Ralph Hiatt’s Argentina

What do a gaucho, a skunk, an accordion, and a steel guitar have in common?

Ralph Hiatt.

It is my pleasure to introduce a new addition to TJAAAFAP’s blogroll, Ralph Hiatt’s Argentina: http://ralphhiatt.blogspot.com/.

Hiatt is a retired (insert hysterical laughter here) missionary to Argentina who spent nearly four decades there the first time around. A common stereotype of missionaries is that they are narrow-minded Bible thumpers focused on converting the masses and little else. On the contrary, Ralph and his wife Frances rolled up their sleeves as a young married couple to take food, medicine, other supplies, and hope deep into the jungle. For decades they faced dangers, inclement conditions, and inconveniences to care for the people of Argentina while raising their own family there.

Accompanied by a bilingual, inquisitive Argentinean gaucho named Felipe and Perfume, a wiggly, affectionate skunk, Hiatt delights young and old alike with his rapier wit and musical talents. An energetic combination of Billy Graham and Billy Crystal, he has started an astounding number of successful churches in Argentina and inspired at least two generations of pastors there. Alternating between steel guitar and accordion, he jumps into nearly any musical situation with ease. His sermons are often infused with both a deep love of God and gut-busting hilarity.

As a small child Hiatt’s mother would take him into the streets of Portland, Oregon to minister to the homeless. He learned early on to be mindful of those less fortunate and to speak to them as brothers and sisters rather than inferiors. When in the United States, he is a sought-after speaker at both English and Spanish-speaking churches. As a widower, he recently returned to his adopted homeland to continue to lift people up at every level of their beings.

I’d like to share part of the “About” section of Hiatt’s blog that explains his foray into the world of blogging. He is a gifted writer, and his blog is a great place to visit for encouragement. If you struggle with belief in God’s goodness, have doubts about God’s existence, or need evidence of God’s works, it’s also a nice place to stop by.

As I began this journey I started to correspond via email with a dear Argentinean friend who has lived for many years in the USA.  These notes became a running record of God at work which I shared with others.  Finally my friend, Ken Horn, editor of the Pentecostal Evangel, encouraged me to collect them into a blog.

So here goes… please join me in the adventurous journey ahead.

Ralph Hiatt

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True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
–Arthur Ashe

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