Hello from Iowa. We have enjoyed the beautiful snow this winter but now spring weather has arrived and it is great to see the green grass starting to pop up.
We are excited to inform you that the video of our work with the Pai Tavytera Tribe in Paraguay is finally ready! We are looking forward to giving a report of our work and sharing with you the wonderful things that God has been doing at the Indian Colony. If you would like for us to come and give a report of our work in your Church or home, please contact us at:
Samuel_recalde@ntm.org, telephone: 641-814-2765, or you can write to us at: Samuel and Tracy Recalde 1442 Swanson Ave. Ottumwa, Iowa 52501
God is faithful! He has shown us his faithfulness many times and in many ways over the years! …for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Mathew 6:8At this time we are on furlough or as it is now called “home assignment.” You may be wondering why missionaries need to take a furlough, so we did some research and have put together a few “missionary definitions” of furlough:
Here are some things various missionaries have written over the years: “Admittedly, we do need furloughs —times of renewal for our battered bodies, weary souls. We minister in different languages among hostile people in oppressive cultures, all without fellowship and the Christian infrastructure Americans take for granted. Despite all this, God works through us “earthen vessels” and does impossible things for His Kingdom, receiving all the glory. Along the desert way, we are better footmen if we rest our bodies and refresh our souls at some oasis.”
“Missionaries go on home assignment to find people and to challenge them to come back and join us on the mission field. Every Christian should be sharing the Gospel right where they live but God is calling some Christians to leave the comforts of home and go share the Gospel someplace very different and very difficult. Missionaries go on home assignment to find such people and to assist those interested in missions to get to the mission field.”
“Furlough is a wonderful, blessed, crazy time. You are often put on a pedestal where you don’t belong and often attributed super-spiritual, super-human qualities, which you do not possess.”
“Furlough is a time in your home country to fund raise, network and thank friends for their support. It is a time of adjusting to many different things and a culture that is entirely new to children who have grown up in another country. Many nights there is a new bed, many miles added to the car and many pounds added to the waistline.”
“Furlough is having seven requests for services on the same date and wondering how to keep all your friends happy.”
“Furlough is watching your presentation 200 times and seeing something new on the 137th time.”
“Furlough is having a friend get up early, sneak your car down to the service station and fill up your tank without saying anything to you about it.”
“Furlough is giving the same story on 50 consecutive Sunday mornings and getting blessed yourself every time.”
“Furlough is learning how large and how big-hearted your spiritual family really is.”
“Furlough is answering the same questions night after night, but getting excited because people are really interested in your work.”
“During furlough a missionary has three main objectives: reports, relationships, and revival. Following the pattern set by the first missionary journey, there is a Biblical precedent for furloughs: Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28 And there they abode long time with the disciples. Surrounded by a generous support group of churches, the missionary has responsibility to keep donors abreast of the progress of his ministry. While letters and e-mails provide thumbnails of information, few would argue that the personal contact a missionary has with supporting churches gives a broader perspective of who he is and what he is doing.”
“Furlough is all of the above . . . and more. And it’s all of that crammed into 12 months.”
Please Pray for us during this year of our furlough that it will truly be a time of renewing our strength, bodies and souls. Pray that that we will be a blessing to those we come in contact with here in the U.S.A. and that God will open doors for us to have many opportunities to share what God is doing in Paraguay South America and that through us, others will be challenged to go and share God’s Word with those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Please continue to Pray for our Tribal brothers and sisters back in Paraguay as they learn to rely on God alone during our absence. Thank you very much for Praying for us and for being our co-workers!
In Christ’s Service, Samuel, Tracy and Family