May 19, 2005

Six years ago when I first visited Paraguay, I accompanied Mark, Johanna, and Pastor Andres on their weekly Friday morning prayer times on Cerro Lambaré. At that time there was a handful of pastors and missionaries praying that God would break the bondages and release His Holy Spirit over Paraguay. Each year, as more and more have accepted Jesus, there have been more such prayer groups springing up across the greater Asuncion area and spreading into the remote areas of the interior like water overflowing a dam. What had been less than the 3 % of the population of Christians has lead to thousands. Perhaps the 12th, 13th, and 14th of May 2005 will be recorded in Paraguayan history as the three most significant days in a country whose past has been filled with political upheaval, wars, and corruption...the "spiritual" dam has broken and this past week thousands and thousands of Paraguayans cried out to God and asked for Him to personally forgive them and to help them change. The grand multitude have accepted not a religion or tradition but have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and savior.

I have always been leery of the evangelistic campaigns that enter an area, have hundreds or thousands accept Jesus, then leave town to find many have fallen away. But this campaign with the Franklin Graham ministry has been different. Four years of preparations has lead up to this event and we have seen hundreds of Paraguay church members receive training in how to witness and share with their neighbors; how to pray fervently; and how to discipleship others. Many of our poorer churches have received training and materials never before available to them. Even I have received extra boldness to share Jesus at ever opportunity with firemen, parking attendants, store clerks, neighbors, etc.

Our church thanks to donations rented three buses each night for the "Esperanza" (Hope) campaigns and we had between 150 to over 200 attends from our barrio. One night two gang members were passing by and several from the bus, asked them to join us...they did and accepted Jesus along with the bus driver and a friend along to see the "show". Over the past several months, those of us involved in the planning and training programs were asked to identify certain people and to pray for them. Several on my list accepted Jesus including my car mechanic. I wish you could have seen him as he left the stadium; he couldn't stop smiling and neither could I. Praise God.

Everyone was so surprised about the crowds that came to the event. Each night the crowds grew and by Saturday night the authorities closed the gates almost an hour before the event officially began. There was some 40,000 or more the first two nights and over 50,000 on the last night. For the Festival of Niños on Saturday morning over 60,000 (some projections were even higher) attended. It was a morning the children will never ever forget. Again, thousands were turned away.

There is so much I could say about all of this but since I am so pressed for time as I prepare to go to the states, perhaps later I will write a special summary for our website. But God heard our prayers and went before this event. Thank you Lord.

Another project we are currently working on is getting a shipping container ready to leave for Paraguay s...the exact date I do not know but we are hoping to receive donations to bless many of our different mission projects. Click here for information that I sent out before but I understand many did not receive the information: Shipment to Paraguay

Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and attention to this special project. May God richly bless you as you reach out to others.

As I close, I would ask for prayer for the following:

• As I prepare to leave for the US next Wednesday, there are many things that still need to be completed, please pray God helps me complete all that needs to be done. Sue's itinerary
• I will be visiting a variety of churches and groups; please pray God will direct my steps and words. I will be in the states or in the air from May 25th through June 22nd. While I am in the US, please send all communications to my Mom's computer:GivensME@aol.com or I can be reached by telephone at 330-875-5865.
• Please pray for my computer communications, I am again encountering many problems making planning and coordinating communications in my absence is extremely difficult. Alicia and Janette, the other missionaries don't have a phone line and the phone in the church apartment doesn't work so we are all struggling.
• Please pray for several people who are ill: Mable is under the weather and we have first grade girls: one dislocated her ankle and another little one has Hepatitis A. Also, please continue to pray for Chuck (one of child sponsors) as he continues to recover from a motorcycle accident.
• Please pray for many special people in life who will be celebrating their birthdays in this next week or so Jane, Nina, Perla, Junior, and Fernando.
• Please pray for all the people who accepted Jesus as their personal savior that they would grow in their faith and pray all who will be helping to disciple them.
• Please pray for God's protection over the school and for the staff who will be covering in my absence.

May God bless you and your family.

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