Sunday, October 13, 2019

"You give them something to eat"

Dear Family and Friends:

In order for our educational outreach among urban Native communities to become an ongoing, sustainable ministry, we must get local churches and ministries involved. While our primary work is engaging the Ava and Mbya GuaranĂ­, we also dedicate time to mobilizing Paraguayan Christians. For instance, we recently brought former students of ours from the Nuevo Horizonte School to spend a morning at an urban Ava community. Another former student took three other college students to help us with an activity at a Mbya community. Other similar activities are being planned for future weekends. These visits not only serve as volunteer opportunities, but hopefully are initiating relationships that will open doors for the gospel. Give thanks to God for our local ministry partners.

Our former student, Jhony, presented a humorous skit at the Ava community.
Amazingly, the Ava GuaranĂ­ community who received the Nuevo Horizonte students previously prohibited visits from Christian ministries, which is not uncommon in Paraguay. We recently received news from a Mbya community that started prohibiting Mbya Christians from gathering on Sundays. Additionally, the leader at the Ava community we most regularly visit wanted to cancel house church services; however, the outcry from the Christians in his community convinced him to not do so. Give thanks for our Native brothers and sisters who persevere in Scripture study, worship and prayer. Pray for the communities where there are prohibitions against Christian gatherings. Also, pray for our plans to start a weekend gathering at a Ava-Mbya community.

During a visit by public school students to a Mbya community, a chess match broke out between a visiting student (right) and Leticia (left). Leticia, who learned how to play this year through our chess club, soundly defeated her challenger
Thank you for your prayers for the four Day of the Child events that we organized in August. One of these events opened a door for to us to teach weekly Bible stories to children at a Mbya community where visits from churches were prohibited. At this same community, we have regular interactions with six young men and women who are interested in learning more about the Scriptures. Please pray for us to clearly communicate the good news about Jesus.

September was filled with a variety of different activities. Among them was a trip to Pedro Juan Caballero—Paraguay’s rough, northeastern border-town—to celebrate the inauguration of a new church. Its pastor graduated from the seminary classes I helped organize a few years ago with Dr. Gil Lain, Pr. Ted Gross and Pr. Fredy Pavez.  Then, there was a big first-day-of-spring event at Antoine’s pre-school, during which he recited via microphone the “Legend of Yerba Mate” to a crowd. Give thanks for Antoine, as well as for Gabrielli and Ana, who goes to camp this week.

Antoine's Presentation
The other night six college-aged Paraguayan Christians who had heard about our ministry came to our house to ask how they could get involved. Their compassion resembles what the Scriptures teach about Jesus. When he sees masses of hungry, "shepherd-less" people, he compassionately engages them. Then, he turns to his followers and tells them, “You give them something to eat.”  Please pray for more Christians in Paraguay, as well as everywhere, to accept the call to serve.

In Him,
Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli