March 2011
Greetings from Thessaloniki, Greece! We arrived on March 8th, exactly one week before our grandson, Alexander David Hopson, was born and after a number of days in Michigan to collect some much needed items for the baby and family. We’ve been taking care of our two grand-daughters, Miriam (4) and Sofia (almost 3) while Sara was in the hospital where David also stayed. We’ve been having such a great time visiting some ancient Byzantine churches and different ruins, including Berea where the Apostle Paul won some souls for the Lord back in Acts 17. We now plan to go see Philippi next week. This country is so full of history, culture and interesting people! What a blessing God is being to our family these days! We plan to stay in Greece for another week and a half until the US citizenship papers for the baby are complete. Son-in-law David wants to hike up Mount Olympus with his father-in-law Dave. From Greece we drive the four hours to Korce, Albania where the Hopsons have been living and ministering for a bit over a year. We plan to give seminars and Bible studies while there, with David and/or Sara interpreting from either English or Spanish into the local Albanian language. This is the first time we’ve had a decent excuse to travel to Europe. It would be nice to tour around more but, for the time-being, we’ll concentrate mainly on our family’s needs.
When we left Argentina the last part of February, we had no idea what was awaiting us in the US. We were notified that Nancy’s only remaining brother passed away while we were in Buenos Aires so we were able to attend his memorial service upon our arrival to Michigan. Dave’s mom (almost 89) was taken to the hospital the day we arrived to Chicago. Dave’s brothers and sister have been helping in caring for things and we see that this year, some important decisions will have to be made. Dad Greenman (almost 93) is doing OK but also has his physical challenges. We understand that God’s timing is always perfect and, again, we’ve experienced his limitless love and grace. We spent a bit of time with our son, Josh, in Kalamazoo, Michigan so we treasure that time, also, since he is planning to be working in the Peace Corps in Africa, Lord willing, starting in June.
We need to recuperate after a very strenuous 2010 in Argentina. Along with the camping ministry with its program, construction and maintenance, Dave was involved in teaching a seminary class in Salta (church growth), four extension seminary groups in San Pedro and Palpalá, giving seminars in two different high mountain and lower valley regions, leading the Argentine field team and orienting the new missionaries, the Hollingsworths as they settled into life in Jujuy. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our 27 years in the camping ministry and have a hard time believing that it has come to an end. We have been blessed so much with such a fruitful work as Christian camping and still consider it to be a very important and effective tool to reach the unsaved for Christ and to strengthen the local church. We’ve been informed that 30 came to Him for salvation this past summer for which we praise the Lord. Upon our return to Argentina in September, Dave will continue to work on the new chapel construction project until it’s finished. It still needs the roof, the floor, windows and doors. He will also be writing extension seminary materials and teach the 25 + students who are well on their way in that training course. Nancy looks forward to continuing with her women’s Bible studies in Palpalá which has been in activity for the past seven years.
As you might have noticed, we’ve been very busy since we last wrote to you but it seems as if the Lord is allowing us to wind down little by little before our retirement in approximately five years. God provided replacements for the camp so now we will be able to concentrate more on leadership training which has been our field’s priority for many years. Please pray for us as we enter this new phase of life and ministry.
We hope to see many of you as we travel to visit the churches we missed during our last home assignment. May God bless you for your faithfulness in prayer and for your spiritual investments in the people of NW Argentina.
Your friends and co-workers in God’s Kingdom,
Dave and Nancy Greenman
Dave and Nancy Greenman are involved in camp ministry, evangelism, and discipleship in Argentina.
Contact Information for Dave and Nancy Greenman is coming soon.