SOMA's intercessors have been actively praying for two years for God to open a missional path to South America. Twelve years had passed since our last mission to our sister continent, and in August, our prayers were answered! Our invitation came from Bishop Brian Williams of the Diocese of Argentina. Since our last visit, some clergy have retired, new Christians have come to faith, and Bishop Brian has been consecrated. SOMA's invitation was to focus on renewal and introducing spiritual gifts to both the older and next generations of Christians.

The mission team included two priests from our diocese. Fr. Salvador Odoñez, Rector at San Juan the Apostle, Fort Worth, and Fr. John Allen, Assisting Priest at St. Peter & St. Paul, Arlington. Mr. Sandy Walker, a former SOMA missioner from Virginia, and I completed the team.

During three weekday evenings, we taught on sin, spiritual strongholds, and the Holy Spirit. Each night concluded with prayers with participants. One evening, I prayed for a person who had been living with a spirit of fear for many months. By God's word, we know this is not from Him (2 Tim 1:7), and that as Christians, He has given us the power and authority to say "leave" (Luke 10:17-20). The next evening, we asked for testimonies from the previous night. A few people came forward, including the individual I prayed for. Walking to the microphone, I could tell that he carried himself with more confidence than the night before. He described to the group of seventy people the transformation he experienced. The next day, his coworkers asked him what had happened – that he seemed "different" in a better way. All present could see that the countenance of this man had literally changed in 24 hours!

This transformation shouldn't surprise us. Jesus came to set the prisoners and captives free (Isa 61:1). He told 72 of His disciples (and us), "...as the Father sent me, so I am sending you." (Jn 20:21). Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of Jesus, we get to participate in freeing spiritual captives and wage war with spiritual weapons that demolish strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).

The mission concluded with an all-day conference on Saturday and was attended by about 95 people. The team continued teaching, building on topics from earlier in the week. We covered topics such as spiritual authority, spiritual warfare, prayer, and intercession. The most significant portion of the day was dedicated to equipping participants with the knowledge, confidence, and methodology to pray effectively for others. The session concluded with a practicum, during which everyone took turns praying for one another. After the practicum, I asked if anyone had received healing or experienced God in a special way. Several hands went up. I invited two people who had prayed for each other to share their experiences. One person had diminished eyesight fully restored, and the other had their impaired hearing completely restored! Both were smiling ear to ear and filled with joy.

“Among the blessings I received, experiencing a new form of worship and praying for the Holy Spirit's work in people's lives were the most unexpected. It was priceless, and words can't describe it." -Fr. Salvador Odenez.

"During our times of prayer in Buenos Aires, I was suddenly thrust out of my comfort zone with dozens of people asking for healing prayer and for the filling of the Holy Spirit. At that very moment, He showed me how I, too, needed to, and could be, filled with His Holy Spirit. I witnessed the Lord move in ways that I had heard and read about but never seen for myself. I watched miraculous healings occur—not just physical but also emotional and spiritual. I saw people accept forgiveness for things they had carried for years, even decades. I watched the Holy Spirit move among His Church in ways that felt like they jumped right off the pages of the Book of Acts." -Fr. John Allen. 

SOMA ministers and teaches with purpose; to equip, renew, and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission through the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit. Bishop Williams was thrilled with the renewal, practical teaching, and newly equipped Christians to make a difference for Christ. He saw first-hand God’s grace manifest in His diocese through SOMA’s mission.  A big blessing for SOMA is that Bishop Williams does more than lead the diocese of Argentina, he is also the Archbishop of South America! Archbishop Williams has given his blessing for SOMA to send missions anywhere in the province. By his blessing and through his advocation, SOMA is planning missions to Paraguay and Boliva in 2026.

 If you would like to pray for, serve on, or support SOMA’s mission, please contact me at kyle@somausa.org.  May God bless you abundantly.