One of the Most Eventful Months of our Lives

Dear Friends and Family:

The pounding head and neck pain could not eclipse the wonderful first few days that Tim and I spent with our new daughter, Gabrielli.  The pain, however, did succeed in bringing me back to the hospital.  Although I dreaded the thought of being separated from our beautiful newborn—as well as from Antoine and Ana—the ceaseless pain and onset of a fever convinced me that I needed to see a doctor.

The doctors said it was cephalalgia caused either by a spinal fluid leak or an infection.  Intravenous medicine ceased the pain, and tests showed there was no infection.  I still needed to wait for my body to heal.  Despite the tears of longing to be with my children, I knew that God was with me in that hospital room.  My undesired hospitalization incredibly turned into a needed time of rest, prayer and renewal; it became the longest personal retreat that I’d experienced in years.  One evening I was awakened by a nightmarish uncertainty of how much longer I would be away from my children.  I opened the Scriptures and heard God say, “Trust me.” The next morning, the doctors said I could go home.  

Give thanks for Gabrielli’s life and for my health; though, please pray for my full recovery. 

March 2017 was one of the most eventful months of our lives. It started with a rushed conclusion to a search for a new car to fit our growing family.  We closed the sale on the right car at the right price, right before Gabrielli’s birthday.  Your months of prayers for a healthy, zika-free birth were answered when she came into the world at 4:08 P.M. on March 14th.  Even the foreknowledge of sleepless nights and the beginning of my headaches couldn’t dampen our excitement when we took her home. 

During my hospitalization, Tim made multiple, daily trips in our new car between our apartment and the hospital, juggling numerous responsibilities with little sleep.  About 24 hours after my discharge from the hospital, Tim led a three-car-caravan of volunteers to the city of Luque to coordinate an evangelistic event. Hence, our eventful month concluded with the message of salvation being presented to an overflowing crowd and many decisions for Christ. Please pray for our next evangelistic event in the same city on April 15^th with a short-term mission team from Brazil.    

Pr. Gustavo invited the audience in Luque to place their faith in Jesus. 

March 2017 was not an easy month, but it was a great month.  In spite of all the ups and downs, we found that we can take joy in the God of our salvation because he is our strength.

 

Happy Easter!

Margarita, Tim, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

Baby on the Way, Shootout at a Church, and Other Happenings in Paraguay

Dear Family and Friends:

As Pastor Ted Gross began his sermon at the “Cristo la Única Esperanza” Church in Pedro Juan Caballero on February 12th, a series of gunshots rang out in the street in front of the church.  Those who attended the service (I was at another church) said that the worst part came a minute later with a machine gun returning fire from right outside the sanctuary windows.  When the shootout ended, everybody got up from the floor and continued on with the service, which concluded with one young woman making the decision to follow Jesus.  Give thanks to God for protection and salvation in the middle of such hardship.

Our week in Pedro Juan Caballero was a strategically high impact, short-term mission trip.  Pr. Gross, Pr. Fredy Pavez, and Dr. Gil Lain equipped 24 church leaders with 26 hours of theological teaching.  50 teachers from different schools received an inspirational in-service training prior to the new school year.  Mary Lain, Sue Gross and I encouraged 150 inmates through visits to the regional men’s and women’s prisons.  A dormant pastors’ association was revived.  The week concluded with a women’s conference attended by almost 200 participants.  We are joyful for the many decisions to follow Jesus, and are very hopeful for the local leaders who will continue to do the work of evangelists through their ministries and lives.  Thank you for your prayers for the people of Pedro Juan Caballero.

Sue Gross spoke on forgiveness at the women's conference (Pr. Pavez translated)

Two weeks ago classes began at the New Horizon School.  I teach fewer classes this year and work in chaplaincy with the goal to check-in and pray with each of the middle school and high school boys multiple times during the year, in addition to helping with whatever other issues may arise.  Margarita and I are also dedicating more time this year to coordinating with local church leaders a series of outreach and national missions activities in the cities of Luque and Ñemby.  Pray for the first event in Luque on March 25^th.

We’re trying to gradually ease into our responsibilities due to the birth of Gabrielli, probably in mid-March.  Margarita is very ready to have this most uncomfortable stage of pregnancy come to an end. Ana says that she will be a helpful big sister, and can’t wait to teach Gabrielli how to count in Spanish and English.  Antoine at least verbally acknowledges that he is not the family baby anymore.  Please keep Margarita and Gabrielli in your prayers.

All that happened in February and everything planned for the coming months is possible because of your generous financial support and faithful prayers.  Thank you for joining with us to teach across Paraguay the good news that, by God’s power, salvation is available to everyone—not because of what we do but because of his own purpose and grace. 

Yours truly,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

2017 Will be an Incredible Year

Dear Family and Friends:

Imagine the congregation’s joy upon seeing their pews filled for nearly two months after the outreach events in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso, for which you prayed last spring (or U.S. fall).   The church leader continues receiving calls for home visits and Bible studies.  However, attendance has recently become discouragingly low.  When I visited there last week, I encouraged them from Matthew 14:22-33 to not trust in the turbulence they see around them, but rather to fix their eyes on the Lord and the incredible work he can do in their community through their perseverance.  Pray for the people of Mariano Roque Alonso.

We are grateful for your Christmas and birthday messages, in which many of you commented on how busy our summer vacation appears to have been.  I continued the weekly discipleships in the Tacumbu and Esperanza Prisons.  I corrected two English books for the New Horizon School, whose classes will start in mid-February.  I taught the weekly Guarani Bible study at the Cerritos church plant.  (They assure me that my Guarani is understandable.)  During our last visit there, the participants overcrowded our spot under the mango tree.  When we asked if they felt ready to place their faith in Jesus, a few responded positively while others said they needed a little more time.  Thank your for your prayers for the work in Cerritos.  Pray that their hearts will be open for the next visit.   

People come from all over for the Cerritos Church Plant

Also, please pray for our house to be “liveable” soon.  At our apartment that we will soon outgrow, Antoine spent this summer playing with his big cousins.  Ana began swimming classes.  Margarita started preparing the crib for Gabrielli.  We finally escaped our summer activities for a real vacation in mid-January.  To compensate for Paraguay being a land-locked country, a number of sandy beaches were built in recent years along the Parana River, and have become tourist destinations.  We visited one of these engineering feats where we enjoyed rest, family time, and refreshingly cool water on very, very hot days.

Later this week I will travel again to Pedro Juan Caballero to help with seminary classes for pastors and church leaders.  Additionally, we’ll organize with local leaders a teacher training and a women’s conference there.  Please pray for these activities in Pedro Juan Caballero, as well as for Margarita and the kids as they stay back in Lambare.

Although Margarita and I have plans and goals for 2017, we obviously can’t foresee all that will happen.  We enter this year trusting that God will do his incredible work.  We trust in him over Gabrielli’s life (who might be born by our next update).  And, we trust that many people will say “yes” (or “sí”) to the invitation to step out of their doubt and come to Jesus, whom even the wind and waves obey.

Sincerely,

Tim, Margarita, Antoine, Ana and Gabrielli

At a Paraguayan Beach

Evidence for Immanuel

Dear Friends and Family:

On a recent return visit to Paraguay’s rough border town, Pedro Juan Caballero, a Christian school principal shared a testimony that shows the power of Christian education.  One of his elementary students was the daughter of a known drug-trafficking family.  After picking her up from school, her parents noticed that two men on a motorcycle were following them, which is an ominous sign in a city where mafia-style hits regularly occur.  As the motorcycle made every turn they made, the parents tried to conceal the situation from their daughter by discussing what they should do in Guarani.  To their surprise, the daughter interjected: “I know what we need to do; we need to pray."  Right there in the car, she lifted her hands and prayed, just like she had learned in school.  At the next intersection, the motorcycle turned on another street.  So powerful was this experience that a number of the family members later gave their lives to Christ and left the drug-trafficking industry.

Pray for Margarita’s 2016 homeroom class—the New Horizon School’s 4^th graduating class—as they start a new stage in life.

Education plays a vital role in Paraguay’s recovery from a repressive, four-decade dictatorship and the nation’s former status as the poorest in South America.  Christian education allows this recovery to proceed in a manner that teaches Paraguay’s future leaders of their—as well as their neighbors’—invaluable worth as created in the image of a loving God. Thank you for participating in this transformation through your support and prayers for Margarita and me, as we serve with Paraguayans in educational ministry.

Margarita and I also thank you for donating toward making our house “liveable.”  We’re applying for grants for funding to finish the rest of the construction after we move in.  Please pray for our house.

Even though we are now on summer break, it doesn’t entirely feel like a break.  While visiting Pedro Juan we organized a teacher training for local Christian schools.  From there we traveled to another town to meet with a pastor who will help us coordinate evangelism in northern Paraguay.  Furthermore, we’re studying the Gospel of Mark in Guarani at the Cerritos church plant.  Please pray for our summer activities as well as for a trip we’ll take in January to southeastern Paraguay.  Thank you for praying for Margarita and the baby. They both are well, and we eagerly await Gabrielli’s birth in March. 

The phrase “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus” in the Gospel of Luke shows the place of Christ’s birth in recorded history. Christ’s coming into this world is not just written on paper, but also on human hearts.  Christ followers, like those who work in education, contribute to the transformation of societies.  Individuals caught up in destructive lifestyles, like drug-trafficking, find new life through believing in Christ.  God is still with us indeed, and is very much at work.

Merry Christmas!

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

What Happened at a Fake Police Checkpoint

Dear Friends and Family:

The police once stopped me for what seemed to my Paraguayan passenger and me as a fake checkpoint.  I promptly presented my registration and international driving permit, the likes of which the officer had not seen before.  The permit included the text of the 1949 United Nations agreement that allowed for my U.S. license to be valid in Paraguay.  According to him, I had to pay a fine because even though Paraguay was part of the U.N. agreement, his town wasn’t.  Not knowing how to reason with the official, I replied in Guarani: “Ipora la kuatia, che ra’a.  Ndajapoi mba’eve vai” (“The paper’s good, my friend.  I’m not doing anything wrong”).  He stared at me for a moment, and then smiled.  Thanks to God and to a little bit of Guarani I was freed me from an unpleasant situation.

Services in Cerritos take place under a mango tree.

I’m a little ashamed that after 8 years in Paraguay I can only say a few phrases in Guarani, which is the Paraguayans’ “heart language.” I am thankful for an opportunity that might change this by the end of January.  After classes at the New Horizon School end in early December, every Tuesday afternoon I will go to the “Cerritos” church plant site about 1 1/2 hours away to help local leaders with a Guarani-only discipleship, utilizing an audio Bible given to me by SIM.  Pray for safe travel, language acquisition, and for new followers of Christ.

Two weeks ago Ana and Antoine learned that they will soon have a little sister.   Ana is excited; though, Antoine seems reluctant to give up his status as the baby in the family.   The child’s name is “Gabrielli Ester.”  Margarita has liked “Gabrielli” ever since she saw it on the side of a Brazilian tractor-trailer.  We chose “Ester” because her birthday will be near the Jewish holiday of Purim.  Join us in giving thanks for her life as well as for Margarita’s health.

We're thankful for Antoine's 2 years of life.

Last weekend’s Ministry of Evangelism and Missions event in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso resulted in a few decisions for Christ and a couple of families beginning to attend the local church.  Likewise, about 10 inmates made decisions for Christ at the evangelistic service in the Esperanza Prison.  We thank God for his work and you for your prayers.  

As much as Margarita and I give thanks for the privilege to serve in Paraguay, a more humbling reason for joy is that our names “are written in heaven.”  Pray that many more people, not just here in Paraguay, but everywhere, will experience this gratitude for the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and Gabrielli

*Our summer project to complete the first part of house construction is on stand-by due to a $2,000 shortfall, which would make the house “livable.”  Pray for the construction to be completed soon.  If you are able, please prayerfully consider making a Christmas donation of any amount to www.uwm.org/missionaries/tim-revett to help us with the expenses.

**P.S.:  Remember seasons are opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, and that's why there is so much talk about "summer" in our update.

Immediate Prayer Request

Dear Family and Friends:

6-year-old “Veronica’s” constant drowsiness and inability to concentrate in class concerned her teachers.  They referred her to Margarita for learning disability testing.  Margarita suspected Veronica to be underweight and urged an immediate visit to a pediatrician, but for two months her mother neglected to comply. Margarita, however, kept insisting.  Veronica finally saw a doctor and was diagnosed with serious malnutrition.  Veronica now regularly sees Margarita as well as a pediatrician and a nutritionist.  She’s gaining weight and improving academically.  Please give thanks to God for his work not only in Veronica’s life but also in Margarita’s 22 other elementary students who are overcoming obstacles to learning. 

Veronica hard at work

As the Paraguayan school year nears its final month, Margarita and I finalize reports and grades, which cause us to reflect on all that’s happened over the year at the New Horizon School.  During my time serving in the chaplaincy I’m grateful for having been able to see many students become more serious about their spiritual walk.  Some made decisions to follow Christ for the first time.  A few teenagers, who previously declared themselves as atheists, are now giving belief in God a chance and attending the Fuente de Vida Church.  Continue to pray for the spiritual formation of the students and youth with whom we work.

Last month we requested prayer for an outreach event in the city of Mariano Roque Alsonso.  Even though there was a small turn out, its setting in a public plaza enabled the message of hope and transformation through faith in Jesus to be heard by numerous attentive neighbors and bystanders.  The local church leader later commented that the event had stirred up a spiritual “hornet's nest,” as there has since been a lot of buzz and questions in the community about the church’s renewed activity.  Please pray again for the city of Mariano Roque Alonso as we conduct another outreach event there this Saturday (October 22nd).  

This month we celebrated Margarita’s birthday.  She and the baby are doing very well.  By the next update you may find out what the child’s gender is.  Additionally, by the next update Antoine will have turned two.  He’s dizzyingly active and very talkative.  Interestingly enough, he prefers English, unlike his sister, who prefers to speak mainly Spanish.

Antoine watches as Ana presents a Bible verse with a Sunday school class at a church we recently visited.

Through your prayers and support for our nearly decade of service in Paraguay, you reach out to students like Veronica, to youth like the former atheists, and to cities like Mariano Roque Alonso.  Through you and by his power, thus far the Lord has helped us, which is a promise for anyone who chooses to take refuge in him.

Sincerely,

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and...

Some Shocking News, and then Really Exciting News

Dear Friends and Family:

While Officer Riquelme waited for his wife in front of the school where she worked, two individuals passed by on a motorcycle and opened fire on him.  He was shot twice, but fired back, hitting one of the assailants in the head.  The other escaped on foot. As if that wasn’t enough violence for one city in one day, in the evening there was a bombing at a radio station.  This occurred last Friday in the Paraguayan border town of Pedro Juan Caballero where three visiting pastors and I taught a week-long seminary session for pastors and church leaders.

Seminary Class in Pedro Juan

Despite the epidemic of violence in “Pedro Juan,” locals boast that it is a thriving city where God is at work.  Most of its streets are paved and there are a very few shantytown areas, making Pedro Juan appear more developed than other Paraguayan cities.  It also has about 75 evangelical churches, which is an impressive number for Paraguay.  Since Pedro Juan is a full day’s drive to the nearest seminary, many pastors there don’t receive biblical training.  Unhealthy doctrines have infiltrated churches and created divisions. 

Pray for the churches in Pedro Juan Caballero to be united as they share the message of reconciliation in their violence-stricken city.  Praise God for working through Pastors Gil Lain, Ted Gross and Fredy Pavez to equip 27 church leaders and share the gospel with 200 teenagers there. Additionally, please pray for a good turn-out and effective follow up for an evangelistic event that Margarita and I are leading in the city of Mariano Roque Alonso on September 17th (tomorrow). 

Before I left for Pedro Juan, we celebrated Ana’s 5^th birthday.  There were actually three celebrations: with her new classmates at Asuncion Christian Academy, with her family, and with her former classmates at the New Horizon School.  At the latter party, her attention-starved little brother drew a roomful of laughter when he managed to sneak up to the cake and blow out the candle before Ana could do so.

Prior to Ana’s birthday, and just as Margarita and I were feeling confident in our ability to raise two children, it was confirmed that we now have our third child on the way.  Join with us in giving thanks for new life, and please keep our family in your prayers.
 

Yours truly,           

Tim, Margarita, Ana, Antoine and…