April 16, 2005

Good Morning on this crisp Fall morning! For many here in Paraguay, the coolness is welcome as a relief from the long months of heat but with some hesitation of the cold that will be coming. We had a visiting team arrive on Monday afternoon to tour the school and the heat and humidity was almost intolerable. Then Tuesday that was followed by severe electrical storms and heavy rains that left many areas including the school without electricity for a while.

For me this week has been particularly long but many things have happened. Monday our pre-school teacher was on the playground with her children. Some of the little boys began playing soccer pretty rough so she decided to join them and make sure no one got hurt. The boys liked having her attention and within minutes she was welcomed with a ball in her direction...she went to kick and lost her balance and fell back on her wrist. We immediately put ice on it and Johanna had just returned a day late from their medical trip in the interior due to mechanical problems with the clinic mobile truck. She splinted Nanci wrist and said she needed an x-ray. After the children and team left, we were off to the emergency room in one of the public hospitals. We learned she had cracked her wrist and had to have a cast. I would ask that you please pray for her, as she still is experiencing pain.

Also, please pray for the hospitals of Paraguay...this hospital is particularly dirty and needs repairs. Most of the equipment I saw was 20 to 40 years out of date, and while I was waiting for Nanci a lady came in on a broken down stretcher and laid sobbing uncontrollably. I walked over to her and asked her if she wanted prayer, she said yes. I prayed for her, her name was Median and she said she was suffering from extreme back pain. During the prayer she stopped crying and shaking. As soon as I finished another lady, named Ruth, asked me to pray for her. She had an old rag tied around her neck trying to give her arm and elbow support. She was facing upcoming surgery. In every hospital I have visited in Paraguay, I see people so lost and desperate. Often when I pray for one, more come forward asking for prayer. I would ask that you pray that God would send people whether local Paraguayans or missionaries on a regular basis into the hospitals to pray. So many have been open and receptive in hearing the good news and hope of Jesus.

This week, all the pastors and missionaries serving in our group from around Paraguay were asked to participate in a 3 ½ day Inner Healing and Ministry Retreat. What a blessing, the visiting team came and shared and ministered to each of us during that time. Most of us, even though we did not realize it, were exhausted and almost spiritually drained. We had a wonderful time of refreshment spiritually and fellowship. We thank the Lord for the two churches from Marietta, Georgia that united their efforts to minister to us. It was particularly refreshing for the pastors and their wives as they stayed at a retreat center with all meals provided. Most of the pastors but especially their wives from in the interior had never had such an experience. They were extremely blessed. I personally am thankful to this group and to the unidentified couple who funded this seminar.

Pastoring is always a challenging task and we have a group of pastors in our interior that are spiritually exhausted. They boycotted the retreat and missed a true blessing. The president of our group was angry and frustrated over their not coming but the first day he was given a special peace about the situation and by Thursday evening, he and other pastors began plans to have some go to them and minister to them. They have asked Pastor Andres, Felicia, and I to be part of the group to go to this area and minister to them. They would like for us to go sometime within the next few weeks so that these pastors can be refreshed and restored. Please pray for the team going and especially for me if God permits that I can leave the school for that time and that the Lord can use me even with the additional language barrier as many speak only Guarani.

This past Sunday we had over 120 children come to Sunday School from both churches as we combined our services because of our all church fast. I was getting agitated during our time with the children. The youth and adult teachers and assistants for the most part seemed like they were ignoring the children; the service began almost 30 minutes late and ended more than 30 minutes early. In addition, many of the youth and adults were talking throughout the children's service. Later during our fasting service my heart began to cry as I saw our pastor sharing and everyone was so attentive and respectful. The Lord was speaking to my heart, "My children are important. You are to be sharing my love, teaching them my word, and you should be an example to them." Later that morning, I shared that with one of my staff from the school then I asked the Superintendent of the Sunday School if I could meet later in the week with her and the Assistant Superintendent. We met on Wednesday for a few minutes before I left for the retreat.

By Thursday when I arrived at the school, several of the Sunday School teachers asked me if we could use the donation we received to help provide buses for the children's program of "Esperanza" (the Franklin Graham Festival of Hope Crusade) scheduled for May 12, 13, and 14) and would I be willing to help that day with children. I said "sure" but inside I was jumping up and down with joy. Several weeks earlier our church had decided not to participate. It was going to be too much work and no one wanted to spearhead it. I was heartbroken for the opportunity we were losing for so many children in our barrio. So needless to say, I was quite excited to hear the church was now going to participate. (Just a note even though the Festival for the Children is open to the public, the children can only enter with an adult chaperone or a parent otherwise the event would literally be flooded with thousands of children and then there would be no crowd control. We well understand from an evangelistic campaign once for children in our barrio where we invited the children just an hour or two before the event and we had over 500 come.)

Please pray for all in our church who will be working on this. With just a day's notice, we got about 24 youth and adults who have committed to help. We would like to take approximately 150 children and the event coordinators are recommending each chaperone have no more than 4 to 6 children each. By this Monday we have to have over 80 children registered with their parents signatures to receive the buses for transport at a discount. I am writing this early as I want to go early this morning and get signatures from a number of families where the families are really poor and the children are often neglected. These children only come to Sunday School once every two or three months or not at all. Please pray these children will be receptive to coming to the Festival of Niños scheduled for May 14th. Sunday, we will be working with our children in the Sunday School classes to get their information and the names and parent signatures of friends they would like to invite.

So much happened this week...I am sorry if I am rambling. At the dismissal time at school, the children take off in all directions. With the school on a busy intersection where many public buses pass, it can be quite dangerous. Even though the roads in front of the school are stones, it does not prevent the buses from speeding by especially as they round the corner. Our children at this time do not have to pay to ride the buses and so a core group who live anywhere from 3 to 10 blocks from the school started using the buses...well this bothered the drivers because they have to make so many stops and the children aren't paying. Last week 4 children almost got hit while trying to flag down a bus of whose driver had no intentions of stopping. We quickly talked to the children, wrote a letter to parents, the bus company and the local municipal (local government) asking for help. Tuesday, one of the local policemen, came to the school. The Municipal building had forwarded my letter to them and he said their department could maybe assist with the dismissal times if I would personally request their department's help.

So Wednesday I ran to the Police Department to talk to the chief. I figured it would take 15 minutes. When I shared the school's vision, the chief shared that he was a believer. I told him we had been praying for almost two years specifically for this precinct because of the corruption. I found out the chief had been assigned to the department four months earlier in a most unusual way. Chief Andres shared for over 30 minutes an incredible story of how he came to Lambaré although I could only comprehend about half of what he was saying. The chief has asked that we pray for his department. No one else is a Christian yet, but he has been sharing and two or three men are open and asking lots of questions. Thank you Lord for answering our prayers and please pray for the police, military and government of Paraguay that Christ would infiltrate their ranks and that this country could be positively impacted.

Also, we are always praying for the Lord's protection over our children in the school and Sunday School not only in and around the school but in the community. On Wednesday evening one of children was walking with his uncle or playing soccer (I have heard conflicting stories) when a truck struck him. Praise God nothing was broken although he was banged up pretty good and requires several days of bed rest.

Friday, we had a special luncheon at the school before Mark and Johanna had to leave for the States. Their time with us was so short but we were so blessed to have them. They got off the plane running and they almost got on the plane still running. I pray they can get some well-deserved rest.

Just a few more prayer requests...

• One for my friend Susan who celebrated her birthday yesterday. Do you think she heard her the little girl she sponsors and I singing "Happy Birthday" to her yesterday? Also, special birthday greetings are extended to Don and Laura.
• Please pray for the missionaries Linda and Ed Baker and Janette Smith as they return this next week from the states and pray for the safe return of the visiting team lead by Eric and his precious wife, Santa that will leave tomorrow.
• Also, please say a special prayer for our missionary brother, Christian as he marries our school's ex-computer teacher this Saturday.
• Your continued prayers for my vehicle search are appreciated. Friday afternoon, I visited three more dealerships with no success.
• Praise God we now only need 21 sponsors for 2005, please pray that we can receive them soon as we are already into the fourth month of the year and our expenses continue to increase at the school.
• Lastly, please pray for Pastor Andres as he has been suffering severe back pain. The doctor seems to think it is just inflammation but it has lasted for months and has gotten much worse this past week...possibly from sitting for long periods of time in the conference.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace.

Love,
Sue

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