Strong as an Argentine

There is a saying that has become quite the meme in the last year or two: 

Hard times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men, and weak men make hard times. And hard times make…

If this is true, then Argentina has some strong, giant men.

Grandma Always Said…

There was a saying that my late-grandmother would say sometimes: “As rich as an Argentine.”

To anyone my age, this made no sense. Argentina, as far as most of us were concerned, had never been rich. From our shallow knowledge of history, Argentina was an undeveloped land of primitive cowboys and Indians. It was conquered and somewhat developed by Spanish conquistadores, and then wallowed in 2nd world status ever since.

La Historia

I was a Spanish language major in college. A few of the courses I took were history courses about Central and South America. I can recall a couple things: the tragedy and heartbreak of how the people have suffered while various foreign nations staged proxy wars on their soil; much of Latin America experienced massive spiritual awakening during the 70s and 80s; Argentina was destroyed by Perón.

… and grandma had a reason for saying what she said.

Argentina was a powerhouse in the beginning of the 1900s. They achieved a higher GDP per capita was 80% of America’s. They boasted some of the highest literacy rates outside of Europe. Life for the average Argentinian was nearly as good, if not better, than many Europeans. Some even called it the “Paris of South America,” and many believed it was destined to become the USA of South America.

Argentina was far ahead of all its other neighbors due to its cattle and agriculture industry, and the developing railroad system. Foreigners poured into the country with their ambition and their money. Business was booming, and life was grand. So grand that someone in England coined the phrase, “as rich as an Argentine.”

But then World War 1 happened. The money that would have been used to purchase Argentinian goods was diverted towards the war. It was also very dangerous for merchant ships going in and out of Europe, so fewer and fewer ships were sailing each month.

And then the Great Depression hit. The boom busted.

And then WW2 came. They stayed out of the war, but economically they got pounded once again as their exports shrank.

Then a man named Juan Perón came to power. It was not a good time to be in Argentina under his rule, but was even worse if you opposed him. Oh yeah, his wife was a piece of work, too.

The TL/DR here is things never really got any better. By the 1970s hyperinflation started to rage. Ever since, their economy has been an ongoing disaster. Attempts to fix things have always gone sideways for many reasons: corruption, foreign influence, and Central Banking.

Strong Men

But in the ashes of economic ruin, something remarkable happened. Harold Warner, an American pastor from Tucson, Arizona, sent a missionary to Buenos Aires in the 1980s. Starting from scratch, he built a church of committed converts. It grew and the missionary eventually left and turned it over to an Argentinian to pastor. As the economy fell apart in the early 2000s, unfortunately so did this Argentinian Christian movement. They basically had to start over from scratch, and a young man named Juan Pablo Cardo took over what was left of the wounded church(es).

Twenty-something years later, last week, I had the privilege of attending the yearly Bible Conference Juan Pablo’s church hosts. There were 20+ congregations joining the multi-day conference (all of these have come in the last 25 years). The last night of the conference there were over 850 people in attendance.

This conference was not funded by American money. There were no admission fees. There were no loans or corporate sponsors. Nobody was selling tacos or hand-woven baskets. Everyone attending paid their own way, and gave willingly to help the church pay for the expenses that come with hosting such an event.

At the end they announced several new church plants, and raised money to help them get started.

That alone is admirable. But when you remember what they have lived through in the last 30 years, and how the last several have been soul-crushing due to economic challenges and hyperinflation ($1 USD is worth $1450 Argentinian pesos), this is downright miraculous.

These were not doctors, lawyers, politicians, real-estate moguls or professional athletes. These were, by far, mostly unassuming, blue-collar, working class people.

If hard times make strong men, there are some giants rebuilding Argentina right now.

The quality of faith, endurance and vision that I witnessed is beyond my ability to appreciate and communicate. The atmosphere of unity and excitement was tangible the entire time I was there. Sure, it may only be less than 1,000 people, but each of them has a circle of influence. And they are passionate about the vision they have for their nation.

The winds of change are blowing in Argentina politically and economically. I think that is the result of the spiritual winds of change that have slowly been building over the last 30 years. My new friends are going to double-down on what got them this far, and their growth and influence is going to compound.

The world may look and see and comment on the secular topics of politics and money, but the real wealth and driver of success in Argentina is what is happening in the spirit and soul of the resilient people who give their lives to Jesus Christ. President Milei and his administration know it. Last year they declared a holiday and held an event honoring Christians and asking them to press in harder.

The morals and ethics which govern these Christians’ lives make progress possible. Their lives in Christ are unburdened by guilt, and strengthened with the dignity of Deity. Their holy commitment to honesty, diligence and honor create an economy of trust. The supernatural transformation of people who were formerly incapable of consistently practicing (if at all) Christian virtues is directly transforming the communities in which they live.

In short, the Gospel, and the convergence of sound faith, sound minds and sound money is going to redeem Argentina.

Things are shifting in South America. Investor Jordi Visser continues saying he wants to “buy Brazil” due to the economic potential it has.

Well, I’m buying Brazil…and Argentina!