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January/February/March/April 2005
Volume 6 Issue 1

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

In the United States, decorating Easter eggs are an annual tradition. If you ask most Christians they can tell you it is because the egg represents the "new life" we receive when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Also, with Easter falling in the spring of the year, we also relate that to the new life we have as we are forgiven of our sins and pass from the death to life.

Well here, in Paraguay, south of the equator, our seasons are reversed and the north hemisphere's Easter traditions are hard to understand. Every year, Johanna Waltz, now retired returned for a six-week mission trip during Easter. This year her former students decorated 395 eggs to give our growing church, a tradition they started several years ago, but even still many love the eggs but completely missed the symbolism and significance.

As I pondered this, I began wondering how many in the northern hemisphere have forgotten or have never heard the significance of Easter? We are all called to be missionaries of the gospel…in our families, communities and throughout the world. Have you shared Jesus today?

When I was in the United States last year at the end of the service a small group was praying for me personally. Suddenly, a man started thanking God because God was going to give me a new vehicle. Afterwards, I spoke to this man and he had no idea I even had a car yet alone continuous problems. I shared the prophecy with a few friends in Paraguay and we began praying for a different "coche"…vehicle. I waited and after the months went by I started to have doubts especially when my car kept getting worse and worse. I never knew when I was going to be stranded and also weekly I was visiting my mechanic.

Sometimes I received donations to be used for unspecified "Mission needs". Each time I was given the opportunity to put where there was the greatest need…I asked the Lord, "Am I suppose to save this for a better vehicle?" When I received my monthly stipend, I would pray whether I should put money into a car saving account. Each time the Lord showed me other things He wanted me to do. Give money to add a room onto a house; help a couple get married; give different people funds for their studies; put a roof on another home; donate funds for different people's hospital fees; help the church with the many expenses we incurred taking Mission teams to Caaguazú every other week to help minister there; pay for the funeral fees for a person in the interior; donate funds for the families in the Supermarket fire; lend three different families money for legal fees; give funds to two of our other sister schools; buy books for the library; etc., etc.. I even used donated funds to buy a small truck to help the church with transporting people and musical equipment since our church has two sites. Meanwhile my personal account was decreasing and all the logic I ever studied about saving went right out the window. Little did I know the Lord had gone before me and touched many hearts to help donate funds to buy me a sturdier vehicle.

Throughout the year, I would begin to doubt the prophecy but each time I had to remind myself God is faithful, He will provide! But I must confess that January and February were a real challenge to my faith…I had 19 of 40 days with my car not working even after numerous trips to the repair shop and millions of guaranies (the currency in Paraguay). Everything came to a head on February 10th, as my mother was facing life-threatening surgery and I was waiting daily to find out when I should leave for the states. The mother of two of our staff died the day we were suppose to begin school and I tried to help them make all the funeral arrangements; many of my appliances broke down on the same night including my car; we were trying to replace two teachers in the final hours before they were to meet parents; I was given hyperactive puppy so I hadn't slept well in over a week (that is a whole other story); it was so unbearably hot and my Latin America Mission supervisor from Miami was in town! To say the least I was under a little stress. That night exhausted I laid in bed praying to God to help me.

He did as He poured out His blessings upon my family and me. A few days later, I learned Mable Love Brown and her husband Tom had begun a matching surprise car fund campaign and had raised close to $13,000. Then a few weeks later when I spoke to my mother via telephone to find out when her surgery was scheduled to remove a massive tumor, the doctors were confused. There was no sign of the tumor. God graciously did a miracle in my Mother's life.

Mark and Johanna Waltz, now retired missionaries, and I have often shared how God has given us a "calling for hauling." Children and adults to church, hospitals, funerals, weddings, and everywhere plus I use my vehicle for all the school errands. I thank the Lord for this new vehicle and am dedicating it to be used for His glory and that it can be a vehicle to help others know Jesus Christ.

I share all this not that people will think I am so wonderful…because often I am not. I am short-tempered, I complain, and I know I disappoint my Lord God in so many ways. But I thank God regularly for His love, grace and mercy that He has given to me. I share this to be an encouragement to others. "Lean not on your understanding" and He will guide you. As He promises in Luke 6:38, "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure…and running over…for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." The best part of this whole story is that when I sell my car, I will have more money to give. As I have experienced personally and witnessed over and over again in my life, "We can never out give God".

Paraguay has been a country for centuries that has been bound by oppressive governments, poverty, and "religious myths". Many curses and "generational bondages" have been passed from one generation to a next. These are negative actions (sins) that are passed from one generation to the next: sex, abuse, greed, the occult, lying, and others passed from the parents to the children. But there is hope (Esperanzana) in this dry and weary land where people are desperate to change.

Over the past many months, we have been preparing, praying and planning for the several events affiliated with Franklin Graham Crusades. I must confess at first I was skeptical of having a large crusade enter, share God, then leave. If there is no follow up or discipleship with the people who accept Jesus into their lives, then the people are left with a false sense that accepting Jesus is all there is and that having a personal, daily relationship is not often established.

However, right from the start, this program has been different. They helped mobilize churches from all over the country and began training seminars showing the Christians here how to pray, how to evangelize, and how to disciple the persons after they accept Jesus. Even more, they have given the participants in these seminars lots of tracts, study guides and such. They had training sites in several areas and several hundred or more youth and adults attended each site. Our church had over 30 attend.

The first major event after the training sessions was the all day Woman's Conference featuring Anne Graham. It was held in a sports center that could hold 5000 people…the place was packed and over flowing. The next large event was "Impacto", a concert for the youth. One of the Soccer teams offered their stadium and the planners expected 2000 to 4000 youth…OVER 25,000 people were in attendance over 70% youth. Thousands of youth stood to accept Jesus that night. After they prayed, there were counselors who got the youths names and addresses and now churches in their barrios are contacting them and helping to disciple them.

The biggest problem with "Impacto" was entering the stadium…everyone was trying to get into one gate which did not open until late so there was natural crowd pushing. The police called in their famous "riot force" which attends most large events and are often activated but after standing a short time between the musical groups and the youth, the men were moved away. The city officials have stood in amazement with each event that they have no had a problem with crimes, drugs, alcohol, or fighting especially with so many youth together. Their biggest problem is traffic control…effectively getting the people in and out of the events.

Planners and local churches are now working hard on the final Festival of Hope activities. On May 12th, 13th, and 14th, we will have three nights of services in another much larger stadium. Organizers are planning over 100,000 in attendance for the three nights but I think that estimate is low. People all over Paraguay are desperate to change the valves of this corrupt country and planners are sharing that this event is to provide hope to families. Most of the churches have been praying and sharing with their neighbors for months now and we have been going block to block throughout the neighborhoods to invite people. Also, with the help of the Graham planners, churches have been able to rent buses from our barrios to help haul people directly to the stadiums.

The biggest event is going to be the Festival for the Children on the morning of Saturday the 14th. We have no idea how many thousands of children will come but we are praying and planning that God will be shared and glorified in each event. May the people repent and turn their hearts to God and may He restore hope to this dry and weary land as people seek to have a personal relationship with Jesus…not just a religious tradition.

In March the Mobile Medical Clinic visited our community along with missionaries Mark and Johanna Waltz. Our church members helped register the patients and I spent one day interpreting for one American Doctor. Several other days, Mark and I screened all the children and staff for visual problems. During the week, we held special activities ever evening and we had church members praying and sharing with all who waited. Please pray for the clinic's many staff needs and funds

News Highlights

Several years ago we began having a few youth from the church offer to volunteer in the school. However, it was hard for them because often they had to look for employment so they could continue their personal studies. Thanks to some visiting missionaries, our "Work-Study" began with people in the United States donating funds ever month so we can offer our volunteers a small stipend and this enables them to help regularly in our school, serve as role models for our children and further their own education. It is a "WIN WIN" situation. Please pray for our twelve youth currently involved in this program as they face many trials and temptations.

It is hard to be a missionary away from your family especially if you are a parent and even if your child is an adult. Missionary, Joy Varga, received a special Birthday gift during our Easter luncheon when her daughter surprised her with her presence in Paraguay. She is currently stationed in Paraguay with a special US military unit.

Missionary Christian Dickson helped finish the construction on the school in 2003 and this past month he finished courting our school's first computer teacher, Angelica. They were married in a lovely moonlit evening service on the banks of the Paraguay River. Several years ago, I prayed with Angelica that she could one day become a missionary. They have left to raise funds in the US and plan to be back next year to serve in Paraguay together.

Our fifth school year opened with a number of staff changes, some new programs and many new children as each year we continue to grow each year. However, one thing that did not change was the love. The children love to learn, love to play, love to share with their friends and teachers, and love God. This year we opened with 298 children.

As the economic conditions for many families continue to decline, the families are so thankful for the sponsors who give their children an opportunity to receive an education. Just $30 a month, provides instruction, books, and materials to help children learn about God and receive a quality education:

Samaritan Hands Paraguay School
% Fairview United Methodist Church
2505 Old Niles Ferry Rd.
Maryville, TN 37803

Mable Visits the School…She received the hugs and love from all in Paraguay and was asked to pass those hugs on to our many friends and sponsors. Gracias!!!

During Mable's visit, she presented each of the children a water bottle on behalf of their sponsors. They can keep them on the desk throughout the school day as temperatures sometimes are over 100 degrees. The parents, children and staff surprised Mable with a small Paraguay folk festival with many of the children singing, dancing, and a time for Mable to sample many typical Paraguayan dishes. Oh course that was hard for Mable as every mother wanted to sample her speciality.

We are so grateful for Mable, all our sponsors, and God for making Escuela Nuevo Horizonte (New Horizon School) a reality of hope not just educationally but also spiritually. Also, a special thanks is extended to Tom, Mable's husband for sharing her with us. Bless you!

Often the social needs, business of the school or just life takes away our main focus…to share Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world. Over the past six months we have been focusing more and more on this objective to share Jesus in our Sunday School and School classes with the children through drama, music, skits, and videos. For our parents and community, we have been holding special services, hosting thought provoking videos, and offering more opportunities for prayer both during services and in private. At our School Easter Service more than 40 persons requested prayer and many gave their lives to the Lord.

We are continuing our ministry outreaches of visiting homes in our community and helping churches in the interior. Due to time and transportation constraints we have not been able to return to Caaguazú but we did visit another area and presented a drama. We are learning more and more how to minister spiritual healing to the people we encounter.

His Passion for Us Should Motivate Our Passion for Others!!!

After a near accident, our school' five year request for speed bumps around the school to slow down the buses was finally granted. The roads around the school are stone and all the labor including setting the rocks was done by manual labor.

Sue Givens
Latin America Mission
The Paraguayan Outreach/Sue Givens
P.O. Box 52-7900
Miami Florida 33152-7900

or

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

Latin America Mission
P.O. Box 52-7900
Miami, Florida 33152

Email Sue: sgivens@sce.cnc.una.py

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