Dear partners in ministry,

We hope 2013 has started off well for you. Thank you so much to all those who sent Christmas greetings and a financial gift. We appreciate everyone's prayers, encouragement and support. We have an update about our leadership training and pastoral care ministry , some happy family news and few prayer requests.

MINISTRY NEWS

Past and Future Leadership Training Trips to Mexico- Dick went to Mexico in September, 2012 and will be traveling there again this Spring. He enjoyed meeting with the seminary students, teaching, and preaching during his visits.

Internship with Mexican Families in West Chicago- Lori is working with Mexican immigrant families in West Chicago as part of her internship for her Master's Degree in Counseling. She counsels in both English and Spanish. The internship experience is preparing her to counsel cross culturally and put into practice what she is learning in the classroom.

Mentoring and Coaching- Dick is a missions coach for World Venture for the Central United States. He is a representative for World Venture on college campuses and coaches people who would like to be missionaries.

Interpersonal Skills Workshop in April- Dick will be co-facilitating a Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop at the Missionary Renewal Center in Minnesota. This is a great opportunity to minister to missionaries that are on home assignment or preparing to go overseas.

Project About Needs of Single Missionaries-  The project, that Lori did for TEAM mission agency as part of her internship there in 2012, has been completed. The survey report was sent to the leadership team and the regional member care personnel around the world. TEAM's global member care team is using the report as a tool to better understand the needs of single missionaries.

Graduation in August 2013- Lori will be participating in Wheaton Graduate School's May graduation ceremonies and officially graduating in August, Lord willing. She needs one more class after graduation in order to be eligible to take the licensure exam.

Need 10,000 Dollars by June 2013- Because of lack of support in 2012 we need to raise 10,000 dollars by June. If you can help with a one time gift or know someone that is able to help please let us know. We have to find the money somehow. Tax deductible donations can be sent to WorldVenture with a note that it is for Richard and Lori Greenman.

 Support is now at about 75%  - We are now quite a bit under supported. Our support amount has increased plus some churches have decreased their support because of financial reasons. A few churches have said that their focus or mission emphasis has changed. It is easy to get discouraged. We have followed the Lord's leading to be assigned to the US for right now as we minister with Mexican church leaders and Mexican immigrants to US and are active in pastoral care and missionary mobilization. We are thankful for the people that have increased their financial support. We now have some major support needs. Do you know someone who would be interested in giving financially to our ministry?

FAMILY NEWS
Wedding in December 2012- We are rejoicing in the new addition to our family. Beth and her new husband Houss were married on December 29, 2012 in Chicago. We praise the Lord that he was able to come to the US. They have sent in the paperwork that he needs to be able to work in the US, and are awaiting the permission from the US government. 

Together in Chicago- We enjoy having Ben in the city of Chicago about 15 minutes away by car. He works downtown. Andrea and Luca are with us. They are looking forward to having Jonatan with them in Chicago. He and Andrea were married in Argentina. Beth and her husband are nearby.

PLEASE PRAY FOR

1) Financial Support

2) Dick's trip to Mexico in the Spring

3) Lori's finishing graduate school well

4) Andrea's husband Jonatan's VISA interview in Argentina in the next few months. They are waiting for the actual interview date. 

5) Wisdom, strength, peace and patience as we continue to serve those who God has called us to serve.


Praising God because of you,

Dick and Lori Greenman

Greetings from Chicago! I'm finally writing after months of silence on this blog. I (Lori) finished my first year of school in the MA of Counseling Ministies program at Wheaton Graduate School. :-) Because I'm going part time I will possibly be in school for another year and a half. It's great to be on summer vacation until August. I'll have time to visit with friends and family. :-)

Dick spent two weeks in Mexico this month, meeting with pastors and church leaders. They would like to start a distance seminary program in Torreon and surrounding towns. This ministry opportunity is an answer to prayer. The plan is to begin the distance seminary program in September. Dick will use materials that he developed for the distance seminary in Argentina and develop additional materials for Mexico and Argentina. We'd like to post pictures of Dick's trip in a seperate post.

We praise God for the opportunities to minister to fellow misionaries. Our time in Chicago was not in the plans that we had a few years ago. We continue to see how God guides "along unfamiliar paths" Isaiah 42:16. He also says " These are the things I will do for you" I will not forsake you."

Our family is doing well. We are living in Norwood Park, which is within the Chicago city limits.

We thank God for you and thank you for your prayers!

March News- ministry in member care and training from the US to the world

Hello again from Chicago! A few months have past since I posted last.... We are rejoicing that Spring as arrived! Maybe you noticed that the name of our blog has changed? This month we officially end our home assignment and begin ministry in member care and training for Christian workers. Our base for now will be in the USA as we minister internationally. Our project has been approved and an official letter will be going out from WorldVenture to our ministry partners.

We still have ties to Argentina and keep in touch with our friends there. In some ways we are still transitioning to the US as we continue our ministry. Thank you so much for your prayers for us!

One other big news item for this month is that Dick traveled to Mexico on March 12 to visit pastors and churches near the city of Torreon. The churches in that area would like to set up a pastor training program and want Dick's input. :-)

International Training Partners would like us to continue assisting with the Spanish Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshops.

We are encouraged as we see the Lord guiding us step by step in this new adventure in ministry from the US to the world!

If you would like a copy of the outline of our ministry plan please email us at lori.greenman@gmail.com

Blessings!

Happy 2010! plus November and December news

Happy New Year! We enjoyed being in Michigan with family for New Year's and with family in Kentucky for Christmas. :-)

We have begun visiting churches that partner with us in our ministry. The first week of October we visited a supporting church in Michigan. It was great to be with part of a conference there and blessed by the members of the church and the other missionaries that participated. At the end of October and beginning of November Dick visited a few friends who are ministry partners and churches in Massechusettes, New York and Pensylvania. He was encouraged by the expressions of love and care.

In November Dick,Andrea and Luca traveled to North Africa to visit Beth. They had LOTS of fun spending two weeks together, visiting different cities and friends that are part of Beth's life.

Lori enjoyed attending Mental Health and Missions Conference in Indiana and spent Thanksgiving in Michigan with Ben, Dick's parents and friends while the rest of our family was in Africa.

We so appreciate your interest in us and what is happening in our lives. Thank you for praying for us and keeping in touch when you can! I hope to post a few pictures soon!

While I was in Tucuman in September I met with some of the church ladies at a tea that was held at the Zona Oeste church. I've known many of these friends for at least 20 years. :-)

Jesus and Mercedes, the happy bride and groom. I was so happy to be able to attend their wedding the night of September 18th and Victoria and Hernan's wedding at noon on September 19th. :-)

Some of the young people from Zona Oeste Church in Tucuman with Victoria and Hernan (the bride and groom)

Hello againg from Chicago! I arrived from Argentina on Oct. 1, just over a week ago. All the travels went well. Three airplanes there and back again. I recommend Continental Airlines and Lan Argentina anytime.

I'd like to post more about my time in Argentina. Hopefully I can do that in the next few days. We're traveling today to Michigan to visit a church that helps with our ministry. This is the first trip this year to visit ministry partners. :-)

I'll post some pictures now so that you can at least see some of what I experienced on my trip to Tucuman and La Rioja.

Bye for now!

Hello from Tucuman!

I arrived last Wednesday, almost 24 hours after leaving Chicago. Thankfully the three flights went smoothly. :-) It seems very natural to be here with friends that we've known for so many years. This past Friday night our friends Jesus Fernandez and Mercedes Vaca were married. It was so special to be with their families and friends from church. On Saturday Victoria Cilimba and Hernan (his last name is a long Polish name that I don't remember right now :-)) were married in an outdoor noon wedding. Once again it was very special to be with families and friends that we've known for so many years. I wish I could post pictures but I don't have the cord for camera with me or my laptop either to download the pictures..... Maybe I can download some pictures and send them from someone else's computer.

Last night I went to the Zona Oeste church that we helped start 20 years ago. What a blessing it was to see the "younger" generation, who were in the youth group when we first arrived in Tucuman, now leading the various ministries in the church. They miss us and wish we'd return.

I spoke for a few minutes at the end of the service and Walter, the new pastor, read a letter of greeting that Dick wrote to the church. When Walter was reading the letter, I thought of the Apostle Paul's greetings to the New Testament churches. I shared some of what we are doing right now and some of the ministry options that we are praying about. I also said that leaving Tucuman is like uprooting a tree. It's a great change and we miss everyone so much. I asked Walter to read Ephesians 1:11 where Paul writes about God working everything together in conformity with His will. It is so reassuring to know that God is in control and works everything together for His greater purpose!

In the next few days I'll be visiting friends in their homes, at a ladies' tea at church and a citywide ladies' meeting at one of the churches in Tucuman. I'll also be going through our things we have stored to see what I can take back with me on this trip.

We appreciate your prayers for me and our family during my time here. I'll keep you posted on how the rest of my trip goes. Thanks so much for your encouragement and support during this time. Until later....

September-Preparing to travel to Argentina for two weeks

Next Tuesday, September 15th, I'll be traveling to Tucuman for two weeks. I'm looking forward to attending two weddings, seeing friends and colleagues. Even though I'm going for happy events I'm praying for God's strength because I think it will be difficult to go through some of our things that we've stored at the house we lived in for the 20 years we lived in Tucuman. If you are reading this before I travel I appreciate your prayers. At this point I have not changed the name of this blog because I still plan to write about life and ministry in Argentina up through the end of our home assignment in April 2010. When I return I'll be posting more about my trip and time in Argentina, about our dear friends who we've lived and worked with for so many years. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Lake Michigan :-)

End of July at Lake Michigan with Sol, Andrea,Luca and Ben

July and August happenings- including trips to Michigan and Colorado :-)

As we celebrate Labor Day today I'm looking back on how God has been faithful during the last few months since I posted on this blog. In July we enjoyed celebrating the 4th on the 3rd with friends. It was fun to see Independence Day fireworks for the first time since 2005. :-)

It was great to celebrate Ben's 22nd birthday on July 8. The last time we were together for his birthday was about 4 years ago.

Mariasol or Sol for short, Andrea's friend from Argentina, arrived at the end of July and stayed with us for three weeks. She and Andrea had fun seeing the sights in Chicago and going with us to Michigan. One of our favorite things to do while we are in Michigan is blueberry picking. We all had fun eating and picking blueberries to take back to Chicago. Stopping by Lake Michigan on our way back to Chicago was a special treat. I always enjoy walking on the beach, watching and listening to the waves crash on shore. :-)

On August 12th we celebrated Andrea's 17th birthday. :-) It was fun to share a meal and birthday cake with Sara Greenman Hopson and family.

We were so happy that my brother Jeremy, my nieces and nephew Alyssa, Micah and Logan drove from South Carolina to Chicago to spend a weekend with us. :-) We visited the Shedd Aquarium, the planetarium, the Bean and Buckingham Fountain. It's so fun to be with family!

The last big event of the month of August was our trip to Colorado. I'll write about what we did there in a seperate post. It was a great trip full of encouraging meetings, outings and a week long Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop facilitator's training for Dick.

I'll post pictures of the different happenings. Enjoy!

Ben the graduate! :-)

Myrtle Beach the first week of June. Dick, Andrea and Nancy had a great time in the water. I did too but I'm not in this pic. :-)

May and June happenings

Wow, it's hard to believe that the last time I posted was in April. Happy summer! We officially begin home assignment this month. We need to find out exactly how many months we have (three months for every year on the field) but we have at least nine months.

Since I wrote last Dick, Andrea, Luca and I have been to Indiana for Ben's graduation from Taylor University, (congratulations Ben!), to Kentucky to visit my mom and sister and brother in law, to South Carolina to visit my brother and his family and to Myrtle Beach with my brother and his family. :-) Nancy, our friend from Argentina traveled with us to all those places. We had a great time with her and look forward to seeing her again in Argentina. I'll post some pictures of our travels and family.

We're praying about the future while we are on home asignment. Argentina could be part of our future ministry no matter where we live and work with WorldVenture. We're praying and looking to see how God works! Thank you for your prayers for us!

More of Luca soon after his two month birthday which he celebrated on April 20th. :-)

Luca Daniel Greenman on his two month birthday, April 20th, 2009

Happy Spring from Chicago! We are really enjoying the warmer weather. It's so nice to see the buds opening on the trees, the daffodils and other flowers.

We continue on our family leave time until June. It will be so nice to be here in the US for Ben's graduation from Taylor University and Dick's cousin Emily's wedding in May. We're enjoying living in the same apartment building with our niece Sara, her husband David and their two little girls Miriam and Sofia. It is great to be an aunt and uncle and take part in their lives. Andrea really enjoys her time with Sara and the girls.

We've had many visitors in the past few months since Luca was born. It's been very special to see family and friends.

We live in a section of Chicago where there are many hispanic people from Central and South America. We hear Spanish and also many other languages when we go to the store or for an outing downtown.

We are praying about the future and know as of now that we will be continuing with WorldVenture and are looking at different options as to where we will minister. One idea is to go back to Argentina after working in another latin ministry until Andrea finishes highschool. We appreciate your prayers for us as we seek the Lord's will and leading.

We'll keep you posted as to our plans and activities!

More pictures coming in future posts. :-)