Dear Friends and Co-workers, SEPTEMBER 2009
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” Ephesians 3:20
We hope this letter finds you rejoicing in God’s love and tender care! Thank you very much for your prayers and support. The work is going well.
As we look back over the past few months, we are so thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives, even in the hard times! “for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever!”
We Praise God for His continual protection as we go back and forth between the town where we live and the Indian Colony to teach God’s Word.
We are thankful that Samuel and Stefany had a safe trip to the U.S.A. and were able to spend time with Rachael and Samantha and the babies before Stefany went to the Bible Inst.
We have had quite the Winter this year in Paraguay, with extremely cold weather which suddenly changes to extremely hot overnight. There has been a lot of sickness in the country this year with a lot of emphasis on the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu). Several of our children’s classmates have come down with it, but so far our family has escaped that particular flu.
Please Pray for us to have wisdom as we teach the Ava Paî People God’s Word and that many more will come to know the Lord as their personal Savior.
Tracy continues to translate children’s Bible studies from English to the Guarani language and teach Sunday School out at the Indian Colony! Loli, a young Tribal lady helps her to teach the children. Please Pray for the Salvation of several of the children!
The Tribal believers ask for Prayer for their marriages and families. Recently two couples from here attended a Believers ‘conference at another Indian Colony hosted by New Tribes missionaries there and came back excited and encouraged in The Lord.
We would also like to ask that you please Pray especially for Justino and Mamila, faithful Tribal believers from the Indian Colony where we are working. Justino’s 28 year old son, Andres from a former marriage was murdered here in the small town where we live. Andres was an alcoholic and drug addict and has been roaming the streets for about a year now. Last week was the burial out at the Indian Colony. It was the saddest burial that we have ever attended. Please Pray for Justino and the rest of the family. It is hard to know how to comfort them in this situation.
Thank you for Praying for the Tribal boys. They have finished the “initiation into manhood” ceremonies at the Indian Colony. So now the 12-14 year old boys have their lower lips pierced. Please Pray that they will all heal without any infection.
Please Pray for the Saturday ladies meetings, wisdom for Tracy as she teaches them. Mamila, one of the ladies from the Indian Colony continues to help her with the teaching too.
Please Pray for us, as we have a time of home assignment (furlough) in the U.S.A. coming up the first of next year 2010… One of our reasons that we have decided to take a furlough, is for Samuel to get his green card. Basically a green card is an immigration visa. What Samuel has right now is a tourist visa which is very limited. Secondly, we feel that it would benefit our two remaining children to attend an English school for a year, so that it isn’t such a drastic adjustment for them when they go back to the States as adults. Also with the economy in the U.S.A. the way it is right now, some of our supporters have let us know that they will have to drop us this year, so we feel that it would be a good time to touch base with our supporters and co-workers there. We will be putting in the petition for a green card for Samuel at the American Embassy here in Asuncion, Paraguay next week. We would then finish the process upon arrival in the U.S.A.
We are excited and Praising God as we see the fruit of our labors! We have several new Tribal Believers and are planning a baptism for sometime soon.
Please continue to Pray for the Church here at the Indian Colony. There is a group of Believers who are faithful in spite of persecution from some of the chiefs.
Thank you for your help and Prayers! We also remember you in our Prayers.
Thank you for being a part of this team, as together; we are involved in taking the Gospel to Tribal People.
In Christ’s Service,
Samuel, Tracy and Family