THE PAULICHEN FAMILY
Bringing the hope of Christ to the people of Uruguay
URUGUAY
A land of rolling hills and lush pastureland. A place where cattle and sheep outnumber people and old fashioned gauchos roam the countryside. Sandwiched between South American giants, Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay is home to close to 3.5 million souls.
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As the most secular nation in the western hemisphere, 45% of Uruguayans claim no religion at all. Less than 2% profess to be born again. With the lack of Biblical teaching, Uruguay has become known as having the most liberal abortion and same-sex marriage laws in Latin America. It also became the first country in the world to fully legalize marijuana. As a result, this South American "atheist island" has the highest suicide rate per capita on the continent. Uruguay needs the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.
MEET OUR FAMILY
ABOUT US
We are the Paulichen family, church planting missionaries in the South American country of Uruguay.
In 2009, our family spent 2 months in the southern cone of South America, asking God where he would have us serve him full-time. It was during that trip that God laid the interior of Uruguay on our hearts. With only 5 IFB missionary families in the country, Uruguay is a needy field. Upon graduation from Canadian Baptist Bible College in May 2016, our family boarded a plane to Uruguay, this time to the northern city of Salto. During that month, God clearly showed us that this was where we were to minister. We began full-time deputation shortly after our return to Canada in anticipation of our return to Uruguay.
During the 2017/18 school year, we continued part-time deputation while attending BBTI in Bowie, Texas. Our family graduated from their Advanced Missionary Training in May of 2018. In October 2018, we were ordained to the gospel ministry by our sending church, Pembina Valley Baptist of Winkler, Manitoba. A few days later, we left for the field under our church’s missions ministry, CanAmera Baptist Missions International.
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What began with a Bible study in our home in 2018 has grown, to the glory of God, from 17 people into a functioning church. God is at work here in Salto and we give Him all the glory.
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"Expect great things from God.
Attempt great things for God.”
William Carey
MARCO
I grew up in a Christian home, the youngest child of an Argentine mother and Uruguayan father. Spanish is my first language. I was a sinner as a young child. One day after Sunday school my teacher asked me if I was saved. I knew I needed to be and was born again that day. Years later, in 2002, I surrendered to preach. After that, while working for Canada's largest energy company, God called our family to serve him in full-time mission work overseas.
JOSHUA
One night when I was five, I asked my parents how to get saved. I sat between them and they took me through verses from the Bible about sin and salvation. Late that night I received Christ. That was June 23, 2005. After I received Christ, I was excited about it and started reading my Bible daily as I learned to read. I was baptized at 6 years old and have been looking forward to serving the Lord in Uruguay ever since our first survey trip in 2009.
PATRICIA
I grew up in a home where God was not known. This led to a life of sin. When I was 20, a street preacher gave me a tract. I read it and knew I was a sinner bound for hell. I tried to work my way to heaven after that, but realized my efforts were fruitless. I wanted to end my life. God heard my cries and brought along a soul winner. Marco showed me that what I was looking for was salvation in Jesus Christ. I was born again April 10, 1998. We were married the following year.
JOSEPHINE
Living in a Christian home, I do not remember hearing the plan of salvation the first time. As young as I can remember, I knew who Jesus was and what he did on the cross. But not until I was 5 did I fully understand what the gospel was and how it applies to me. It was at that time that I knew I needed to be saved. One morning I told my mom this. She took the Bible and explained to me that I, as a sinner, needed a Saviour. That morning, October 28, 2007, I trusted Jesus and was born again.
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