We really need your prayers

Dear Family and Friends:

After uncomfortable silence and unwelcoming facial expressions the Ava Guarani shaman finally gave her approval for our visit to her community with one simple phrase: “iporã” (“okay”). The chief (her husband) had been trying to convince her that our visit would be good for the community, but the turning point came when Margarita made a joke in Guarani that brought a momentary smile to her face.  Next week we’ll lead a group of students from a local seminary to this urban Ava settlement for an intercultural exchange.  First, we’ll listen to the Ava leaders share about their history and culture.  Then, we’ll serve a snack for the community and play games with their children.  We hope that this activity will open doors for future visits.  We really need you to pray for us on April 8^th when we’ll make the first-known visit by a Christian group to this settlement.   

Students at the Mbya school

Margarita and I need your prayers not just during the first week of April, but really throughout the month, during which we’ll launch three additional first-time, relationship-building activities with one other Ava Guarani and two Mbya Guarani communities.  The New Horizon School’s administration gave us a gift that we’ll pass on to an Ava school for construction later in the month.  On April 7^th, we’ll bring representatives from Ana’s school—Asuncion Christian Academy—to deliver school supplies to the Mbya school that I mentioned in our previous update.   At another Mbya settlement, Margarita will start working with early childhood education and I will start an English class for teens and young adults.  Give thanks to God for the open doors among the urban Ava and Mbya communities, and pray for us to proceed with wisdom.

Our Bible study hosts, the Ayalas, received sunglasses from Vista Missions in Seattle to protect their eyes during their long hours of work in the sun.

Much of March consisted in making visits and having meetings that laid the foundations for the activities we’ll be carrying out in April.  I also continued co-teaching the Guarani study on the Gospel of Mark in a nearby village, and began another Guarani Mark study at the Nueva Esperanza Church.  Moreover, we had some great family time this month.  Cousins, aunts, uncles and friends flocked to Gabrielli’s first birthday party.  Her grandfather even came down from Portland, Oregon.  She is now saying some words and on the verge of walking.  Give thanks to God for Gabrielli and for our family.

We’re likewise thankful that our house now has a roof.  We lived for two weeks with a 4-square-foot hole in our ceiling, and we’re very pleased that there was no heavy rain during that time.  One morning, I shared about the “Parable of the Two Houses” with the construction workers.  The welder, Ireneo, didn’t make a decision to follow Jesus at that time, but he did say that he wanted to learn more, so we invited him and his family to a Bible study at our house.  Pray for Ireneo, the other construction workers, and our future home group.

Moments after driving away from the settlement where we conversed with the Ava shaman, our car suddenly began to have problems.  It’s being fixed right now; however, the ordeal reminds us that the outreach projects we organize often are accompanied by annoying obstacles, which have included not only car problems, but also family sicknesses. In April, we really need your prayers, that we do the right thing at all times when we’re with the Mbya and Ava in order to build relationships with them that point to Jesus, who gave his life to redeem many.

Happy Easter!

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli Revett

Gabrielli's 1st Birthday Party

Immeasurably more than We Imagined

Dear Family and Friends:

On the Saturday after Valentine’s Day, Margarita and I, along with other volunteers, arrived early to decorate the Nueva Esperanza Church for a fancy dinner event for neighborhood youth.  It was set to start at 5:30 P.M.  By 6:00, church members brought some of the food, but no youth had yet appeared.  At 7:00, with still no youth present, I was frustrated because it wasn't going how I planned, and I considered canceling the event.  30 minutes later they began to trickle in, dressed in their best clothes.  Twenty teens participated in the event, which turned out to be a very fun evening for everyone.  An invitation was given at the end and 4 youth prayed to accept Christ.  Give God thanks that the event happened better than I had imagined.

The Valentine's Youth Event

The next Saturday, attendance at the youth service was more than twice as normal.  I’ve since been connecting with three teenage boys who want to go deeper in their spiritual walk.  Two adult couples are starting to support the youth ministry as volunteers.  We’ve also been able to help restore another couple, who had previously been the youth group leaders.  Please pray for God to impact the lives of the Nueva Esperanza youth and to prepare future leaders for this ministry.

Margarita and I made two visits this month to a Mbya Guarani settlement on the edge of a suburb of Asuncion.  Their school is a one-room wooden shack with a dirt floor.  The settlement’s only teacher has a blended class of 1^st and 2^nd graders.  Most of the children want to continue studying; however, they stop at third grade since there are no additional grades offered at their school.  Paraguay’s Ministry of Education sent additional teachers to help, as well as to provide adult education classes, but the teachers do not regularly show up.  Such educational needs—combined with the fact that this community is considered unreached and unengaged by the gospel—contributed to Margarita and me starting an educational ministry project there.  Pray for us as we connect with this and one other urban Mbya Guarani settlement. Additionally, pray for our developing friendship with a young, talented Mbya couple.

The Mbya School

Working with the Mbya means that I will need to improve my Guarani language skills, which I’m currently doing, in part, by co-leading a Bible study in Guarani in a village about 45 minutes south of Asuncion.  The study has resulted in 3 members of the village’s most infamous family deciding to follow Jesus.  Last week Margarita and I traveled an hour and a half in the other direction to spend a few days at a children’s camp.  I was the guest speaker and Margarita, with her vast experience as an elementary teacher, helped me prepare the materials for the five sessions I taught.  Give thanks to God for seeds sown among the attentive children, and pray that they grow up to be men and women who will shine Christ’s light in Paraguay.

When I was ready to cancel the Valentine’s youth event because it didn’t start like I imagined, I sort of acted like Antoine, who, recently at his new daycare, cried for me not to leave, but, as soon as I left, enjoyed playing with his new classmates.  Keep Antoine, as well as Ana and Gabrielli, who will turn 1 next week, in your prayers.  Also, pray for more Paraguayans to trust in the Lord, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

Yours truly,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

Ana, Gabrielli and Antoine also helped at the camp.