Dear Family and Friends:
Local news reported that 140,000
people in Asunción, Paraguay live in makeshift homes on creek beds and flood
plains. A group of kids from a creek bed
near our church frequents our outreach events.
Letting these children come to Jesus is not as easy as it would seem. Once, a boy attempted to throw a brick at the
pastor. During another event, a kid
brought a screwdriver and threatened to stab his peers who had teased him. A few of the boys are said to inhale glue and
smoke crack-cocaine. Some talk about
abuse at home. Others have dropped out
of school and now panhandle or pick pockets in the plazas. Certainly
the Heavenly Father longs to gather these children as a hen gathers her chicks.
We recently began serving with our church’s new Wednesday night snack
time-Bible lesson-soccer game near the creek.
Please pray for Christ’s love to shine
before these children, and may God get the glory for the efforts in reaching
out to them.
Margarita, Ana and I
appreciate your prayers for our transition to mission work in Paraguay. It took us time to arrange our weekly
schedules. For one reason, we need to
organize activities around caring for Ana.
Also, we both are developing new ministries. Earlier this month Margarita started testing
students suspected to have learning disabilities and interviewed their parents. The family situations of many of these
students are heartbreaking. Margarita now
has a full roster of sessions to help these students in their struggles at home
and at school. Please keep Margarita in your prayers for her health and for her ministry.
Our apartment fills up with teenagers twice on Tuesdays when I host devotionals with the oldest New Horizon School students. I plan to start advanced English classes with them and their classmates next month. Additionally, I devote part of my time to organizing a national evangelism and missions ministry, which includes the work in the Tacumbu men’s prison. I was officially given this position a week ago at a conference of churches in the Asunción-metro area. Please pray for me as I serve in these different ministries.
Margarita, Ana and I thank all of you who have contributed to our work in Paraguay. The current donations are enough to maintain us; yet, we hope to find about 10 more people to give $50 a month, which would cover our near-future expenses. We never had a car or baby in Paraguay before and underestimated the cost of gas, car insurance and childcare. We’re also waiting on some people to follow up on their pledges. Meanwhile large, one-time expenses are accumulating. If you made a pledge to support us monthly but haven’t started giving, or if you never pledged and are interested in giving, please contact us or visit LAM’s online contributions webpage (listed at right). Pray for provision and wisdom as we work toward covering all our expenses.
In 2009 a colleague began a soccer ministry to a group of 25 pre-teen boys in a village 45 minutes outside of Asunción. Now he oversees nine groups that reach out to 250 kids and teens weekly. The response to his and many other ministries reveals the great spiritual hunger in Paraguay. We and our co-workers here thank God to be able to work for the food that endures to eternal life, which Jesus will give to whoever asks Him.
Yours truly,
Tim, Margarita and Ana
