Our Call

I had the privilege of  growing up in a strong Christian home of Baptist missionaries in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They taught me about sin and salvation at a young age. I believe this was what helped me to understand and receive Jesus as my Savior when I was  young.  I was baptized by my Dad when I was seven years old.  Due to growing up as a missionary kid in Argentina, I saw the need that the Argentines have for the Gospel, but I struggled with God’s call on my life.  I dedicated my life to Him when I was ten years old, but still held back a part of myself— the part that knew He wanted me to be a missionary.  It was finally during a youth conference, when I was sixteen, that I completely surrendered my life to God.  Since then I have attended Bible College at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota, and graduated in 2001.  I then moved to Springfield to marry my husband, Ben.  We have been serving in our local church, Cherry Street Baptist, before coming on as staff as missionary interns. Our internship has been very useful in growing and developing me, and I am glad we are beginning the next part that will get us closer to our goal of serving God in Argentina. I have questioned God many times through prayer to make sure Argentina is where He wants us. I know there is a great need there, and my heart is burdened for the Argentines but I don’t want to just “go home”. I want us to be where God has called us. He keeps confirming His call over and over, so we truly believe that is where He wants us to go. I am encouraged by knowing that Ben and I will not have to learn the language, and are already very familiar with the culture. I believe this will benefit our ministry so that we can win Argentines to Christ as soon as we arrive in the country. The need is great, and we desire to get there as soon as we can.

Twenty-two years ago, at the age of eight, I set foot on  Argentine soil for the first time. My parents, Dennis and Rena Metzger served as missionaries there for eleven years. I was saved and baptized at a young age, and grew up in a strong Christian home. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was able to not only see, but also participate in my parents’ ministry. In fact, several of my friends came to know the Lord and grew up along with me in our church. Unfortunately, I saw so many others that would not turn from their strong Catholic family traditions.  The Catholic roots run very deep, and very often strangle any gospels seeds that are planted. Since my parents gave me the chance to be involved in their ministry, I grew to enjoy the Lord’s work and seeing lives completely changed by the Gospel.  Being a missionary was great, but not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had my own plans, my own dreams and ambitions. While at a youth retreat at the age of 15, I fell under very deep conviction that I had not asked God what He wanted me to do with my life, but instead had made all the plans myself. During the next couple of years the Lord overwhelmingly pressed upon my heart I needed to use my life to share His love and forgiveness with those who have never heard, that He wanted me to become a missionary. I surrendered.  Over the years the Lord has repeatedly confirmed this calling in our lives and given us a deep burden for the millions of lost souls in Argentina, many of whom we personally know. Today, Catholicism enslaves 4 out of every 5 Argentines and only 1 in 10 identify with any kind of Bible believing church. So many cults are growing at an astonishing rate. The highest concentration of Muslims is found in the country of Argentina. There are still millions who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.