Drama Ministry

In July, we held an outreach at Centro Familiar de Adoración (Family Worship Center). This church has over 40 daughter churches with over 20,000 people attending. The main sanctuary can hold up to 15,000 people. We held the drama ministry over a Sunday morning and evening, the following Friday night, and ended on Saturday evening. 

For us, it was an amazing thing to see over 10,000 people come to each performance, but it was even more amazing to see over 12,000 people fill the altars after the 4 drama presentations. We are trusting that God ministered in a special way to each and every one of them.

After working with the church for over a month in fasting, prayer, and training how to evangelize and disciple new converts, the week before the drama we held the main practices. Just choosing the cast was a monumental and long task. It took almost 4 hours because we had 165 people try out for 36 parts. Every one of them wanted a speaking part. We ended up having over 200 angels (not all were at each presentation at once), 10 demons, extras for the party/drug scene, and we ended up doing 11 different scenes. The logistics, lighting, video, sound, etc. were all done by the church. A nice woman from the church who is in charge of decoration did all the scenery. The equipment that we have would not even begin to cover the choir loft. So, the church worked really hard to make it look nice. 

The sound and lighting crew worked really hard to get the sound just right (especially for Satan's voice), and they hired a lighting company to come in and add a lot of lights to what they already had in order to make it look really nice. The video crew worked really hard, as well. It took a lot of work and a lot of hours of preparation and working on the computer programs to get it all working, and it was all worth it. 

The latest report from the church is that they have added a lot of new people to the church. The youth pastor, Herman Juilfs, told me that his youth group is now running over 1000 each Saturday night, and their cell groups are adding more each week. That's the reason we do it. We desire for the churches to grow. 

Tomorrow night, we start another month of fasting and prayer with a church in Guarambaré. It's about an hour outside of Asunción. In October, we will have three nights of the outreach there. We are looking forward to seeing what God will do in this church to help it grow and see more people come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Blessings to all,
Charley

"Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" Paraguay

Being the national directors of "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames"("Las Puertas del Cielo y Las Llamas del Infierno") in Paraguay is a challenging but fun job. Not only do you work with people who are sometimes not that committed in their relationship with Christ, you also have to deal with electrical issues, props being misplaced, power outages, etc. It makes for an interesting time of work and ministry.

This weekend, we had the privilege of doing the drama outreach in Villa Elisa, Paraguay. The churches name is Centro Familia de Adoración or Family Worship Center. When we started the drama, the church had around 40-50 people. After three nights, they are now trying to consolidate or disciple the 206 people who gave their lives to Christ. 

Here are few testimonies. I wanted to write them down before I forget: 

Thursday night: Before the drama begins at each church, I give an altar call for the cast. On this first night, 12 cast members gave their lives to Christ. It was amazing!

After the drama ended that night, a young lady came to me with her family and explained that she had just arrived from Spain that afternoon. Her family brought her straight to the drama. She came up to me afterwards and told me that God has been chasing her. She said she just can't run anymore. She came forward and gave her life to Christ. So, all the way from Spain to meet Christ. What would have happened if we would not have done the drama?

Also, on Thursday night, the altars filled with weeping couples, fathers, mothers, children, teens, etc., as the Holy Spirit was moving on their lives. It was emotional and amazing! God knows how to change live. We watched as 67 people gave their lives to Christ.


Friday night: During the altar call, I felt a strong need to speak to fathers. There is a scene in the drama with a father and son where the father encourages the son to work hard and he'll get all he wants. He even goes as far as to say that the son's mom has enough religion for all of the family. There is no need to accept Christ. Giving your life to Christ doesn't get you the nice car, the nice home, etc. Only hard work does. They both end up going to hell in the drama. As I was talking to them during the altar call, I had them all bow their heads, and I asked the fathers about their lives. I asked them if they have been trying to provide everything for their families except for the one thing they really need, a personal relationship with Christ. I told them that the only thing that could help their family was for the fathers to become the spiritual leaders that they needed. One gentleman, that God laid on my heart, looked directly at me and nodded his head. He was the first to raise his hand and the first to come forward. Many fathers came forward as we saw another 67 people give their lives to Christ.

Saturday night: As we were beginning the drama, there was a heaviness in the building. It was palpable. You could feel the tension and sense a presence that wasn't very nice. I was trying to introduce the drama and begin the ministry. It was very difficult. I finished the first part and exited as the cast began the opening scene. I walked out of the church and began walking around the outside praying. I could just sense a presence of something that was coming against the ministry. The cast could feel it, the pastor could feel it, and you could sense it. It was tough! We prayed throughout the entire drama. Towards the end, some of the cast came and informed me that the four drug addicts/drug pushers from the neighborhood (the one's who use and control the drug flow in the neighborhood) had come to the drama. I told them that wouldn't it be amazing if God saved them tonight. Guess what happened? Yep, He did! I found them in the audience and spoke directly to them in the altar call. The Holy Spirit gave me a boldness and confidence that I normally don't have, and all four came to the altar. What is even more amazing is that the pastor informed me that they all came to the church service on Sunday morning and were asking questions about salvation, Christianity, etc. Pretty cool!

I sometimes don't understand why me and how God can use me? Don't get me wrong. I know He can use me, and I enjoy when He does, but I am still amazed each and every time. He is so good to me and to my family. We love Him and love serving Him in Paraguay. 


The same God that works in Paraguay can and will work wherever you live. It just takes a complete reliance on Him. I have been saying a lot lately that many Christians will tell you that they believe IN Jesus Christ, but the one thing that I have noticed is that many Christians do not BELIEVE Jesus Christ. What I mean by that is that they believe that Jesus exists, and He may even be their savior, but they don't really believe His words and His promises. He promised to never leave you. He promised to be with you when you go and make disciples. He claimed to be the Son of God, He said that all power was given to Him in heaven and on earth, He healed, He saved, He taught, and so much more. Yet, sometimes we find ourselves not believing that He actually meant what He said and that He spoke the truth. He also promised He would return again some day! Do you believe Him? Do you believe His words are true? 

I hope you do. If not, and you would like to, then pray this simple prayer and mean it in your heart, and you will be saved. Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, but I know you love me. I ask you to forgive me of my sins, come into my heart, and save me. I believe you are the Son of God. I confess to you my sins, and I give you my life. I want to live for you the rest of my life. Help me to leave my sins behind and serve you. Help me to love others as you have loved me. Thank you for dying for me so that I can live with you. In Jesus name, Amen.


If you prayed that prayer and meant it in your heart, then you are saved. It's vital that you do 3 things, right now. First, tell at least three people what happened just now in your life. A good one to tell would be a pastor of a church that preaches the Word of God. Others, would be family members and friends. This step will encourage and build your faith in Jesus. Second, you need to pray and talk to God, every day. What is praying? It's communication with God. Just speak to Him and tell him how you feel, what you are thinking, and what concerns you. Reading the Bible is the best way to hear from God. He speaks through His Word. Third, it's very important to find a place where you can be with friends who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That is why we have to attend church. It builds us up, helps us feel part of a community of like-minded believers, and it helps us learn. It is critical that you find a place that teaches the Word of God and it's truths.

I trust and pray that this blog finds you where you are at and encourages you to live for Christ. There really is no better way to live. Maybe you've tried many other ways, and you just need to give it to Him. I promise you that He can and will save you!

Please feel free to contact me via this post, email, or on twitter.


Blessings,
Charley

charley.mattix@gmail.com
@charleymattix

Bible School

Last night, I was teaching a class on Soteriology (hope I spelled that correctly for all of you theologians). Here the class is called Soteriología. Anyway, it was the second of nine weeks at the Bible Institute in this specific class. I was teaching on the reason for Salvation (the class is the doctrinal study of salvation and divine healing), on repentance, and on faith. When the class was coming to an end, the Holy Spirit began to move when I started discussing with them degrees of faith like small faith, big faith, tested faith, proven faith (at least that's how I translated them). Then, when I went into talking about active or inactive faith and how we maintain our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask them why they were at the Bible Institute or why they were attending Bible school.

I began by asking them their reasons for attending. Are you here to find a spouse? Are you here to earn a degree or title? Are you here because you think it will give you a name or make you into someone important here in Paraguay? Are you here to study and learn? Although that last one is a good enough reason to attend, I pushed a little further and told them that they are attending a place where they get to spend time with God in each and every class and chapel. They should be taking advantage of the next four years to ask God to speak to them, to minister to them, to teach them, and to show them His will for their life. They need to be here for the best reason: to see God, to know Him, to know His works, and to draw closer to Him and allow Him to reveal His plan for their lives.

As I was talking to them about faith and allowing God to give them more faith and them to receive it, tears began to fall on several students' faces (and mine). Several slipped out of their desks and went to their knees before a presence so holy that we all knew the Holy Spirit was ministering to us. I fell to my knees and began to thank God for meeting us in a small Bible school classroom with 14 students in Asunción, Paraguay. It was amazing!

We have been back "home" now for a month. There has been a lot of news of severe cases of abuse, neglect, murder, rape, and other serious crimes. Most of them are committed by fathers and mothers to their own children. Also, many of the young people of Paraguay have lost all hope and are taking their own lives. There has been such a feeling of sadness and despair in this nation that it has been difficult to break through this barrier. I have been asking God to help me break through this in some way. Last night, it was (at least to me) as if God was saying that He had everything under control. All I need to do is depend on Him, and He will help me get the job done.

Maybe you are struggling today with the feeling that God is not near you. He can't hear you, or He isn't answering your prayers. Instead of worrying about it, begin to praise Him and thank Him for saving you, for blessing you, or for something good in your life. Begin asking Him to give you more faith, then receive this free gift from Him. I promise you that the same Holy Spirit, the same God who met a small group of Paraguayan students listening to a gringo teach them about faith, will meet you wherever you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

Blessings to you all,
Charley

What price are you willing to pay?

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to do the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames," again, in a church named Buenas Nuevas (Good News). I thought it was cool to share the Good News in a church named Good News.

Anyway, it was a rather unique experience for us. The cast, this time, was the Bible school students where I teach. Normally, we go into a church that has invited us, and we choose the cast from the volunteers that show up. Members or attendees in the church who want to share what God has done in their lives with others through this powerful drama. So, we went into this drama not knowing what to expect because we didn't get to meet with the church members or talk to the pastor too much beforehand.

The pastor of the church is an amazing person. He is the National Treasurer of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay. He opened the doors of his church to us, allowing us to use the facilities to do this outreach. Not only did he open the doors, but he encouraged his people to get involved in the discipleship process. They caught the vision of the drama and began inviting unsaved people. They put together packets of information with an invitation letter to a brindis or fellowship the following Monday after the drama. It was awesome!

Over the 3 nights of the drama, we saw 150 people come forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ! Now, Pastor Nery (the pastor's name) and I feel like there were more than 150 people, but we only have 150 cards filled out. The church people and some of the Bible school students worked hard at consolidating or following up on our new brothers and sisters in Christ. On Monday night, 50 people returned to the church for the fellowship and Pastor Nery gave them their first discipleship class. Also, thanks to the Arkansas and Southern California districts men's program, Light for the Lost, we were able to purchase a complete, hardback Bible for each and every one of them and all the others who have given their lives to Christ. We thank all of you who support Light for the Lost! Your new brothers and sisters in Christ thank you, as well.

There was one particular salvation that I thought was just amazing. It was amazing because of how God did it. We arrived early on Saturday evening before the 2nd night of the drama. There was a gentleman asleep on the ground in front of the church. Two of our students went up and talked to him. He was a homeless gentleman who didn't have a job, money, or clothes. It looked like he hadn't bathed in a while. The students and I invited him to come inside, and we would get him something to eat. He said that he was fine, and he wanted to come in, but he didn't have the proper clothes to go inside a church. We told him that it didn't matter what he was wearing, but he couldn't do it. He promised to come back the next night. We weren't sure that he would; however, as we were getting ready to start prayer time before the drama on Sunday night, in walks this man. He looked the same as yesterday, and he really felt uncomfortable. One of the students had brought some clothes for him with them. We took him to the shower. He showered, shaved, and ate some empanadas that we had purchased for him. He looked like a totally different person. He sat through the drama, and at the end, he came forward to accept Christ.

I often wonder, "What price do we place on a soul? How much would you give or pay to see one person saved?" Did we spend that much, really, to make him feel comfortable enough to enter the church and attend a drama that ended up changing his life forever? How much would you give in order that someone could hear the Gospel and be given the opportunity to meet Jesus? I know that I am willing to give my money, my abilities, my time, my love, and my life.

Oh, by the way, this man now has a job and is living in a small apartment while he is trying to get his life back together. If you don't think that Jesus can change lives, here is living proof that He CAN and WILL.

Blessings,
Charley

Third Night

I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am to God for all He did for us, this weekend. This was the third night for our drama presentation of "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames." The crowd starting arriving around 6:00 p.m. By 6:30, it was full. In a building that can only hold about 80-90 small chairs, 200 people crammed into the small space to watch the drama. This church went all out inviting unsaved people. I couldn't believe the effort that these amazing people went to so that their family and friends would have an opportunity to know Jesus. 

We actually started this one at around 7 p.m. People were still coming, but we started the drama. It went really well. We didn't have any major glitches with the technical side, and everyone did really well. It went really smoothly. I attribute that to the constant prayer by all of the actors, pastors, and lay people of the church. There was always someone in the back room and in the front of the church, praying. It was what really made this drama, successful.

There are so many testimonies to share, but it would take up a lot of space and time. I will be sharing more, later this week, but I am exhausted, tonight. Suffice it to say, for now, that the total of salvations came in at, officially, 120 people. 66 more salvations, tonight. What is amazing is that out of that total, 30 are family members of the cast!!!! Praise God!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Second Night

Tonight was the second of three nights. I am learning that nothing goes as planned here. When we arrived, we set up all the equipment, and everything was working great. The microphones all worked, the lights all worked, sound and video was all working great. I was encouraged to find everything working fine. When prayer time came, I went to the room where all of the cast was supposed to be and found about 10 people there waiting for prayer. I became a little discouraged. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was raining. When it rains in Paraguay, normally noone comes to any type of service. I began to wonder if that meant that the cast wouldn't come, as well.

We were supposed to start the drama at 6:30, again. 7:00 p.m. came around and we were still missing the dad from the Christian family scene, one of our secerataries, a businessman, 2 teens, a drug addict, our satan, our head angel, and 4 or 5 angels. I was beginning to wonder what was going on. How could I question what God was doing? At around 7:15, a group of about 20 people showed up, filling up the rest of the space in the auditorium. They were all friends of our devil. Every last one of them were unbelievers! He had invited them from his neighborhood. God knew that if we started at 6:30, they would have missed almost all of the drama. And wouldn't you know that every last one of them came forward to pray to accept Christ as their Savior.

Also, we had a huge crowd, tonight. I think almost every seat was taken. When I first gave the invitation, no one came forward. I inwardly prayed. Talked some more. Gave another invitation, and no one came forward. I prayed some more. Talked a little more, and gave another invitation. One gentleman came forward. I looked him in the eye and told him thank you for coming. Then, it was like a floodgate opened. More than 40 people, in a tiny church that can hold about 80 people, came forward. It was all I could do to keep from crying as I watched this miracle displayed before me. I sure am grateful to God for this opportunity to serve Him. It is so awesome! That makes for a total of 54 salvations in two nights! Can't wait for tomorrow night!

Oh, by the way, another testimony from last night. I told you (or you can read about it) about the police officer who gave his heart to the Lord. Well, I just put it together today that if the microphone would not have been broken by the young lady last night, I would not have walked around the church to tell Sherry that it was broken. Then, I would never have seen the officer crying, and I wouldn't have asked the pastor to go and talk to the officer. Who knows? Maybe he wouldn't have asked Jesus into his heart. Who knew that a broken microphone could be used of God to make sure that someone is given the chance to accept Christ? I promise to look for more "broken microphones" the rest of my life. 

Blessings to all,

Charley

First Night

Tonight was the first night of our latest drama. It was very challenging and amazing. I am always amazed at how God works no matter how much goes wrong. One of our guardian or centurion angels didn't get to the church until 30 minutes after we were supposed to start the drama. The hour to start was 6:30 p.m. We started at 7:30 p.m. In the opening scene, one of our drug addict girls, twisted her leg and had to be carried out by one of the other actors. She still did her scene, and she seemed better after the drama. She got so excited and emotional about being dragged off to hell that she forgot to gently place her microphone on the tile floor. She threw it down, instead, and the microphone didn't work the rest of the night. So, some of the actors had to yell our their parts instead of using a microphone. We are dreaming of some day having the headsets or lapel mikes for the actors. If someone has any spare lapel mikes or headsets, we would love to have them in Paraguay. We will be home for itineration in 2010, and we would love to help you get rid of some old lapel or headset mikes (hint-hint:D). The rest of the drama went well, and the church is really excited. One of the pastors came to me and said that they have never seen anything like this before in their church.

God worked some amazing things. 10 people responded to the altar call. There were only about 30 in attendance. Hey, I just realized, 10 is pretty good. 1/3 of the audience accepted Christ! Awesome! WOW! God really is good! After I sent all of the group back with the cast so that the cast could meet them, pray for them, and help them in their new lives, a young couple came forward and asked me to pray with them. They didn't want to miss heaven, and they wanted to accept Christ. I prayed with them and sent them back to meet the cast and pastors of the church. 

Then, pastor called me over as I was re-setting the mikes, lights, props, etc. to talk with a man. As I got close, I smelled a really strong odor that almost knocked me over. I realized, immediately, that this man was as drunk as a skunk. I think I might have become a little tipsy just from the smell. He began quoting scriptures and talking about what Jesus and Peter did and said. I couldn't understand half of what he said, but he started crying and talking about how he appreciated me so much for coming and doing this drama. He knows that he needs Jesus. I asked him to be honest with me and tell me if he wanted to live for Jesus. He said, "Yes!" So, we prayed together and he asked Jesus into his heart. He talked for several minutes more about MANY different things. Pastor Francisco and I hugged him (getting the remains of vomit transferred to our shirts -oh, the joys of ministry:), and we prayed for him, again. He walked out a little straighter and with a little more of a smile. I am praying that God work a miracle in his life.

Pastor invited us to eat some hot dogs or panchos, as they are known here. They are not quite the same as in the States, but they aren't too bad. As we were eating, Pastor Francisco mentioned that a police man had accepted Christ, as well. Yesterday, Pastor went to the police station to let them know what was going on at the church. They offered to send a policeman to guard the church during the drama. He came, and I noticed that he was really watching the drama. One time, as I was running around trying to fix things and send cast members in to do their part, I noticed that he was crying. I asked the pastor to talk to him during the altar call. Pastor asked him what he thought about the drama. The policeman said that it was beautiful and amazing. They talked some more, and the policeman asked the pastor if he could accept Christ, too, even though he didn't go down front with the rest of the people. Pastor prayed with him. After I have my 2 panchos, I went out and asked the officer what happened to him tonight. He said, proudly and with a big smile, "I accepted Jesus as my Savior!" We talked, I prayed for him, and he allowed me to hug him. He was so proud to be a Christian! It was such a privilege and so awesome to see it happen!! 

The last thing about tonight, and I will finish. One of the other pastor's came to me, and said that in all they years he has been there, there has never been 10 people accept Christ in one service. Wow! 25 years of this church, and never have they seen 10 people accept Christ at one time. I actually felt a little defeated because ONLY 10 came forward. I learned a big lesson tonight. Even if it is only 1, it is still 1 soul that will spend eternity with Jesus Christ. 1 soul is worth all of the sweat, stress, work, problems, and everything!!! Thank you to all who are praying. The struggle begins anew tomorrow night at 6:30 (maybe :D) east coast time! Please continue to pray so that the enemy won't have a chance to keep away those who have their appointed time with God. We want more souls won for Jesus!!!!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Challenges and Salvations

It is time, once again, for another drama presentation. This one is at a very small Four Square Church in Barrio San Pablo. The title of this blog is "Challenges and Salvations." First, I will start with some of the challenges we have faced with this specific drama. The lighting has always been a problem, but on this one, it wasn't the only problem. The sound and video didn't work for the longest time until I was told by the electrician that we have too much stuff plugged into our transformers. Who would have thought that this would affect the sound and video? Well, I always learn something new each drama. The pastor of this church called in a professional electrician to help, and he has done a good job. The lights work with all the switches that we put in, and we should have lighting this weekend. The other problem, which we can't figure out, is the sound. In order to hear the sound from the computer, we have to crank it all the way up. Then, we we add the microphones for the actors, we get a nice big sound of feedback. Oh, well, we will try to work with it. Sherry is really good with adjusting on the fly. She will have her work cut out for her, this weekend. Please pray for all the technical problems!

Depsite all these problems, and a few more, God is really working overtime on this one. Thursday night was the dress rehearsal. After the rehearsal, I gave an altar call for salvation and rededications. 25 members of the cast rededicated their lives to Jesus. As we were praying with them afterwards, a young girl came up and asked if she could go to heaven. I asked her how she can get to heaven, and she said by asking Jesus to be the Lord of her life. We prayed and she asked Jesus into her heart. It was a beautiful God-moment. It was awesome! Her name is Monse (pronounced MOAN-SAY). Please pray for her new life. It is difficult to serve the Lord when the rest of your family are not Christians.

Tonight begins three straight nights of doing the drama. We are anticipating that God is going to do great things. The cast and crew are prayed up and ready to serve the Lord. They are ready to receive the new converts, and we are excited to see what God is going to do. Tonight, following an hour of prayer with the cast, we will begin a battle for lost souls. Please, please, please ask the Holy Spirit to take control of the entire weekend. There are many diving appointments that we would love to see happen. Please pray that God continues to speak to hearts and souls as they enter the church and are given the chance to either accept Christ or deny Him. Please pray that they accept Him!!!

Blessings to all,

Charley

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

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

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