February 2011: Big News from Amarillo

Jesus said…’Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ (John 11:40)

I witnessed God do countless awesome things over the last three years in Paraguay.  I’ve seen people healed, lives changed, and students take great educational strides.  I saw the nation experience its first peaceful shift between political parties and the country’s best economic year since the 1970’s.  With about two-thirds of the population younger than 40 years of age, the most students enrolled in colleges and Christian schools than ever before, widespread spiritual hunger, and national movements sharing the gospel across the country, many people believe Paraguay possesses enormous potential for revival.  God is moving there, and it is my honor to participate in and celebrate the glorious work that He is doing.    

On a family note, God has blessed Margarita and me.  In less than seven months we will be parents.  We praise Him for a healthy pregnancy up to now, and ask you to pray for Margarita’s and the child’s health before, during and after the delivery.  

We arrived safely in Amarillo, Texas, at the beginning of this month.  We plan to be back in Paraguay by February 2012, and will spend this year visiting family and friends in the U.S.  If we pass through your area, let’s get in contact.  Our tentative itinerary is as follows: 

February-March:  Texas, New Mexico

April: Los Angeles Area, Northern California, Portland

May:  Lexington-Cincinnati Area, New York, Massachusetts

June-November:  Portland, Pacific Northwest

December-January:  Texas, Florida

Since the Revett mission team has now grown to three people, our economic need has increased.  We are hoping to raise $2,500 more a month to serve in Paraguay through at least 2014.  Please consider helping us reach our financial goal.  Also, please share with your friends and acquaintances about Paraguay and our mission work.  During our travels we will be available to present in churches, missions conferences, Sunday school classes, home groups or whatever appropriate venue.  We ask that you inform us of anyone who might be interested in hearing what God is doing in Paraguay.  Additionally, pray for our stateside assignment and for our preparation to return to the mission field.

It wasn’t easy leaving Paraguay.   We miss Margarita’s family.  We miss our friends from the discipleship groups and those with whom we served.  Most of all, we miss the students at the Nuevo Horizonte School.  When we left Paraguay, others took responsibility for our ministries.  Please keep the following individuals in your prayers:

• Estella, now the 2nd grade teacher at Nuevo Horizonte.
• Lidia, the new Puerta Abierta Church secretary.
• Claudio, interested in evangelism at the Puerta Abierta Church.
• Vicente, who may continue working in the Tacumbu Prison.
• Ivan, who leads the “Heavy Metal Bible Study.”

Margarita and I want to know how you are and how we could pray for you and your loved ones.  Please send us news and prayer requests.  Likewise, if your town is on our itinerary, let’s communicate ahead of time “…For I [we] do not wish to see you now just in passing” (1 Corinthians 16:7).   

For His glory always,

December 2010: Heavy Metal and Christmas in Paraguay

December 2010

Dear Family and Friends:

I never planned to be involved in a heavy metal ministry.  Almost every week for the last month, I and a few others have been visiting and facilitating Bible studies with members of the Paraguayan heavy metal subculture.  It began when two young men responded to an invitation during an outreach event in October.  Through them we’ve made contact with five others.  At least one has given his life to Christ and another will be joining Margarita and I in attending a Christmas service this weekend.  Please pray that the true Light which…enlightens every man would shine brightly in the lives of Guillermo, Edgar, Nilsa, Claudio, Griselda, Alexander and Nando. 

   

Christmas commemorates the arrival of the Light that shines in the darkness.  Even nature here in Paraguay seems to celebrate Christmas as the summer sun shines brightly with temperatures breaking 100 ºF.  Coco flowers exhale their refreshing scent throughout the city.  The people are ready for Christmas too.  Firecrackers explode every minute.  Long lines fill the stores and families begin to prepare for their feasts.  Many homes display manger scenes and decorative lights.  People are outside at night, taking walks and talking with neighbors.  There is a festive spirit in the air.

Unfortunately, like in other countries, for many Paraguayans economic and relational pressures increase at this time of year and create emotionally dark situations.  A week ago I physically stopped a young man from hanging himself.  The other day, during a visit to the Tacumbu prison, an inmate told me about a saying they have: “Fatten the calf to be killed for Christmas.” In other words, it’s common for a few inmates who’ve tried the patience of others inside the jail to be murdered on Christmas Day.   What a contrast to what the Apostle John wrote of Jesus, who’s the focus of this holiday and the Light of the world: “In Him was life…”!

On this Christmas Day, pray for and consider calling anyone you know who might be alone or going through a rough time.  Additionally, ask the Lord to move strongly in the life of Ariel*, who refuses to get help after his suicide attempt.  Please pray for peace inside the Tacumbu prison and for the inmates of the Remar Christian pavilion who will be distributing chicken dinners to all prisoners. 

The past month has been one of celebration for the Nuevo Horizonte School. The school held ceremonies to recognize God’s faithfulness and the students’ achievements.  One fourth of the elementary students made the honor roll.  All 27 ninth graders graduated the primary level and will be moving on to high school. These numbers are noteworthy considering most Paraguayan adults have a 6^th grade education or less.  Furthermore, over a quarter of the whole school had perfect attendance.  This is pretty amazing in a society where all activity frequently stops for soccer games, numerous unofficial holidays, or the mere threat of rain.

Margarita also graduated this month.  For over a year she’s been researching and writing her bachelor’s thesis.  Two weeks ago she defended it and received straight A’s.  Next week she receives her degree as a diagnostician and specialist in learning disabilities.  On our first Christmas as a married couple, we thank God for His faithfulness to Margarita all throughout her college studies, as well as for three wonderful months of marriage.

2010 has been one of the greatest years for us, and we are eager to see what 2011 will hold.  We thank each of you for your encouragement, support and prayers all throughout this year.  We also thank the Lord for His constant presence in all moments—high or low—and His many blessings. Most importantly, we are grateful for the right to become children of God…which is not earned by religious rituals, but rather is a gift to anyone who chooses to believe in His name (John 1:12).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

October 2010: A Beautiful Day

October 2010

Dear Friends and Family:

It is written, “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing.”  I’d say that “good thing” is an understatement.  Margarita and I just completed one month of marriage and we’re having an awesome time.  Some people comment, “Wait a year or two, things will change.”  Maybe so, but I prefer what Johnny Cash sang to June Carter, his wife of more than thirty years: “The tears and the laughter are the things that we share, your hand in mine makes it good.”  Unintentionally echoing this concept, our officiating pastor charged us to never stop holding hands, no matter how old we are, no matter the situation.  We know that trials will arise in their time, but we praise God for this new era of life, and we’ll continue to look to His example of faithfulness to keep the vows we made.  Likewise, we acknowledge the generous blessings from many people over the last few months.  To all of you who sent encouraging words, helped with the wedding, or prayed for us, thank you.

A week after the wedding, we began preparing to host 41 short-term missionaries who came to Paraguay from Brazil.  Our apartment served as their place for meals, meetings and rest between activities during the day.  They sang with, danced with, played with, and spoke to the Nuevo Horizonte students.  In addition, they prayed for the students’ families in their homes and helped with church outreach events.  Now, over two weeks after their departure, our apartment is still a mess; however, the school, community and local churches all feel the effects of the work that God did through the Brazilians.

In November, the Puerta Abierta Church faces the task to follow up with those who surrendered their lives and their seemingly insurmountable situations to the Lord during the events with the Brazilians.  The people’s needs include a daughter with severe burns, a few mothers with disintegrated families, and a young man wanting to leave the occult.  Please intercede for all the individuals impacted by the events of October.  Ask for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of the Puerta Abierta congregation to be available to minister to them.

Moreover, November features the final exams and the end of classes at the Nuevo Horizonte School.   The students will also leave the city for two days of games, swimming and Bible lessons at the annual camp.  Additionally, Nuevo Horizonte will celebrate its 10th anniversary in a special assembly.  The school released a magazine that commemorates its history.  If you would be interested in receiving a copy, let me know, or visit www.paraguayschools.org.  Another theme for November is planning for next year, which keeps the school administrators busy.  I am engrossed in finishing the middle school English curriculum.  The school needs to have next year’s English program ready before January since Margarita and I plan to be in the U.S. most of 2011.  Please pray for all of Nuevo Horizonte’s end-of-the-year activities. 

As you have read, there is much work to be done; yet, there is also much to be thankful for.  Thanksgiving comes as an appropriate time for each of us to reflect on this year’s great and small blessings. In trials or in good times, our Creator has faithfully provided for our daily, life-sustaining needs.  After all, it is written, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

    

Happy Thanksgiving!

September 2010: The Ravages of Crack and The Beauty of Marriage

September 2010

Dear Family and Friends:

Crack-cocaine consumes the lives of numerous young Paraguayan men who would otherwise be contributing their talents and creativity to the benefit of their families, communities and nation. 

 “Juan,” for example, is in his thirties, very intelligent, a skilled construction worker, and has three beautiful daughters.  Juan also struggles with crack addiction.  Two weeks ago, he began the road to recovery.  He is beginning to follow Christ and hopes to minister to youth and young adults in the future.   A Christian foreman gave him work on a new church.  When the construction is complete, Juan plans to be baptized in the same baptismal he recently finished digging out.  Please intercede for Juan, along with others in the same situation, for endurance to run the race that is set before them, fixing their eyes on Jesus.

Juan is one of seven young men with whom I meet regularly and individually for Bible study, discipleship and prayer.  These meetings as well as my regular ministry activities are going well.  The Bible studies in the Tacumbú prison include powerful times of worship and fellowship.  The Nuevo Horizonte School recently entered the final trimester of 2010, which will feature two landmark celebrations:  the first primary-level graduation and the school’s 10th anniversary. A magazine will be released to commemorate the ten years of classes at Nuevo Horizonte.  Furthermore, the Puerta Abierta Church began organizing another outreach campaign in the Cerro Cora neighborhood for the second week of October.  Ask for the Lord’s will to be done in all of these activities.  Also pray for the health of Lidia and Blanca, two women in the church.

 

On a personal note, keep my mother’s side of my family in your thoughts and prayers.  My aunt Anne recently passed away.  If you have contact with my mother or her relatives, please send them words of encouragement.   

Thank you for your prayers last month as I translated for Paramount Baptist Church’s mission team in Chile.  We presented in churches, schools, plazas and homes.  We witnessed hundreds of people turn their lives over to Christ.  Praise God for revealing His unconditional love to the Chileans and for blessing them in their recovery from the massive earthquake last February. Moreover, pray for the 33 miners who are trapped in a mine in northern Chile.

The Chile mission trip coincided with the 53rd wedding anniversary of two of the volunteers, Ernie and Sherrie McNabb, who spoke on the topic of marriage.  I had the privilege to translate for a few of their presentations, which were quite appropriate for me considering I’m less than two weeks away from my marriage to the gorgeous, charming, sharp, creative Margarita Belén.  Our wedding, with its preparations and excitement, is, of course, what currently occupies much of my time and most of my thoughts.  She and I are ready to officially begin our life together.  Hence, Margarita and I request your prayers as we join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

Yours truly,

June 2010: Engaged!

June 2010

Dear Friends and Family:

It was a Wednesday afternoon in May.  Margarita finished teaching her last class and prepared to go home.  As she exited her classroom, her sister Cynthia, who is also a teacher at the Nuevo Horizonte School, stopped her to ask for help on a project.  Margarita stayed an extra 45 minutes helping her sister and chatting, but the whole time wanting to go home.  When Cynthia finally let her leave, Margarita discovered a small table right outside of the classroom.  On top of the table was a rose, a photo of us, and a journal entry from the weeks before she and I started dating.  The table was the first station on a trail of flower petals that led up the staircase to a second table where she found another rose, photo and a later journal entry.  The trail continued to a third table, again, with a rose, photo and, this time, wedding vows (a late pre-marital counseling assignment).  The table was located in front of the exit to the school’s terrace.  When Margarita stepped out onto the terrace, she found me seated at a candlelit table with coffee and pastries.  A few moments later, I asked her to marry me, to which she said yes.  Thank you all for your prayers over our relationship.  I am very grateful to the Lord for the immeasurable blessings He’s given me through Margarita.

So now we’re planning a wedding, which takes place on September 25^th.  Yet, as we plan, ministry doesn’t stop.  I continue helping to organize outreach events at the Puerta Abierta Church.  At the end of July I’ll travel to Chile to translate for a short-term team from Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas.   This week I’ll begin Bible studies inside the Tacumbú Penitentiary.  In addition, I still assist my colleague Elias in his soccer outreach to the boys of Cerro Gu’y.  All these activities occur outside of my time teaching and developing the Nuevo Horizonte School’s English program. 

Margarita and I will continue at the school through the end of 2010.  We hope to travel to the U.S. by January of 2011 to begin a year of working, visiting family and preparing for a return to Paraguay.  Hence, from now through December, I will be focusing on discipling others to take over my responsibilities.  Please pray for the following individuals:

1) An English teacher for Nuevo Horizonte

2)  Alejandro and Pablo, with whom I have weekly Bible studies

3) Vicente, who will continue the jail ministry

4) A coordinator of outreach and evangelism at the Puerta Abierta Church.

Many of you were praying in April when the Puerta Abierta congregation stepped outside of the church building—and into the drizzle—for a day of outreach to the Cerro Corá neighborhood.  The event featured games, haircuts, diabetes tests, and teeth extractions.  About 80 children participated along with dozens of youth and adults.  Everybody there heard the gospel message presented, and many invited Christ into their lives.  Your prayers were answered.  To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory…

Please keep me posted as to how life is for you and your family, and let me know if you happen to be in the area in late September.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 

Sincerely,

Tim

April 2010: Pray for Margarita's Dad

April 2010

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?” (Mark 2:9)

Dear Family and Friends:

Many of you prayed for and asked about my girlfriend’s father, Santiago, who fell from a roof while working and broke his spine.  He had surgery, regained feeling in his legs and returned home. Yesterday, however, he was hospitalized again for an infection.   Right after the fall, he didn’t have feeling below the waist, and the doctors insisted they operate immediately.  Every morning for a week and a half he was prepped for surgery, but then waited in a moldy, crowded hospital room the rest of the day.  This is common in Paraguayan public hospitals; in fact, Santiago’s time waiting for surgery was short compared to others.  Nurses and doctors infrequently check on and track their patients.  This negligence contrasts the characteristically Paraguayan, familial devotion that compels relatives to become unofficial nurses.  Margarita and her siblings alternated round-the-clock shifts at their father’s hospital bedside.  It was during one of these shifts that Margarita asked her father—a traditional, macho construction worker from the countryside—if he wanted to ask God for forgiveness and to invite Jesus to bring peace to his life.  Santiago said yes.    

Praise God for His amazing grace.  Please pray for Santiago, his family, and the doctors during the treatment of the infection.  Also, ask the Lord to call upon skilled and compassionate Paraguayans to transform healthcare in their nation.

A few days before Santiago fell, an infamous neighborhood crack addict, and son of former church members, attempted suicide.  When we arrived to help him, the extent of his addiction was evidenced by his house’s emptiness—window frames and panes, the toilet, metal piping in the walls—everything had been stripped and sold for crack.  This young man, *Eduardo (*not his real name), miraculously passed two sober nights while we encouraged him to get help.  He finally agreed and now has been clean for more than a month in a holistic, Christian rehab center.  It’s been a heavy financial burden on his family, but the Lord has provided for them up to now.  Please pray for *Eduardo to have full victory over his addiction and for his family’s spiritual restoration.   

All teachers at the Nuevo Horizonte School agree that classes have been going very well this year.  The pre-school and kindergarten students now understand the school routine and are showing signs of learning.  The junior high students show increasing maturity in their conduct and academics.  We are attempting to bolster multilingualism by requiring Guarani (Paraguay’s native language) to be the primary language spoken in the school one day of the week, and English on another day.  If consistently held, this could have great results.

For Easter, the Puerta Abierta Church celebrates by launching a month-long outreach campaign, which I am coordinating.  The activities take place in the un-churched Barrio Cerro Corá and culminate on Saturday, April 24^th.  Please pray for the Lord’s Spirit to work through the Puerta Abierta congregation and to minister to the hearts of the Cerro Corá residents.  

My prayer for you is to celebrate this Easter with the same disposition as the Apostle Thomas who, after doubting, declared to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” and may you be encouraged by Jesus, who responded, “…Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed!”(John 20:28, 29).

Yours truly,

February 2010: A Soccer Gang Attack Survivor Speaks

February 2010

Dear Friends and Family:

By the time a Paraguayan child reaches pre-school-age, he or she will probably be a fan of one of two soccer teams:  Cerro Porteño or Olimpia.  While the rivalry between the two teams is mostly manifested in lighthearted ways, occasionally the fanaticism turns violent, especially on the day of the game when the two teams play each other—the Clasico.  About a year ago, I got caught in a soccer fanatic crossfire on a public bus filled with Olimpia fans.  Cerro fans bombarded the bus with rocks and other objects, and attempted to board to attack the Olimpia fans.  The bus escaped the fight with windows broken, children crying and passengers huddled on the floor, a few bloodied from broken glass.  Sometimes the rivalry leads to homicide.  In one extreme case, a fan of one team killed his brother, who was a fan of the other team, when he gloated over his team’s victory in last year’s Clasico.

But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them…”  (Luke 18:16a).

Paraguayan soccer hooligans usually are teenage boys or young men who share similarities with those in the U.S. who choose to join gangs:  disconnected from positive adult influences, searching for identity and selecting bad social circles.  The faculty at the Nuevo Horizonte School counterbalances the soccer hooligans’ influence in the neighborhood, and strives towards helping the students pursue a Jesus-centered life.  The school now has a young chaplain, Pastor Alcides, who works well with the students.  He and I will together host the breakfast devotionals with the 9^th grade boys.  Moreover, the men teachers may organize periodic soccer tournaments this year for times of fellowship with the middle and high school boys.  We had our first tournament last Friday.  The boys played well.  There were no fights or arguments.  Pastor Alcides delivered a captivating half-time message.  It was a very enjoyable time of communion.

Praise God for the successful soccer fellowship time, and pray for me and the Nuevo Horizonte faculty in reaching out to all students at the school.  In addition, pray for Miguel Angel of the ministry “No Más Violencia” (No More Violence), who addresses the soccer violence issue with youth, and may speak at Nuevo Horizonte later this year.   

In January, I visited my friend Thiago in Brazil and spoke in churches about Nuevo Horizonte.  A few congregations showed interest in sponsoring students, and one might even organize a mission trip.  Please pray for the Brazilian Church to support their Paraguayan brothers and sisters in whatever ways the Lord leads.  Soon after I returned from Brazil, Nuevo Horizonte started its 10^th year of classes.  February has been busy with school year preparations, but has also gone by very smoothly.  Praise God for giving the school 10 great years, and pray that 2010 will be a year filled with victories for the students and teachers.  Furthermore, in April, I will begin teaching a weekly study on the Book of Mark for the Christian inmate leaders at the Tacumbu Penitentiary.  Ask for the Lord to bless and grow the ministry inside the prison.

When you have a moment, let me know how life is for you and your loved ones.  I pray that in all life situations you may trust in Christ with a childlike faith, “…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18: 16b).

For His glory always,

December 2009: Margarita

December 2009

Dear Friends and Family:

Allow me to introduce you to two beautiful Paraguayan women.  The first is someone who a few of you have met and most have heard about.  Her name is Margarita Belen, and we have been dating for almost nine months now.  Margarita teaches second grade at the Nuevo Horizonte School.  She also serves as secretary at the Puerta Abierta church, where I attend.  Our relationship began a few months after the pastor appointed us to co-lead a neighborhood prayer meeting.  In addition to ministry at the church and school, we serve together in Bible studies and various other activities.  God has greatly blessed me through her company, character and insight.  I ask you to pray that God would guide our relationship according to His will.

The other Paraguayan woman is ten years old and I got to know her after a she asked me for change on the bus.  Her name is Noelia.  She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.  Her step-father, though, tells her she will be a “butterfly of the night” (prostitute).  There are obstacles keeping Noelia from pursuing her dream, namely her poverty and illiteracy.  She visits Margarita at the school after classes.  Noelia says she wants to study at Nuevo Horizonte and wants Margarita to be her teacher.  She will not be able to enroll at this time.  We don’t know exactly how we could help her, but we know God is powerful to change her situation.  Please pray for Noelia, as well as the countless at-risk girls in Paraguay, whose futures are in jeopardy, and ask God to lead His followers here in reaching out to them. 

Classes have ended at Nuevo Horizonte for the summer break.  I look forward to moments of vacation time.  Next week, my good friends Luke and Laura Williams from Seattle will celebrate their one-year anniversary down here.  Pray for their visit to be relaxing and very fulfilling.  In January, I’m hoping to travel in Brazil for a week to present to churches about the school.  There are also many ministry activities planned.  I’ll make a few visits to the Tacumbú Penitentiary.  The Puerta Abierta church is organizing outreach events to the community.  In addition, Elias and I will be working more in Cerro Gu’y village.      

Perhaps you’ve heard me say before that many times the prayer requests of one newsletter are answered by the time I write the next one.  This is true for Cerro Gu’y (Guarani for “behind the hill”), which I mentioned in October. The weekly meetings with the boys continue, and now the parents are participating.  We’re organizing a three-day vacation Bible school during the first week of January.  Please keep this event and the village of Cerro Gu’y in your prayers.

Thank you for the generosity you’ve shown all year through your prayers, support, and encouragement for my work here in Paraguay.  Recently, some of you sent school supplies for my students.  This month, a few began sponsoring Nuevo Horizonte students.  In November, members of St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Belleville, Illinois, gave their talents and skills to bless a thousand Paraguayans through medical services. The greatest act of generosity, of course, is God sending His Son to us, whose humble entry into the world we celebrate this season.  My prayer for myself, and for you, is that we give Christ control of our lives and situations now, in 2010, and in the years to come.  Also, may we respond to whatever calling He has put on our hearts in the same spirit as Mary, the mother of Jesus, who faithfully proclaimed,

“I am the Lord's servant…May it be to me as you have said…” (Luke 1:38)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

October 2009: Introducing Cerro Guy (Pronounced Gwoo)

October 2009

Dear Friends and Family:

When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper...But John left them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13: 5, 13).

Anybody who works with youth can relate to Paul and Barnabas’ experience with young John Mark.  He had such potential that they took him along on their missionary journey.  Then, Mark quit and took off.  His inconsistent behavior resembles what commonly occurs with adolescents and teenagers.  The 7^th and 8^th graders at the Nuevo Horizonte School, for instance, opened their hearts to God in an impressive class prayer they wrote and pray daily, which includes the line: “Help us to guide Paraguay in your name, and lead us in speaking Your Word.”  These same students at times make decisions that threaten their testimonies.  The faculty labors intently to support them.  A few of us have discipleships with students individually and in small groups.  I continue with the young men’s breakfasts Tuesday mornings.  We entrust our efforts with them to the same God who transformed John Mark from a flakey young man into a gospel writer and missionary, who Paul later called “my fellow worker” (Philemon 24).  Please keep the 7^th and 8^th graders in your prayers. 

Likewise, pray for God to continue to direct the Nuevo Horizonte School.  The school is in need of sponsors for students.  If you are interested in sponsoring a student, you can contact me or visit www.paraguayschools.org.

Most of you remember I came to Paraguay in January 2008 to work for one year.  I’m now entering my third year here and have submitted a new plan to the Lord:  to serve here four more years.  In 2013 the 8^th graders will graduate (the first at Nuevo Horizonte), and I will have had ample time to help the school hone its English program.  I plan to spend this winter in Paraguay, but hope to return to the U.S. after the 2010 school year ends in November for a season of visiting family and friends, fundraising and working.  Both Latin America Mission and Nuevo Horizonte support my plan.  The generous financial gifts you sent in this year will support me through at least next March.  Please prayerfully consider continuing your monthly contributions, making a one-time gift or starting giving monthly to Latin America Mission to help me serve in Paraguay during the entire 2010 school year. 

Last month my colleague, Elias, invited me to help him in a village called Cerro Gu, located two hours southeast of Asuncion, and set back from the highway a few kilometers along a dirt road.  This area has been closed off to the gospel as visiting ministers are turned away by the locals.  It’s an impoverished community where young men work hard all week in the fields and then drink heavily, non-stop, from Saturday mid-day through Sunday night.  This custom starts as early as 9 years old. The community permitted Elias to begin soccer practices with a group of 30 boys each Saturday morning.  When I first participated, they literally knew nothing about the Bible.  We now have a Bible study, a snack time and prayer.  Soccer is the largest part of our time with them, but Elias uses the sport as a means to teach the boys about proper conduct on the field and positive values.  Please pray for the people of Cerro Gu and particularly the thirty boys who’ve participated on Saturday mornings.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving, blessed by time with family and great food!

Yours truly,

Timothy Revett

Missionary/Teacher

Latin America Mission

CC 24078, Lambaré, Paraguay                                                                                               trevett@latinamericamission.org                                            

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September 2009: Celebrating Day of the Child [Soldier]

September 2009

To My Family and Friends:

Schools across Paraguay celebrated the Day of the Child on August 14^th with dances, performances, treats, and presents.  I participated in the festivities at the Nuevo Horizonte School, and gave gifts to my two godchildren, Gloria and Jeremias.  Dismal weather cut the joyful event short, leaving me to ponder the significance of this holiday, which is said to honor the heroism of the child martyrs of the Battle of Acosta Ñu.  In 1869, 3,500 boys—some as young as six-years-old—were sent by Paraguayan generals to be massacred by 20,000 Brazilian soldiers.  The celebratory veneer of the Day of the Child shrouds the tragedy of the use of child soldiers in warfare, which is a reality today in many countries.  Children certainly deserve celebration and affection, and I admire Paraguay for having a special day to emphasize that; however, I feel the lesson of Acosta Ñu would better serve as an impetus to actively seek the end of modern-day crimes against children.  

For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be burning, fuel for the fire.  For a child will born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5, 6).

The atrocities committed against Paraguayan children don’t stop with Acosta Ñu, but continue today.  Child labor, physical abuse and neglect are commonplace.  Public education still bears the effects of the Stroessner Dictatorship’s policies, which strove to keep the populace ignorant during its 35-year rule.  Poor education is particularly devastating due to the implications on the country’s future.  Despite all this, there is great hope:  God loves Paraguay and desires to illuminate this nation through the lives of people who have been redeemed by His Son.

Dr. Gil Lain, the pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, visited Paraguay with a team last month and made the comment, “I've never seen so much potential for God to work as I have in Paraguay.”  I, too, believe this because Paraguayans are generally open to the gospel, and among the population there are some very dedicated Christ-followers.  The Paramount team spent a week presenting in schools and churches across the Asunción metro-area.  Thousands of people heard the message of Christ, and hundreds gave their lives to Him.  A few days after Paramount left, Brenda, Michelle, and Shelea came from “The Well” church in Portland, Oregon, to present at Nuevo Horizonte and to the community on the topics of abuse and domestic violence.  They also ministered in the women’s prison, Buen Pastor, and in the “Zona Roja” (one of Asuncion’s not-so-glamorous red light districts).  Thank you for your prayers.  Praise the Lord for blessing countless people through these two groups and the Paraguayan volunteers who worked alongside them.  Pray for each individual who was ministered to by these groups and that the new believers in Christ will find good churches.    

Before the two groups came, my mother visited Paraguay for almost two weeks.  We cruised around Asunción and Lambaré, visited Mennonite colonies and indigenous villages in the Paraguayan Chaco, and saw Iguazu Falls in Brazil.  It was a great time hosting her.  I thank God for all the visits this winter, and now return to my regular activities energized and encouraged. I am back teaching at the school.  In addition, I continue working with the Puerta Abierta youth, the men at Tacumbu prison, and in a variety of home groups around Lambaré.  Please pray for these activities as well as for revival all across this beautiful country.

Yours truly,

Tim Revett

Email:  trevett@latinamericamission.org                                                

Address:  CC 24078, Lambaré, Paraguay

June 2009: Pressing On

June 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s not always easy being a missionary.  Every now and then I’ll pass a melancholic morning longing for family, friends and familiar surroundings.  Occasionally I struggle to adapt to the idiosyncrasies of Paraguayan culture.  Sometimes ministry projects don’t proceed as hoped.  For instance, I invested much of last year working with the youth at the Puerta Abierta church.  The ministry seemed to be going well, but now numbers are low, divisions have emerged, and there is little interest in outreach.  In addition, disconcerting behavior issues surfaced last month among the 7^th and 8^th grade boys at the Nuevo Horizonte School.  These factors compounded by others make my work seem overwhelming at times. 

Despite the periodic setbacks, “I thank my God…” for the opportunity to be in Paraguay (Philippians 1:3).   I recognize I shouldn’t worry about what is beyond my capabilities, “for it is God who is at work…”  (2:13). He grants peace “which surpasses all comprehension” (4:7).  “I am amply supplied” and extremely blessed with all that I need to “…press on toward the goal…” (4:18, 3:14).  Indeed, I sporadically face tough moments, but “I rejoice and share my joy with you all” because, for the present and in the near future, there is nowhere else I’d rather be or nothing else I’d rather do than to serve in Paraguay (3:17).      

Praise God for His faithfulness.  In my last update, I requested prayer for the idea of starting a devotional breakfast with the 8^th grade boys.  Every Tuesday morning since the beginning of this month they and I have enjoyed a great time together.  Almost all boys have participated and a few of them even show up early (a very non-Paraguayan custom).  Likewise, you may remember reading about Gualberto and Florentina last fall.  They own a chicken stand on a popular corner in the neighborhood and professed Jesus to be their Lord and Savior in October.  I mentioned how their business would’ve been a good location to hold Bible studies or meetings.  Last Tuesday our prayer group convened there.  These are only two of your prayers for Paraguay that have come to pass.  Please continue to pray for these activities as well as for the Puerta Abierta youth. Our hope is that God would touch their hearts to exhibit more love towards others inside and outside of the church.

My training and experience in teaching and ministry has primarily been with adolescents and teenagers.  Early elementary is not my forte.  The pre-school through second grade students at the Nuevo Horizonte School are some of the most precious and brightest little kids I’ve ever met; however, I consider myself only temporarily filling a vacancy as their English teacher.  We are attempting to communicate with Christian colleges and mission agencies in regards to developing an internship for teaching English to the youngest Nuevo Horizonte students.  Please join with us in prayer that the Lord would guide the right teacher or teachers to our students.

There are two big events coming up for me this winter.  Next month I introduce my mother to Paraguay. Pray that her visit and our time together will be a blessed vacation for us both.  In August, Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, sends a team to conduct an evangelism campaign in churches and schools.  Please pray for God to protect the team and move powerfully through their visitation.

Last month the Nuevo Horizonte School and Latin America Mission approved my plan to stay in Paraguay through December 2010.  Please pray for the Lord’s confirmation regarding my length of service here.  If I were to stay longer, I would need consistent monthly financial support in 2010.  Keep this critical aspect in your prayers as well.   Additionally, a young pastor friend in Chile is planting a church and is in need of a notebook and projector for his ministry.  Please contact me if you would be interested in helping him obtain these important tools.

Thank you all for your continued care and encouragement.  May you and your loved ones enjoy a relaxing and pleasant summer!

Sincerely,

trevett@latinamericamission.org

Escuela Nuevo Horizonte, Tim Revett, Chaco Boreal No. 9978, Esq. Ruiz Díaz de Guzmán, Barrio San Antonio, Lambaré, Paraguay

April 2009: Adolescents!

April 2009

To My Friends and Family Members:

Paraguayan adolescents exhibit many of the same character flaws and strengths as American adolescents. Like their American peers, my eighth graders here enjoy socializing during class time.  On a few occasions I’ve had to take one of them aside to discuss appropriate classroom behavior.  More often, they leave me impressed by their talents and capabilities.  While practicing a bilingual version of Hillsong’s “None but Jesus” for a performance last week, the eighth graders captivated the music teacher, me, and all the teachers who congregated outside the classroom to hear the heartfelt worship of this extraordinary group.  The students sang—some with eyes closed—with a Spirit that sent an electric pulse up my spine,

There is no one else for me, none but Jesus.  Crucified to set me free, now I live to bring Him praise.

Praise God for the work He is doing with these students.  The eighth grade boys and I may start a weekly “young men’s devotional breakfast.”  Please pray for the Lord to direct this plan, if it His will.  As mentioned in my previous letter, I need to be wise in selecting ministry activities outside of teaching.  Last month I began co-leading a Tuesday night prayer meeting.  We rotate between different church members’ homes, and pray with the host’s family and neighbors.  I also resumed my visits to the men’s prison, Tacumbú, which I hope to do monthly.  I shared with the inmates the truth that in Christ there is a spiritual family that extends all throughout the earth, and that I personally know various people in the U.S. who, despite never having met anyone from Tacumbú, have heard about the men there and pray for them.      

Many of you prayed for the evangelistic campaign held by Puerta Abierta in the Cerro Corá neighborhood of Lambaré two weeks ago.  The church was packed for three of the four nights.  Several people accepted Jesus as their savior.  Many who had been away from church re-encountered God.  Additionally, the church has been filled every Sunday service since the event.  This Saturday (April 11^th) there will be a presentation of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection to the community.  Please keep this outreach event and the Cerro Corá neighborhood in your prayers.

Along with your prayers, there is consistent financial support coming in each month.  May the Lord greatly bless you for your generosity.  Even though I committed to be in Paraguay for 2009, I honestly keep asking God if my calling is to stay longer, perhaps through 2010.  Pray for clarity in the length of time of my service here.  Likewise, please let me know how I can be praying for you.  My Easter wish is for you to have an encounter with Jesus—like the two men on the road to Emmaus—that will leave you asking yourself afterward:

…Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us...? (Luke 24:32)

Sincerely,

Tim Revett

February 2009: Back to Paraguay

February 2009

To My Family and Friends:

One aspect of Paraguayan culture that differs from the United States is bluntly letting someone know when he or she has gained weight.  I don’t know fully how to interpret it; though, I believe it is more of an observation on someone’s appearance—like noticing a new haircut—than a malicious remark.  Needless to say, in the past weeks, numerous Paraguayans have informed me of my extra holiday vacation pounds.  I consistently respond, “I was well cared for.”  Indeed, I experienced much generosity from family members and friends in Seattle, Portland, West Covina, Long Beach, Amarillo, and Miami.  There were countless great conversations and times being together, as well as plenty of scrumptious food.  My visit to the U.S. was a great blessing.  To all of you with whom I interacted, who listened to me share about Paraguay, who provided me with nourishment and lodging, who donated to my mission work, and who supported me in a variety of ways: thank you. 

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25: 40).

Please accept my apologies for not updating you upon my arrival in Paraguay at the beginning of February, as I indicated I would.  This month has been busy.  My first week in Paraguay was teacher preparation at the Nuevo Horizonte School.  The second week I visited a Chilean pastor friend in Uruguay, and then saw my cousin Jeff and his wife Kim in Argentina.  Classes started last week.  I’ve preached three sermons and assisted with a couple of youth services.  I’ve helped two short-term volunteers, Emily and Aubrie, acclimate to the school and neighborhood.  Also, I celebrated Gloria Iluminada’s, my goddaughter and student, fifth birthday.    

In addition, I went to a conference last weekend in the interior where I connected with many Paraguayan Christian leaders, particularly a group of college ministry leaders.  Last night I went to my first prayer meeting with them on the National University’s philosophy campus.  It was powerful.  College ministry has been on my heart for many years, and was certainly something I’ve wanted to get involved in since I came to Paraguay in 2008.  Now I have a chance to step into that ministry.  Please pray for wisdom for me as I start to decide upon what ministries to spend my time in outside of teaching.  Keep the college student group, “La Red” (the net), its leaders, and those to whom it ministers in your prayers as well.  Pray for this to be a great year at the Nuevo Horizonte School, for the students to utilize and expand their God-given intellect, and for the teachers to effectively love and teach the students. 

“…To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!  Amen” (Jude 25).

Missing You All,

Tim Revett

November 2008: A Paraguayan Thanksgiving

November 2008

“I thank God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”  (Philippians 1: 3-5)

Dear Friends and Family:

I never directed a Thanksgiving play before last Thursday.  The play was bilingual, brief, and performed by a talented bunch of second graders.  They presented the well-known story of the dinner between the Native Americans and Pilgrims in Spanish and English.  Most of the students memorized their English lines after only a couple practices and delivered them with near perfection.  Their performance left me so impressed that I forgot to lead them in an appropriate off-stage exit.

Thanksgiving, I believe, serves to remind us, primarily, to thank God for His provision.  Secondly, it reminds us to recognize the invaluable contributions of indigenous culture.  About 90% of Paraguayans are of mestizo ancestry (Spanish and native mix), and practically all Paraguayans preserve part of native culture by continuing to speak the Guarani language.  In fact, outside of the city, Guarani is more commonly spoken than Spanish.  Yet, the indigenous population of Paraguay shares the social and land ownership struggles of indigenous peoples in other countries.  Please pray for the government of Paraguay to honor the various native tribes scattered across the country.  Also, pray for the social and spiritual well being of the Paraguayan indigenous people, particularly the Toba Maskoy tribe, which is a people group that has no known gospel witness.

Thank the Lord for answering many of your prayers for Paraguay and for the Nuevo Horizonte School.  Nuevo Horizonte concludes a triumphant school year.  The Puerta Abierta youth group has become a cohesive and active group.  Daniel and Margarita are ready to start leading small groups in December.  A number of people in the neighborhood, including Cesar, who I mentioned in my previous letter, and Jorge, a former inmate and drug addict, show a desire to learn more about Jesus and the Bible by opening their homes for studies and home church services.  One couple who recently prayed with me to accept Christ—Gualberto and Florentina—own a centrally-located chicken stand.  Please pray for them to grow in Christ, and, if the Lord prompts them, to be willing to host a Bible study next year.

As my first year in Paraguay nears its end, I praise God for what I’ve seen him do here.  I also thank Him for your support in helping me play a role in the extension of His Kingdom here.  Up to now, your donations will support me at least through May of 2009.  To help me stay beyond then, you can still make a tax-deductible, one-time gift or monthly pledge to Latin American Mission (on the web at www.lam.org, or by mail to: Latin America Mission, Tim Revett/Paraguay, P.O. Box 52-7900, Miami, FL  33152-9913).

From December 6^th until January 31^st, I will be in various parts of the United States.  Here is my tentative itinerary:  Portland (12/6-1/3), Seattle (12/11-12/15), [Possible trip to the Bay Area at New Years], Los Angeles Area (1/3-1/6), Amarillo (1/7-1/18), [Possible brief stay in Albuquerque], and Miami (1/19-1/30).  Please contact me at 503-265-8821 during December.  It would be great to talk and possibly set up a time to meet up during my U.S. visit.

May the Lord grant you and your loved ones a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Tim Revett