Renfro Ramblings

Bellavista means beautiful view.  Life on the mission field just got even more exciting. Our main task as missionaries in Chile is to pioneer university ministry. It has taken us all of 6 years to finally feel like the ball is rolling…then God throws us for a loop. More than a year ago God began to fix our eyes upon an area of Santiago called Providencia . The more we talked about it the more we realized that God was calling us to do more than start university ministry in the area…He was calling us to start a church! So we prayed and tried to make sense of this new task. Josh and I have never envisioned ourselves pastoring a church. Not that we were opposed to it, it was just not in "our plans." So after a year of praying and meeting the right people to work with, Iglesia Bellavista was born on April 4, 2014. "Bellavista" means a beautiful view. Our desire is to give people of Providencia a beautiful view of the life God gave each one of us. " Bellavista &q

God is good at over exceeding our expectations. Last December marked the end of our first entire school year on Republica (a street with various university campuses). We were so relieved to have constantly met with students once a week. It was a huge milestone for CONEXION. Our hearts were grateful as we looked back at everything that happened during the 2013 school year. We started off with 3 of us prayer walking and praying for God to do something in that place. We were than able to move into a classroom and begin a journey with students, first exploring the question "Does truth exist?" and finally introducing them to Jesus the one who died on the cross and rose on the 3rd day, the basis for what we believe. We were more than pleased at what God had done. By this time we were also able to identify some potential student leaders but only time would tell if they would stick with it since summertime was around the corner. Summer came and went and at the end of Februar

I felt very small being amongst such amazing men and women of God who had gathered in Colombia for the University Ministry Strategic Planning meeting. In attendance were missionaries from all over South America who are working to reach university students, as well as three Chi Alpha missionaries from the States that have committed to bringing students down each year to help reach students.  For four days we shared about the work in each country, and tried our best to identify what strategies, values and principles are working universally across Latin America.  On the last day we spread out in 7 different churches to minister and share about student ministry, with the hopes that this would help the missionaries in Colombia that are starting campus ministry this year. So, what was the fruit of this trip?  I left both encouraged and challenged to do things with more faith in Chile, but I also realized that we weren't alone in this fight; there are others who have given their live

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.  2 Timithy 2:2 This verse serves as the basis for a concept known as transgenerational discipleship, the heart and soul of campus ministry and what we believe is the method of Jesus. In this verse we can identify 4 generations of believers: Paul, Timothy, reliable people, and others. Paul is entrusting a responsibility to Timothy, not just that he would make disciples, but that he would make disciples that make disciples.  This is discipleship; not just a class or 45 minute teaching, but a real life following of Jesus, in which more mature Christians take responsibility for the life of others, so at some point they can do the same.  Do I believe that Christ has done a great thing in my life? Do I believe that others are just as valuable to Him? Then now I need to take responisbility for the life of another so that they will be able t

Video by Eddie Fernandez