"...He went out, not knowing where he was going."

Dear Friends and Family:

In order for an addict to reject the immediate gratification of drugs, he or she must have faith that sobriety will bring greater gratification in the long-term.  Just as by faith Abraham in the Bible went to a new place not knowing where he was going, the brethren in recovery in Paraguay’s Esperanza Prison must leave the lifestyles they know, trusting in God to bring them to a new place where their needs and longings will be met. I spent much of January working with our core group of inmate leaders, and we’re thankful for the spiritual as well as numerical growth that we’re seeing.  Last week they carried out an outreach event that concluded with 35 inmates either deciding to or expressing an interest in following Jesus.  Give thanks to God for his work in the Esperanza Prison, and pray for the inmate leaders.

Inmate-Led Outreach in the Esperanza Prison

As the school year starts back up in February and we become more active in our educational ministry, I will decrease my involvement in the prison.  Years ago I unsuccessfully tried to leave the prison ministry due to few laborers; however, now a team of pastors and volunteers is available to shoulder the ministerial burden.  This will free up more of my week to make visits with Margarita to urban First Nations settlements.  Pray for open doors and open hearts among the Ava and Mbya Guarani communities who we’ll be getting to know better in the coming months.   

Margarita and I are very happy to announce that we started living in our new house during the first week of 2018.  We are very, very grateful for your contributions, which made our new living space a reality.  We were also grateful for a 5-day vacation to escape the discomforts of moving.  Please pray for the full completion of construction, in addition to the settling in process.  Also, pray for the home group that we plan to begin. 

We vacationed near the town of Belen, which is Paraguay's "Capital of the Tropic of Capricorn."

Furthermore, in a couple of weeks, Antoine will begin attending a daycare that is near Ana’s school.  Please pray for him as he adjusts to a new environment with new people.

Ten years ago this past January, I left my home country, family, friends and job to answer the call to missionary service in Paraguay.  There have been difficult moments, and I still miss my family and friends; however, there is no doubt in my mind that coming here was the right decision.  I thank God for Margarita, for our children, as well as for the countless marvelous things that have happened over the past decade.  I also thank God for those of you who have partnered with me since the beginning.  Leaving places and ways of living can be unsettling, but when we do so by faith, we will see that God, who calls us, is faithful and rewards those who seek him.  

Yours truly,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli Revett