First Drama Outreach

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I last blogged. A lot has happened since then. 

We went to our first church where we held the "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" drama. The name of the church is Centro Cristiano de Adoración (Christian Worship Center). Pastor Prudencio Rodriguez and the church family are a very welcoming and friendly church. Above are some pictures from the drama.

The first picture is of the front of the church before setting up for the drama. The next one is Kaylee showing off the first sheet of Mylar before we set it up. The next one is the first and second sheet of Mylar going up to cover the high wall in front and to the left. The next picture is Chariti working hard at moving the cross where it needs to be. Then, you see Chaz with his new friend Alé. Then next one shows the front of the church during the first night of the drama. You can see the entrance into heaven and the angels and Jesus. The next one is of our Satan, Ivan. He did a really good job portraying Satan and ordering the demons to drag people off to "hell." The next picture shows the area for 'el infierno' or hell (you have to look at it side ways to get the full effect). The next one is of me giving the altar call (Yes, I still need to use notes to remind myself of how to say some things correctly in Spanish). The last picture is from the first night's altar call.

I must say that I am so proud of my family. My wife, Sherry, worked tirelessly decorating, setting up, running the sound, lights, and video, and doing so much more. Chariti was in charge of all the props and costumes. I never even had to think about either of these the entire weekend. She did an amazing job. Chaz' job was to run up on stage in between scenes and get all the props off the stage and put other ones on for the next scene. Again, I never even noticed him doing it. He did well. Kaylee ran the spotlight. She was always on time and knew when to turn it on and off. They all worked just as long and hard as we did at setting everything up, taping wires down, putting up Mylar, decorating the front, running wires, plugging things in, and general running errands and cleaning up. I must say that I received many comments from church members and the pastoral staff about how hard our children worked this past weekend. Everything they did was worth it, and they played a huge part in seeing people come to know the Lord.

I am also grateful to God for His mercy and His help. We were able to witness 50 in the altar the first night with 31 signing cards saying they accepted Christ, 30 the second night with 21 signing cards, and 80 the third night with 31 signing cards. Now, many of the people in the altars left without signing cards. I tried to explain, in my limited Spanish, that they were not joining the church by filling out the cards, but I think it scared a lot of them off. It is something that CCA, the church, wanted to do. Also, it is a way to follow up and help disciple people after they accept Christ. So, for sure, we saw 83 new brothers and sisters, but it could have been as high as 150 or more souls. God knows for sure, but we are hearing many reports of changed lives. On the first night, we saw four young Catholic members come to receive Jesus as their personal Savior. They all told us that they loved God, but they never really knew what Jesus had done for them until they saw this drama.

I will leave you with this one story. One of our actresses is the widow of a very famous Paraguayan actor. I still can't spell his name. So, I won't try. She was not a Christian, but before the first night, I asked all the cast members who wanted to accept Christ to raise their hands. She did, and she is now our sister. That is not the end of the story. She invited her children to the drama. The first night, her son, also an actor (TV and movie), and his family came to the altar and all accepted Christ. The second night, one of her daughters and her family all came and accepted Christ. The last night, the rest of her children came, with their families, and they all accepted Christ as their personal Savior. You should have seen the tears of joy that this special lady had after the third night. She told me that she is happier than she has ever been because she knows that her entire family are now Christians.

The weekend was difficult. We had many problems with lights, video, sound, and most of the equipment. It never went as smoothly as we wanted it to go. But it was all worth it! For me, it would have been worth all the work just to see this widow, mother, and grandmother see her entire family come to Jesus. Our God is bigger than any difficulty, any language barrier, and any thing that tries to get in our way to spread the message of Jesus Christ. Thank you to all who have been praying for us and supporting our family as we serve Him in Paraguay. Your faithfulness has seen many people come to know the Lord. 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Blessings,

Charley

Pictures of Food :)

I decided that I would put some pictures that we have of different foods here in Paraguay. Hopefully, you will enjoy the pictures. For some of these pictures, we want to thank the team that came down from Oregon for taking them for us and allowing us to use them to show life in Paraguay.

This is very common to see. Many people sell chipa on the streets and highways. Some cities are known for making really good chipa. It's bread with cheese mixed in to the dough.
This is a pretty common lunch after church service in Paraguay. I forget the term in Spanish that they use, but it is basically a way to get together, eat spaghetti with big chunks of meat and bread, and chat. I think we call that "fellowship" or "afterglow" in the States.
Yes, we have ice cream, and it is good. It doesn't cost much, either. We can get cones with three flavors for a little more than a dollar. That is the price for the large cone. The small cone with two flavors is 60 cents or so.
At a church in Aregua, the children all get a snack and milk or juice after the service. They can't wait to get their two cookies and glass of juice.
Now, you may look at this and wonder what this has to do with food. This is a picture from Chaz' birthday. This is a thermos and "mug" for drinking TERERÉ, an herbal tea that everyone drinks. They say that it cools off your body, but it doesn't help me (at least not yet). Everytime I drink it, I have to go to the bathroom more. It has a lot of caffeine and other herbs in it. To me, it looks like someone picked a handful of grass, put it in a mug, added water, and drank it. Oh well, when in Rome.... No, it's not that bad. I can handle it. The hardest thing to get over is the sharing. We drink it through a metal straw with a sieve (sp?) on the end, and everyone passes it around. So, you would have to get over the fear of drinking after someone else. I really believe this is the reason that many people stay ill all winter long. When one person in the family is ill, the rest seem to get ill later. I wonder why.Here is another picture of Chaz. Now, I absolutely love this place. It is an open air place that serves meat on a stick. Chaz has given it the name: "the Stick Place." You can order steak, chicken, sausage, pork, cheese, garlic bread, and other meats. It comes out on small skewers. It is well-seasoned and usually grilled to perfection. They don't cook it until you order it. The best part is that each "stick" costs 2,000 Guaranies (about 50 cents or a little less). We can eat at this restaurant for less than 20 bucks! I love it, and so does our budget!
Okay, here is something that is very popular here. It is called either Sopa Paraguaya or Chipa Guazu. To be honest, Sherry is not here beside me as I am typing this, and I can't remember which it is. Either one is really good. Both are eaten at most of the meals in the home and especially in restaurants. Our first night here, we ate this. It's not too bad, but I am not a big bread person. I figure why waste space on bread when you can fill it with meat :)

I guess I don't have pictures of the meat here. There are great, cheap steak houses here that we enjoy. Sometimes, it is cheaper to eat out than to buy groceries because most of the restaurants are "all you can eat", and if we bought that amount of food every time, it would really add up.

Hey, if you have any questions, or just want to chat, drop us a comment or an email. We would love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Charley

Windshield Washers

Here, in the capital city of Paraguay, there are thousands of kids trying to get as much money as they can in order to eat. Well, that is what they tell everyone who gives them money. Many of them are like the two young girls pictured here. They buy these tools to wash your window. I remember how easy it was to pull up to a gas station, get out and start filling up the car, go to the bucket, and pull out the window cleaner to wash and clean the windshield. Here, many kids and some adults have taken this easy job in the States as their personal job. Most people give them from 300 to 500 Guaranies (about 10 cents). Can you imagine how many windshields that would take to buy a happy meal?

The other day, I was driving downtown when two men jumped up from the curb and just started washing my windshield without asking for permission. I don't really like that. I don't mind letting them wash the windshield. All they had to do was ask permission. These two "gentleman" were very forceful, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. I am the "owner" of our vehicle (technically, Speed-the-Light owns it, but they didn't know that). Anyway, they wouldn't listen to the owner, and they went ahead and washed the windshield. So, I gave them the going rate, on the lower end. I gave them 300 Guaranies.

A few days later, I pulled up to an intersection. Two young men asked to watch my windshield. I allowed them to do it because they asked. I gave them my permission, and when they were done, I gave them each 1,000 Guaranies (about 25 cents). I felt more generous when I, as the "owner," was given the opportunity to allow them to wash the windshield of my vehicle.

As I thought more about this, I wondered what God thinks when we just go ahead and do something without asking His permission. I learned, durning our itineration, that I can do nothing with Him. We could not raise the support we needed without His help. In fact, once I gave it all to Him, our support cam in and we left for the mission field. I am still learning to trust Him, completely, with everything. It's kind of like the windshield washers. Most of the time, if they would just ask the OWNER, He would provide. 

I haven't studied doctrine enough to know if this is true or not. This is just my thoughts, but I was just wondering. How much more would God bless us if we did the things He asked us to do? You know, love God, love others (especially, our brothers and sisters in Christ). How much more can God bless us when we do things with His permission? I believe that when we do the things that God allows us to do, the end result will always be better than if we just go head and do something without His permission.

Blessings to all,

Charley

If you are a Christian, you have 6 new brothers and sisters!

Last night, I had the amazing opportunity to speak at a high school camp. To be honest, I really didn't know what to do. I was given the topic of "Relationships: Friends and Peers." Being 20 years removed from my teenage years and not having too many fond memories of those years, I struggled with how to connect with them. I kept thinking that these young people don't even know who I am or anything about me. I prayed and thought and prayed and thought, and I came to the conclusion that I need to be honest with them. Honest about myself, honest about life, and honest about who Jesus is.

God blessed me with an idea. I spoke about what it means to be a true friend, and what it means to be a false friend. True friends tell you what you need to hear even at the cost of your friendship. False friends will tell you what you want to hear, especially if it is to their advantage. As I was speaking, God reminded me of two friends that I had in Arkansas. I spoke about how I treated both of them, and that to one of them, I had never really been a true friend. I never told him about how much Jesus loved him. At the young age of 16, he took his life leaving a note behind that said nobody loved him. All I had to do was tell him that Jesus loved him, and he still might be with us today.

Well, God moved in the service, last night. I am so excited to report that 6 young people came forward and accepted Christ as their personal Lord, and Saviour. I am giving God thanks today because of His patience with me, His love for me, His grace and mercy for those young people and for me, and His trust in me to present His message to a hurting nation here in Paraguay. I am thanking each and every one of you for this opportunity, as well. Without your prayers and support, I would not have had to opportunity to witness, first-hand, God's saving grace upon the lives of our new brothers and sisters.

Blessings to you,

Charley

Family Update

I just wanted to let you all know a little bit about what is going on in the lives of the family. 

Sherry has been really busy. She is taking some Bible school classes with a few of the pastor's wives at the Bible Institute. Sherry took that picture above with all of the pastor's wives sitting around the table with the red tablecloth. Those are her classmates. She decided to take the classes to get a better understanding of the culture here, the language, and to learn more about how to minister in Spanish (Bible terms, as a woman in Paraguay, etc.). She is doing really well. Her first term she received all A's. Not bad for trying to learn in Spanish! All of her classes, homework assignments, test, projects and quizzes are in Spanish. I am so proud of her. Not to mention, we helped in a medical clinic in July (during the time of some of her classes), and she didn't miss a beat. 

The other pictures are of the kids (thanks to Don David) working in the medical clinic with us. They did really well. They interpreted for the team from the U.S., and I am so proud of what they did. They are truly an asset to the mission field here in Paraguay. We are proud parents of three amazing kids (young people).

Chariti turned 15 on September 11. She had a great birthday, celebrated with "Uncles" and "Aunts" and friends. Most all of the Missionary Kids call the other missionary adults, "Aunts" and "Uncles." Being so far away from home, it helps us to feel like a family. It's nice when some of the other MK's call me "Uncle."

Kaylee is doing well. She has jumped right in and done whatever has been needed to be done. She was a trooper at the medical clinic. She would listen to everyone's complaints and try to translate it into English for the team. She did a great job!

Chaz, well, Chaz is still Chaz, and he loves it here. It hurts him when people make fun or talk bad about Paraguay or Latin America. He loves the people here, and they love him. I don't know of anyone that he has met, so far, that doesn't ask me (the next time I see them), "How's Chaz?" Everyone wants to talk more with him. That's a good thing. He's a good boy.

Well, that's a little update and few more photos for you. Hope you enjoy. Also, those of you on our newsletter list (supporters, family and friends), be on the lookout for the next edition of "Mattix Family News" available, in print, early October:)

Blessings,

Charley

Need Your Prayers!

I am writing this blog today with much excitement.  I had a very interesting phone call this morning. Allow me to explain something before I tell you about this phone call.

We were asked by the Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay (our version of Bro. George Wood) to be the directors of a drama ministry called "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" (Las Puertas del Cielo y Las Llamas del Infierno in Spanish). When your superintendent asks you to do something, it is difficult to say no. We accepted this opportunity of new ministry. 

It is a great evangelistic tool. When presented, everyone who attends has to make a decision to accept or reject Christ. No one will leave the auditorium or facility without receiving the gospel message and having an opportunity to accept Christ. We went to Florida this past January to train with Reality Ministries who are the head of this ministry. You can look Reality up online to find out more information. This drama is being presented each weekend all over the world. Paraguay is a part of this ministry, as well.

We will be presenting the drama for the first time in December. A couple of weeks ago, I had a meeting with the pastor of the church that wants to host our team and present the drama. It went really well, and we are all excited about sharing the gospel on the weekend of December 4-8 through this amazing drama.

This brings me to the phone call. The pastor is called Tito. Yes, Tito. Pastor Tito called me and asked me if I would be willing to meet with some of his friends. He is very excited about the drama, and he has been telling everyone. I think he has personally invited more people than can fit into his church. Anyway, he goes on to tell me that his friends are the leaders and priest of a Catholic church in Capiatá (a town just outside of Asunción). 

Did you read that last sentence correctly? No, I am not talking about the name of the town. I am talking about the Catholic church and it's leaders. They want to have the drama in the Catholic church! 

Okay, I don't think you are seeing the big picture here.

This is the reason I am so excited. I asked Pastor Tito if they understood who we are, what we are about, and what we would be doing. I asked him, "Do they know that we preach that Jesus died for us, and that He rose from the dead? Do they know that we will be preaching the entire gospel message, and that it is probably different than what they are teaching?" He said that they understood, and they want there church to know the TRUE message of Jesus Christ. I almost fell out of my chair. Can this be possible in a country that is less than 3% Evangelical and almost 97% Catholic? Can my God really work like this?

I am excited to tell you that Sherry and I will be meeting with Pastor Tito and his friends from the Catholic church, this Saturday, to discuss the drama and all that it entails. Please, please, please pray for us this Saturday. We want them to completely understand what we do with this drama.

Can you imagine what would happen if an entire Catholic church in a community comes to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior? Where would it stop? 

In Paraguay, as in most of Latin America, the Catholic church in each community is basically the center of life. Almost everyone believes they are a member of their local Catholic church. If God wants us to go into this Catholic church, then we are going. Who knows what other doors He will open for us! I for one do not want to close any door that He opens!

My God is amazing, and I know that He can do amazing things for you. Just ask Him, trust Him, believe in Him, receive His Son, Jesus, as the Lord of your life, and live for Him. He will never let you down!

Blessings,

Charley

More Pictures of the Medical Clinic 2 (or is it 3)

I promised that I would add some more pictures from the medical clinic. Here are some more. I was translating for a nurse named Don Williamson. He is a really nice man who was patient with me as I tried to translate for him. Sometimes, I would forget to tell him what the people were saying. For example, I like to talk to people. I can't do it as well in Spanish, but I still attempt to do it. I like to get to know people more than anything else. I love hearing and telling stories. Usually, if there is a child around, you can find me talking with them, playing with them, or just goofing off with them. Well, it was no different during this clinic. I really enjoyed getting to know many of these families. Being a missionary opens up many doors of communication. People will talk to you and tell you things that they would never tell their family or friends. Sometimes, it is sad and difficult to hear, but it is a great opportunity to share the love of Jesus. I would get so wrapped up in the conversation that I would forget to tell Don what they were saying. I apologized many times to him because of forgetting to translate.

There is also another picture of Sherry consulting with one of the doctors and another nurse about a patient they took care of. Also, you can see the back of Chaz in one. He loved helping out in the pharmacy. His favorite job was cutting the pills in half. They had these neat, little chopper things that cut right thru a pill. He also enjoyed visiting with the pharmacist and the ladies working with him.

Please continue to pray for us as our ministry continues to grow and expand. Sherry is receiving more invitations to sing. I keep receiving invitations to preach. Also, I will be teaching a theology class at the Bible school beginning September 8. Please pray that I will learn more than enough to be able to teach it correctly. I probably will be spending 12 hours of teaching time, alone, on the doctrine of God. Teaching on the Trinity (in Spanish) should be really interesting.

Blessings,

Charley

More Pictures of the Medical Clinic

Here are a couple of pictures. The first one is of Chariti interpreting for one of the nurses. You can see her standing up in the back. The next one is of Chaz interpreting for the eye exam people. He did a really good job. Chariti was amazing, as well. The other is of Sherry working at the registration desk. She worked there at the beginning of every day, but she also had her own table where she saw patients all day long. She's a trooper and a hard worker. I don't know how many people she took care of, but she did really well. Most of what we gave medicine for was parasites, lice, headaches, and many wanted vitamins.

I'll post more later. Please email or write a comment about what you would like to see or hear more of in the future. Also, pray with us for help with our newsletters. It is very expensive to mail 300 newsletters from Paraguay. One letter can cost anywhere from $2 to $10 depending on the day or mood at the post office. We are talking with some friends of ours, who are pastors, about helping us out. They have offered to print and mail them for us. We are working out the details. So, please pray with us. We want to get newsletters to you to keep you informed.

Blessings,

Charley

An Answer to Prayer

Here is a picture from a medical clinic we did a couple of weeks ago. In this one, Kaylee is working at registration. She had to translate for the team member and write in English the health problems the patients were having. Credit and thanks for the photo goes to a really nice man who has a great camera. His name is Don David. He was with the team that came from Oregon to minister in a clinic to over 1,000 people.

We just got back home from a wonderful blessing of God. Since arriving in Paraguay, I have had many invitations to preach. I have not accepted all of them, yet, because I don't feel confident in my ability to speak Spanish. In the last month or so, I have preached twice. Tonight  was the second time. I prayed a lot last week for God to help me with this sermon. I know that I don't have the ability to preach well in Spanish, not because I don't believe in myself. I just realize (as we all need to realize) that I can do nothing without the help of God.

Well, God answered my prayer. I don't feel like I preached well, but God used what I said to penetrate the heart of a young man. After closing the sermon, I invited those who wanted to be prayed for to come. I invited the pastor and the other missionaries there to come and pray for the people in the church. 

The invitation included three types of people: those who needed help with a problem in their lives (because there is no problem to big for God); those who had a felt they couldn't do what God has called them to do (because there is no one too small or without enough talent to do something for God); and those who wanted to accept the gift of salvation.

Here is where it really got challenging. Now, I had to pray for them IN SPANISH. Praying, in Spanish, for me is very difficult. I have to think completely different to pray in Spanish. I am learning to pray in Spanish. Every day, I try to pray some in Spanish. Well, several people wanted the missionary to pray for them. The church wasn't really big, but we had a good prayer time. 

Toward the end, a gentleman brought a young man who wanted to be prayed for. When I asked him what he wanted me to pray for, he told me he wanted prayer for his mom. I asked for what, and he told me that they didn't have a good relationship. He said that they fought all of the time, and he didn't want to fight with her anymore. I asked him if his mom had a relationship with Jesus. He said, "Yes." I asked if he had ever asked Jesus to save him. He said, "No." I explained that if he truly wanted to have a better relationship with his mom, and if he wanted to really love her that he need to have a relationship with Jesus, first. He said, "Can I accept Him now?" I told him that he could, and we prayed the sinner's prayer together. Well, at least I hope that is what we prayed. When I told this to another missionary, she said that maybe I just converted him to mormonism :) 

Well, we all know that God knows our heart. I now understand that God can take my simple message with simple Spanish and use it to bring someone into the family of God. I am so in love with God. He is amazing, and I know He can do whatever He wants to do to bring people into His kingdom. If God can use this simple, former U.P.S. driver to preach His word in a foreign (to me) language, then He can use whoever is willing to do His work.

Remember, there is no problem to big for God and there is no one to small to be used by God to do His work. Just ask Him. I am sure that He can use you if you are just willing to step out and do it.

Blessings,

Charley

Catching Up

I have been slow in writing blogs the past couple of months. The only excuse I have is that I feel like I have not been doing a lot. As I thought about the past couple of months, I realized that we have been pretty busy. Let me catch you up!

I finished teaching my first class at the Theological Institute of the Assemblies of God of Paraguay. It was fun, challenging, exciting, difficult, rewarding, hard, and a great learning environment. I learned so much about Spanish that I never knew before. Also, there are some really great people that God has called to be ministers in Paraguay and around the world. It was amazing to see that I have a part in molding them into the leaders of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay.

Sherry has been really busy lately. She has enrolled in the Theological Institute and is attending a 24 hour session every Wednesday to Thursday with some of the Paraguayan pastor's wives. She is totally immersed in Spanish for 24 hours every week. In addition, she will complete 3 college Bible courses (all in Spanish). So, she is really busy with that and being a wife and mother. I don't know how she does it, but she does. 

The kids finished their respective grades in school with great report cards and even greater testimonies. Due to the many problems the school they were attending is having, we will be homeschooling them this next year. They are sad, but excited as well. It is our job to protect and nurture our children, not the school's job. In addition, our children will be able to travel with us as we minister in medical clinics and with the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames."

This past week has been really busy. Every one of us has been translating for a medical team that came down from Oregon. We worked three days in Aregua at a church for children who work in the streets of the capital city of Asunción. They are very poor children with poor health, nutrition, and home life. It is so heart-breaking to see and hear the stories of the people who came to the clinic. 

Chaz interpreted for the man who was administering eye exams and giving out glasses. Kaylee worked at registration and had to listen and write the names of about half of the patients that came to the clinic (there were only 2 people working at registration). Chariti interpreted (all by herself unless they spoke only Guarani) for a nurse. Sherry interpreted for herself. She had both jobs. She was all by herself at one table taking care of patients. I interpreted for another nurse. He and I had a lot of fun together. I am so proud of my family. You should have seen the kids as they were working and playing with the other children. One national pastor, Camilo, told me that he has never seen missionary kids like ours. I asked what he meant, and he told me that he has never seen MK's who jumped in and talked, played, and socialized with the other children here in Paraguay. At first, I thought, "How sad!" Then, I beamed with pride that God is working through our children to touch the children (and adults) of Paraguay. You should all be proud of your missionary kids here in Paraguay. They are a testimony of Jesus' love, and you helped send them here and keep them here.

Yesterday, we went to a really poor part of Asunción and held an outdoor clinic at a really small, dirty park. It was windy and dusty. At first, there weren't many people there. Then, a lot of people showed up. We saw mostly people who needed teeth pulled or filled, but there was one lady who came to our table that I will never forget. She brought two little girls with her. One was her grandaughter. She was holding her hand and showing love to her. The other was this beautiful 7-year old little girl with big brown eyes and short brown hair. She looked so sad and lost. The lady told me that her parents had abandoned her and her three younger siblings. She said that she didn't know why but she's always crying. I told her that she just needs to know that someone loves her. I had already picked her up and put her on my lap. I kept telling her that Jesus loves her, that she was beautiful and smart, and that I loved her. After about 30 minutes, she looked up at me and smiled a beautiful smile. At the end of treating all three of them, the lady who brought them looked at me and asked me if I wanted the little 7 year old girl and her 3 younger siblings. My heart broke. She was serious! She didn't want them. I sure wish I could have taken her home with me.

I share this story to let you know that there is a huge need for children's homes here in Paraguay. There are thousands upon thousands of abandoned, abused, and neglected children here. Our dream is to one day have a home big enough to take in as many children as we can. We want to feed them, clothe them, teach them, and show them the love of Jesus. Please pray with us for the children of Paraguay. By ministering to the children, we can change this country for Jesus.

I will post more blogs this weekend. We have two more days of clinics. My camera is not working, but one of the gentleman from Oregon has a Nikon. He is taking pictures for me to use.

Blessings to all,

Charley

Happy Father's Day from Paraguay

A couple of months ago, I told you about the opportunity I had to teach in the Assemblies of God Bible school here in Asunción, Paraguay. Well, I just finished my first quarter, and all in all, it went pretty well. The students seemed to enjoy the class, and I learned a lot of Spanish and became more comfortable with my communication skills. Do I have more to learn? I really don't think I will ever stop learning. Communication, in any language, is very important. Sometimes, I have to talk "around" an idea because I don't know how to say it in Spanish, but I have figured out that the key to communicating effectively is to try. All of my students were very patient with me and very encouraging to me. They helped me grow in my language skills, and I pray that I helped them grow in their evangelism skills. I am taking this quarter off, but I will be teaching our Fundamental Truths in the fourth quarter. Also, there is a Bible school retreat in August that we will be going to attend along with the other professors and students.

Also, today is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. I hope and pray you have a great day. I have already had breakfast in bed, some nice cards from my children, and received some long-sleeve shirts and a jacket from them. My family is truly a blessing, and I am so honored to be their father. 

One other thing, today, yes, on Father's Day, I will be preaching for the first time in Paraguay. This will be my second time to preach in Spanish. I am extremely nervous, but I am also looking forward to this opportunity. Our schedule is starting to fill up. I will be preaching two Sundays in July and the first weekend in August. Two other weekends in July, we will be helping another missionary as she hosts a team from the States. Sherry will be working in the medical clinic, translating and nursing. I will be translating, preaching, getting supplies, and helping out in whatever way possible. Our kids will be with us helping out the team as well. Please pray for God's help in ministering to the people of Paraguay. We will be working in a very poor community. The people that live there are they people who bus into Asunción every day to sell fruit, wash car windows, beg for money, etc. Please pray for God's blessing to be upon the ministry and the team that is coming down to serve the people of Aregua, Paraguay.

God is good. Our equipment that was shipped from the States for the ministry of "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" will be here this week. One major prayer request is for the customs process. So far, we have had to pay $1,500 for the custom's agent and custom's process. It is possible that we might have to pay another $2,000. Please pray that this will not happen. We need God's help to make sure that everything arrives safe, intact, and secure with minimal cost.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support. You are truly a blessing to all of us.

Blessings,

Charley

Superintendent of Peru

What an amazing week, again! God is so good, and He is really working for us as we meet people, go places, and learn more about the culture and ministry in Paraguay. Here is a picture of Rev. John Bueno speaking on the opening night of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay.

Before I get into today's blog, I would like to make a couple of announcements and prayer requests. We thank God that our shipment of much needed equipment has "set sail" from the United States and is on it's way to Paraguay. We also than God that the cost of shipping was 1/2 of what we originally were quoted. Hallelujah!!! The shipment should arrive in the middle of June, and then we will start booking weekends for the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames." We are excited about this ministry. It changes lives, and it is fun to work with. 

The prayer requests are the following: 1) Please pray for the shipment to not be held up in customs. The cost or "fee" to get a shipment out of customs in Paraguay can be very high and unaffordable. Please pray with us for God's supernatural protection of the shipment and His supernatural hand on the custom's official's mind and spirit. This is a major and urgent prayer request. 2) Decisions that need to be made concerning our children's schooling. 3) Finishing of the construction and repairs at our house. 4) Health and safety during the following months as we travel all over Paraguay. 5) Protection of all missionaries here in Paraguay during the time of transition from one president to another. 6) Our children would like to learn to play different instruments. Chaz wants to learn the drums (surprise), but they are very expensive here. Chariti wants to learn guitar and/or piano. Kaylee wants to learn guitar, drums, and other instruments. Please pray with us that God will provide the instruments necessary for learning to play music. I think that these instruments would really help us minister effectively to the different indigenous tribes in the jungle of Paraguay.

Now, about this past week, I would like to share with you some amazing experiences. Last Friday, the director of the Assemblies of God World Mission's department, John Bueno, came to Paraguay for the 50th Anniversary of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay. It was really good to see him, spend time with him, and be ministered to by him. Also, our regional director, Dick Nicholson, and his wife, Cynthia, came to celebrate with us. It's always fun spending time with them. Our area director, Don Exley, preached two challenging and amazing sermons. Well, they all preached amazing and challenging sermons. It was a great experience for us, and we actually understood them:)

On Saturday morning, I receive a phone call at the house from someone claiming to be the Superintendent of Peru. I didn't know whether or not to believe the person on the phone, but when he asked for the number to the superintendent's home and said his name, I guessed that I should trust this person and give him the phone number. That afternoon, we had been invited, along with the other missionaries, to attend an "asado" (grill-out) at our superintendent's house. Guess who was there when we arrived? Yes, the Superintendent of Peru, Pastor Rodrigo Espinoza Celadita. He is such a nice and intelligent man. Although he is very short in stature, he is a very big man in the work of God. 

Over the next 5 days, we spent a lot of time together. I shuttled him and the national secretary of Peru, Pastor Fernando, between the events for the 50th Anniversary celebration (Cincuentenario) and their hotel. I love this man and his spirit. Our spirits seemed to connect as we shared life experiences, food, late nights, conversation, and prayed for and with each other. Before leaving, he invited me to come to Peru, teach in the Bible schools and seminaries, preach in different churches, bring a mission's team from Paraguay, tour the ministries of Peru, and visit him and his family and friends whenever we could. He said that we would be welcome with open arms and open hearts. Wow! Who would have ever thought that giving a phone number to a stranger on the phone could lead to such an invitation. I am continually amazed at the providence of God. 

When it came time for him to leave, he asked me if I liked Paraguay. I told him that we really do like it here, a lot. He said, "When you come to Peru, you will like it so much that you will switch countries." We laughed, but I think he was serious:) 

Our God is so good, and He is always wanting more for those who serve Him. Now, we are not going to Peru to change countries of ministry or anything like that. We love Paraguay, and we know God called us here. However, when God opens a door of opportunity to minister, it is not up to us to close it. If God wants us to take a trip or two to Peru to minister in that country, He will make a way for that to happen. My favorite quote is one my dad told me when we were struggling to raise our budget to come to Paraguay. I called him one day and told him I was worried that we were not going to be able to raise the needed support. He said, "Listen, son, God called, you answered, now it is up to Him to do the rest!" That's what we are wanting to happen here in our ministry. God called us here, we answered and came, now, He who is faithful will complete the work in us so that we can do the work He has called us to do for Him in Paraguay.

Ciao for now and many blessings,

Charley

Happy Mother's Day from Paraguay

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. I hope that your children and husbands are treating you extra special today. You deserve it! 

Today is a very special day to celebrate what our mother's have done for us. They gave us birth, taught us to speak, walk, and many other things. Loved us, hugged us, protected us, and generally, kept us sheltered from many bad things. I appreciate and love my mother very much. She has always been there for me. So, Mom, have a great day and celebrate as if we were there.

Mother's Day, in Paraguay, is always celebrated on May 15th. This is also el Día de la Independencia (Independence Day). No one works on that day, and they spend time with their families. This will be our first Mother's Day in Paraguay, and we are looking forward to celebrating it as a family. The kids will not be in school. So, we will be able to celebrate as a family. If it doesn't rain, we will probably go to a park or soccer field and kick a ball around, have a picnic or grill out, and just enjoy time together.

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you take time to call your mom and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. 

Blessings to all,

Charley

Results of Election

I realize that my last post left a lot of you "hanging." For that, I apologize and I write a brief update. The presidential election went by without too much happening. There were a few mini-riots or fights, but all in all, it was quiet. 

The election did not go as planned for the ruling Colorado party. This is the political party that HAD been in control of Paraguay's government for 60 years. Now, there is a new president. He is a "former" Catholic bishop and priest. He is very far left, and he is a friend of Hugo Chavez, the president in Venezuela. 

Since the election, he has been offering high-level positions in his government to people from the other political parties. Some of them are members of the Colorado party. Honestly, I don't know if much will change in Paraguay. There is a lot of corruption in the government here, and the people do not have trust in their elected officials. It was a huge upset, but after talking with a lot of people, they feel it was needed.

God is in control of everything. He knows who is president in every country. He knows where we are living, and He will take care of us. The work goes on as we try to bring as many people to heaven with us as we can.

On a much brighter note, our equipment that is being shipped from the United States to us in Paraguay for the drama has been picked up. The expected arrival is June 6th. Also, I have completed two weeks of teaching in the Bible school. God is good, and He is really helping me with my Spanish. It is not, by any means, easy, but I am making it through. 

One quick story, during my last class, I left my notes (which is huge for me), and I walked back in forth in front of the class. Basically, I was preaching extemporaneously to the class about the importance of the Great Commission, the necessity to fulfill this mandate, and the obligation we have to love others and share the love of Jesus with them. The reason I mention this is because it was the first time that I was able to speak from my heart without notes, without help, and when I was stuck trying to figure out how to say it in Spanish, God came through, just in time, with the correct words to say.

I am so grateful for a God who helps in time of need, and who is always with us.

Blessings,

Charley 

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for the country of Paraguay. On Sunday, April 20th, national elections will be held for all major offices of the government. This is a time of unrest for most countries in Latin America. Many people take advantage of the situation and cause a lot of problems. They start riots, or they commit other crimes. It is a time of political and civil unrest. 

Please pray for this nation. Pray that God's will be done, and that the enemy is thwarted in his attempts to change the history of this nation. Please pray for safety and security of all of us foreigners who work here. There is a possibility that a good friend of Chavez, the president of Venezuela, will become the next president. If this happens, it is very likely that most, if not all, foreigners (especially missionaries) could be told to leave the country. 

Our family is in the process of obtaining residency (legal status to remain in Paraguay indefinitely). This could, at the very least, be interrupted or terminated. What that means is that we would either have to start the process over again (which takes almost 2 years), or we will have to leave and re-enter the country every ninety days. Now, this is not a guaranteed process because immigration can deny us a Visa into the country.

So, please pray hard this weekend so we can do what God has called us to do. I don't want this to sound like we are scared or anything like that, but we do understand the seriousness of this election in Paraguay. I also understand that God can and will work through whatever situation there is. In fact, I believe the church grows stronger, faster, and more spiritual in times of persecution. Who knows? Maybe Paraguay needs a time of trial in order to go to God on their knees. I know, personally, that things have happened in my life that have brought me to my knees and closer to God.

Blessings to all and don't forget to go to your knees,

Charley

Mission's Convention

The other day, I posted a blog about the mission's convention at the Bible school. Here is a couple of pictures from it. At the end of the first night, everyone was given a flag of different countries. We all prayed specifically for that country. We prayed that God would send missionaries from Paraguay to each of those countries. It was an exciting time of prayer together.

The students are all excited about missions and the mandate of Jesus to take the Gospel all over the world. I believe that many of these students will one day be missionaries to a country that neither you or I could ever hope to go to. God knows what is needed. There are many countries that North Americans are not welcome to enter, but someone from Paraguay might have an easier time entering. That's what is amazing about God. He is taking people from a country where missionaries have been sent to go to other countries where we cannot go. Isn't God good!

Blessings,

Charley

Home in Paraguay

Many of you probably know by now, but we had a little setback in the process of moving into our mission's home. Just in case you don't know, the day before we were set to move in, the pipes in an upstairs bathroom broke and flooded the entire house. The kitchen had a lot more damage than other rooms. This picture is what the kitchen looks like now. 

Just below the window on the left is where the sink was and hopefully will be again soon. The wall, straight ahead, is where cabinets and the stove/oven will be. There are men here, six days a week, working on the bathroom upstairs, the kitchen, and several other places that had a lot of water damage. It has been quite an adventure.

Although frustrating, we are doing fine. A really nice missionary family that is home on itineration is allowing us to use an apartment at their house while we are waiting for the repairs to be done. As soon as the bathroom is finished and some painting is done, we are planning on moving in. It really is a nice house, but with all the mold and mildew, we couldn't move in, yet. I never knew how much damage water could do. It was all in the walls, cabinets, floors, pipes, and electricity. 

In spite of not being in our home, the work goes on. Life goes on. The kids are in school, we are meeting with pastors and leaders of the church here, we are finalizing plans for a shipment from the States of much needed equipment from Reality Ministries, and I am preparing for my first class at the Bible school. God is faithful, and He is helping us through this time. We are starting to make many new friends, and we anticipate this circle of Paraguayan friends to grow after we move into our home.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. You mean so much to us, and we thank God for you every day. Please continue to pray as God is moving in our families lives. Pray that God will make us a blessing to the work here in Paraguay.

Blessings to all,

Charley