October 2012: Ana Turned 1! (And other good news)

To Our Friends and Family:                                                                                              

One cool Saturday morning last month Margarita, Ana and I arrived at an empty 3-room house north of Asunción surrounded by dozens of children running around.  Inside the house we found five women heating up water for yerba maté on a mobile coal-burning stove.  These same coals would be kept hot for a couple more hours and used to prepare lunch for 75-100 kids and teens. 

One of the five women was Nancy.  She, her husband and the other women host a Bible lesson every Saturday morning followed by lunch and play time.  The children come in the morning from a nearby slum and stay until mid-afternoon.  A couple local ministries help provide the food, but the women put forth all the labor as well as use their own plates, silverware and cups.  At the end of this letter, I’ll explain Nancy’s connection to Margarita and me.  Please pray for her, the other volunteers, provision for their ministry, and the children.

Thank you for your prayers for the Wednesday night outreach to the boys from the creek.  Although we still exercise much patience with offensive and sometimes threatening language during the Bible lesson and soccer games, the boys show up every Wednesday right on-time, and there haven’t been any acts of violence.   Praise God for His work among these boys. 

We also thank the Lord for all of you who began giving last month. In our last letter we alluded to a higher cost of living due to our new vehicle.  The money from the sale of our car in the U.S. helped us buy a 1999 Toyota Rav4.  The vehicle makes transportation easier and quicker.   Before when I went to the Tacumbu Prison by bus, it would take at least 45 minutes one-way.  By car it’s less than 20 minutes.   Also, it being a 4x4 enables us to travel on rough, unpaved roads.  

However, this extra blessing comes with a price.  Keeping gas in the tank delays our ability to save up for maintenance and insurance.   Please continue to pray that all our financial needs be met. 

Margarita and I have both been busy these months at the New Horizon School (and chasing after Ana, who is now walking).   Margarita continues assessing and carrying out interventions for students with learning disabilities.  She sees more and more the effects of parents not spending time with their children to review their school work.  I began teaching the advanced English classes.  The students are progressing well in their conversational ability.  I’m also compiling the 10^th grade ESL curriculum.  We invite you to participate in a day of prayer for the students, direction and provision of the New Horizon School this Friday, November 2^nd. 

Education is large part of our work in Paraguay; yet, our core purpose is to encourage people to follow Jesus Christ.  Nancy (mentioned above) gave her life to Jesus after months of conversations with Margarita. They were neighbors.  Nancy had many questions and doubts about Jesus and the Bible.  She also had a great need for peace in her life.  Nancy, now serving the Lord through her Saturday children's ministry, bears witness to how God responds to everyone who asks, because the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Yours truly,

Margarita, Ana and Tim