Christmas/New Year Letter

My husband J asked me to write an entry sharing what this past year was like for us. However unlike my husband I am not one to pay attention to the details of life so I had to think long and hard about our experiences this past year.

Some of our experiences were easy to recall, such as the birth of our second child and first daughter Jasmine back in January. Having to take care of her every day was enough to jog my memory concerning her. But seriously, it has been such a joy and a pleasure to see our little girl grow from being this totally dependent little baby to an energetic, active and assertive little toddler. To those who told me that it was unlikely that the second child (especially being a girl) would be as active as our first child, Jeffrey, let me tell you that you were wrong…very wrong. They both run circles around me but in trying to keep up with them I figure this will be a cheap way to keep in shape. J and I are so thankful that the Lord has enabled us to experience this indescribable joy through the growth of our family.

Jeffrey, our son who is now 3, as I mentioned previously has always been active and continues to be so. He loves playing soccer, swimming and playing with his array of cars, trucks, trains, tractors, motorcycles, etc. This past year was also the first time, since his birth, that he was able to spend a whole year in one home. Sometimes we forget as adults how much our transitions affect and impact our children also. So it has been wonderful to see him adjust and calm down (somewhat) in light of this newfound stability. In the New Year we hope to enroll him in pre-school, which will afford him the opportunity to discover and hone his social skills.

With regards to ministry, we continued to be involved at the Asuncion Alliance Church. We quickly realized that the honeymoon period was over and that even though the people graciously made allowances for the “new missionaries” they were not necessarily going to jump on the bandwagon with our “ministry ideas.” All that to say, it has been a challenging but educational time as we, together with Pastor Daniel and his wife Eunice, sought to re-implement cell groups in the church. We have had mixed success but we are trusting the Lord to grow this ministry and give people a passion for reaching their circle of influence for Christ. J has also had several opportunities to preach this past year. This has been extremely helpful in his language learning and it would appear that he is not the only one to benefit from these experiences since he has had several encouraging responses to his messages. Discipleship relationships, as well as overseeing the seminary students within the Alliance, has also given him a unique opportunity of getting to know some impressive young people within the Alliance denomination. They have a passion for serving the Lord and leading the church into the next generation and J is pleased that the Lord is using him to motivate them and stoke their passion for Christ.

I on the other hand have started a women’s ministry in my home. My desire is to bring women of all ages together with the purpose of learning from each other and impacting each other’s lives. The women are also encouraged to invite their unsaved friends to these monthly meetings. Through eating and playing games together, workshops, crafts, pool parties and devotional studies, we have had an opportunity to “escape” from the normal grind of our respective lives and simply enjoy being with our "sistahs".

Our year was also brightened by visits from our loved ones. My sister Kathy-Ann, who lives on the tropical island of Trinidad, visited us in June and was met by a cold spell that was the first of its kind in many years (so we have been told). Despite the discomfort of having to sleep on a mattress on the floor, and the danger of having to put said mattress in front of a fireplace that had no metal grate in order to stay warm, my sister enjoyed her time with us. She was a fun playmate for Jeffrey, who long after she was gone would refer to anyone who played with him as Aunt-Kathy. In November, J’s parents visited us for two-weeks and they unlike my sister Kathy-Ann enjoyed some of the best weather we have had in Paraguay. My mother-in-law often remarked that it was because of all her friends that were praying for them back home. So take note Kathy (should you decide to visit again), and any of you who may be thinking of paying us a visit here in Paraguay, find yourself some praying friends. But what a wonderful time we had introducing them to our team of fellow missionaries and our Paraguayan brothers and sisters. Jeffrey and Jasmine also reveled in the attention of grammi and grampa and would love to have them visit again (hint, hint).

Unfortunately, our year was not only defined by family and ministry but also immigration work. Since 2004 I have been working on becoming an American citizen. In May of this year I had my final interview. But after the elation of being told I was successful in my oral and written exam, my elation was quickly deflated by the announcement that I would have to wait for final word on whether I would be invited to a swearing-in ceremony. A couple of months later I was told that I was denied citizenship because I had (unknowingly) spent too much time outside of the States since I had first applied for citizenship. Since all the time that I had spent outside of the States was directly related to my missions work I did not have any regrets. But I must confess I am not looking forward to going through this long process again but that is for another day.

We also experienced the slow and tedious process of becoming permanent residents here in Paraguay. However, the long hours spent waiting in lines, looking for municipal buildings hidden away on obscure side streets, getting documents legalized, certified, authenticated and photocopied were not in vain. Thankfully, we have a happy ending to this saga since we were able to complete all our paperwork and have received a document stating that we are recognized as permanent residents. We have realized that frustration with the immigration process is a universal problem. We are not alone.

As the year draws to a close we are already thinking, planning and praying about the New Year. We trust that the Lord will continue to use our family and us in whatever way to impact this country one life at a time for Him. Please keep us in your prayers and thanks again for the vital role you play in our ministry.

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM!

Freedom for Cristian

A 19-year-old young man came to Christ recently in the Asunción church. It was easy to discern from the beginning that Cristian was serious about his relationship with Christ, but also that he was fighting with alcoholism. I made a point of letting him know that I would always be there for him when he needs me and that I understand the fight he is currently battling because I too had problems with alcohol.

The counsel that I've given Cristian is that as Christians we need to come to terms with our sinfulness, meaning we need to confess our sins to the Lord. Cristian will experience complete victory over the alcohol when he learns how to depend upon God for strength (1 John 1:9). Also I've shared with him that it is essential to make a break from his old life, which consists mainly of friends who like to drink (1 Corinthians 15:33-34). When I first took this seriously in my own life I couldn't go near the places I went before where everyone knew my name (Cheers).

Last week Cristian came to the church completely inebriated. I found him out front sleeping on the church wall with one eye open and one eye closed. He was waiting to talk to the muchachas (young ladies). I told him he would have to leave because this behavior was not one of respect to the Lord. "Pastor, I just want to sleep a while right here," he told me. I replied, "Sorry my brother, but you can't stay here. If I have to carry you to the corner and leave you there, I will do it. But you will leave here right now." When we got to the corner (I didn't carry him) he told me that maybe it would be best for everyone if he left the church. To which I replied, "Maybe so, but you need to make decisions like that when you can think correctly."

The following day was very difficult for me as I was thinking about Cristian. What if he decides to leave the church? What if I was too harsh on him? What if I did something in this culture that I should not have done? "Father help me... help Cristian."

Cristian called me the night of our Christmas program. He wanted to talk, but not at the church. "I'll meet you at the corner pastor." I was feeling a little nervous waiting at the corner. What if he shot me? I began sizing up the light pole, trying to determine which side would offer the most protection from an oncoming drive-by.

"Pastor, I need to ask your forgiveness" Cristian said before he even reached my position. "I'm sorry pastor for the way I spoke to you last night. This morning as I was praying to God, He told me that He would not listen to me until I asked forgiveness of Pastor J." I gave him a huge hug (something I'm not sure he was all too comfortable with), and I told him that he can always find love, grace and mercy here when he is seeking it.

Please continue to pray for Cristian and others like him, who we are meeting with more frequency. Specifically pray that Cristian can draw closer to the folks within our church and that he will have the strength to leave his old life behind.

Thank you for your support! We are TEAM!

I've Got Rhythm

This entry will be most enjoyed by our friends in the choir from Columbia Christian Fellowship (CCF is the church in which Karen and I met).

Our church in Asunción has formed a choir (something that isn't all to common here in Paraguay). The Lord has blessed our church with a musically talented family. There voices are superb. The two daughters have studied in the conservatory. Within the family they play guitar, harp, violin, keyboard, flute and drums. It's as if we have the family Van Trapp in our church.

The oldest daughter (Rosanna) desired to begin a choir ministry within the church. Karen and I love choirs (for twenty some odd years I was part of a choir of some sort or another). Karen and I met in a choir, so we were happy to encourage her to do so. Our first performance will be during our Christmas service on the 23rd of December.

I was surprised to learn that Rosanna (our director) has a desire to sing Gospel music. I'm not talking about the Gathers, but such musicians like Kirk Franklin, Ron Kenoly, Richard Smallwood, etc.

Here's the part that the folks of CCF will appreciate more than others. During practice, as we were singing "Sing Out" by Ron Kenoly, the director mentioned that we would be adding movements (dance/sway) to the song as is common with this genre of music. When the choir did not understand exactly what she meant she told them to watch Pastor J as he is doing it and has good rhythm. HA HA! (maniacal laugh). I have become our churches model for rhythm... not Karen... but ME! Mua Ha Ha! (more maniacal laughing). When Rosanna told the choir this, Karen immediately turned around and rolled her eyes knowing that we would revisit that comment multiple times during our lifetime.

I've heard that God gives us special giftings at certain times in our lives to compensate for a missing elements within a ministry situation. Who would have thought that He would have blessed me with this gift (especially with Karen being present).

Life is grand (smile).

Thanks for your support. We are TEAM.

The Follow-Up: The Truth Will Set You Free

Today I visited the house of Carlitos in order to follow-up (view the blog entry "Testimony"). I've been encouraging him to tell others (especially his parents) this testimony. When I arrived Carlos was out front mixing cement while his father, Juan Carlos, was indoors painting the living room. Both greeted me with a big smile, handshake and a hug.

Carlitos is my disciple. I see something in him that is very special. He would like to go to seminary and I've been gradually encouraging him. I say gradually because I've been waiting to see if he is serious or if this is just a passing fancy. I approached him about seminary around the same time that we had our "Testimony" event. I was disappointed when he told me the next day that his father wasn't supportive of this path. Part of the Paraguayan religious culture is that the pastor has a career or title prior to studying for the ministry. I couldn't fault Juan Carlos for his perspective. And yet I wanted to encourage Carlitos to step out in faith and go through the open door God was providing. My advice to Carlitos was to continue with his good testimony in the home and to pray.

Today Juan Carlos was telling me how thankful he was for the change he has experienced in his son. "He is working along side of me without problems. He is different and I am thankful to you and to God." Then he caught me by surprise when he continued, "Pastor, if Carlitos believes that the Lord is calling him to study theology and if he continues as he is doing now, I'll support him in that decision."

Wow! Things certainly can change in a week's time. We serve the only true God who is transforming lives every day. To God be the glory!

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM!

p.s. After complimenting his son, Juan Carlos planted a big kiss on the forehead of Carlitos.

Finally, We Got It!

After more than a year in the process we finally received our permanent residency (P.R.) status here in Paraguay. In the beginning we were pursuing our temporary residency. But after multiple obstacles due to our bi-cultural marriage we stumbled upon a way to obtain permanent status.

We are thankful to various folks that the Lord put in our lives to help us along through this. For example:

• The Bostons, for their constant encouragement in spite of the many difficulties we experienced.
• The Schells, for their suggestion that lead to the permanent status possibility.
• Tito, for accepting our deposit in his financial institution which was a requirement for P.R.
• The C&MA for loaning us said deposit.
• The many prayers of our many supporters (Thank you TEAM)
• The only true God, for working on my patience throughout this process. (At one point today there was a possibility that we did not have something we needed. However, I didn't get upset... I was thinking "Oh well, looks like we may have to come back another day").

You can keep us in your prayers as we still need to go through this process with our daughter Jasmine. We are in the process of authenticating her birth certificate in the U.S. Pray that we can get her papers squared away early on in the new year.

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM.

Testimony: The Truth Will Set You Free

I'm currently meeting with a young man in our church for discipleship. Carlos comes from a Christian home that, although strong in the knowledge of the Lord, has struggled with having victory in Christ. I've come to realize that the victory is missing on account of anger issues in the home. This appears to be a generational strong-hold that the enemy has manipulated for his benefit.

One of my counsels to this young man has been that he needs to have a good witness in the home before he can enlarge his territory of ministry outside of the home (His desire is to serve the Lord in some capacity in the future). His relationship with his father is strained as they both tend to be very opinionated and a little stubborn. I've advised Carlos, in order to better the situation he needs to help his father in the home with some repair projects, and he has responded positively to that advice.

Last night Carlos was sharing how hard it is for him to work with his father as he gets nervous, frustrated and angry quickly when pressured in the situation. He said, "Pastor, I'm going to share a story with you that I've never shared with anyone else. I believe that a big part of my problem with my father is stemming out of this situation."

Carlos told me that when he was 5 years old he broke his bicycle and his father told him he had to fix it. He tried hard to do so, but because he was so young he did not have the strength to remove the nuts and bolts. He tried every day, but would give up after several attempts. His father would come home and ask him if he had fixed the bike and encourage him once again to fix it. After several nights of this routine he said his father snapped and took off his belt and punished him beyond what is normal or correct. To this day he remembers this experience and whenever he works with his father he gets nervous to the point of rage.

You can imagine the gamut of emotions I was experiencing as a pastor/missionary. I was hurting for this young man, I was angry for the injustice, and I wanted to fix it all for him. However, I remembered an example from the ministry of our pastor in the States, Rev. David Pletincks. David prays to the Lord that He would speak into a persons pain with the truth. At times the Lord will speak comforting words to the person or reveal something new that they weren't fully realizing. But always it is a miraculous word from the Lord. I've never experienced much success in this method of ministry personally, but honestly I've struggled in my ability to have the faith that it will have the same results when I am leading the prayer as it does for my pastor.

This thought that I needed to pray like Dave came to my mind, so I decided to submit to the Spirit's prodding. I was expecting that God was going to tell Carlos something like He was there during that time and although Carlos has a earthly father that disciplined according to what He thought was correct, Carlos has his heavenly Father that corrects with perfection at all times (Hebrews 12).

You Can Imagine My Surprise
I prayed with Carlos' permission, "Lord you are the Father of Truth. Permit your Holy Spirit to speak into this difficult situation so that Carlos can experience the truth which will in turn set him free." Carlos began to weep. He could not speak for a while. I patiently waited to hear what the Lord told him. You can imagine my surprise when Carlos told me...

Pastor, first God told me I was not 5 but that I was 10. He then told me it was not a bicycle but it was my Grandmother's wheelchair. I had broken the wheelchair and my father was asking me to fix it. But day after day I was not fixing it. In the end I told him directly that I would not fix it. It was because of that rebellion that my father spanked me with the belt. God told me that I've believed something that is not true. Today He has told me the truth.

I was then able to share with Carlos that according to John 8:44 Satan is the father of lies. He can't take our salvation away from us. But he certainly can cause a lot of problems with his lies. He tries to leave the Christian incapacitated because of a belief in something that is not true. He was telling Carlos for so many years that his father was a cruel person for treating him the way he did. But, the truth of the situation has set Carlos free. Carlos told me afterwards, "Pastor, it is as if a weight in my brain has been removed. I feel light-headed. Praise the Lord!"

Wow! Praise God! God spoke and He said something I would not have said because I did not know the truth of the situation. The lesson for me is to have more faith in my Lord and depend whole-hearted upon Him throughout my ministry activities.

Please Pray for Us
As you are thinking of our ministry here in Paraguay please pray:

1. That we would always be dependent upon the Lord.
2. That we would have a ministry of truth that would bring freedom to the Paraguayans.
3. That folks like Carlos (and specifically Carlos) would be formed to be the future leaders of the Paraguayan part of the body of Christ.

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM!

Women's Christmas Swim

My wife held her monthly women's' outreach. I'm not sure exactly what took place. I think they had fun by the sounds that were made (splashing and laughter). It was a Christmas pool party.

Usually I'm relegated to the upstairs in order that I might take care of Jeffrey and Jasmine. But this time, I felt more sequestered than I did relocated. I called for Karen at one point and handed her the camera asking her to take photos. She told me that the ladies would not permit that. She said that she would get some good shots of the food.

I understand that there was a visitor and a couple of ladies that were first time visitors... but I'll never really be able to confirm that because I'm not sure there was anyone else down stairs other than my wife and some really good sound effects. And there were some left overs that I never saw my wife make.

When you are up north thinking and praying for us, realize that we are in the opposite side of the world. The seasons are different. While you are putting on the layers and sitting by the fireside we are stripping off as much as is decently acceptable while looking for a cool spot in the shade. Whereas I used to shovel the snow, I now skim the pool. But, one thing is universal that we can count on like death and taxes: There are some ladies that don't want to be seen in a bathing suit. Whether in the South or the North, the East or the West, the effects of the curse still remain in effect: We are ashamed of our nakedness.

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM!

Last Week's Sermon

Last Sunday I spoke on the HOPE that we have in Christ (because of His advent). Thank you to those who have been praying. This week I will be speaking on the LOVE that we have because of His advent... actually I will be speaking from the angle of the love we would be missing if He had not come.

Throughout the week I've been reflecting on last weeks sermon and it's application. The main point was: If we want to have a perspective of HOPE we need to READ God's word, SHARE it with others, while TRUSTING in Him. The text was Isaiah 60:1-5:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come"

This week as I was reflecting I was thinking about the RELATIONSHIP that I have with God. I have to do this constantly or else my applications become a list of Dos and DON'Ts, and to me that is just religion and I really don't care for religion.

Reflecting on relationship started me thinking about my relationship with Karen. When Karen and I began our relationship neither one of us were thinking about a list of DOs and DON'Ts. For instance, I wasn't thinking that I would have to stop sleeping with my dog. Karen wasn't thinking that she would have to stop getting up to study between 2 and 4 am in the morning. In the beginning of our relationship we weren't thinking about one anothers defects (quirks). We were in love. We were thinking about the possibilities of the future... we were dreaming of what might be. I was thinking about the possibility of ministering with my exotic Caribbean queen in some international metropolitan setting (Caracas, VE). I'm sure Karen was thinking about... hmmm... probably exactly what she is experiencing now as I am her dream come true :).

In the beginning I believe it is similar with God. I wasn't thinking about what I had to do and what I had to avoid, or at least that wasn't my main focus in my relationship with Him. I was thinking about the grace I was experiencing, the forgiveness of my sin, and the future possibility of spending eternity with Him in Heaven. Those first days with Christ were pretty incredible, I finally felt free.

Karen and I were foot-loose and fancy free in the beginning as well (OK, I'm not even sure what that means). But, we definitely had less expectations for one another. But that changed as time went on and we invested more in the RELATIONSHIP. It wasn't a bad change, it was actually good. In order to show my love for Karen I began doing things I wouldn't normally have done if I were alone. Things like: stop buying lottery tickets (I know... that's considered a major sin for many of you), start washing my dish towels more frequently (I was washing once every 2 months or so), not permitting my dog to sleep with me, and air-drying the dishes instead of towel-drying (even though I was washing the twoels more frequently) just to name a few. I did not change my behavior in these areas because Karen was demanding. I changed because I knew she had a preference and I could demonstrate my love for her by changing.

We should change as our relationship with God progresses as well. Not because He has a list of DOs and DON'Ts (Everything is permissible, 1 Corinthians 10:23), but because we want to demonstrate our love for Him. It's very similar to any love relationship, in that we have to develop our friendship in order to grow in our love for one another.

In the beginning Karen and I were excited about the future, but I can't say we had a confident hope in the future. We were just beginning. We hadn't invested in the relationship. I wanted there to be a future with Karen, but I wasn't sure that it would happen. As time passed and we both invested in the relationship our level of hope grew. Today I have a secure hope about our future. I'm dreaming about our time together 10 years from now and I have a confident hope that Karen will be there with me.

When we are investing our time with God we will also have that hope for the future. However, if we are not investing the time we will not be secure and we will have our doubts. When people tell me they are depressed and they are not experiencing the joy in relationship with God, I ask them if they are reading His word daily. Almost 100% of the time the answer is no. How can we expect to experience security in relationship if we are not investing in the development of that relationship?

Arise, shine, for your light has come...
Get up! Get motivated! You have the truth. It can set you free.
Read the Bible.

But don't stop at reading the Word... Apply it! The word will change your life and the people around you are going to take notice.
Share it with others.

When we read and then share our perspective on life will change to one of hope. It's a change that is brought about by our Lord.
Trust in the Lord.

Thank you for your support. We are TEAM!