March 12, 2005

Good Morning!

I mentioned last week Mable Love Brown, our Child Sponsorship Coordinator is staying with me during her time of visiting the school. Since she has been living in the barrio she is seeing more of daily life than in the past. She is seeing more of the typical needs of the Paraguayans. She has seen young children 3, 4, 5 years old roaming through the traffic begging for money. She is seeing young children not in school because they have to search the neighborhoods looking for things to recycle so they can earn money for food. She has seen the outside of some homes in our neighborhood just filled with recyclable trash. She has seen people washing their clothes in buckets and even witnessed a small child being bathed in a small barrel. She has seen the condition of several of our area schools and understands the ever growing crisis in Paraguayan education as more and more of the population is under 21 years of age and the public schools have practically no funds.

She has experienced some of the many varieties of bugs including a large flying hard shelled bug in the living room one evening as it kept circling the living room casting a shadow over her work until it met its death by flying into the fan blades. She has seen the condition of the starving, diseased dogs that roam the streets. We have had a long hot dry spell so she has had the opportunity to experience the heat of 100 degrees plus days with yesterday reaching 115 by around 4 PM. She has been thankful that some of the areas in our school have air conditioning. I too am thankful for that! She has seen the news stories of fires sweeping throughout Paraguay because of the drought and she has seen reports of corruption including a recent story of drunken military personnel killing a young fireman. She saw scenes from the Supermarket fire last year and heard a report that another of its' victim died this past week from severe burns. One evening she slept through a midnight explosion that burnt a small section of a field across the street.

When we were waiting at a busy intersection in Asuncion, she got to see how gangs try to mug people. One guy pretending he couldn't talk clearly kept pointing at my front tire…as I rolled down the car window about a third of the way, several other guys tried to reach in and steal my necklace. Thank you Lord that I saw them out of the corner of my eye and that I had not put my window down further. Another evening she was sitting at the dining room table when she heard a gunshot right in from of the house…it was probably a gang member showing off. She has seen drunken folks wander down the street in front of the house and has watched people peddle their wares morning, noon, and night. She has learned about the economic plight of many working long hours and receiving practically nothing for their labor.

One can always focus on the negative and she has seen lots of it in these past two weeks. Nonetheless, Mable has also witnessed so many positive things in her time here. She has seen the warm friendly smiles of the children, their families, and the people in the church and those in the community. She has felt the children's hugs, has seen young children share and care for their younger siblings. She has heard the prayers of the children and she has seen the results of families changed by these prayers. She has seen people give her small gifts when they themselves have nothing. She has seen people be so appreciated for the little things and she was part of our monthly fasting service and saw the depth of faith and worship of our members. She has witnessed how much the church has grown since her first visit in 1997. She has seen hundreds of children, youth, and adults (more than 600 each week) who come to school to study and she has seen how there is a great push in our church for people to study not only the Word of God but to finish their grade school, high school, or college studies. Our students in the school range from the little ones to many parents including one 65-year-old grandmother. She has seen that through various programs in the school and with the school working so closely to the church, so many are coming to know the Lord. She has seen the love God has Paraguay and the hope we have for this country and for its precious people. She has been instrumental in helping us change a vision of sharing Jesus with the Paraguayan people to a reality.

When Mable returns to the United States next week, she may be physically tired but the Lord is renewing her strength like the wings of the eagles. She has been such a blessings to our school sponsorship program. As she told the children the other day, she looks high, she looks low, she looks around things, and looks under things but most importantly she prays God will help send sponsors for our children each year. At current count we have 298 children and we still are looking for 43 more sponsors. Thank you Lord for giving us Mable and for everyone else who helps to make our school and other mission projects a reality and a light in the midst in of darkness!!!

Some think great minds working alike but I prefer to think the Lord plants ideas in people's hearts. One cultural difference in the US and Paraguay is that everyone drinks out of the same glass or from the same straw in the case of tereré (the Paraguay drink). This has always concerned me especially during periods of sore throats, flu and cold season. I am always praying that the Lord will protect the children. Well, Felicia had the idea for the water bottle first then as I was sharing with Mable about what we should give the children she was thinking about individual cups…GREAT!!!!!!!!!! The next challenge was finding enough water bottles for all the children but we did and one of the big highlights for the children this week was when Mable on behalf of each sponsor in the United States went from class to class and presented one to each child. She told them each time they used the drinking spout to think there sponsors was sending them a kiss. The children were thrilled to have a gift from their sponsors and to have their own drinking bottle to keep at the desk throughout the school day. As we left the school, we saw several children around the neighborhood proudly sipping from their new gifts.

Mark and Jo and the clinic team went to Caaguazú to work this past week. They were quite busy and it appears many of the seeds that were planted over the past several months by our church's mission evangelistic teams have bore fruit. They had over 57 people give their lives to the Lord. We are so excited about their successful mission.

As I close this week, I want to thank you for your prayers, love, and support. I would ask for continued prayer in the following areas:

• " For Mable and for all of us as we continue to cope with the heat and for much needed rain.
• " For the family of Dee, she went home to be with the Lord this past week after a long battle with cancer.
• " To extend Birthday greetings and prayers for my niece Stacy and for Ruth Prieto (Pastor Andres and Felicia's daughter).
• " For the Medical Clinic staff as they will be working in Lambaré this next week and for the evening evangelistic programs we are planning for the community.
• " For the school's annual Easter service to be held this next Friday night and for the Easter activities of the church the following week.
• " For Pastor Andres, Mark, and I as we search for a new vehicle to replace my old one.

We have a loving Awesome God who sent His Son over two thousand years ago to save us from our sins. As you approach Palm Sunday, may you remember the joy many in Jerusalem had so long ago as they welcomed Jesus as the long awaited Messiah and King. Jesus fulfilled so many scriptures of old. In the footnote below I have included just a few references. * If Jesus isn't all ready, I pray He may become your personal King and Messiah during this Easter season. May God's peace and blessings be with you and your loved ones.

Love,
Sue

* Jesus fulfilled so many of the prophecies of the Torah or Old Testament such:

• Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-6
• Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14); fulfilled in Luke 1: 26-38
• Prophet like Moses (Duet. 18:15, 18, 19); fulfilled in John 7:40
• To enter Jerusalem in triumph (Zechariah 9:9); fulfilled in Matthew 21:1-9
• Rejected by His own people and condemned (Isaiah 53:1,3, 8 and Psalm 118:112); fulfilled in Acts 4:1-12; Matthew 26; 3,4; Luke 23:1-25
• Was to be mocked, insulted and crucified (Psalm 22:7,8,14,16,17); fulfilled in Matthew 27: 31, 39-44; Mark: 15:20,25
• Bones were not to be broken (Exodus 12:46) fulfilled in John 19:31-36
• Sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:5,6, 8,10,11, 12; fulfilled in John 1:29; 11:49-52; Acts 10:43; 13:38, 39
• Raised from the dead (Psalm 16:10); fulfilled in Acts 2:22-32 and Matthew 28: 1-10
• Sit at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1); fulfilled in Luke 16:19 and Luke 24:50, 51

Mailing address:
Sue Givens
C.C. No. 24078
Lambaré, Paraguay, 2420

Check out our web page that is on the web. Every few weeks, we will be posting to new pictures of the school progress and of our various programs and activities. http://paraguaynewhorizons.lam.org/

We are partnering and assisting the local Paraguayan churches in all we are doing in Paraguay. Friends and churches that are praying for God to work through us are making this Paraguay Outreach possible. All of our programs are made possible by donations that we use to cover different expenses.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to help cover my living expenses, my auto which is used for the church and the school, newsletters, and for helping with other mission expenses such as buying food, medicine, clothing, or helping in other ways can be sent to either and need to be specifically earmarked:

Latin America Mission
Earmarked on an attached piece of paper for:
The Paraguayan Outreach/Sue Givens
P.O. Box 52-7900
Miami Florida 33152-7900

High Mill Church of the Resurrection
Earmarked for: The Paraguayan Outreach
1920 Schneider St. NE
North Canton, Ohio 44721

If you would like to help our school or sponsor a child for 2005, please contact Mable Love Brown 865-984-4111 or Email address: mclovebrown@charter.net
It costs $30.00 a month or to make donations to our school new multipurpose building construction fund, please contact:

Samaritan Hands Paraguay School
% Fairview United Methodist Church
2508 Old Niles Ferry Rd.
Maryville, TN 37803