Tim and Christa Simmons Prayer Letter: Working While Waiting

We are patiently waiting to hear more news on when we will be allowed into Uruguay. Thank you for praying with us regarding our entry permits. We have been told that around the second week of July, the schools may reopen for adult, in-person learning. If that happens, our family should get approved to enter the country. Please pray for the Lord’s will in that situation. In the meantime, we are continuing to prepare for our move, to present our ministry in churches, and to serve the Lord wherever we can. Since our last letter, we have had eight meetings. One of the highlights from those meetings was the chance to preach in the last chapel service of the year at a Christian school in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. We have thoroughly enjoyed visiting these churches and getting the opportunity to present our ministry. Our last meeting is scheduled for June 30.

Soul-Winning Fruit

I was able to go soul winning with our church’s Spanish Ministry in June. My friend met a young man named Ethan and then introduced him to me. I began explaining the Gospel to Ethan while he listened intently. About halfway through our conversation, his dad pulled up in his car to pick him up. I thought that the conversation was over, but then they told me that they were getting food from a place close by. I asked the dad if I could continue talking to Ethan while he got the food, and he said “Yes.” A few minutes later, Ethan gladly trusted in Christ to save him! Almost as soon as we finished praying, I saw his dad heading back to his car, food in hand. I asked his dad, who had already been spoken to by the other soul winners, if he was interested in coming to church. I then explained to Ethan and his dad that our church had a Bus Ministry and that I thought Ethan would enjoy coming on the bus. Ethan said he wanted to come, so his dad said that he could. He came on the bus several weeks later and plans to come again! Please pray that he grows spiritually and that his family can be reached with the Gospel.

Meeting Ray Pope

We had three meetings in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area in June. One of the pastors told me that a veteran missionary to Uruguay was in the area and wanted to meet our family. His name is Ray Pope. He had been a missionary in Uruguay for 35 years! What a great testimony of faithfulness to the Lord. He had a major part in establishing a camp in Uruguay that is still in use today! The missionaries we plan to work with have teen activities and preaching at the camp once a month. His two sons and their families live in that area, so we were able to spend an evening with him and their families. We asked them some questions and learned more about the Uruguayan culture. We enjoyed a traditional Uruguayan barbecue known as an asado. We also shared a drink which is very popular in Uruguay. It is a tea called mate (pronounced maa·tay). One of the ways people show that they trust you in Uruguay is by sharing their mate with you. What an unexpected blessing it was to meet the Pope family!