Dear Friends and Family:
The Mbya Guaraní teacher woke up a little after
midnight to the sound of her pre-school student crying in a nearby house. She went
over and found four-year-old “Hector” with his nine- and two-year-old brothers
and six-year-old sister alone on a mattress on the concrete floor. Their mother
committed suicide two years ago, so they lived with their father; however, he left the day before to work
for two weeks in another part of Paraguay. The room temperature that night dropped
to 40 degrees. The boy was crying because
he was cold and had nothing to cover himself with. The teacher gave him her blanket and prepared
a simple, warm breakfast for them.
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| One of the Blankets for Hector and his Siblings |
When Margarita was pregnant with Ana (who, by
the way, just graduated from second grade), she was introduced to a “prayer quilt
ministry.” In such a ministry, church women gather to talk and make beautiful quilts with
tassels for hospital patients and families going through challenging times.
Then, they tie a knot in a tassel as they pray for the recipients. Last
Saturday, Margarita made four “prayer blankets” with the Nueva Esperanza Church
youth group for Hector and his siblings. Later this month she plans to organize
a day to make prayer blankets with the Mbya and Ava Guaraní women at Hector’s
community because dozens of other children there still need blankets for the
winter. Pray that the residents of the Ava-Mbya community at Itá will find refuge in the shelter of Ñande Ruete
(“Our One True Father”).
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| Ana at her second grade graduation. |
The Mbya teacher recently attended a conference
with Margarita for an international Christian pre-school ministry called PEPE. She was the
star of the evening as everyone was awestruck by her perseverance and
dedication to being the only teacher for thirty students whose grade levels range
from pre-school to fourth grade and with practically no support from the Department of
Education. Thanks to three Christian
foundations, as well as your support for Margarita and me, her students receive
school supplies, a weekly hearty lunch, and biblical teaching. Furthermore,
Margarita carries out a discipleship with the teacher, who knows very little about
the Scriptures. Give thanks to God for his work in the teacher’s life, and keep her in
your prayers.
Your support also helps provide teacher
training for a young Ava Guaraní man, whom you prayed for in April. He assists
us in teaching a literacy class for teenagers and adults at his community. He
decided to follow Jesus and has a bi-weekly discipleship with a colleague of ours. He
and I have long conversations about the Scriptures before and after the literacy classes. Pray for this young man’s spiritual growth and
for him to be able to attend a Christian Native youth gathering in July with “Juan,”
another young Ava man. Also, please pray
for Juan’s 14-year-old brother, who is recovering from surgery.
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| Gifts for the mothers were provided by the Barreto Family in Long Island, NY |
Last month you prayed for the Mothers’ Day
celebration at Hector’s community. “Connection,” a partner ministry, did a
fantastic job helping us put on the community's first ever Mothers’ Day activity. The
mothers ate, sang, made bracelets and heard a message of peace. 13 of them
prayed to trust in Jesus as the cornerstone of their lives. Give thanks to God for his work in this and
the other Native communities near Asunción. Give him thanks for the "Cornerstone," through whom everyone has access to Our One True Father.
Happy Fathers’ Day!
Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli
Revett
