Happy New Year!
It’s so hard to believe that we are already at another year! Thank you so much for believing in our family, praying for us, and giving in 2021 so we can reach lost souls in Uruguay with the Gospel! We are also especially grateful to those who sent us Christmas gifts and cards. Those were unexpected blessings! I hope you can look back on 2021 and be thankful that you did your best to follow the instruction in Ephesians 5:16 of “redeeming the time.” I know there are areas where I need to grow in “redeeming the time.” We enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas as a family here in Uruguay. Many people in Uruguay simply call Christmas “Family Day.” Because Christmas is usually a hot day, most people here stay up late on Christmas Eve and eat a large dinner before opening some gifts. At midnight, fireworks can be heard all over the city.
Christmas Program
Thank you to those of you who prayed for the Christmas Program. We were able to present the program, along with a Gospel presentation, at four churches. During the months of November and December after Sunday night and Wednesday night services, we would stay to practice the music and the play for the program. Christa and I had the privilege of having small parts in the play as Joseph and Mary. Also, our daughter Emmalynn was Jesus as a newborn, and our son Evan was Jesus when the wise men came. We first presented the program on December 11 in a church that is in a town outside of the city. There was a good crowd there, with 5 souls saved! Then December 17-19 at 8 p.m. we presented the program in 3 other churches. On Friday, 3 souls were saved; on Saturday, 15 were saved; and on Sunday, 3 were saved, for a total of 26! We praise God for how He worked through the program!
Ministry Goals for 2022
With God’s help, we have been growing every month in our Spanish-speaking abilities. As we look ahead to a new year, I have been praying about the Lord’s direction for our ministry. I am excited about what the Lord will do here in Uruguay! I believe that it is important to have goals, while at the same time being willing to change those plans if the Lord wants me to. I would like to share some of our ministry goals for 2022. First, my goal is to finish language school by May 27. Second, we plan to take several survey trips into the interior of the country. Third, we plan to visit as many cities as we can around the capital city, as well as neighborhoods in the capital, to see where there are some good areas to plant churches. Fourth, we plan to learn from a veteran missionary of 45 years how to do ministry here. Fifth, I plan to begin preaching on a regular basis in Spanish. Sixth, I plan to begin writing a detailed church-planting strategy based on much prayer, God’s Word, advice from other missionaries, and godly books. Please pray for us as we head into a new year—our first full year in Uruguay.
We love you all and continue to pray for our supporting churches regularly.
Your missionaries to Uruguay,
Tim, Christa, Ethan, Evan, and Emmalynn Simmons
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- Scene with the wise men visiting Jesus
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- A pastor preaching after the first program
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- The third program was held outside because there was no room inside.
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- A pastor preaching after the second program