Weighed down by an anxious heart, cheered up by what he heard

 Dear Friends and Family:

“D.” sat a distance, with a long face, and participated very little in a recent children’s time that Margarita and I organized at an Ava Guaraní and Mbya Guaraní community. After the activity, D. and a group of boys told us they wanted to hear Ñandejara´s (“our Lord’s”) voice. We turned on our audio Bible for them. “That´s Him! That´s Ñandejara talking!” the boys said excitedly. As they listened attentively to three chapters from the Gospel of Mark, we noticed D.´s semblance change. He started interacting with others and remained at our side for the rest of our visit. He had been weighed down by an anxious heart, but the words he heard cheered him up.    

We celebrated Margarita's birthday this month.

The audio Bible in Guaraní is our most valuable ministry tool. We use it for discipleships with Ava Guaraní chiefs at two different communities and with “R.,” a new Ava Christ-follower, who has started to help with outreach activities. We also use it at the Ava community where your support helped build two gardens. Most of the ten or so people who gather there to hear the Scriptures each week decided to follow Jesus this year, and at least one of them plans to be baptized in December. Give thanks to God for working in the urban Ava and Mbya communities. Pray for a new gathering at a house near two communities where the Ava and Mbya are prohibited from meeting to hear the Scriptures.

The quarantine in Paraguay has officially ended and we have resumed our visits, which consist in food preparation, Bible studies for youth and adults, games and Bible stories for children, and an educational activity like adult literacy or tutoring. In some communities we teach multiple Bible studies due to internal divisions. It’s enough work for five people, but, until recently, it was just Margarita and me.  We are thankful for the local pastors, recent college grads, new Ava believers, and an emerging Mbya worship leader who started joining us on our visits. Please pray for the development of a ministry team.

Ana, Gabrielli and Antoine were bored during the quarantine, but now are excited to go out.

Moreover, the quarantine left the Paraguayan postal system in disarray. Until further notice, please mail any letters or packages to our new U.S. address (see below), from where they will be sent to us by a more dependable means.

“E.” briefly sits down with us each week to teach a part of the Mbya creation story. Last week, when it was our turn to share, we listened to Genesis 1 on an audio Bible in the Mbya Guaraní dialect with him. He remained seated and hung onto every word, occasionally remarking, “That´s right! That´s how it happened!” He was noticeably moved and then began to recall a season in his youth when he attended a church. He misses the music. He misses the love he felt in that spiritual family. We give thanks that many Mbya Guaraní and Ava Guaraní listen to Ovecha Rerekua´s (“True Shepherds´s”) voice. Pray that they—along with people from every tribe—will follow Him.  

Yours Truly,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

Discussing the Scriptures