"I was preparing to go somewhere else, but when the opportunity to come to Argentina arose, I accepted because I understood that it was a call from God for me," says Ethiene Peixoto de Souza, age 25, from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
"I decided to become an OYIM [volunteer] because it was an opportunity to share my faith with other people," says Milena Cristina Pereira de Matos, 28, from Fátima, Bahia, Brazil.
Elías Daniel Lizárraga, 26, from Famaillá, Tucumán, Argentina, decided to become an OYIM volunteer "to participate in the great miracles that God has for [his] life during this year and to see the happiness in those people who want to know Jesus.”
One Year In Mission (OYIM) is essentially living the mission in such a way that you want to pause everything you were doing to dedicate yourself to serve others for a year anywhere in the world. The Youth Ministries director of the Buenos Aires Conference, Pastor Gary Utz, points out that there are at least two benefits of this program: "It is a support for evangelism and missionary projects of the church, and it is also an experience that marks the young people and makes them return to their places of origin with a much clearer view of the mission.”
The OYIM project was developed to involve Adventist young people in fulfilling Jesus' mission, revealed for every Christian in Matthew 28:18–20. It is a project where people are encouraged and supported to dedicate a year of service through training and practical evangelism, exercising the objective of youth ministry (saving from sin and leading to service), motivating them to awaken for a life in mission, regardless of the profession or area of activity of the participants, leaving a legacy of love and discipleship in their communities.
A New Church in González Catán
One of the objectives of OYIM in the Buenos Aires Conference is to collaborate with the planting of a new church. A group of brothers from González Catán began to see a new neighborhood that was being built and said, "There has to be a church here," recalls Pastor Utz, adding, "They belonged to the church elsewhere but saw the need to plant the Gospel there. What began with a small group and the support of the association with the purchase of a piece of land later became a tent where several ministries worked (and continue to do so), among them [being] Caleb [Mission] and now the OYIM project. It is a place where there is an integrated evangelism, and the church as a whole thought of it strategically to plant a church there. In the middle of the year, we will have a special offering to help with the construction of the new church."
At present, about 30 people gather in the tent that has been set up and functions as a church in that place. "Many of the people who now come to the tent were the fruit of the work that the brothers did last year with the small group. We want to continue growing, and that is why we have the challenge of planting a church so that the brothers have a decent place to meet. It is nice to see a neighborhood under construction and that very soon our church will also be built there," says Pastor Utz, adding, "We want to have the group organized as a church by the end of the year or early next year. We are also working very hard with the district pastor, Lucio Pino, since we dream of this project as a conference."
The Activities
All those who participate in the OYIM group work in missionary pairs. This happens when they visit people to give Bible studies and also in the activities carried out by the members in the ministries of the church. "We understand that the young people have energy, strength, and creativity, but the brothers are the ones who will continue after this year is over, so working together is very important," Pastor Utz points out.
In the area where they are working, there are a good number of children, so very soon, they will be opening Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs. There are also several small groups. On the other hand, there are some picnic areas where young people are collaborating. In addition, the OYIM volunteers support the evangelistic campaigns the church has throughout the year.
In relation to the activities the missionaries carry out, Pereira de Matos says they visit the neighborhoods and invite the neighbors to learn about Jesus, offering them Bible studies. In addition, she emphasizes, "We are going to begin with the clubs of Pathfinders and Adventurers." On the other hand, Peixoto de Souza says she enjoys working with the children at the picnic center they attend because "it brings [her] closer to the community and the children."
"One of the activities that I like and makes me very happy is giving Bible studies," says Lizárraga, adding, "I like it when people want to know Jesus, and you can tell because they ask you many questions and keep smiling. It's nice to see that expression in people; it's one of the best feelings."
Working on the foundations for building a new church is a complex but mostly satisfying task. Peixoto de Souza maintains that they are collaborating in a neighborhood where people are hungry for the Word of God and want to know more about Him. Pereira de Matos reflects, "If Jesus called me to be here, it is because He has great plans for us and for this new church. I believe that this church will transform the neighborhood and people's lives. It will be a house of prayer and refuge for those who need a friendly word and a change in their lives."
Invitation
"To be OYIM is to live with Jesus day by day and learn to walk with Him," Lizárraga reflects. "It is wonderful to see the miracles that God has and does for us personally and as a group. Participating in the projects that God has for us teaches us many things. It is learning to depend on Him." The young man from Tucuman invites us to get out of our comfort zones and spread the Word of God to those who need it. "We need a spiritual awakening to reach people who want to know about Jesus. It would be great to see more young people thirsting to spread the Word of God," Lizárraga concludes.
The challenge ahead is great, but God's blessings are always ready for those who move forward in faith. Pastor Utz invites everyone to pray for this project and the young people who are working. "We want to invite everyone to pray because the One Year in Mission project is challenging. It gets the young people involved and interrelated with all the church projects, areas, and departments, and they grow in every way. This year, we have young people from different parts of the country and from Brazil, and this makes for intercultural growth because we are part of a worldwide church.
The youth director concludes, “It is good for us to see that we are a big church with a mission that unites us to continue telling that Jesus is coming very soon. I encourage you to pray and encourage the young people of our church to be missionaries, whether in your local church, on vacation, or through any ministry that offers the possibility of serving. And especially for these young people who are dedicating a full year to serve the Lord in a place that is not their home, leaving faculty, family, and their work to serve God."
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.