Bethel Assembly of God

2006 Asuncion, Paraguay
Mission's Update
June 30 - July 9, 2006

Recently a member of this Assembly of Bethel, traveled with a team to minister the love of Jesus to the people of Paraguay. Below is a personal account of her trip:

First, I want to praise God for all He has done on this trip! We serve an amazing and wonderful God who is well able to provide exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Wow!!!!

 

I worked with a remarkable group of people of various ages and skills.  My translator was a 14 year old boy who has such a wonderful, ambitious heart to serve Jesus. He asked permission to have off school to be able to translate for us and another team that was coming in behind us.

 

There were 12 Americans on "my" team. Each of us were separated and assigned translators, forming 12 groups.  Paraguay speaks Guarani and Spanish.  Another man who speaks fluent Guarani and Spanish joined my group . So we had all the bases covered.  He is such a soft-spoken gentle person with a passion to share Christ with the lost.

 

Each day all the groups went door-to-door sharing the message of salvation with bibles, evangel-E cube and water in our backpacks. In the afternoons, we would go back to those who made decisions for Jesus and we would have bible study or discipleships as they called it. Some of us had as many as 4 follow-up discipleships. From our daily door-to-door ministry work, we were able to share with 215 people. One hundred fifty seven people made decisions for Jesus, 53 of those had follow-up discipleship times - some as many as 4.

 

Public Schools:

The Lord opened the doors to share the gospel in two public schools. One school had 150 students and the other school had 1500 students. It was amazing to me how open the people are to the gospel.

 

After sharing with the children, there was a woman who one of the church leaders asked me to share the gospel with, and my testimony. I agreed. Before I could start, she told me through my interpreter, she believed God was doing something there. I replied, surely it was no accident and God had us there for a purpose. I shared my testimony and the Word of God using my bible and the Evange-E Cube. I asked if she wanted to receive the gift Jesus had for her. We prayed right there and she did! She was crying and waved her hand motioning about her tears. I told her it was ok. That was God! Then she asked to have my Cube and a Bible so that she could go home and share the gospel with her two young daughters so they too could receive Jesus in their hearts. She did not live near the church where we were. However, she did live near another church in San Ramon. The San Ramon church was established one year ago from this same outreach group. She said she would like to come when we extended invitations for weekly bible study and Sunday services. Praise be to the Lord! Just before we were getting ready to leave, I found she was the Principal of the school. She gave a standing invitation for WHENEVER we are there to come visit the school. How wonderful is our God!

 

Door-to-door:

There were two other women I MUST share about who I know God had scheduled divine appointments. Their were two young ladies, both classmates of my interpreter, who joined us this particular afternoon. As we turned the corner, I had a momentary thought that the people sitting there did not look happy to see us. As soon as I thought it, I quickly dismissed it and proceeded with the purpose of my call to them. Out of nowhere, a loud bus passes. Then three more pass. We are in the countryside and it dawned on me satan did not want the gospel shared at this house. So I began to pray that God would permit Luis's soft-spoken voice be heard. About that time, the man who was sitting there decided to up and leave. He went across the dirt road. There were other men where he went and they began to beat on drums that happened to be there. I just began to pray more as I did not know what to do but call on the Father. Another interruption came when one of the women there and her daughter excused themselves because they were "just visiting." About then the Lord gave me the scripture, in Revelation 12:11, “And they over came him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” - I knew immediately I had to share my testimony. For those who do not know, God healed me in a hospital bed when the doctors did not give me hope. It was almost 2 years later when I received Jesus in my heart but in that time I began searching to know Jesus and knew He healed me. After I shared my testimony with the two remaining women, one of the women begins to inform me, that her friend has been taking medication 5 or six times daily and she needs to have surgery. She also mentioned that she needs healing herself, for a rare disease.

 

I proceed to share with her Mark 16:17 & 18 how they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well. Let me back up to Sunday night (in Pennsylvania) prior to my departure. In the intercessory prayer group, they prayed for healing hands over me. Someone spoke over me how God would use them for healing and this was not the first time someone had spoken this in my life.] Now I will go back to the two women - I asked them if they believed in God. I asked if they believed God could heal them. I asked if we all could lay our hands on them and pray for healing. The reply without hesitation was "yes." At this point, my translator does not translate, God just takes over and I prayed that God would heal them and that they may know He is God and receive from Him. When I finished, the lady taking the meds(I'll refer to as Grace) says how she is feeling something all over her body.We were all in tears of joy and awe.We knew surely the powerful presence of God was there with us.

 

After ministering to the physical needs, we began again to minister to the spiritual needs. They let us impart scripture and both received Jesus that wonderful afternoon. Grace shared with us that she had numerous other problems she was facing. We gave her explanation on how she was not alone and that God is with her now and would help her in every situation. We invited the women to the new church in San Lorenzo for Wednesday bible study and Sunday services which were to begin the week we were leaving. They joyfully accepted the invitation. Grace asked us to keep her in our prayers. She expressed thanks to God that we were able to share Christ with her. I never experienced God's moving as I saw that day. I will long remember what happened, as will the translators. We were all excessively blessed!

 

Evenings:

There were playground areas similar to the Gettysburg Park where Bethel hosts the Operation Community Outreach. They called them, plazas. Each evening, we would invite people out (by going door to door and meeting people in the streets). We presented veggie tale movies for the kids and we presented adult movies like "The Crossing", and other movies, some of which were based on real lives. The gospel was revealed, testimonies were given and an altar call each night. Many souls came to know Jesus as a result. The figures I do not have, but they are in addition to those mentioned above.

 

One night we performed a drama. Similar to that of Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames, in that we had received our parts in the siesta time and had to be ready the same evening to perform. It was a powerful drama in that the Lord's presence rested in the place. Hearts and lives were changed through the drama. 

 

 

E3 Partners Ministry (aka…GMF)

The ministry I was with saw the results of what God has done over the 3 years they have been in the San Lorenzo/Asunción PY area. A total of five churches have started and are growing. A Christian School has been started and serves over a hundred children.

 

San Lorenzo has 52 inter-connecting neighborhoods with a total population of 10,000 people. Seventy-five percent of the people are under the age of 30.  One in four are children. Many young children have been abandon by their parents or left with a friend or with friends of a friend. Why? To pursue better jobs in Spain or other countries. Most children in the Christian Schools have been deserted by their parents. Praise God for the Christian School!

 

Translators/Hosts:

Many of our translators traveled 17 hours, by bus from Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina. Their love for the Lord was strong!  Two of them were married 3 weeks prior to our arrival. Their heart for missions and souls were first and foremost in their lives. They were a blessing to many. There were five cooks who made meals each day for approximately 40 to 55 people (more or less depending on children). God bless them for their labor of love!

 

 

Unique presentation:

Do you know how much fun sharing Christ can be? I laughed so much in Paraguay. What a joyous time! Nothing I have found is more rewarding or fulfilling.

 

An off the wall episode I will share, is based in part, on the dominance of Catholicism in Paraguay. Consequently, people believe it is their good works that "saves" them. As we all know there are many people who "appear" to be good. Many there seem to think they will make it to heaven because they are "good."  There was one young man among the translators who we call, "rooster or chicken man." Let me explain. He went to the front of a large gathering of people and was used as an example as the message was shared. Chicken Man told everyone he was a rooster. He began to strut around like a rooster. He clucked, flapped his wings and even crowed. It was comical to say the least. We laugh hysterically! The person sharing the message turned to the audience. He asked if this young man was truly a rooster or even a chicken. Of course everyone said "no." But he persisted. "Did he not act like he was a chicken?" The reply came as a silly "yes." But we all knew he was a man, despite his efforts.

 

Similarly, good works do not make us Christians or secure a place in Heaven when we die. It does not give us the gift of eternal life. This scripture says in Ephesians Chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

 

The rooster demonstration was just one of the creative and fun adventures of sharing Christ while in Paraguay. Thank you all so very much for your support of prayers. A special thank you to Jesus my Lord!

 

Till the laborers are many,

Shirl