The Man and the Machette

Unlike the city, there is very little night life
in the village where we live, and even less
movement when it is pouring down rain. However,
it didn't stop the two men who were calling
outside our front door on this particular night.

The men were soaked with rain and had been
running for about 3 miles to get to my house. A
friend of theirs had slipped and fallen
backwards onto a machete he was carrying in a bag
on his back. They said he had lost a lot of blood
and needed to go to the hospital.

We got the men some towels and jumped in the car
to go get the man. The roads were not pretty
and the man who had fallen lived in a hilly
area, so we were unable to make it all the way
to his house. I stopped the car and turned off
the lights and immediately we were surrounded by
the blackness of the night. In the distance,
from the direction of the injured man's house I
could see the light of flashlights bobbing up
and down as they moved closer.

As the lights got closer I could see they were
carring the injured man on a cot type bed. The
man was on all fours like a dog and his fingers
gripped through the strips of raw hide that
laced the cot's surface. He grimaced as they
sat the bed down. The machete had been driven 3
inches deep underneath his shoulder blade.

The rain poured even harder as we left for the
hospital, but we arrived with out incident.
After the doctor cleaned and sewed up the wound
we started for his house. I felt the road back
to his house was now impassable and didn't know
what to do. Then about a 1/2 mile from his
house the man said that he could not ask me to
take him on such a difficult road and told me he
would walk the rest of the way.

In the heavy rains and darkness my headlights
barely reached 20 yards and the barefoot,
shirtless man quickly faded from view as he picked
his way down the path looking for the best
footing.

I will visit this man in the coming weeks to see
how he is doing, read the Bible and invite him
to our men's Bible study on Saturdays.

Mourning and Communittee

"Oh, Tomas!", a woman mourns, as she hugs me and
meets me at the gate of her sister's house who
had died 9 days ago. It is the last day of 9
days of reciting the rosary, and it is time for
the "Tupa Mba'e".

This is a meal that is served to the people of
the community in honor of the person who has
died. Traditionally the meal was served to gain
God's favor on behalf of the deceased loved one
in order to help him move out of purgatory and
into heaven.

To many the traditional reason has been lost,
and it is now done as a community service.

I am here at the request of the family, and
after shaking 30 men's hands, I am seated at the
table in front of an alter adorned with black
cloth, flowers, candles, and a picture of the
woman who has died.

The meal starts with a beef soup, followed by
another kind of soup with spiced corn dumplings.
In turn another plate with rice and milk is
served for dessert. It is almost more than one
person can eat.

While I eat inside the house, some 350 other
people are being served by family and friends
outside in the yard.

When our meal is done, we stand together behind
our chairs and recite a Catholic prayer. I am
asked to lead the prayer this time, but have to
tell them I don't know the special prayer. An
older man tells every one that I will pray in my
own way. After nods of agreement all around I
pray for a blessing on the household and thank
God for the food.

I go back out into the yard to shake more hands
and chat with people. I sit next to Juanita, an
old woman whose son died in my car last year as I
rushed him to the hospital. I put my arm around
her as she cries and remembers her loss.

Three and half hours have past and it is time to
go home. Being part of a community means
weeping and rejoicing with those who live around
us. It means giving to the needy and receiving
the generosity of these same needy people.

Stuff on the porch

We get many things left on our porch at night,
and they're left for many reasons. We have had
vegtables left in order to thank us for some
kind thing Kelly and I had done. We have had
puppies left because they were so sick that
nobody wanted them. But recently we had our
biggest suprise yet.

We told you last prayer update that our house
had been broken into twice while we were away,
but we didn't tell you that they stole both our
digital camera and our video camera. This was a
discouragement to us because both of these
things were purchased with special gifts that we
had recieved from supporters. We knew that God
had provided and God had allowed these things to
be taken from us.

Well, the other morning we opened our front door
to find both cameras in a plastic bag on our
porch.

The people around here say the thieves
"repented". I think that's a pretty good use
of the word. They not only felt sorry for what
they had done, they changed the way they were
going by giving back the stolen items.

It remains to be seen if the cameras are in good
working order and it remains to be seen if the
thieves will repent of their "sins" and not just
of their "sin".

Horse Ridding

I had never ridden a horse, before a couple of
years ago, and I still am no "cowboy", but I
want to be!

Up until a few months ago, getting on my horse
meant finding a chair, putting it down near
where the sturip hangs and climbing on board
with the prayer that my horse would not begin to
leave without me. Oh, but now I was an
accomplished rider and could mount up with little
problem and no chair. So I was ready to perfect
my mounting technique.

I had been watching some old "Bonanza" episodes
and was impressed by Hoss Cartwright's ability to
get on his horse with such gracefulness, even if
he was a big man like me. So I determined to
try out his style the next day.

Foot in stirup, then a small hop, a big push, a
graceful arc of my leg over the back of the
horse, TOO MUCH MOMENTUM, and over the other
side of the horse I fell. There, rolling away
from seemingly bigger than life size hoofs, I
realized I was no Hoss Cartwright.

Great adventures and occasionally bad mounts,
that's missionary life.

God's Word

A priest in our area told his followers that the
only reason people come to the Bible study at our
house, is because we give out money. This has
had two contrasting results. Some people don't
come to the Bible study because they are cynical
about missionaries who just give out money to
gain followers. And some people come to the
study because they just want money.

We don't give out money, but are charitable in
other ways. It is however, these kinds of
misconceptions that we come up against, and the
very reason we spend so much time developing
relationships with those in our communittee.

As our friendships grow with our neighbors, they
become our advocates before those who say things
that aren't true. These same friends are more
open to God's Word because they see that we
speak the truth and then walk it out in front of
them.

Putting together a lesson

As I put together the lessons for each Saturday,
I first do the Bible Study, then write it out in
English, and then translate it to Guarani.
During this last step I often ask a Paraguayan
to help me. One week I was working on the story
of Joseph from the Old Testament.

This week my helper was our maid, and as she
fixed the noon meal, I told her how Joseph fled
from Potiphar's wife. I asked her if she
understood, and she said yes, but she thought it
was odd that Joseph was a homosexual. She
arrived at this conclusion because no normal man,
that she knows, would ever reject the advances of
such an agressive woman. After explaining to
her that he would not sleep with Potiphar's wife
because God did not want him too, she said, "Oh,
you better make sure you explain that."

When we got to the part of Joseph interpreting
dreams, she recognized this "profession" right
away and told me that there were people who study
and use books to interpret dreams. After probing
a little more, I discovered that these people are
basically witch doctors. Once again I explained
that God had directly given the interpretation of
these dreams to Joseph and that he used no books
nor studied to interpret dreams. She said,
"You'd better explain that too."

A culture that venerates vice and witchcraft
needs these stories and the stories of God's
working in our lives to see that there is a
better and right way to live.

Toribio

I am always so impressed with the sacrificial
service of so many Paraguayan Christians that we
have the privilage to work with. One such man
is an evangelist named Toribio Franco. He was
asked to be one of our speakers at youth camp.
Like many pastors in Paraguay Toribio also has a
full-time job. After working an 8 hour day he
rode 3 hours by bus and another hour and a half
by car to get to the site of our camp. When he
had finished speaking he then turned around and
made the 4 1/2 hour trip back home in order to
be at his work by 6:00 the next morning. As
missionaries we are only a small piece in God's
plan for Paraguay. The greater work He is doing
through men like Toribio.

Wilfrido

Wilfrido was a 32 year old man who died in my
car as we raced from Yuty to a hospital 2 hours
away. I have been with several people at thier
deaths, and it is never the phisical aspect of
the person dieing that leaves an impression on
me, rather it is what happens spiritually. I was
present when Wilfrido stepped from this life into
an eternal life of torment in Hell, for he did
not know the Lord. As his mother wailed with
sorrow and his cousin shouted in anger at having
lost a friend, we made the hour trip back to his
house. Waves of deepest sorrow flowed over me and
I wonder how many must die, before the Lord will
give us our first convert here in Ita Angu'a.

Two days later while at a Catholic prayer
service for Wilfrido, a neighbor lady came and
asked me to read the Bible with the greiving
mother. I was able to talk about the importance
of not only having faith in times like these, but
to have faith in the right thing, or person, in
this case: Jesus Christ.

Death is real, but our Lord gives victory over
even this. Plead with us before the cross, for
the many in Ita Angu'a and the surronding
communites that do not know Jesus.

Many months ago when we closed the youth center we knew it was God's timing, but we did not know all the reasons He seemed to be leading us down this path.  We can now see it was the begining of a transformation.  God is transforming Kelly and I in the most radical ways.

First our marriage of 9 years is being transformed.  And we are closer to one another than a year ago.  We spend each morning in prayer together (unless I do something crazy like drive 10 kids to Asuncion for the night and return at 3:30 in the morning!)  and are ministering to each others needs better than we ever have.  Kelly feels more part of my ministries because we are praying about them and I feel more a part of her ministry in the home as we lift these things together before the Lord.

God is transforming our priorities.  As we grow in our understanding of the unspeakable treasure we have in Jesus Christ, many things are falling by the wayside.  Things that seemed so important have grown dim as they are placed beside the glory of knowing Jesus in a deeper way.

Ministry "activity" is falling by the wayside,  as hours spent in uselessness for the Kingdom are now filled with more time to be with people, pray and share the Word.  It is a simplifiying of what I used to call ministry and it is really getting back to the basics.  Abide in Christ, and the fruit will come.  May the desire of my heart be more of a reality each day.

Kelly and I have realized we have been placing far to great a priority on insuring our own comfort.  Is Christ enough?  Indeed!  As we grow in our dependence on Him we see that comfort is less of an issue and that after all our heavenly Father know far better how to comfort us than we do ourselves.  How many times in vain have I tried to fill my life with the world's "trinkets",  seeking comfort and yet pushing myself away from the very thing my heart cries for: "A peace that passes all my understanding"

We are being transformed as we learn to trust in God in new ways.  You might think that the life of a missionary is, of course,  a life of trusting in God, and I tell you that it can be, it should be, but it is not implicit in the job description.  We have so foolinshly denied God opportunities to glorify Himself in our lives and ministries because we are masters at "making things happen" , "getting the job done, no matter what it takes", and "robbing Peter to pay Paul".  We call Him Lord, but we have learned He has not been in far too many areas of our lives.  Kelly and I are longing to see God glorified as we stop leaning on our own understanding and begin to .acknowledge Him in all things.

Our desire is singular.  It is to know the Savior in a more deeper way.  We do not know where this leads and we do not care.  It is not a carefree attitude of a fool, it is the knowledge of the freeing truth that  if we are found in Him, even in the darkest moments, His discipline and guidance will be our comfort.

I said we are being transformed,  and this is a process unfinished.  What I've said is just as much our prayer for the future as it is testemony of what God is doing now.

The Youth Center Closes

After more than 5 years serving the youth of Villarrica, I believe it was God's will that we close the youth center.  This has been one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in my 13 years as a youth pastor.  To answer the question why, is to take you on a spiritual journey.

About 3 months ago at a spiritual retreat for the missionaries here in Paraguay, the Lord began to convict me of my lack of intimacy in my relationship with him.  Over the course of the previous year I had let activity in ministry slowly become a replacement for an intimate walk with the Savior.  Because so much of what I let define me are my activities, I was deceiving myself by thinking buisiness was Godliness.  At the retreat I finally became contrite and submissive enough to hear what God had been trying to ask of me all along.  The speaker at retreat gave each of us a little card called, "My Convenant" which challenged us all..

MY COVENANT

Lord I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes and accept Your will for my life.  I give myself, my life, and all, utterly to you to be Yours forever.  Go on and on filling me with Your Holy Spirit.  Use me as You will; send me where You will;  work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.

I wish I could have said, I had been living such a covenant, but I had not been.  I knew that I needed to change some things and so I began to pray and seek His will.  Through many confirmations the Lord lead me to close the youth center and re-examine all that I have been doing here in Paraguay for the last few years.  One of those confirmations came one morning as I prayed and read the Scriptures in my devotion time.

"If a man abides in Me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me he can do nothing"  This verse is found in one of those particularly difficult passages to understand, and I don't claim to have the ultimate word on its interpretation, only that the Lord used this verse in my life in a particular way.  The words "much fruit"  and "nothing" were those to which the Lord drew my attention.

Where was the fruit from the youth center ministry?  Since it's opening there had only been a handful of young people that had made a commitment to Christ.  This was fruit, but not "much fruit".  I believe now that this is due to the fact that I was doing almost "everything" apart from Him. 

When the youth center was founded it was done so with much prayerful consideration, and dependence on the Lord for His direction, but somewhere along the line I let routine become the guiding voice and I let self confidence replace a dependence on Him.  For these things I am deeply repentant.

I'm trying to live out a surrendered life and ministry to Him once again.  I'm asking the Lord, what's next, and waiting on Him.  I do know this; that the "Lover of my soul" wants a deeper relationship with me.  And I do know that the secret to fruit bearing in ministry and in my walk with Him is in direct proportion to my yieldedness to Him.

May we all continue our journey with the Lord Jesus with the freshness and utter dependence on Him that we lived out when we first came to know Him.

'Big House' Helps Break the Devil's Hold on Paraguay Youth

VILLARRICA, Paraguay—About 40,000 people live in Villarrica. Half of the population is under 17. That’s why SIMers Tom and Kelly Stout (US) and short-termers Dan and Christy Reich minister at the Big House—a youth center with a homey environment as well as ping pong, billiards, video games, and a volleyball court.

The Big House attracts young people who would never set foot in a church or camp meeting. Kids like Richard.

"He’s a very stoical fellow," Tom explains, "doesn’t show his emotions a lot. One day, he came into my office and began weeping. He had been caught using and selling marijuana. And as we talked, I learned that he had gone to a cemetery and dug up a corpse to give the head to his old girlfriend as revenge for breaking up with him."

The conversation continued for six hours, during which time Tom saw Richard’s heart begin to harden again. Though they talked about surrendering to Christ, Richard tried to negotiate with the Lord what parts of his life he would surrender and what parts he would not.

Since that discussion, however, Richard is still moving slowly toward Jesus. Recently he brought Tom his Ouija board and some pages of occultic literature so he could destroy them.

He also admitted talking with spirits, reminding Tom and Kelly that ours is a spiritual battle that will be won only through prayer.

PRAY . . .

Only God can expose Satan’s lies and open the hearts and minds of kids like Richard to the truth of Christ’s love and salvation by grace. Please join Tom and Kelly and Dan and Christy in prayer. And ask that God would bring more young people to the Big House and more Christian workers to befriend and guide them. May God one day soon use these young people to spread the gospel to every corner of Paraguay!

Article from SIM Now Magazine