I came to Condor unprepared and not knowing of what lay ahead. However, God was still able to work in my heart by teaching me that He is always in control. Being a daughter of a pastor, I came from a background where I usually knew all the plans but in Condor I did not have that title or security. I quickly learned that I was putting my life in the hands of my teammates and our mission was so much bigger than me feeling secure and comfortable. If I would have known about the physical and social demands of this mission before I committed to going, I don’t know that I would have gone. Instead, by not having any control over the circumstances, I blindly came into a situation where I left seeing and experiencing God’s work like I had never witnessed before. 

The living situation in Condor was very different from my American lifestyle but it opened my eyes to how a significant portion of the world lives. My team and I got to live with a couple who had to survive from one day to the next. The people of Condor live very difficult and isolated lives, but they need the gospel just as much as anyone else. Even though I was not able to communicate with the people due to my lack of Spanish, I watched in amazement as the servant leaders from Centro Crecer in Cordoba, crossed cultural barriers to relate to the people in order to build bridges for sharing the gospel. 

I also realized how real the Bible is for the people of Condor. I learned that the culture of Condor was very similar to the cultural experiences in the Bible. For example, the people of Condor own sheep and bake bread and I could see how many of the stories in the Bible have immediate relevance. Even though the people can easily relate to these aspects in the Bible, without people coming and explaining the Bible, the Condor people are still unreached. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10: 14-15). I was able to see how important it is for the Argentines of Centro Crecer to be teachers of the Bible along with being the givers of the Bible.

Of course I owe so much to my team, my four other teammates were a few years older than me and it really showed me what young adult Christians are capable of and what I aspire to be. Everyone on the team contributed to the task at hand in their own unique way. I realized it took a combination of personalities and leadership abilities to give the gospel to the different families throughout the mountains. Along with observing, I had many opportunities to pray, really pray, in ways I had never done before. It took me going to the middle of nowhere in Argentina for me to learn the power of prayer. Praying for the people of Condor really increased my burden for the people and keeps me accountable to not let my experience in Condor stay in Condor, but go wherever I go. This trip grew my passion to share Jesus with my unsaved friends in the States and to the people I will encounter in the future.