Dear Family and Friends:
Asunción Christian Academy donated two large boxes of children’s clothes to the Mbya Guarani students living in a poor, urban community. Instead of directly giving them the clothes, Margarita and I developed a plan with their teacher to have the students buy the clothes with their study habits. Throughout April, as students showed up for classes, turned in homework and were on-task during lessons, the teacher awarded them with photocopied currency. Last Friday, Margarita and I set out the donated clothes with price tags in their classroom. Using their hard-earned fake money, they put their math skills to work to buy clothes just in time for the start of the Paraguayan winter. The “clothing store” event was the first follow-up activity after the community leader and teacher approved of us working with their students on a regular basis. We thank God for local partners as well as for your prayers, which contributed to opening the doors not only to this Native community, but also to three others.
Margarita and I have developed a special
affection for the Mbya Guarani. They are hospitable, inquisitive, and
easy-going. They are
Paraguay’s largest Native ethnicity.
They also figure among the country’s unreached people groups. At the most-populated urban Mbya community, called
Tarumandy, the leader and the principal invited us to facilitate weekly
educational activities for their youth and children, in addition to helping
train new educators. Our educational
work has opened friendships with two young couples who are influential in the
community. Give thanks to God for
good connections with the Mbya, and pray for us to learn their culture and
dialect so can we better interact with them.
Another Guarani tribe, the Ava, are neighbors to the Mbya. We previously requested your prayers for a visit to an Ava community with a group of seminary students. The group included a doctor and a dentist. While they conducted free consultations and gave dental hygiene lessons to the children, we challenged the community’s youth to a soccer game. They schooled us, winning 4 to 1. The community elders then taught us about some of their marriage, labor and religious practices. They were pleased that we wanted to learn about their culture. Their main leader said that we were welcome to return whenever we wanted to. A few days later, Margarita and I visited another Ava community with help for a construction need. The leader was very grateful for our visit and invited us to return. A first critical step to work with First Nations people in Paraguay is to obtain permission from the community leaders. You prayed for that to happen last month, and, as you can see, your prayers were answered. Now please pray for us to have wisdom as we continue to build relationships with the urban Mbya and Ava communities.
While our ministry moves forward, there is also
lots of movement at home. Antoine, a
healthy three-year-old boy, is picking up Guarani from his daycare classmates. 1-year-old Gabrielli now walks like a pro. Ana is officially the fastest girl in first
grade, having won first place for the 100-meter dash. In regards to our house, thanks to your
donations, we are currently plastering the upstairs walls. We hope to put the finishing touches on the
bathroom, floors and stairs before winter starts in June. Pray for the completion of our house, and
please let us know if you’re interested in helping.
Margarita and I were recently drinking tereré (cold yerba mate tea) with some Mbya youth, when, through mixed Guarani and Mbya dialect, they shared how they feel that their people suffer because Ñandejara (a syncretistic deity) is judging them for their grandparents’ sins. Pray that we can gracefully speak through their culture and dialect about how the Creator thinks thoughts of peace toward them, to give them a future and a hope. And, please pray that many Mbya, Ava, as well as people everywhere, will call upon him.
Happy Mothers’ Day!
Asunción Christian Academy donated two large boxes of children’s clothes to the Mbya Guarani students living in a poor, urban community. Instead of directly giving them the clothes, Margarita and I developed a plan with their teacher to have the students buy the clothes with their study habits. Throughout April, as students showed up for classes, turned in homework and were on-task during lessons, the teacher awarded them with photocopied currency. Last Friday, Margarita and I set out the donated clothes with price tags in their classroom. Using their hard-earned fake money, they put their math skills to work to buy clothes just in time for the start of the Paraguayan winter. The “clothing store” event was the first follow-up activity after the community leader and teacher approved of us working with their students on a regular basis. We thank God for local partners as well as for your prayers, which contributed to opening the doors not only to this Native community, but also to three others.
 |
| Margarita explained the shopping procedure to the students before the clothing store opened. |
Another Guarani tribe, the Ava, are neighbors to the Mbya. We previously requested your prayers for a visit to an Ava community with a group of seminary students. The group included a doctor and a dentist. While they conducted free consultations and gave dental hygiene lessons to the children, we challenged the community’s youth to a soccer game. They schooled us, winning 4 to 1. The community elders then taught us about some of their marriage, labor and religious practices. They were pleased that we wanted to learn about their culture. Their main leader said that we were welcome to return whenever we wanted to. A few days later, Margarita and I visited another Ava community with help for a construction need. The leader was very grateful for our visit and invited us to return. A first critical step to work with First Nations people in Paraguay is to obtain permission from the community leaders. You prayed for that to happen last month, and, as you can see, your prayers were answered. Now please pray for us to have wisdom as we continue to build relationships with the urban Mbya and Ava communities.
 |
| Having fun learning about dental hygiene |
Margarita and I were recently drinking tereré (cold yerba mate tea) with some Mbya youth, when, through mixed Guarani and Mbya dialect, they shared how they feel that their people suffer because Ñandejara (a syncretistic deity) is judging them for their grandparents’ sins. Pray that we can gracefully speak through their culture and dialect about how the Creator thinks thoughts of peace toward them, to give them a future and a hope. And, please pray that many Mbya, Ava, as well as people everywhere, will call upon him.
Happy Mothers’ Day!
Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli Revett
*To view a music video partially filmed at Tarumandy and features some of the Mbya youth we know (look for "Benjamin" in the camouflage, Seattle t-shirt), visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKyIrD2OmoI
*To view a music video partially filmed at Tarumandy and features some of the Mbya youth we know (look for "Benjamin" in the camouflage, Seattle t-shirt), visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKyIrD2OmoI
