Happy Friendship Day (late)!

Dear Family and Friends: 

One missiologist considers a short-term mission trip successful when those who travel can say, “We did not ‘go on a mission trip,’ but we visited family members, brothers and sisters we had not met or had not seen for a very long time.” Through the love that Christ’s followers show for one another, whether at the neighborhood church or across cultures and international borders, others will catch of glimpse of God’s love for them.

Most of the Montavilla short-term mission team who came to Paraguay last month from Portland, OR were high school students who left their home culture and comfort zone for the first time.  We had a full week of activities planned, but as anyone who’s spent time in Latin America knows, plans change.  While Montavilla was here, plans changed a lot.  But the team members were amazingly flexible, allowing themselves to be taken from one place to another.  On one occasion the only mother on the team was asked without notice to give her testimony to a group of local mothers.  A few moments later, some of them prayed to accept Christ, guided by the translator, who was a Montavilla youth.

The team painted one public school and gave presentations to hundreds of students.  They connected with the local youth between the presentations and while playing soccer at the church in evenings.  During the last few days of work they traveled on bumpy, un-cleared roads to arrive at church plant sites in rural villages.  By the end of their trip, the team had co-labored with and encouraged two youth groups, two church plants, three local churches and one children’s ministry.

This past week Ana started kindergarten at Asunción Christian Academy.  Her new school follows a U.S. educational program and English is spoken there all day. We are thankful for your support, which allows for Ana to receive a quality education from the mission field.

Classes also started back at the public school painted by the Montavilla youth and a local church.  As the students daily see the new appearance of their school, they see a reminder of the message that if anyone is in Christ, the old has gone and the new is here.

Happy Paraguayan Friendship Day (July 31st)!

Tim, Margarita, Ana and Antoine