Resurrection for Paraguay's Murder Capital

Seminary for Pastors and Church Leaders in Paraguay's Most Dangerous City

Dear Family and Friends:

Aside from its status as the only Paraguayan city with reported cases of the zika virus, Pedro Juan Caballero leads the nation in murder, mafia activity, and marijuana cultivation (Paraguay currently holds second place globally in the latter category).  Pedro Juan Caballero is also the home of many pastors and church leaders working hard to shepherd congregations and transform the spiritual landscape of their city. Through your support and prayers for Margarita and me, you are a part of that transformation.

I spent last week translating for New Orleans Seminary professors Dr. Gil Lain and Pr. Ted Gross as they equipped over 30 pastors and church leaders who serve on the frontlines of ministry in Paraguay’s most dangerous city.  Please pray for these classes, which will resume in September, to empower the ministry workers who have been given the task of reconciling the people of Pedro Juan Caballero to their Creator.

Three weeks ago Margarita, Agustina, Ana, Antoine and I arrived in Paraguay.  We miss our friends and family in the United States.  At the same time, we know it is right for us to be back at work.  Classes recently started at the New Horizon School.  I teach about 180 middle school students and support others through chaplaincy.  Margarita works with about 70 at-risk teens and elementary students either identified or suspected to have learning disabilities.  Pray that the New Horizon faculty will be controlled by Christ’s love, and that many of the students and their families will receive the new life he offers.

During our U.S. travels, two local leaders headed up the Fuente de Vida Church youth ministry.  We are handing that ministry on to them indefinitely because we have been asked to organize more events this year for the national Missions and Evangelism Ministry.  Please pray for the city of Ñemby, which will be the focus of our weekend outreach projects in the coming months. 

Ana just finished her first week of school—for the third time.  She is currently enrolled in pre-school at New Horizon and is enjoying it, in part, because her best friend, Eirene, is her classmate.  We plan to keep her there for the rest of the semester and then transfer her to kindergarten at a school for missionary children where a U.S. curriculum is followed.  Continue to pray for Ana as well as her little brother Antoine, who has become a very active toddler.

Like Christmas in the U.S. and Three Kings Day in Paraguay, Easter is also a holiday that involves gift-giving.  Scripture teaches, “This is a gift from God…God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God.”* Pray for Margarita and me as we share this message of reconciliation between all people and their Creator. 

Happy Easter!                                                                  

Tim, Margarita, Ana and Antoine

*2 Corinthians 5: 18, 21

-->For an informative article about Paraguay's progress in recent years, go to www.stratfor.com/analysis/dark-pasts-and-bright-futures-paraguay