Argentina: Impenetrable and extensive – yet God's Word reaches everywhere
Whether by moped through the undergrowth or by car through lonely expanses – in Argentina, the distances are long and the challenges are many. However, missionary work knows no bounds. Julia-Kathrin Raddek provides insights into four regions of Argentina and tells the stories of passionate women and men for whom no distance is too far to introduce people to the love of God.
Patagonia – mission in lonely expanses
In Argentina's southernmost region, the weather is unpredictable. It can pour with rain one minute and be gloriously sunny ten minutes later. Sometimes you can experience all four seasons in a single day. With just 2.5 inhabitants per square kilometer, loneliness is a palpable feeling. However, the freedom of the wide open spaces is enticing. Those who want to make this place their home must like it and choose it consciously.
More than 30 years ago, Noemí and Pedro Boretsky did just that. Since then, missionary work among the indigenous Mapuche people has been unimaginable without them. They are still amazed at what has grown since they first started in and around Esquel where the first church was built in 1991. And they are not alone. Within a radius of 350 km, there are four other locations that belong to the missionary work. Everywhere, full-time and volunteer workers are committed to helping people. But the circumstances are not easy. The climate is harsh and the locals are often unapproachable. It takes a long time to build relationships.
The colorful church life focuses on people and their needs. One area of emphasis is school support. The Argentinean education system has been suffering for many years from strikes, a shortage of teachers, poor pay, and dilapidated buildings. Some children have to travel long distances to get to school. In the churches, teams have been formed to help schoolchildren in small groups with their studies. Some want to go to university and have dreams. Others see no prospects for themselves. They lack appreciation and appropriate support. The volunteers give them just that.
Mendoza – a social center for the people
1,500 km further north along the Andes is the city of Mendoza. It is one of three green oases in the province of the same name. For over 25 years, the social center in the Doce de Mayo district has been a beacon of light for the population. The everyday life of the residents is marked by existential struggles. The social center is providing social welfare services for these people. Miriam Pizzi, a passionate social worker and the center's director, has been involved in the district's work for a long time. Many children come during the day. They receive support with their studies and can take advantage of creative or sporting activities. The girls and boys receive a meal and are protected from the unpredictable life on the street.
El Impenetrable - Impervious and yet reachable
Further northeast, we arrive at the Gran Chaco, the hottest region in Argentina. The landscape is partly barren and partly inaccessible. In El Impenetrable, an area of more than 40,000 km2, the land is covered by trees, shrubs and cacti. Endangered species such as the jaguar thrive there. But for the approximately 60,000 people who live there, the roads – mostly unpaved – are difficult to travel. Most of the inhabitants belong to the indigenous Wichí people. Their living conditions are often precarious. There are hardly any sanitary facilities. Many suffer from malnutrition.
Since 1996, the Baptist church in Miraflores has been located there. It reaches about 15 other places in the area with its work. Due to the heat, the Gran Chaco is repeatedly hit by periods of drought, during which rivers, ponds and dams dry up. This hits the poor population hard, because they don't have running water. For many years, the churches have been helping to build wells throughout the region. This is a laborious task: drilling holes, connecting pumps, building pipes. In addition, wooden structures are built to install huge tanks at a height of 3.5 meters. These are filled with water and people come with canisters and jugs to get water. The water of life can be experienced here in the most literal sense. This is how Christians understand their faith: providing others with access to the source of life, which bubbles up freely for everyone without end. In this way, they work in the cities and villages and introduce people to the transforming love of God.
Misiones – where the name says it all
At the border of Paraguay and Brazil lies the province of Misiones, also known as Tierra Colorada, or “Red Earth,” because the soil has a reddish-brown color. This north-eastern province is the size of Belgium, and 35 percent of the land is covered with rainforest. Overall, it is humid here, with many rivers flowing through the country. In Misiones, Oscar Kunigk and his wife Alicia coordinate the missionary work in four locations in Alto Uruguay (the border river with Uruguay and Brazil): Bernardo de Irigoyen, Dos de Mayo, El Soberbio and Puerto Rico. When Oscar sets out to visit the brothers and sisters, the distances are not quite as far for him as in the other regions of Argentina.
The work in Puerto Rico is the most recent in Alto Uruguay. Here the brothers and sisters still meet in private homes until a suitable location can be found. The search is challenging. Since the country is so sparsely populated, there is no real central location that is easily accessible for everyone.
Holistic mission
At all locations, missionary-evangelistic activities are interwoven with outreach social work and practical service to people. Going there, listening, opening eyes, hearts and hands. Doing what is necessary and, trusting in God, expecting the impossible. In this way, the brothers and sisters in Argentina live what Jesus himself said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40; NIV)
By Julia-Kathrin Raddek. This article was first published in the EBMI magazine 1/2025.
