the field. We will once again face culture shock. We need your prayers.

Also, some of you know that we were planning on spending time this coming Memorial day weekend with extended family for Katie’s grandfather’s 90th birthday celebration. God saw fit to change our plans. Grandpa Pierce passed away in his home two days ago. Now, we will be seeing the family at his funeral. Please pray for us to have an open door to share the gospel with some of Katie’s unsaved family.

We love you all in the Lord,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and baby Estrema (due Sept. 30th)

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from cold, snowy Colorado. It looks like we bring winter weather with us wherever we go. Thank you so much for your prayers. God gave much grace as we have traveled over 2,000 miles these last two weeks. We were able to spend time with some of our family and friends during our travels. It is always refreshing to be around those who want to live for the Lord.

Sergio, Lorena, and Karina were all baptized last night at the church in San Miguel. That was the second baptismal service in the four-year history of the church. Attendance continues in the low 80’s. Please pray for a new family that has been visiting over the last few weeks. They are co-workers of one of the members in the church. It is great to see God continue to build His church.

Please start praying for our transition back to the field next month. We are excited to put into practice some of the things that we have learned during our furlough. Pray for the leaders of the church (Ezequiel, Silvio, Gabriel, and Roberto). Pray as they are involved and oversee much of the ministry that takes place there.

Thank you for praying for our baby in the womb. The baby is doing very well by the grace of the Lord. We had an ultrasound today and were able to see him/her (most likely a girl) moving around in the belly. Please continue to pray for Katie and baby.

Praise the Lord that the container is due to arrive on the 5th of May. Pray for all to go well with customs. It is not uncommon for them to ask for bribes. Pray for the Lovelace family as they are in charge of getting the container out.

Thank you for praying about our support level. Praise the Lord that we were able to gain some more support last month. However, we are still 450 dollars a month short. Please pray for this need to be met before we leave for the field.

This month we are going to be in Colorado until May 16th. From there we are finishing up in Des Moines, IA. During the week of the 18th-22nd our family will be taking a brief vacation in the St. Louis area. We will be spending Memorial Day weekend with Katie’s extended family as we celebrate her grandfather’s 90th birthday. Pray that we will be a good testimony to those who are unsaved in her family. On May 26th, we are flying to Florida to spend some time with Jeremy’s mom. Please pray for her salvation. We board a plane for Argentina on May 28th. We can’t wait! Please pray for us as we make all of the final preparations.

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and baby (due Sept. 30th)

April 7, 2009

Greetings from New York City! Praise the Lord that we were able to pack the container today with the help of some friends in the area churches. God provided just the help we needed in the time that we needed it. Please be praying that nothing gets damaged on the trip. Also, pray that customs will not ask us for a bribe. God is able.

Last week we had a great time ministering at FBBC. The Missions Conference was wonderfully put together. We believe that God was glorified with the preaching of His Word, the music, and the testimonies. Pray for those who made decisions during the week. Pray that God will call some of them out into the harvest.

San Miguel continues to have a steady attendance. The new members have all finished the class well. Pray that they will continue on and get baptized. Pray for Gaby as he has been in charge of evangelism and discipleship. Pastor Ezequiel is now preaching through the book of 1 Peter. Pray for him as he has been very busy with his secular job. Lord willing, he will be able to retire in a year or so. That will tremendously help the ministry there.

In only 7 weeks we will be returning to the field. We can't wait! Our kids ask us on a regular basis, "When are we going to be back in Argentina?" They are ready to be in their own beds and rooms.

Please pray as we still are 600 dollars a month short in support. We are praying for God to provide this need before we leave again for the field next month. God is able! Please continue to pray as we will be traveling long distances in the month of April. We will be going from Ohio to Indiana, back to Ohio, to Wisconsin so that we can speak to the group of Maranatha Students who are going to Argentina in August, and then we travel back to Colorado for a few meetings.

Katie is now over 3 months pregnant and doing very well by the grace of the Lord. We all got physicals this past month. Praise the Lord that we are all doing well!

Thank you so much for praying for us,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and Baby (due Sept. 30th)
www.estremafamily.blogspot.com
719-761-4143

March 17, 2009

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Co 2:9)

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from sunny Chariton, Iowa!  This is where we lived and ministered when we first got married.  We still have many friends in this area.  In fact, we are out every evening in a different home catching up with them.  Please continue to pray for Shawn who recently lost his wife.  He seems to be doing well by the grace of the Lord. 

Last Friday, Jeremy was able to speak at a public school.  He spoke to a number of classes about Argentina.  Can you believe that in this small little town there is a foreign exchange student from Argentina!  Being back here has really opened our eyes to the tremendous need there is among the youth of today. 

San Miguel had their anniversary service last Sunday.  There were 83 in attendance.  Please pray for Cesar and Claudia.  They both made a profession of faith a few months before we left.  Cesar has not been going to church which may indicate the sincerity of his profession.  Please pray for him to respond rightly to the work of the Spirit in his life.  His wife Claudia was at the anniversary service and has shown some good evidences of her salvation.  Please pray for continual growth for her and her daughter Camila. 

On the 30^th of March, Jeremy will be preaching at the annual FBBC missions conference.  He will be ministering the Word three times that week.  Please pray for God to call out laborers unto His harvest.  Pray for the Spirit’s work in our lives that week.  This is a great opportunity to encourage others and be encouraged ourselves. 

We are so excited about God’s provision over the last few weeks.  Praise the Lord that we were able to purchase much disicipleship material.  Also, 300 Bibles were given to us (free of charge) for the ministry down there.  Someone has also offered to buy us a piano!  Please pray as Jeremy will be trucking all these materials to New York City and then sending it out on the container on April 7^th.    

Thank you for praying about Katie’s doctor visit.  The baby is doing very well in the womb.  He/she was wiggling around and sucking the thumb!  God is so good!  

Only 10 weeks left on furlough!  If the Lord tarries, we look forward to seeing what God is going to do during our second term in Argentina.

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua and baby (due Sept. 30^th)

March 4, 2009

Greetings from freezing Iowa. Our stay in Chariton, Iowa started out with a funeral. Shawn and Val Rich are dear friends of ours. In fact, we showed their picture in our presentation during our deputation time in 2004-5. Val (33) went to be with the Lord last Friday. We got to Iowa just in time to be at the funeral. Jeremy was able to speak at the grave side service. What a way to spend time with old friends after four years of being away. Please pray for the Rich family: Shawn and their three young children. Pray for God's all sufficient grace to comfort them during this time.

Praise the Lord that we are able to stay in a missions home during our time here. Please pray as every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, we are in different churches. Pray as we minister God's Word in each church. Last Sunday night before the message, the church got together for prayer, and the Spirit gave much freedom for us to minister. Your prayers are important to us!

There are 6 people from the church in San Miguel who are enrolled in the new members class. Please pray for Gonzalo, Karina, Zulema, Fernando, Sergio and Lorena. Please pray as most of them will need to be baptized. It is neat to see God continue to bless in our absence.

Praise the Lord for His provision. This month we were able to get the tables and chairs for the container. Also, a family in Colorado donated many musical instruments. What a blessing! We are praying for God's provision of some discipleship material and Bibles. Please pray as we have also placed an order for Bibles for three different missionary families in Argentina.

Please pray as Katie has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. She is seeing a shrink to help her figure out why she married me. Just kidding! On a serious note, she is having her first pregnancy ultrasound. Praise the Lord that we are expecting another child! Please pray for a healthy and safe pregnancy.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua and ? (Acts 20:24)
www.estremafamily.blogspot.com

February 20, 2009

Greetings from 35,000 feet in the air. Yes, we are writing our prayer letter on our flight back to Colorado. We can't wait to be back with our kids again. They were greatly missed.

Thank you for your prayers. We really enjoyed being at the relationship seminar this week. We learned how to order our home better, be a more spiritual influence on our children, and the importance of good communication in marriage. We are all the more convinced that families are under attack, especially in the ministry.

May God help us to implement what we learned into our lives. Please pray for us.

Praise the Lord that things continue to go well at the church in San Miguel. There are two new people attending church now. They are the siblings of Karina. Please pray for their salvation. Also, in a week or so, the new ministry cycle will begin. Please be praying for the leaders of each ministry. Pray for fruit that will remain to the glory of God.

Tonight, Lord willing, Jeremy will begin preaching a series on faith from Hebrew 11. He will be speaking 7 different times. Please pray for each message. Next Friday, we will be heading to Iowa for a month. During the month, we have scheduled 14 meetings. O.k. you are right, that is a lot. Our prayer is that some of the churches that do not support us will be able to partner with us. Also, we are praying that during the month of March we will accrue enough ministry funds to cover what is going in the container. Right now, we are half way there! Praise the Lord! Please pray along with us for God's provision. We are praying for musical instruments and other ministry items such as bibles and discipleship material.

God is so good. Everyday we are reminded of the great need to preach the gospel. Last night we had the privilege of sharing the gospel with a Mexican man in Alabama. He is living without God and without hope in the world. It makes us wonder about just how many people that we rub shoulders with each day that are in the same predicament. May God open our mouths to preach as we ought.

We need your prayers. Thank you for being a part of both our lives and ministries. We love you!

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

February 9, 2009

Greeting from cold Colorado Springs! Thank you for praying for the Missions Conference that we were a part of. God blessed as we ministered His Word. We had opportunities to minister in various children's ministries as well as preach to the congregation. The church was very gracious to us. They bought us a very reliable computer and gave us enough funds to buy tables and chairs to bring in our container! Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to minister in the church where Katie grew up. They have been such a blessing to us over the past few years. Last night, we ministered in a church where a mother came up to us as we were leaving and said, "I will never forget your wife's name. Tonight, my daughter Katie accepted the Lord after your message." The power of God's Word amazes us.

On Saturday, Lord willing, Katie and I will be flying to Alabama for a family seminar. This is required by the mission for every family. Please pray for the Lord to use what is learned to help strengthen our marriage for the glory of the Lord.

Once we return on Friday the 20th, we will be going up to Parker, Colorado for a Missions Conference. Please pray as Jeremy will be speaking five times during the week. Pray for God to use His Word in the lives of the people. Our prayer is that with all that is going on in the economy God's people will continue to trust in Him. He is faithful!

Please be praying as we are looking into ways to get our belongings to New York City before it is shipped out on April 8th. After doing some extensive research, we have not been able to find a decent price yet. We still have room in the container for other ministry items such as instruments and books. Please be praying for God to provide these much needed items.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated. The church in San Miguel continues to do well in our absence. Please pray as March begins the new cycle of ministries. Pray for the leaders of each ministry. Also, pray for God to continue to add souls to the church for His glory.

We love you all in the Lord,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

January 23, 2009

Greetings from beautiful Colorado Springs. We are in the middle of winter and don’t even need to wear jackets. That’s Colorado for you!

We want to start our letter out by asking for prayer for a young missionary couple who are also working in Buenos Aires. Their young girl Morgan recently went to be with the Lord. Doctors are saying that her appendix burst. The parents names are Edward and Angie Oster. They have three other little children. Please pray for much needed grace for the family during this painful experience.

Praise the Lord that the church in San Miguel continues to have new visitors. Please pray for an elderly couple who have been attending. Their names are Jose and Victoria. Jose is in a wheel chair. Pray for confirmation of their salvation. Gabriel has been in charge of visiting during our absence. We are sure that he will appreciate your prayers as he ministers.

Lorena and Sergio have been attending church on a regular basis. Sergio has admitted that he does not know how to read or write. This is a first for us. He is quite the exception to the rule. Please pray as Gaby is following him up without being able to do paper Bible Study.

Thank you for praying for Jeremy’s class at Northland. It was quite refreshing. His heart was challenged to draw closer to the Lord and to His Word. Please pray as he is now writing a 30 page paper on the first few chapters of Genesis. His flight was quite the adventure. They were forced to make an emergency landing because of bad weather and a malfunction of the heating system in the plane. He missed his first day of classes because of it. God knows.

We continue to enjoy visiting our supporting churches in the area. We are overwhelmed by the wonderful reception we have experienced thus far. Ellie, our daughter, is in charge of handing out our prayer cards. In one church, she handed out 150 alone. Praise the Lord for the promises to pray for our ministry.

Please continue to pray for the Lord’s provision for the space we have in a container. The container is set to leave on April 8^th. We were given 15 feet to use for ministry items and some personal household goods. We are praying for God to provide the funds for 100 lifetime chairs and enough lifetime tables to seat 100 people. God is able.

Just in the last week we have received some new support! A couple of our supporting churches raised our support. Praise the Lord. We are now close to 90%. God continues to meet our needs in ways that we can’t even imagine (Eph. 3:20).

During the next two weekends we will be in 4 different churches. Next Friday, we will be part of a Missions Conference. Please pray for strength as we minister God’s Word. Pray for God to use us to stir others on for missions.

Thank you for praying. Look forward to seeing some of you soon!

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

January 5, 2009

Greetings from cold Colorado Springs! Praise the Lord for His safety as we have been traveling every weekend to visit our supporting churches.

The church in San Miguel continues to do well. Please pray for wisdom as during this time of the year the church members choose what ministry they want to be involved in. Please pray for a good group to be involved in evangelism and discipleship. Gabriel is now the one in charge during our absence.

Sergio and Lorena are now being followed-up. They had a Bible study in their home last Saturday. Please pray for growth for this family. Pray that they will decide to become members after doing the 5 step discipleship study.

Joshua has come down with a little stomach “bug”. Please pray for his system to adapt to the different foods of the States. There is nothing in the world like Argentina food! This week we are going to celebrate Joshua’s birthday with empanadas. If you don’t know what those are, we will pray for you. They have a crust on the outside and are filled with meat, ham and cheese, or chicken. They are very good! The kids thoroughly enjoyed being with all the cousins for Christmas. It is amazing how much they look alike.

Please be in prayer for my class next week. Lord willing, I will be flying to Northland on Jan. 12^th to take a class. Pray that the Lord will use the material in my personal life and for the benefit of the ministry.

About a week ago, we received an unexpected e-mail from a family who has decided to move down to Argentina. He is the son-in-law of a missionary in Mar del Plata. His goal is to teach in a Bible institute there in Buenos Aires. We believe that he will fill a great need there. He asked about shipping a container and offered us 10 feet of it to use! What a blessing! Usually, one only gets a once in a lifetime chance at sending down a container. After living in Argentina for a few years, there are many things that we wished we would have brought down either because of cost or unavailability. Now we have a chance to bring some of that stuff down.

We are praying to use our part of the container to bring down tables, chairs and other ministry items. Please pray for God to provide the funds for us to purchase these items. We are praying to ship the container by the middle of April. The Lord has provided the money for the shipping costs itself, however, we do not currently have the funds for the tables and chairs.

Thank you so much for praying. We pray that you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua (Acts 20:24)

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December 31, 2008

Highlights of 2008

We have come to the last day of 2008. What a year! It was filled with blessings and challenges. We would like to fill you in on some of the Highlights of 2008.

It is hard to believe that in March of 2008 we made our transition to the church in San Miguel. We came from the mother church in Don Torcuato where we were ministering alongside veteran missionary Ron Self. Our main goal in the daughter church is to help get the work get established. We were pleasantly surprised to see just how well they were doing before we got there. San Miguel’s attendance in March was about 45 people. It was mostly made up of solid young families in their 30’s.

Our main focus was on evangelism and discipleship. A group of pastors from Don Torcuato helped develop a simple evangelism/discipleship program for us to follow. We made up a home Bible study which explains the plan of salvation and this is what we have been using with those who God brings across our path. There were three main avenues of evangelism: home Bible studies, birthday parties, and special church events.

1. Home Bible Studies

By God’s grace we were able to conduct a number of home Bible studies this year. God has granted some fruit from these studies.

1. Rosi and Xoana opened their home for us to study the Bible there. Xoana was the first to make a profession of faith through the study. She understood very quickly the need to be saved. Rosi took her time and eventually made a decision a few months later. Both go to church on a fairly regular basis. Both have also done follow-up studies.
2. Gimena is a lady who came to church off and on for a couple of years. After doing the home Bible study, Gimena realized that she was not saved. She said, “I always thought that I needed to purify myself, now I realize that I needed to accept Christ.” Praise the Lord. Unfortunately, Gimena after doing some follow-up studies realized that she was living in adultery and decided to stop going to church. Please pray for her.
3. Cesar is a man who was invited to church by one of our members. He accepted Christ after we did the home Bible study together. He began the 5 step follow-up study afterwards but, because of work, was not very faithful. His wife Claudia would have nothing to do with the church. She came to one special event and afterwards agreed to do a home Bible study. God used His Word to convict her of her sin and her need for Christ and now the whole family goes to church! They have 3 children. Camila, her daughter, also accepted Christ.
4. Sergio and Lorena are family members of one of our members. They were impacted by the environment of a birthday party. They couldn’t believe that people could have fun without doing wrong things. They opened their home for a Bible study. That night, Lorena accepted the Lord. Sergio gave many excuses not to make a decision. Sometime after that, God got a hold of Sergio’s heart. The entire family now goes to church on a regular basis. Praise the Lord.

2. Birthday Parties

Believe it or not, birthday parties are very big in Argentina. We challenged the folks to use their birthday parties as a means to share the gospel with their unsaved loved ones. It seemed like we were attending at least one birthday party a month with many opportunities to share the gospel. As you already read, Sergio and Lorena are products of a birthday party. God also gave us a couple of other people through this special event.

1. Fernando had visited the church on a couple of occasions. He grew up in a Baptist church but turned from the Lord later on in life. Jeremy had the privilege to preach at a birthday party where there were 44 people listening. God got a hold of Fernando’s heart and he decided to return to the Lord. He has come to church faithfully ever since.
2. Valeria was also at the same birthday party. She has been a cancer patient over the last year. While her cancer was under control, her soul still lacked peace. She came to church, did a home Bible study with Gabriel, and accepted the Lord. She is now doing a follow-up Bible study.

3. Special Events

Every year the church has at least five excellent opportunities to invite their unsaved loved ones to hear evangelistic messages. These days are: Church’s Anniversary, Friend Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas. God has used the preaching at these special events to add to His church.

1. Gonzalo and Karina have been a prime example of this. Karina came to church on the church anniversary of this year. After hearing a message about how faith without works is dead, she went home to discuss it with her husband. Gonzalo had not stepped foot in a church for 8 years. He was cold spiritually and not walking with God at all. Karina’s questions about the message she heard really impacted Gonzalo who decided to go to church a few Sundays later. He has not missed since! We were able to do a 5 step Bible Study with them to help them with their walk with God. God has used this family to open many doors for us to preach the gospel to their friends and loved ones.

The church at San Miguel, in just one year’s time, has gone from a solid attendance of 45-50 to a solid attendance of 60. God has given us a 20% increase in attendance. Many seeds were planted and God gave the increase in His time. Truly, God builds His church. To Him be all the glory! Thank you for praying.

Some more Highlights of 2008

1. Our daughter Ellie got saved. It is amazing to see her love for God and His Word. She has such a sensitive spirit. May God use her greatly.
2. Group from Maranatha. It was such a privilege to preach the gospel alongside some fine students from one of the finest Bible colleges around. We utterly enjoyed all the opportunities that God opened up while they were in Argentina ministering.
3. Building an office in the back. We were able to have an office built in the back of our house to give Jeremy a solitary place for studying.
4. Teaching in the Seminary. Every Tuesday night, Jeremy has the opportunity to teach in the Seminary. He never could have imagined how much fun this would be. He enjoyed both the preparation time and the lesson time.
5. Group from Colorado. One of our supporting churches was able to come down and do some light construction. God taught us many lessons (what to do and what not to do) about having a group. We thank God for their wonderful spirit and willingness to come.
6. Friends from the States. Aaron and Alicia Roth were able to come down with their young son Elijah. Aaron helped put up ceilings for a couple of classrooms. It was a joy to have them in our home. They were the first ones to sleep in Jeremy’s office/guest room.
7. Our permanent residency. It is amazing what having a baby on the mission field can do for you. We were able to get our permanent residency in July.
8. Two more classes finished towards a doctorate. Jeremy was able to finish two more classes towards his doctorate. He is now only four classes away!
9. Money for tickets for furlough. We could not believe the price of tickets for our return to the States. God wonderfully provided all that we needed to return.
10. Ellie and Johnny finished schooling. Ellie was able to finish K-4. She can now read on her own! Amazing! Johnny finished K-3 and gave up sucking his thumb!
11. Discipleship opportunities. Katie was able to do a one-on-one discipleship with Flavia. We also were able to finish discipleships with Alejandro, Lorena, Karina, Gonzalo, and Xoana.
12. God gave us our fourth child and then took him/her home after 10 weeks of pregnancy. This was probably one of the hardest times of our lives. However, we never sensed God’s presence like we did after we lost the baby. God continues to give us grace as we serve Him.

Wow! What a year! Who is sufficient for such things? Thank God for His grace and mercy. It is new every morning. We want to thank you all for your prayers. You mean so much to us. We want you to know that we love you and are thankful to God for your partnership.

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

Goals/Prayers for 2009

If we have learned anything this past year, it is that Gods ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. As we look forward to 2009, let us be praying together for God to work His perfect will in our lives.

1. A church constitution for San Miguel. San Miguel is still a daughter church. She follows and obeys the mother church’s constitution. Our prayer is help them to write one of their own.

2. Ezequiel’s ordination. Our prayer is to help free him up so he can dedicate more time to prepare his own doctrinal statement. This will involve much reading and studying on his part. Please pray for him to have the time to dedicate to this important task.

3. An increase of 20% in attendance. If San Miguel continues to grow at the rate with which they grew last year, they will have a solid attendance of 70 by December of 2009. This, along with the church constitution, will enable the church to be independent by March of 2010.

4. Begin making the preparations for a church plant in Bella Vista. Once the church in San Miguel is independent, our prayer is to begin a Bible Study in Bella Vista sometime in 2010. This will involve renting a place for us to meet. We already have looked at some places and the rent runs around 400-500 dollars a month.

5. Increase in our work funds. We are now at 84% support. Most of what is lacking are work funds. Please pray for God to provide the much needed support before returning to the field in June.

6. Provision of some items needed for the ministry. God has just opened the door for us to share a container with another family who is moving down to Argentina. What a blessing! We want to use the space to bring down much needed ministry items such as books, tables, chairs, etc. Our prayer is to be able to bring down 12 folding tables and 100 folding chairs. The quality of church equipment here in the States far exceeds that which we can find in Argentina. Plus, the price is a lot cheaper here than there for those things. Therefore, this makes it a very wise investment. Please pray for God to provide either the equipment or the funds to buy the equipment before the container leaves sometime this April. God is able!

7. Finish two more classes towards doctorate. In January, Jeremy is flying to Northland to take a class. He is planning on taking another one sometime this year as well.

8. Ellie and Johnny’s schooling. Ellie will be in K-5 and Johnny in K-4. Please pray for them to do well. Also, pray for Katie as she home schools.

9. Study 22 more books of the Bible. In 2008, we began a 3 year Bible reading plan for our devotions. We find the pace most refreshing. Our prayer is to finish year 2 in 2009.

10. Growth spiritually and numerically for our family. We are praying for spiritual growth as we face the many challenges of 2009. May God use every situation for our good and His glory. Also, we are praying for God to grant us another child. Yes, the world needs another Italian!

Please be in prayer for these goals/prayers of 2009. We will fill you as God hears our pleas.

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

December 22, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

This has been a great week. We were able to minister in 2 different supporting churches in our area. What a difference furlough is from deputation! During deputation everything is unfamiliar and at times awkward. Now, we are greeted by faces we know. Also, we are welcomed by people who are praying for us. Praise the Lord for the great supporting churches that He has given to us.

The church in San Miguel continues to go strong in our absence. They had 108 in attendance for their special Christmas Cantata. There were also five professions of faith. Please pray for this fruit to remain.

We talked to Gabriel on Saturday and he said that Sergio and Lorena have been going to church every Sunday! What a blessing. You never know what God is going to do after His Word is preached. Before we left, Lorena made a profession of faith during a home Bible-study. Now, the whole family goes to church. Truly, God gives the increase. Please continue to pray for this family as they will now begin a five step follow-up study.

Our children are enjoying being with Grandma and Grandpa. Ellie began to read a few weeks ago. She is going to be 5 the day after Christmas. Last night, we gave her an early Christmas gift. Her own Bible that she can read. She went to bed reading the Bible. As soon as she woke up, she read the Bible again. She loves it! Please pray that this will true of her during her lifetime. Pray that she will desire to read and live the Word of God.

Johnny (3) is happy to play with his cars. Today, he is going to eat with Grandpa and Grandma. He plays very well with his cousins. It is like they have been together since they were born.

Joshua (1) has gotten a lot better with his traveling. Thank you for praying. He truly loves being the baby of the family. He loves to be held to sleep.

One of our supporting churches allowed us to be on their phone plan during our furlough. We have limited minutes during the day, but from 7:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. mountain time and weekends, we have unlimited minutes. Our phone number is 719-761-4143. If you need us, you can reach us at that number for the next 6 months.

Thank you for praying about our support. Just this week, we heard of a few increases bringing us to 84%. Please continue to pray for the rest to come in.

We know that this time of the year can be very busy. We want to thank you all for your love and prayers. We pray that you have a Merry Christmas. May God use this time of the year for us to share the good news with others.

May the Lord find us faithful,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

www.estremafamily.blogspot.com

December 15, 2008

Greetings from cold Colorado Springs. We were just listening that today was the coldest December 15th ever here! Well, it feels good to be surrounded by snow and family. This past weekend we were able to minister in two of our supporting churches. It was great to be around those who are praying for our ministry. Thank you for praying for our safety as we travel.

We now have a missionary car to use for the next 6 months. Praise the Lord for this great blessing. It is the perfect size for our family. Also, Jeremy was able to witness to a man from Castle Rock on the plane to Kansas City. Pray for Lorenzo's salvation.

The church in San Miguel is doing great. They had 72 in attendance yesterday. Please pray for Fernando who has been coming for the past couple of months. Pray that he will decide to join the church. Continue to pray for Gabriel Figoli who is doing all the visitation and discipleship during our absence. Sergio (Lorena's husband) still is unsaved. Please pray for his salvation.

This week we will be ministering in two different churches. Pray for God's Word to impact those who hear it. Also, please be praying about our support. We are currently at 80% support. Our prayer is that we could be at 100% before our return in June.

God is able!

The Estrema Family
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

December 8, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from New York City. Over the last few days, we have been spending time with family and friends. Yesterday, we had the privilege of presenting our ministry in our home church and a sister church in the area. During the morning service, God brought a man named Andre who never stepped into church before. Please pray for his salvation.

We are especially thankful to our home church who has given to us a projector, books, and other materials that are needed for the ministry.

We never know what God has in store for us as we minister in different churches. Last night, as we walked into Calvary Baptist Church in Bay Shore, we were greeted by a lady who knew Jeremy since he was a baby boy. Her unsaved brother Anthony is an old friend of Jeremy’s father and only has been in church once before. After hearing that we were coming, Anthony brought his wife and two children to church!

We were able to share the gospel with him. It encouraged our hearts because Jeremy’s family refused to go to church. His mom and her side of the family have become very cold towards the gospel. In times past, we had great freedom to witness to them. This time, however, they would have nothing to do with it. Jeremy’s mother seems unfazed about her cancer. Pray that God will use her illness to bring her to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Praise the Lord that in spite of our family’s hardness, God opened the door for us to share the gospel in depth to our cousin Frank. He was the only one in the family that would listen. Please pray for his salvation and the salvation of the rest of Jeremy’s family.

Tonight, we are flying home to Colorado. We cannot wait to be with our family members who are there. Please pray for safety. Also, please be in prayer for Joshua (1 year old) our son who is having trouble traveling. He has had a terrible time adapting to the new surroundings. We believe that it is because he does not feel at ease away from his home setting in Argentina. We really have never traveled with him before this trip. Please pray for him to feel more comfortable traveling as we have six months of a tight schedule ahead of us.

Tomorrow morning, Jeremy will be flying to Kansas City to pick up the car for furlough. This will be his fourth plane ride in a week. With all the restrictions on baggage, please pray that they don’t charge him for the bags under his eyes!

You are in our hearts and prayers,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua (Acts 20:24)
www.estremafamily.blogspot.com

December 1, 2008

What a way to finish our first term! It seems like God just continued to open doors this month to preach the gospel. There were 3 professions of faith this past week! Praise the Lord! On Tuesday, both Pastor Ezequiel and Jeremy visited Cesar and his wife Claudia. They just had a baby and were looking to dedicate the baby to the Lord. It was neat to be in their home and open the Bible with them. While Cesar had made a profession a faith back in March, Claudia was still unsaved. Both Claudia and one of her daughters Camila (12) accepted the Lord at their dinner table. The whole family of five was at church on Sunday! Please pray as Gabriel is now in charge of follow-up during our absence.

On Friday, God opened the door for us to visit Sergio and Lorena (Gabriel’s sister). Both were given the gospel. The Holy Spirit was really working in Lorena’s life as she was open to accept Christ. Sergio, however, did not see the need to make the decision. Pray for his salvation. He has been confused by a Pentecostal pastor who did a visit and anointed his house with oil. Apparently, he offered a prosperity gospel to Sergio. Now, Sergio is secure of his destiny based on a false gospel. How sad! This seems to be very common here in Argentina. Many are confused into accepting Christ to solve a certain problem in their lives. Often times their real problem of sin and separation from God is overlooked. How important it is to preach the true gospel (Galatians 1:8-9)!

We leave today for the States. Last night, it was hard to say good-bye to our church family. Some are going to accompany us to the airport tonight to see us off. They want to be sure that we are really leaving! Just kidding. On a serious note, we can honestly say that God has put a love in our hearts for the people here. They are part of our lives. They are like our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. We sensed this all the more after we lost the baby. Many of them were at our side expressing their love for us.

God has been so good to us. We really don’t deserve it. Please pray for safety as we travel. We will first be with Jeremy’s mother for a couple of days. She just found out that she has breast cancer. Please pray as she is not saved. Pray that God will open her heart during this trip. Next, we will be in New York for a few days with our sending church and other family members. Pray that God will open doors for us to share the gospel with Jeremy’s unsaved family. On Dec. 8^th we head out to Colorado where we will be with family and our supporting churches.

Thank you so much for your prayers. As we look back on this first term, we thank God for people like you who have been behind us in prayer and support. When we are together, Lord willing, we will be able to rejoice, praising God for answers to prayer.

We truly love you in the Lord,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua Estrema (John 15:1-5)

November 9, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from beautiful Buenos Aires. Temperatures are now in the upper 80’s. Along with the beautiful weather, God has been bringing out visitors. Thank you for your prayers.

Tonight’s service went really well. Jeremy was able to preach the account of Namaan and Elisha. Soledad, a young woman who attended church a couple times before, said that she really enjoyed the service tonight. We are not sure of her salvation. She said that this week she is going to check with her family to see if we are allowed to visit her. Please pray for God to open this door. Pray that the gospel seed that was planted tonight will grow.

Cesar brought his wife Claudia to church tonight. Claudia has been very closed to the gospel since we have known her. After church, she was given the plan of salvation by a member of the church named Adrian. Praise the Lord that she made a profession of faith tonight! Pray that God will allow us to follow-up this decision with a Bible study.

Please be praying about our upcoming furlough in December. God has graciously filled our schedule through May. Pray that God will use our ministry to be a blessing and an encouragement while we are there.

There is much that needs to be done before then. Pray for us as we meet with Ezequiel (the pastor that we are working with) and discuss next year’s ministries. Please be in prayer for Ezequiel as his secular job has been taking up much of his time. Pray that the Lord will open the door for him to retire soon so that he will be to dedicate himself full time to the ministry.

In two weeks, our mission is going to have mini-conference for its missionaries in South America. We are looking forward to fellowshipping with some of our friends that we haven’t seen for a while. Pray that God will use the preaching to encourage us all to continue on for the glory of the Lord. Also, one of our supporting pastors will be here in Argentina that same week. Pray as he will be teaching a class in the mother church. We are hoping to spend a little time with him as well.

Thank you for praying for us during these difficult days. Our hearts still ache from the loss of our baby. Last weekend, we were able to get away for a few days. We went to our favorite place in Argentina (Mar del Plata). The kids had fun playing in the sand and water. It was a good change of pace for our family.

Just three weeks left before our first term ends. Pray that we finish it well. Praise the Lord that we have finished our discipleship studies with Flavia, Alejandro and Lorena. Pray for Gimena that God will continue to work in her heart. Pray that God will open the heart of Fernando. Sergio and Lorena are open to a visit. Pray for us to have an opportunity to visit with them sometime this week.

Thank you for praying. Your prayers mean a lot to us.

We love you all in the Lord,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24)

 October 29, 2008-- Update

Thank you for praying. We are now at home! The procedure went well. The doctors treated us very kindly. You can sense the prayers of God’s people during this difficult day.

Katie seems to be doing very well. She is resting now and will need a couple of days to recover from the procedure.

Please continue to pray as we lean upon God’s all sufficient grace.

October 28, 2008-- Prayer Request Update

Greetings from Buenos Aires.

Thank you for your prayers. Today, (Tuesday) at 1:30 p.m. our time (11:30 a.m. est) Katie will be getting a D & C. Lord willing, this will help all to pass and help her to avoid possible infections in the future.

Yesterday was gut wrenching as we did one last ultrasound to confirm everything. There is no doubt now that the baby has died at least 10 days ago.

Please pray for recovery both physically and emotionally. We are both doing well by the grace of the Lord. Yesterday, we had time to talk and cry together as the kids were being watched by our missionary friends in Pilar. It is amazing how close we sense the Lord’s presence with us during this time. His Word and His people have been of much encouragement to us.

Psalm 34 has been of much encouragement to us.

Psalm 34:17-19 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

We have been listening to sermons by one of our supporting pastors in Iowa. His sermon on Hebrews chapter 4:14-16 encouraged our hearts to continue to cling to the Lord during this time. We have a High Priest that knows what we are going through. Not only does He sympathize with us, but He also provides us with mercy and grace to help in the time of need. This has been so true during this time in our lives. His grace is truly sufficient.

Music has also helped us through this time. The song, “How great the Father’s love for us” has encouraged our hearts. There is no doubt that God loves us. There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down His life for his friends (John 15:13). His love “constraineth us” to continue to live for Him (2 Co. 5:14).

Lord willing, we will be going on furlough in December. Please pray that this experience does not overshadow our ministry here over the last few years. These last few years in Argentina have been the best and hardest years of our lives. God has done wonderful things, not only in the lives of the people, but also in our own.

You have been praying for Gimena. A few weeks ago, she accepted the Lord and has started having a follow-up Bible study with us! Praise the Lord. God has also opened doors this past month to share the gospel with Fernando, Sergio and Lorena. A new family this last Sunday came to church for the first time. Jeremy was able to give a testimony of God’s goodness to His children during difficult times. Pray that God uses that in the lives of Ariel and Perla.

Last night an Argentine family from our church expressed their gratitude for how we impacted their lives. The husband said that he wanted a family like ours. He then expressed his fear that we wouldn’t come back after our trip to the States. He said to us, “I want you to come back. There is much that needs to be done. You need to start a church in Bella Vista one day.”

We reassured him that Argentina is God’s will for our lives until God says something different. There is nothing more reassuring in the life of a believer than to do what God wants in the place that God wants.

Thank you for your prayers and love. We look forward to being with you in a short time. Until then, please pray that we continue to lean upon God’s grace. Pray for us to fully prepare for our trip to the States in December. Pray that God will use us to be a blessing in the lives of the people.

Thank you for being faithful to the Lord and to us during our first term here in Argentina.

We love you,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24)

October 23 2008

Dear Friends in the Lord,

First, we want to thank all of you for your kind letters and prayers on our behalf. Many have sent encouraging notes which the Lord has been using to comfort us during this time. Your love and concern are much appreciated.

Next, we want to thank the doctors who have called and given advice. As you know, the baby still hasn’t yet passed out of Katie’s body. The doctors have advised us not to use the pill that was given to us here, to wait at least until Tuesday and see if Katie passes the baby naturally. If nothing happens by then, we will likely seek a D & C to avoid infection and further problems.

Emotionally, we are worn out. There has been much crying over these last few days. During our prayer time as a family, Johnny started praying for the baby as normal. Ellie told him to no longer pray as the baby is in heaven now with God. It is amazing what kids perceive even at an early age.

We are reading again the book on Trusting God even when life hurts. We are comforted by the words “God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.”

Please pray that the miscarriage happens naturally before Tuesday. If God in His wisdom does not want this to happen, we will go on and have the necessary procedure performed.

We love you and appreciate all your prayers. Please feel free to send more letters. As of now, we will no longer need doctors to call us. Thank you again for those who reached out to us, even though they don’t know us.

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy and Katie Estrema (Acts 20:24)

Greetings from Buenos Aires,

Today, Katie went down to the hospital to get a routine ultrasound done on the baby in the womb. The baby measured at 9 weeks and approximately 4 days. However, the baby did not have a heart beat. We went quickly for a second opinion and we received the same result. Doctors have told us that the baby died in the womb.

As you know, this was real painful news for us to hear. We appreciate your prayers. We were told by one doctor to take a pill that will speed up the passing of the baby through the body. The other doctor, told us to wait 10 days and the baby should pass through normally. We are unsure what to do.

If someone knows of a doctor in the States that would be willing to talk to us about this, we would appreciate his/her number.

We thank you so much for your love and prayers. Our God remains on His throne. He has been so good to us. We realize that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28).

Because He lives,

Jeremy and Katie Estrema (Acts 20:24)

 Estrema Family Prayer Letter (September/October 2008)

Dear Praying Friends,

Solomon was right when he said, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). By the grace of the Lord we were able to buy our tickets to get to Miami in December. Our tickets are from December 1^st until May 28^th. We were also able to put together a full schedule of meetings all the way through May of 2009. During this time, our plan was to visit all our supporting churches plus a few churches that do not support us.

Apparently, God has other plans. Last week we found out that we are expecting our fourth child in May! Praise the Lord! We are amazed at the grace of God in our lives. While this is great news, it does change our plans considerably. Since Katie will not be able to travel in May due to the fact that she will be 9 months pregnant at the time, we are going to have to cut our furlough short. Lord willing, we would like to return to Argentina on April 15th.

What does this all mean for our family? First, we now need to change the date on our tickets. Please pray that we can change them with minimal difficulty and cost. Second, we are going to have to change a few of our scheduled meetings. Please pray for God to work out these details as we call some of the pastors. Next, we were praying about being in a few more non-supporting churches so that we could raise some additional support.

While we will be in some of those churches before April, both April and May were going to be dedicated to non-supporting churches. God knows. Please pray for our support level to increase before we return to the field. With the devaluation of the dollar and the rapid inflation in Argentina, we are about 1,000 a month short in support. God is able!

If we decide to have the baby in the States, we will only face future problems with paperwork and visas. We do not want to be delayed months in the States waiting for our baby’s paperwork. Once a baby is born in Argentina, he/she will automatically be a resident. We ask you all to be praying for much wisdom as we do some planning over the next few months.

God continues to open doors for evangelism and discipleship. A lady named Dora with her daughter-in-law visited a monthly ladies meeting. We had a chance to visit with her soon afterwards. God allowed us to open the Bible and share from John chapter 10. Please pray for conviction upon her heart.

Tonight (Sep. 29) is Gonzalo’s birthday. Both he and his wife finished the 5 step discipleship study. Praise the Lord that they both want to become members! Also, Karina wants to be baptized! Thank you for your prayers. For his birthday, Gonzalo has invited over 20 friends and family with the intention that Jeremy will share the gospel with them. What a great opportunity! Please pray for God to use His word in their lives.

Rosi and Xoana were in church on Thursday night. Both have said that they did the study on the security of salvation. Please pray as many factors have lead to unfaithfulness in their attendance. Pray that Rosi will allow God to have first place in her life. That would change everything.

God has opened the door to do a visit in the home of Jimena and her husband Jorge. Her husband has not been to church for years. He is no longer walking with God. Please pray for God to work in his life as we share the Word with him.

Please be praying about the annual Fundamental Baptist Conference from the 6^th to the 9^th of October. Jeremy is helping organize the food preparations. Also, he will be preaching and teaching during two of the sessions. Katie will be involved with caring for the children. This is a great time of fellowship and encouragement to the pastors in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Pray that God will impact all our hearts during this time.

Jeremy’s class on sin and salvation is going very well. What a privilege to teach these wonderful doctrines! We thank God for the education that He allowed us to have in order to prepare for these moments. It is amazing what one learns teaching God’s Word. Even after many years of studies, there is so much more to learn about the Scriptures. As one man said, “we are learning and growing.” Isn’t that the truth?

We love you all. God has been so good to us. We really don’t deserve it. Please be praying. As you can see, we need much wisdom. May God continue to open doors for us to preach His Word!

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua, and baby (due May 22^nd)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter (August/September 2008)

Dear Praying Friends,

Don’t you love to hear the following words? “Can you please help me accept Christ as my Savior?” That came from the mouth of our daughter Ellie about a week ago. After praying to receive Christ, she jumped up and down overflowing with joy. She couldn’t wait to tell everyone of her new faith in Christ. Not bad for a 4 year old! She recently prayed, “Lord, help me to continue to walk with You”. Precious words from the mouth of God’s children. Please pray for God to use her mightily both now and in the future if He sees fit.

Thank you for your prayers for us this month. The group from Colorado did an excellent job. They cleaned, painted, cleaned again, organized a couple of the classrooms and ministered during our prayer and Sunday services. Praise the Lord for their excellent spirit during the trip.

Gonzalo and Karina continue to grow slowly but surely. Karina has started to have her devotions on a regular basis. Gonzalo, who grew up in church but later on fell away, continues to show signs of real growth. Pray that they will be encouraged to take the new members class coming up soon.

The mother of Xoana no longer has interest in the church or Bible studies. Please pray for God to work in her heart. Also, pray for Xoana as she is trying to walk with God with little encouragement from her family. Praise the Lord that she wants to get baptized and join the church. Pray as she and Katie meet for a discipleship time each week.

Please pray for Raul. He has been coming on a more frequent basis. However, he is still not open to any Bible studies. Pray for his salvation.

Praise the Lord that Jeremy was able to finish teaching his class on Evangelism and Discipleship. Pray for the students as they still need to turn in their assignments and final exam. Also, pray as Jeremy will begin teaching Harmartiology/Soteriology on September 16^th.

Thank you for praying about funds for our tickets for our upcoming furlough in December. God has provided the funds for us to by tickets from here to Miami. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray as we are still lacking funds to get from Miami to Denver. God is able! He continues to provide in ways we can never imagine.

We appreciate all that you do!

Because He lives,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter

July-August 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

There is so much joy in our hearts that we don’t know where to start. Let’s just begin by saying that we believe in the power of prayer! We prayed about our visa situation and God answered in ways we couldn’t have even imagined. Since we have a son who was born in this country, we were granted permanent residency without having to wait the normal three years! Today, the process was finalized. Praise the Lord! We no longer need a visa to enter in the country. We now have our permanent residency! A special thanks to the Eckman family who helped us get into the country.

While completing paperwork and requirements for our visas took up most of our time and energy this month, the Lord allowed us to see some special blessings in the ministry as well. Our follow-up time with Rosi and Xoana continues to open doors for others to hear the gospel. One Wednesday night, there were 11 of us in a small room discussing the gospel. Sabrina and her four children were all around the table doing a study of John chapter 1. Please pray for their salvation.

Xoana has asked to be baptized and wants to become a member of the church. Her mother Rosi continues to grow in the Lord. She commented that her house has completely changed. No more bad music, bad language, and no more screaming at each other. God is truly at work.

Gonzalo has asked for a discipleship time for himself and his wife Karina. We are still not sure of Karina’s salvation. Please pray that God will use this time to reveal her true need. Pray for Gonzalo as he has faced many trials since returning to the Lord.

Please pray for the special events that are taking place this coming month:

1. A youth conference (August 5-7). Jeremy will be preaching three times. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of those who attend.
2. A group from one of our supporting churches is coming (August 6-14). They will be involved in cleaning and painting the second floor of the church. Please pray for safety as they travel. Also, please pray as they will have various opportunities to minister to the people here.
3. Children’s Day August 9th. We will be involved in ministering to over 100 children sharing the gospel with them and with some of their parents. Please pray for the Lord to open hearts.
4. More evangelistic opportunities. Pray for God to continue to open doors.

Thank you for praying. As you can see, God answers. Please continue to pray along with us for our tickets to return to the States in December for a short furlough. Prices continue to be very high. Praise the Lord that two of our supporting churches have given to this need. Please pray for the rest to come in. God is able. We would like to buy our tickets by sometime in late August or early September.

We love you and thank you for all that you do.

Because He lives,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24)

 Prayer Letter
June 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

What a month of open doors to preach the gospel! We really sense your prayers as God continues to provide us with great ministry opportunities. A young teen named Johanna accepted the Lord and has been faithful to both church and the youth meetings. Her mother Rosy has also been coming to church on a regular basis. Please pray for her to receive Christ.

A young family, Gonzalo, Karina, and their three children, have begun coming to church on a faithful basis. It turns out that Gonzalo was saved at a young age and turned his back on the Lord for many years. Now, he wants to return to the Lord and do things right with his life. Please pray for Gonzalo to continue to make the right decisions.

We were able to visit a young lady in the hospital who was put under a spell by a witch. Her whole face was covered in sores! It was an amazing sight. We preached the gospel to Paula. She said that she never heard the gospel before in her life. This is a very common response from those here in Argentina. While she did not accept the Lord, please pray for God to give us another opportunity to visit with her.

Andres and Paula, both unsaved, came to a married couple’s meeting. Believe it or not they are not even married! Jeremy had the opportunity to share the gospel with Andres. Please pray for God to open a door for Jeremy to be able to have a Bible study with him.

Cesar, who left Buenos Aires to work in another province, has returned home. His family situation is not good at all. Please pray for God to get a hold of Cesar’s heart so that he can lead his family in the things of the Lord.

Classes have begun again on Tuesday nights. Jeremy is now teaching Evangelism and Discipleship on a college level. Praise the Lord that there are three pastors plus three faithful members taking the course. Please pray for continual wisdom and spiritual growth for all of those involved in the class.

This month is the month that our visas expire. Please pray as missionary Tom Eckman is helping us get our visas renewed for one year. During the renewal period, the government will be “Lord willing” working on our permanent visas. Please pray for this to be a smooth, uncomplicated process.

Please pray for Katie as she will be speaking at a Ladies Lunch on July 16th. The service will have an evangelistic emphasis. Also, Jeremy will be preaching on “Friend Day” (July 20th). Usually, there are many unsaved visitors who come to that service. Please pray for God to work in hearts.

By God’s grace we were able to fill our calendar almost to max for our upcoming furlough in December. Please pray as we look to fill in a couple of open slots that we still have left. Also, praise the Lord that He has already provided a way for us to rent a vehicle at a great price during our time in the States.

This leads us to another important prayer request. As you probably know, the rise of gas prices has affected the prices of airline tickets. Our trip to the States will run anywhere from 6500 to 7000 dollars for our family. That is just for the tickets! By God’s grace, we have saved about 3300 dollars towards our trip. However, that leaves us a good 3000 dollars short. Please pray for God to provide these funds in the next few months. We would like to buy our tickets some time in August if possible.

Thank you for your love and prayers. We wouldn’t be here without them.

Because He lives,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

Prayer Letter
May 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

What a month of exciting ministry here in Buenos Aires! Praise the Lord for the wonderful group from Maranatha Baptist Bible College that came down to help the various ministries here. Here is an excerpt from our missionary co-worker Ron Self’s prayer letter describing their ministry here:

“I believe that in three weeks the Maranatha team gave 24 full concerts, passed out about 15,000 tracts and flyers, held multiple Basketball Clinics and sessions of "English as a Second Language" and was greatly used in many different communities and churches in Buenos Aires and Uruguay. There were over 30 professions of faith, and many others who expressed some interest in hearing more!”

It was certainly a joy and a privilege to minister alongside them during their time here. There were two professions of faith in San Miguel where we are working. Jeremy had the opportunity to talk to them both afterwards. Both are attending church faithfully! One has begun a discipleship study! Praise the Lord! Please pray for Cesar as he is now learning how to walk with God.

Thank you for praying about the special meeting at Villa de Mayo. God gave much grace as there were 4 professions of faith. Please pray for the fruit to remain. Also, thank you for praying about the seminary classes on Tuesday night. Jeremy finished teaching the class on Eschatology. Now, please pray as on the 24^th of June he will begin teaching Evangelism and Discipleship on a seminary level.

This month we are going to Lord willing submit our paperwork for an extension of our visas. Please pray for this delicate process. With the change of government, one never knows what is required. God is able!

God seems to be opening door after door for the gospel to be preached. Pray as we trying to minister to two different families in particular. Raul and Lidia have come to church off and on for the last year. Both are probably not saved! Please pray for God to allow us to have an evangelistic study with them both. Also, Jose Luis and Andrea are a young couple that were married in our church. Before getting married, both made professions of faith. However, their lives show no evidence of salvation. Please pray as we seek to have an evangelistic study with them as well.

This month again is filled with activities, we need your prayers!

1. June 1^st, Jeremy preaching in San Miguel
2. June 7^th, Youth group meeting
3. June 8^th, Ministering in San Fernando
4. June 9^th-13^th Dr. Bennett is coming down from Northland to teach a module.
5. June 13-20- Doing paperwork in Mar del Plata
6. June 15-Father’s day
7. June 21^st- Katie speaking at a ladies meeting
8. June 24-Class on Evangelism and Discipleship begins

Thank you so much for being a part of our ministry.

We love you,
Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter (April 2008)

Dear Praying Friends,

A mini construction project, a visit of friends from the States, and multiple opportunities to witness are just some of the highlights of this past month.

Praise the Lord that we were able to finish two of the class rooms upstairs in the church building. Aaron Roth, his wife and their little baby Elijah, spent a week and a half with us. It was a joy to have some friends from the States. They were able to see the ministry here first hand. They were a part of 8 different meetings in just 10 days time. They were in pastors meetings, youth meetings, prayer meetings, institute classes, ladies meetings, and Sunday services. During their spare time, Aaron finished two hung ceilings in the church, helped paint a room, and fixed little stuff around our house. We also went to Mar del Plata to visit. At the last, they ended up staying an extra day because they missed their return flight due to the Olympic Torch passing through Buenos Aires which caused stand still traffic. As you can tell, they had an adventurous trip. We hope that they will come back again some day.

Praise the Lord that Jeremy’s evangelism class on Tuesday night finished well. At least one of the students has already been putting into practice what he has learned. Pray for Gabriel who, along with his wife, has been a great encouragement to us. It may be too early to tell, but Gaby would be a great candidate for a future pastor. One day, Lord willing, we may be able to start a daughter church with him as the pastor. Both he and his wife were saved through the ministry of the mother church and they are a very faithful family. Currently, he is a deacon in our church in San Miguel with an open attitude for whatever the Lord would have for him. Please be praying now, for something that may happen in the future.

Now on Tuesday nights, Jeremy is teaching Eschatology. There are 24 students in the class. Please pray that God will give much wisdom for both the professor and the students during these 15 hours of intense teaching. The class is 3 hours long every Tuesday evening for five weeks. Jeremy is greatly enjoying this role of teaching these believers and helping them to have a deeper understanding of God’s Word.

Praise the Lord that Hugo has decided to become a member. Both he and his son are taking the new membership class. Please pray for them. Please also be in prayer for Fabian and Susana who have been coming to church off and on. Lord willing, we will be visiting them this week to see where they are at spiritually. Also, Jose Luis and Raul have been on our hearts of late. Although they come to church with their families sometimes, both are probably not saved. Pray that God will open doors for us to have a Bible study with them.

The month of May is packed with activities that all need prayer. A group from Maranatha Baptist Bible College is coming down from the 4^th of May until the 24^th. Ron Self is in charge of this group, and we are sure that he would appreciate your prayers during this intense time. The group will be holding various clinics, have various preaching opportunities, and will be helping with various evangelistic efforts in different places. We will be helping them during most of their time here.

Also, on May 10^th, Jeremy will be preaching at the church in Villa de Mayo’s anniversary service. Please pray as there are usually lots of visitors during this time. Pray that God will allow us to see many come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ during that evening.

Only by grace,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua Estrema (2 Timothy 4:5)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter

(March/April 2008)

Dear Praying Friends,

O.K. We are exhausted. We must admit it. Things have been BUSY this past month. For one, all of the ministries start up again in March after the summer ”slow-down”. Tuesday night discipleship time has so far been a tremendous success. There were over 40 students combined who are taking anything from basic evangelism to Christian education. Please pray as we are still in the developing stage. We need to finalize some details of the program, what are going to be the core classes, equivalent testing for those who would like to opt out of some of the classes, and certificates for each person who finishes a class.

God has been opening new doors for evangelism. A man named Leonardo and his wife Maria have been attending the last couple of weeks. Leonardo has a problem with drugs. Please pray as he has agreed to have a bible study with Jeremy this week.

Belén has been attending church on a regular basis again. Her husband has arrived in Buenos Aires. Please pray as they are trying to get their American marriage recognized here in Argentina. That involves lots of paperwork and traveling around.

There is another young lady named Veronica who was recently thrown out of the house by her husband. She is now living with another family who has started attending the church. We are not sure of the salvation of any of them. Their names are Fabian and Susana. Please pray as we seek some opportunities to minister the gospel to them.

Last, but not least, Aaron and Alicia Roth will be arriving Lord-willing the 1^st of April. During their time here, Aaron will be finishing up a couple of the rooms in the church for children’s ministries. Pray for safety as they travel by plane for the first time in their lives! Also, they have a little baby named Elijah who will be making the trip as well. Pray that God will give them a good sense of the ministry here in Argentina.

Family Update: Joshua has now begun singing and praying. Do the two go together? Ellie continues to ask good questions about the Bible. Johnny continues to grow and learn. We thank God for our wonderful children. During the anniversary service this month, Ellie and Johnny sang incredible in the children’s choir. God has actually given us a musical family. All love to sing! Maybe it is the Italian in them?

Thank you for being a part of the ministry here.

We love you,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24)

March 10, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Just wanted to send a quick update. Things have been going so fast that if we wait until the end of the month, we will never be able to convey to you what the Lord has been doing.

Thank you for praying for Belen. A couple of weeks back we had a Bible study with her and she told us that she did not believe in anything. A couple days later, she asked to have another Bible study because she wanted to know how to believe. Praise the Lord that after 3 hours of looking at Scripture, she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. She got emotional when she realized that Christ was now with her and would never leave her! Praise the Lord. Please pray for her growth.

Last night, Jeremy had the privilege of preaching an evangelistic message in San Miguel. We had an attendance of 106 people. That is a record! There were many visitors without Christ. Praise the Lord as the seed was planted. One of the visitors was a contact that we received from one of our supporting churches in the States. Her name is Mariana. She lived in Iowa for a short time and now lives about an hour from us. She came to meet us last week and came again last night to the service. She said that she learned more in one sermon last night than she has in over 40 years in the Catholic Church. Please pray for her salvation.

Please pray as we have much follow-up to do. After the message, we were able to speak to a couple of people who expressed interest in accepting Christ. Remember that we are in a culture where professions are common, however, conversions are not. One of the people who wanted to accept Christ was a man named Ruben who just walked in off the street. At first he came in for help financially, however, after the message he realized he needed Christ. Please pray for him as he will be traveling back to his home which is far away from here. Pray that his decision was real and for him to get into a sound church when he arrives home.

There was also a young lady named Elizabeth who spoke to us. She came to our youth meeting on Saturday and came again last night. She comes from a charismatic background and really struggles with security of salvation. Basically, she trusted in her feelings. Last night, we were able to encourage her to rest in the work of Christ for salvation. Please pray for her growth.

As you can see, we need your prayers. Thank you for praying. Please continue to pray for open doors.

May the Lord find us faithful,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, and Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24; 2 Ti 4:5)

Estrema Family Prayer Letter

Feb/March 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

How often does someone get to write a letter on February 29^th? The Lord knew that we needed another day this month to prepare us for the busy month to come. Our graduation has officially come. We are now serving in the daughter church full-time. Praise the Lord! We are thankful to God for the many lessons we have learned in the mother church. We can honestly say to you that these last 20 months have changed our lives and ministry in a tremendous way. Our focus on evangelism and discipleship is stronger now than ever before.

We were able to help put together a study on salvation that we try to use with all of the unsaved visitors in our church. This month we were able to share the study with two different people. Marcelo came to our church in February under the influence of alcohol. He apparently has some religious background. He came again last Sunday and opened his heart in during Sunday School class. He admitted that he understands the gospel intellectually, but has not believed it in his heart. Please pray for God to open up his heart so that he would believe the message of salvation.

A young lady named Belén has been attending the church in San Miguel quite faithfully. She claimed that she had been baptized in a Baptist church in the States about two months ago and wanted to attend our church. After doing the Bible study on salvation, we were able to talk to her about some of the things that she wrote down. To our surprise, not only is she not saved, she believes that everything the Bible says is false. She actually called Jesus a liar and said that He lied for the good of others. As you can tell, the human heart is hard. Please pray for the Spirit’s work in Belén’s life.

On March 8^th, the church in San Miguel is beginning their once a month youth meetings. This time will be used to teach the youth how to share their faith and strengthen their convictions. Every three months this ministry will be used to try to draw more youth to our church.

On March 9^th the church in San Miguel will be celebrating its 3^rd Anniversary. Jeremy has the privilege of preaching at this service. Please pray as many visitors usually come to these special services. Pray for souls to be saved and strengthened.

On March 11^th we will begin our intense discipleship time. Every Tuesday night for three hours, believers from various churches in our area will be coming to be trained from the Bible. Jeremy’s main responsibility will be teaching Evangelism/Discipleship.

At the end of March, our good friends Aaron and Lish Roth and their baby Elijah will be coming to visit us and see the ministry. Please pray as Aaron will be helping to build a much-needed classroom in the church building. Praise the Lord that Emmanuel Baptist Church gave a generous love offering to help pay for the construction materials. Pray for the Roth’s safety as they travel and that God would use the time that they are here to be a blessing to them as well as the people here in San Miguel.

Katie continues to do well by the grace of God. Now her responsibilities will increase. She will be homeschooling, taking care of the house, taking care of her husband, giving ladies devotion, teaching children’s church, helping young people with English as a second language, and playing the piano in the church on a rotating basis. Needless to say she is very busy. Please pray for her.

March madness has begun in February. There is much to be done, much to pray for, many souls in danger. May God continue to bring people across our path with whom we can share the gospel.

We love you in the Lord,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny and Joshua (Acts 20:24)

www.estremafamily.blogspot.com

Prayer Letter

Estrema Family Highlights of Our First Year of Ministry in Argentina

(July 20, 2006-July 20, 2007)

It has been a year! The goal for first-year missionaries is to survive. Anything beyond that is considered a spiritual victory. Let’s look at what the Lord has done over this past year in Argentina. We will break it down into three categories for easier reading: fruit, family, and finances.

A. Fruit

Evangelism: There have been nine professions of faith over this past year. Most of these have been in home Bible studies. The Lord has opened this effective door of getting the Gospel to unsaved family and friends of our church members. Out of the nine professions, three began discipleship and another two are interested in beginning one as well. Also, at least three of them have already demonstrated some fruits of the Spirit in their lives. Praise the Lord!

Encouragement: We had some neat opportunities to minister in some of the surrounding sister churches. This included preaching in a conference for the family in Mar del Plata. We were able to minister in all three daughter churches, youth group, ladies’ group, prayer meetings, elderly meetings, Sunday school, and one youth camp. Many have commented on the encouragement they received from God’s Word during these opportunities.

Education: Greek class has gone very well this year. We now have 10 students who are all doing extremely well. One student scored a 429 out of a possible 435 points on the first exam! He will probably be next year’s teacher!

B. Family

Ellie continues to amaze us with her tender heart and phenomenal memory. Although she mostly communicates in English, she has adjusted well to the Spanish language. She loves books and has memorized nearly all of the children’s books on her shelf (quite a few!). Amazing! She began some pre-schooling with Katie. She knows most of her letters and numbers.

Johnny is something else. He loves his toy cars and sucking his thumb. The thumb-sucking is an Estrema tradition that began in 1974 and didn’t end until 1985 for Jeremy. Johnny’s Spanish is improving, but he still mostly communicates with temper tantrums.

Joshua was born on January 9 of this year in the capital of Buenos Aires. He is both an Argentine and American citizen. His smile takes our breath away. Two little teeth have just popped through! Language is not a problem yet, as he cries in both Spanish and English.

Culture adjustments: Yes, we experienced culture shock! It is probably different for every missionary, but let us share what we went through.

Schedule-This is a night-functioning society. In Argentina, people don’t eat dinner until after 8 p.m., and many stay up quite late. As a result, many of the services and meetings are scheduled much later than what we were accustomed to. We were used to being in bed by 8 p.m.! However, the Lord allowed both us and our children to adapt to eating later and staying up later in the night. Also, meetings last much longer here. The average deacon’s meeting lasts over four hours! A special service can last around four hours as well. Having guests in your home for a meal can last over four hours! There is nothing wrong with four-hour meetings; however, it requires adjustment for those from the States.

Smiles-Not many people smile around here. It seemed like everyone was mad at us. It was hard getting used to people being mad at us for not giving them exact change. We have now figured out that many are just mad at life itself.

Siesta (nap time)-Nearly everything closes around 1 p.m. and does not open until about 4 p.m. Life pretty much stops during the afternoon here.

Snacks-We had the privilege of adjusting to snack time here around 5 p.m. People usually go to bread stores where you can get all kinds of wonderful, sweet treats. Our kids love it!

Sincerity-We were amazed at how many people were not truthful with us this year. From the plumber, to the mailman, to being sold a stolen car, we were time and time again taken advantage of because we don’t know how to do business here in Argentina.

Structure-The housing is so different. We spent the first week learning how to use the bathroom facilities. We spent the second week learning how to use the keys to the house. We have spent the entire year learning how to drive here! It’s crazy!

Slime (filth)-The immorality here is much more open than in the States. Promiscuity is very prominent.

Salutation-Everyone greets with a kiss on the cheek here—even the men! Jeremy is Italian, so this wasn’t a shock for him.

Spiritually- There has been growth spiritually in our own lives as well. It is neat to see Katie developing as a wonderful wife and mother. She does so much that I wouldn’t know where to begin. It is encouraging to see her being faithful with her devotions. This has been a key to her spiritual growth. My heart has changed as well. To be honest, there was a lot of bitterness toward the people during our first few months here. We took personally what was happening to us and felt like victims instead of feeling privileged to serve the Lord. God, through His Word and some difficult circumstances, has changed our bitterness into praise, and has given us an even greater burden for the need of the Gospel here. It is such a joy to serve the Lord here. What a privilege to preach Christ in a foreign land to those who live in a land of hopelessness such as Argentina.

Sports-Praise the Lord that tennis is common here. If not, we would not know what to do. We are still not up-to-date on the soccer teams here. Basketball is getting more popular every day. However, they root for the Spurs instead of the Knicks!

C. Financial

God has given us great victory over some financial giants. Upon getting here, we needed to pay rent, more paperwork, a car, and receiving fees for our container. Also, upon moving into our house, we needed to do some minor construction. As you know, we had one car impounded and were forced to buy another one. God has provided for every one of these needs! Thank you all for your faithful support. Praise the Lord! Now that we have lived here for a year, we have a better idea of what it costs to sustain a family of five. Due to the increasing prices and number of children in our household, we are about $500 short in support a month. There are a number of other ministry expenses we are expecting in the future, such as providing materials (Bibles and books), paperwork, building needs, etc. Our housing expenses such as insurance and utilities were more than we were expecting. Also, our health insurance through the mission board requires that as a family we meet a yearly $1000 deductible. We have thought about getting health insurance here in Argentina which runs between $125-150 a month. This would be in addition to our medical insurance through the mission. The other option would be to put extra money away each month and use it as needed. Please pray for God to give us wisdom as we seek to honor Him with our finances. Also, pray for God to stir hearts to meet these needs.

What a year! What an adventure! What a privilege! The people in Argentina need Christ! There is so much change here. Prices increase, crime is common, deception is the norm. Some never know what to expect from one day to the next. Why not Christ? He never changes. He remains faithful to His own. He is the only One worthy of our trust.

Thank you for your prayers. We love you!

Because He lives,

Jeremy, Katie, Ellie, Johnny, and Joshua Estrema (Acts 20:24)