We hope and pray that everyone is having a great start to the new year. 2014 has begun and we are in our 16th day of this new year. God has been so good and faithful to our family. I just wanted to update you are where we are all at and what we are all doing.
Charley, Sherry, and Chaz are in Paraguay working in our new church plant, Iglesia Cristiana Hacedores, and we are loving what God has been doing through our church. We are also serving as the new directors for the Mission's Department of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay. With both of these ministries, there are many challenges. If any of you have ever planted a new church or been involved in a new church plant, you know and understand the many challenges and decisions that need to be made. It's fun to be a part of and to see what God is doing through our small community church.
We have seen so many hurting kids and youth in our neighborhood, and God is helping us reach them, one by one. Many do not trust anyone. So, it has been a slow process of earning their trust. When we began our children's ministry in May of 2013, many of the kids would not even look us in the eye. Now, they come running up to us for a hug, each and every Saturday. In this hot weather, we have seen a slight decline in numbers. Please pray with us that we can raise the money to buy an air conditioner for the small space we are renting. We have found that it will cost us about $2,500 to get the size of air conditioner that we need. Thanks for praying with us.
In the Mission's Department, new pastors are beginning to see the need to support their foreign missionaries. We have four families in three countries serving God faithfully. It is amazing being a small part of what God is doing in Paraguay.
Chariti is in Waxahachie, Texas attending Southwestern Assemblies of God University. She completed her first semester with all A's. We are so proud of her, and we are seeing God work through her life as she has been chosen to be the team leader for a mission's trip of a group from SAGU to Mozambique. She just began her second semester and is very busy with schoolwork and ministry activities.
Kaylee spent a few months with her grandparents in California and taking some School of Ministry classes there. The cost of living in California is very high. So, she has decided to move back to Springfield, Missouri to look for a job and begin taking more School of Ministry classes. Her new roommate has so graciously taken her in and is helping her get settled, find a job, and find a church that will allow her to minister while she prepares for her call to missions in the Middle East. We thank, publicly, Pastor Ted Cedarblom, for all his help with Kaylee.
We thank each and every one of you who pray for us, daily. We cannot do what we are doing in Paraguay without your prayers and your support. Although our monthly support has taken a huge blow in the past six months, we continue to trust God for His provision. So far, we are staying afloat. We would appreciate your prayers for our finances. We still have two more years to go on this term, and we would really like to get this church healthy and strong before we head back to Missouri to itinerate. Please pray with us that those who committed to support us, but haven't for the last year, will be reminded of their commitment and help us finish this term strong.
Again, we thank each and every one of you so much for your support. We know the sacrifices that you are making, and we trust that God is blessing you for your faithfulness.
Serving Christ with you,
Charley & Sherry Mattix
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