Dear Friends and Family:
People
in the U.S. often don’t believe me when I tell them that it sometimes gets cold
in Paraguay. Although temperatures hardly ever drop below 30˚F, porous
roofing, unsealed window frames, building materials that absorb cold air and
the absence of indoor heating and insulation contribute to some pretty chilly
nights. Such was our experience one
night at some friends’ house where we stayed on a recent trip. We could barely sleep as the below-freezing
wind blew almost directly on us through a broken window and an opening in the
house’s tin roof. We didn’t suffer
another night because we soon after bought a space heater, which, upon our
departure, became a gift to our friends who had graciously welcomed us in their home.
Margarita
and I greatly appreciate your prayers for our travels in July. Our drive to Pedro Juan Caballero was 4-month-old
Gabrielli’s first trip, and she was content for 6 of the 7 hours in the car. The distance to Pedro Juan causes pastors and
church leaders to feel isolated from their co-workers in other parts of the
country and keeps emerging leaders from receiving sound ministerial training. This is why the national pastors’ association
eagerly opened the door for the New Orleans Seminary courses that we organize
there. We were excited to see the local pastors’ association that was re-united
during our last visit still meeting together.
We visited a Christian school and heard powerful testimonies of the
impact of educational ministry on the lives of students from families caught up
in the region’s prosperous drug-trafficking industry. We also met with the seminary students to
plan for the last classes and graduation in September. Please
pray for the preparation for the final seminary session in Pedro Juan Caballero.
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| Antoine and his new friend cleaned up the school in Pedro Juan Caballero while we had our meeting. |
From
Pedro Juan we journeyed five hours south to the town of Yrybucua. For four days
I practiced translating between Guarani and English for an orthodontist from
Illinois. The clinic also included doctors, nurses, optometrists, a pharmacy
and a chiropractor. Local pastors connected
with most of the nearly one thousand patients who came, and more than 120 people
made decisions to follow Jesus. Please
pray for us on August 26th when we bring 20 volunteers from churches around
Asuncion to conduct follow-up visits and an outreach event in Yrybucua.
Our
family arrived home late on a Thursday night from Yrybucua. Right after preaching at a church the
following Sunday morning, we were on the road again, traveling to Ciudad del
Este, which is on the border with Brazil and Argentina. We spent a week there
with a ministry that works among the city’s 30,000 or so residents of Middle
Eastern descent. We observed that genuine, caring friendships
are a key component to this ministry’s fruitfulness. Pray
for the ministry’s dedicated team members, as well as for our new Lebanese and
Syrian friends who we got to know that week.
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Over 100 people from all over South America, many of whom are headed to Asian and African
countries, also visited the ministry in Ciudad del Este.
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Margarita
and I are thankful for enjoyable travels.
We’re thankful for health for our children and for Ana beginning first
grade. We’re also thankful for
friendships. Jesus calls anyone who
follows him his friends. Pray that more people throughout Paraguay
and everywhere else will choose friendship with him.
Happy
Friendship Day (July 29th)!
Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli
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| We're also thankful for our friends, John and Colleen Eisenbery, who recently returned to the U.S. after 17 faithful years of missionary service in Paraguay. |
