But that you may know

Dear Friends and Family:

"Only the shaman’s medicine can help him now.”  The teacher at an urban Mbya Guarani school was not feeling well went he left to visit his family for a weekend in early June.  He still hasn’t returned.  The community leader informed us that the medicine given to him by doctors didn’t work, so now he’s turning to traditional Mbya spiritual healing.  Margarita and I tried on two occasions to visit the teacher at his family’s home, but heavy rains made the dirt roads impassable. We contacted a Mbya church leader near that area about visiting the teacher. We also may try to go out there again, perhaps with a doctor colleague.  Pray that the teacher may know that Jesus has authority to forgive and that he can rise from his sickbed.

School keeps these Mbya children out of destructive situations.

In the teacher’s absence, the community school’s students are not attending classes. Sadly, we saw one of them sniffing glue on a street corner last week. Education is perhaps the primary means to help keep these children out of destructive situations. We thank God for a new partnership with a local church who will help us start organizing weekly tutoring sessions with lunch in August for this community’s students. We also thank God that the Mbya leader is open to this project. Along with the educational support, the students will hear the Scriptures. Please pray for success for this education-based outreach project for the students of an urban Mbya Guarani community.

Later this month, we will welcome a short-term mission team from Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas. In addition to organizing a field day with the students of urban Mbya and Ava Guarani communities, they will help strengthen two youth groups, a university ministry and a church plant. One of their youth, Alaina, has arrived early to for an English-teaching internship that begins in a few days. We’ve challenged the youth groups to invite un-churched friends to attend the English classes. Pray that the classes and the short-term team visit will result in new followers of Jesus as well as encouragement for the local churches to continue reaching out to their cities.   

Mobilizing two youth groups to reach out to their city in July.

Last week, Margarita and I, along with 160 missionaries from different South American countries, received the very special blessing of a retreat hosted by the Tennessee-based Christian Hospitality Network. There was good food, massages, fellowship, and, most of all, rest. Please give thanks to God for caring for his servants on the mission field through organizations like C.H.N.  Also give thanks for Margarita’s family, who cared for Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli while we were at the retreat.

Just when Margarita and I had concluded that there were no Christians in one of the urban Mbya Guarani communities where we teach, we met one young man who confesses to believe in Jesus. He tells us about the loneliness and temptations that he constantly faces. We hope that he can be a light to his community, and this week we plan to start a discipleship with him. Pray for this young man.  Pray for us and our co-workers. Pray that our work will contribute to the integral transformation of communities as well as individuals, and that they may know that Jesus has authority to forgive.

Happy Independence Day!

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli