Who shines forever without change or shadow

Dear Family and Friends:

Ana woke up in the middle of the night to her younger brother, Antoine, coming into her room and saying that he couldn’t sleep. Ana prayed with him and had him lay back down. Right after he fell asleep, their younger sister, Gabrielli, started crying, and Ana laid down with her. Moments later, Ana heard her grandmother coughing in the other room. She placed a Minnie Mouse doll next to her sister, who had fallen back to sleep, and brought anti-allergy medicine to her grandmother. The next morning, when Margarita and I realized what Ana (who was quite tired) did for her family, we asked her why she didn’t wake us up. She told us that she wanted us to sleep. We give thanks for Ana, who turned 9 last month! 

In addition to Ana’s birthday, Margarita and I recently celebrated our 10^th anniversary.

Margarita and I also give thanks for our health, but continue to request your prayers. As COVID-19 cases in Paraguay climb, we are decreasing our time in the Ava Guaraní and Mbya Guaraní communities. We make regular, brief visits to three communities to serve food. In two other communities we still teach small Bible studies and an adult literacy class. We postponed the Bible study in the Zeballos Cue Ava community, but make occasional visits to help with a community garden, which is possible because of support from you and our co-workers. We give thanks that three families from Zeballos Cue now regularly attend our nearby partner church. Ask God to protect and to continue impacting the Ava and Mbya communities around Asunción.

Pastor Alberto discusses the community garden with a Zeballos Cue leader.

Please pray for two young Ava men we help disciple. “C.” leads a Bible study in his community in our absence, and “J.” is planting a church in a rural Ava community. Likewise, pray for a former New Horizon School student as well as leaders from a local church who are considering devoting more time to serve with us after the quarantine.

Margarita teaches Bible stories to the Mbya and Ava children each week. 

Last week, 200 Ava and Mbya men, women and children found themselves in a tense situation after the generator that pumps water for their well died. When they notified us, we prayed and shared the news with our co-workers. The next day, local businesses made a donation to cover the generator’s repair. Then, a Christian foundation provided funds for this community to receive a solar energy system for their well. Give thanks for this gift, but pray that this community--as well as people everywhere--recognize that every good gift comes to us from the Creator of all light, who shines forever without change or shadow.

Yours truly,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli