Hey everyone! Hello from Cordoba, Argentina! Rebecca, Jacquie (missionary) and I just got back from running some errands. Jacquie went to a local grocery store and encouraged us to venture out to the restaurant in the store by ourselves. It was very fun! Again, the people in Argentina are very nice! We had a typical dish called Milanesa Suiza con pappas y ensaladas…..breaded meat with Swiss cheese, friend potatoes and a salad.
There is so much we would love to share with you regarding Jacqueline Mitchell. We’ve told Jacquie she should write a book. The adventure called life that her and her husband, Reece, have lead is a remarkable story. Jacquie’s husband passed away 10 years ago from a much unexpected diagnosis of lung cancer. He was not a smoker. They spent the majority of their adult lives beginning in 1973 as missionaries in Buenos Aires. Even after his death, Jacquie remained in Buenos Aires until about three years ago when she came to Cordoba. Jacquie thought it was extremely sad that a city of Cordoba’s size had such a small church. As I told you in our first report, there were only 7 at church when we attended last Sunday. She has since committed herself to growing this young, small church. It is the perfect opportunity! The church has a paid off, permanent meeting place on a main street in the city. Jacquie is well known and respected for her commitment to helping others with their English and getting to know Jesus in a personal relationship. She lives life solely to help the church here and survives mainly off of personal donations and support of others.
Listening to the story of her Reece a few days ago was like listening to a great love story. The last year of his life was filled with much hope and love. When Reece finally passed away they had his body cremated. While this sounds very unusual for us, here in Argentina, because of the large population, a person is buried only until the body has decayed, then the body is exhumed to be put into a smaller “container” to be held elsewhere. Reece did not want his family to have to go through the heartache of this strange experience so he left explicated instructions for his body to be cremated. I’m telling you this because of the journey Jacquie, family, friends from the US and Argentina made after his funeral. After the final ceremony and with the help of friends from ACU, that whole group I referenced journeyed, by van, to Montana to scatter part of Reece’s ashes at Yellowstone Bible Camp, a place he loved. After returning the van to ACU, she then brought the rest of his ashes and scattered them off the coast of Buenos Aires. Isn’t that beautiful? I wish you all could have heard the whole story.
Reece always felt so blessed in his life, especially that last year. He often told Jacquie this phrase, “Estoy viviendo la yapa!” You see, when Reece was diagnosed with cancer, it was already in stage 4. Theoretically, he should have lived only a month longer. Instead, he was blessed with another year to enjoy life with his friends and family in the USA and Argentina. What is the meaning of this phrase?
Reece felt like…..He was living the Baker’s Dozen.
God Bless you and think on that! Are you grateful for your life so much that you feel like it’s a freebie? We are free in Christ and every day of life is a gift.
Rebecca and I will be helping Jacquie get set up on Facebook and on Missional Outreach Network. Be looking for her then you can learn more about her, her family and work!
