Looking Back

By Jaimie Lancaster

One of the pleasures of having adult children is going through old photos and seeing the changes in their appearance. We’ve watched them change from children to men, and the differences are obvious. The same holds true in ministry. In the moment, it may seem as if nothing is changing but, looking back, changes are obvious there as well.

We arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay, in February 1999. Shortly afterward, the missionaries with whom we worked left for stateside assignment. Our first night alone, Otavio came by after work to check on us. A member of the church, he took it upon himself to take care of us. A Brazilian married to a Uruguayan, he was the song leader and held a couple of other positions in the church. He even taught the boys’ Sunday School class but, overall, his involvement was limited.

Our family joke is we’ve been invited to spend the day at Otavio’s family ranch. It’s our joke because we’ve been invited four or five times and have yet to go. He promised the boys’ Sunday School class he would take them all to McDonald’s if they learned a list of Bible verses. They learned the verses but are still waiting on the trip. Otavio had really good intentions but rarely followed through.

When our downtown church closed, he wandered around trying to find a new church. None were to his liking, and he eventually landed at our church in Malvin. He found his niche working with the underprivileged children in children’s church. I thought his commitment would be short-lived, but he was there every Sunday with flannelgraph and candy for the kids. He helped start a daycare, investing a large sum of personal money in the venture. He heard of a need during a building project and invested in that as well. Otavio never wanted to be out front as a leader. He wanted to serve, and serve faithfully he did.

When we left for stateside assignment last year, Otavio worked with the Torrisons. When the Torrisons returned to the States earlier this year, Otavio was left to cover responsibilities. Faced with the responsibility of the church, he contacted Pastor Julio in Melo and paid for Julio and his wife to travel to Montevideo to preach on Sundays. This proved a great discipleship moment for Otavio as he talked with one of our national pastors who connected him more closely with the national work.

Otavio took on the responsibility of doing the paperwork and planning for the arrival of our Cuban pastor. These were huge responsibilities for someone who couldn’t take his class to McDonald’s. Encouraged by his faithfulness, we really couldn’t believe this change was occurring.
When we returned, we learned there was even more to the story.

The Rest of the Story

Otavio wanted to meet with Julio and me. To be honest, I was worried, expecting the “same old, same old.” Several group e-mail exchanges with him ended with “When Jaimie gets back we’ll….” or “Due to the absence of missionaries….” I expected to be saddled with ministry at Malvin, in addition to our church-planting work in Carrasco.

However, I returned from the meeting and told Tammy, “This is the most encouraging meeting I have attended in all my time in Uruguay!” I talked very little as Julio and Otavio laid out their plans for our church and denomination. Otavio, a businessman who works with international banks, was truly concerned about our lack of centrally located legal documents. He began working with our churches to consolidate important documents so they are accessible when needed. Not only is he using his administrative skills to better our association, he is mentoring others about the need for such organization.

His second concern involved our national association. The Malvin Church invited Cuban pastor Yosvany to work with us. Otavio believed we needed association-wide support for the project. He is working with Julio and the association president to present the project and receive some kind of commitment. His greatest concern is for our churches to have a vision for the future and the roadmap to get there. He wants a consortium of local churches, missionaries, and Cubans to work together. At this point, visas for the Cuban pastor seem difficult to obtain.* It’s not a sure thing Yosvany and his family will be able to come to Uruguay. The most encouraging comment I heard was Otavio saying, “Whether they come or not, we have to take the responsibility to move forward.” Pastor Julio nodded agreement.

Listening to this was the only time in my life when the word “euphoric” could be used in regards to a business meeting. It was as if they were following a script and telling me everything I wanted or needed to hear.

Looking Ahead

Then Otavio voiced his third concern and brought me back down to earth. In fact, he broached the subject I dreaded addressing and really hoped would wait until much later. He asked, “Jaimie, what is your role in the Malvin church going to be?”

For several years, we planned to start a church in Carrasco. Tammy’s illness opened doors typically difficult to pry open in Uruguayan culture. God used her illness to allow us to build several close friendships. However, we were still involved in ministry at Malvin. Since they had no pastor, it seemed necessary.

During our last term, many times we needed to work in our neighborhood but something scheduled at the church prevented our neighborhood involvement. This approach really kept us from focusing on our first task—a new church plant. We had helped and ministered at Malvin since 2006. We know the people well. We returned, this time, knowing we needed to tell the church we would limit involvement to focus on the new church plant. That’s not an easy thing to do. I felt the pressure when Otavio asked his question.

I breathed deeply, said a quick prayer, and then explained our goals and desires. I talked about the opportunities in this hard-to-reach neighborhood and the openness we have found in several people. I explained the need for more Free Will Baptist churches in Uruguay, reminding them our youngest church is 25 years old.

I also shared some of the changes the Lord has made in my life. At age 54, I arrived on the field with a different motivation. Previously, I’d arrive and hop right into the work, celebrating small changes because I was looking at long-term ministry. This attitude kept me in this gospel-resistant culture over the last 20 years.

This time, I arrived with the understanding my time of effective ministry is counting down. I apologized to Otavio and Julio for being distracted by ministry issues while neglecting those who need Christ desperately. I clarified my mission: I was here to plant a church, not referee hurt feelings between believers.

When I stepped down from my soapbox, I was greeted with a hearty “Amen.” Pastor Julio said he felt the same way. We had to focus on these things, and he apologized for his lack of action as well. Through God’s grace, I made a step away from my traditional role and had the support of these leaders.

As we age, we experience a tendency to look back and wish for things that might have been. It’s called living in the past. I’m against that. However, looking back over the past 20 years of Otavio’s life with us, we’ve seen him go from a nominally involved member to a leader spearheading change for the present and future ministry in Uruguay. That, my friends, makes it worth looking back.

*Shortly before press time, Yosvany and his wife were granted visas.

About the Writer: Jaimie and Tammy Lancaster have served in Uruguay for almost 20 years. For more information, visit www.FWBGO.com.