Hospital

Greetings to all in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I write to you today with mixed feelings. It has been a tough week, but also a week with moments of joy and peace. Our co-pastors, Enrique and Miguela, are expecting their fourth child. They have three sons: Leo, Elías, and Leandro. They are expecting a daughter. Miguela has high blood pressure and other issues. Last year, on the very day we opened our Santa Ana campus of the church, she has a major seizure, out of the blue, and almost died. With her blood pressure and anti-seizure medicines and her age, she is a very high-risk pregnancy. Last Friday, she was admitted to the hospital because she was having the same symptoms she had before she had the seizure. It has scared them and their family.

Most of you can probably imagine that the public hospital system here is not that good. There are four beds in her room (if you can call them beds), and the hospital was built in 1943 and has been condemned. In fact, in just a few weeks, they will be demolishing it to rebuild a new one. So, it's not that nice. It's not that clean, and yet, they are happy because they know that God is providing for them.

God is using their lives to minister to other families that have had children and/or are awaiting the birth of their child. Enrique told me that on Monday a young man, who lives only one block from our church, came in to visit his sister who had just had her baby. He is a drug addict at the age of 17. No hope, no desire to live, and struggling with daily things like finding food to eat or water to drink. Things we take for granted. Enrique and I will be visiting him this weekend or next depending on whether or not we can find him. Please pray with us that he will allow God to free him from his prison of sin and drugs. That is our hope! That is our prayer!

God please help us to minister to Mathias and his sister. Please free them from everything that is holding them back from having a personal relationship with you.

Blessings to you all,
Charley

Update on the New Church Plant

It's been an amazing couple of months to start the year 2014. It has been incredibly hot and humid here in Asunción, but we have had some incredible time with the Lord.

At the first of the year, we started a prayer service on Thursday nights. Since that time, we have had many "small" things happen to us and those who attend our churches. This is not meant to be complaints or trying to make you feel uncomfortable or sorry for us. I just want you all to see what we have been up against and how God has poured His amazing grace upon us, His servants.

I am just going to list, in random order, all of the things that have occurred since we began the weekly prayer service: broken down motorcycle (which a member relies on for work), busted windshield (very random), loss of work, loss of money, nose-bleeds (major with no warning or explanation, doctors still can't figure out why), air-conditioner breaking down, another one breaking down, business owner not being paid for the work he has done, truck breaking down, car breaking down, accidents at work, family problems (major ones), stitches, random & weird illnesses, deaths of family members, people of the community speaking ill of us, people saying we are preaching false doctrine (btw, we preach Jesus and Him crucified and resurrected), etc.

Now, many of these things, and much more, happen on a normal, daily basis; however, we have seen an increase in these "small" things happening to our small group of church people. We average around 18 people on any given Sunday. It seems like, every day, we are seeing things happening that are out of our control. What do we do? How do we handle all of these things that happen to us?

Our church is rejoicing! We count them all joy, as James says. Why? Because we know that all suffering, all trials, are for our good. They benefit us, as a church and as believers, because they teach us that it has nothing to do with us. It's all about Jesus! We know that we are doing something right because we have seen opposition grow and become more vocal. The neighborhood witch is not happy, at all. The priest is beginning to stir up trouble, too. Even some of our own denomination and pastors from another denomination are beginning to stir up some trouble for our small church.

Sometimes, we ask ourselves, why, but then, we remember, it's not about us. It's about HIM! We keep ourselves focused on Jesus, and we allow Him to respond for us. It's been amazing watching Him work on our behalf. He is solving all of these problems right before our eyes. He has begun to give us favor with so many families and businesses. He is working in Asunción, and I know that He can work where you are at.

Counting it all joy, my friends,
Charley

Feliz Año Nuevo/Happy New Year

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

Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas from hot and humid Asunción, Paraguay. 

The forecast says that we are in for 110 degree weather all week long. That is definitely preaching with a towel weather. Normally, I preach with a handkerchief or rag, but with the way this summer is starting out, I will need a hand towel if not a full towel to preach with. One of the members of our church told me after preaching on Sunday that she thought I had a hose on the back of my head because sweat was just pouring down from the top of my head. It definitely is a hot one.

 We have been seeing God do some amazing things in our small church. We have been focusing on Acts and seeing how the first church did things and how, normally, we do things. God is showing us all that His way of "doing church" is in no way the same as we normally do church in the U.S. or in Latin America. Most of the time, our churches are focused on us, the believers, when that is not at all what church or christian life is about. It is amazing to see what God is doing in the lives of the children, youth, and adults as we see God opening our eyes and understanding of what it means to be a part of His church.

 We are learning that we must die to ourselves, stop thinking only about us, and focus more on others, serving others by serving God with all of our heart and reaching out to a community that is dying without knowing of His love and forgiveness. We are learning that the first church dedicated themselves to the Word of God, to fellowship (meeting each others' needs), to the breaking of bread (remembering what Jesus did for us), and to the prayers (praying, praying, and praying). As they did this, God performed many sings and wonders and miracles, and HE ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED!!!!

That's the key! God is adding to the church daily, not me, not us, not the programs, not the music, not the preaching, not the buildings, GOD and ONLY God adds to the church daily those who are being saved. And He is doing just that! We are beginning to see Him move in the lives of so many people. Many are still uncertain or afraid to enter a church because of the negative light that has been placed on organized religion over the past several years. Also, there is a focused intent by the catholic church to try and evangelize more. Many Latins are afraid to go against the teachings of the church; therefore, they are afraid to enter into an evangelical church for fear of being excommunicated. Please pray with us that they allow God to free them from this trap. We are praying for the same thing.

I have uploaded a few pictures from our kids program. You can find more on our Facebook pages.

Blessings from Paraguay,
Charley

New Ministries and New Challenges

For some reason, my last blog entry did not save or post. Weird, but that's what happens sometimes.

I wanted to just update you on what God is doing in Paraguay. There are so many things that have happened in the past 6 months that it is almost too difficult to write about them all.

Personally, it has been a challenging six months. We said good-bye to our two daughters. I said good-bye in July as Sherry got on a plane with Chariti & Kaylee to take them to the States to begin their adult lives. It has been so hard for this dad to be without his girls. I really miss them, but I know that they are doing what God has called them to do. As we come up to Thanksgiving and then Christmas, this year will be really hard for me. I love both of these holidays, and I have not celebrated either of them without my two girls for almost 20 years. I never understood what some of my friends, colleagues, and parents were talking about when they told me how they felt when their children left home. It is not fun! I wish I could just keep them home forever, but we know that is not possible. We keep praying for them as they step out into their new lives. Thank God for Skype and Facetime.

In March, we planted a church in Santa Ana, a really poor and lost neighborhood of Asunción. Every day, someone is stabbed or shot and their is at least one murder per day in this barrio (neighborhood). We see kids (little kids) drinking alcohol and doing drugs because there is nothing else for them in this barrio. Drug lords, witches, alcoholics, gangs, etc. all have free run of the barrio. The police don't even enter into the barrio for fear of the drug lords and gangs. God has given us favor and brought peace to the street where we are meeting. We rented a little salon and have been seeing God move mightily in the lives of 30-50 children each Saturday in our kids' church. Many of them come to church with bruises, cuts, and really long, sad faces and with a hunger from not eating for 2-3 days. They leave with a smile and a full belly and more knowledge of the One who loves them and calls them His treasures. We love these kids. I could tell you story after story of each of them. God's faithfulness to our family through each of you has helped us to reach them and many young people in this barrio. 

On November 1, we began a new job. We have been asked by the Executive Council and General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay to be the new National Mission's Directors. What this means is that we are in charge of taking care of the five Paraguayan families who are currently missionaries, building up the support base for these and future missionaries, and casting the vision for the future of the mission's department in Paraguay. We need your prayers and financial support more than ever. 

Neither one of these ministries were in our budget for this term, and we really need a blessing from heaven in order to continue doing what God has called us to do. I am sure you understand what we mean when we say that God has opened up doors of ministry that we never dreamed possible. Please pray with us that the Lord of the Harvest continues to send forth workers and provide for those workers as we continue to serve Him here and around the world.

Blessings to all,
Charley

Mita Renda/Lugar de Niños/Kid's Church

 Here are some pictures from our Saturday Kid's Church. Sherry is helping to serve the dessert that Miguela (Enrique's wife) has prepared for the kids. It was arroz con leche. 

The name is in Guarani, and it means Kid's Place. The name is Mita Renda (Me tah wren dah - is how you sound it out). It has been amazing watching God work through this simple hour and a half to two hours with anywhere from 35 kids to 60 (and growing). Without even advertising it, the first Saturday Kid's Church had 40 kids from ages under 1 to 15 show up. They were quiet, reserved, nervous, and didn't participate at first. Now, they love coming and being a part of Kid's Church. They know that on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. (Asunción Time), there is a church just for them.

 Every couple of weeks, we teach them a new scripture verse, and our puppets help us teach them. They memorize it so fast especially when there is candy involved in helping them learn it.

 At the end of every service, we provide a meal for each of them. We sit in a circle, talk about how they are treasures of God, remind them of the lesson for the day, then we pray together for peace, protection, provision, and for the food.

 The girl, smiling, sitting to my right is named Yesica. Two of her sisters are sitting on the sofa behind me, and her mom is the older lady on the right (above on sofa). This is the first time that I saw her smile, and all I did was tell her that she was beautiful. I had just finished telling her that when Sherry snapped this photo. I am telling the boy to my left, Andrés, the same thing. He got a kick out of it, too.

 The bored-looking teenager in this photo is Chaz. Actually, he's not bored, he was enjoying joking around with Micaela. She's the younger sister of Yesica, and she is really shy. She smiled for the first time in two months this past Saturday (June 22, 2013).

 This is Enrique, one of our helpers in the Kid's Church and the regular church. We are praying that he and his family will be the future pastors of Doers of the Word Assemblies of God Church. Chariti is in the middle of a couple of very active girls and a two year old boy named Thiago. Thiago loves to do the motions on the songs and loves to try and talk to the puppets.

 Here is a closer picture of the arroz con leche.

 With the help of Jesus Responde, we are able to serve them a good lunch of pasta, sauce, chicken, and bread.

 You can see Chariti, Kaylee, and Chaz helping lead the children in worship. The kids love to "dance" with the music. Below, they are helping lead the worship with the puppets' help.

 Above: You can see Enrique lining them up to give them each a sucker. The little boy in the very front is named Lizandro. He has been attending off and on. Very dirty little boy who is always hungry. If we allowed him to, he would probably eat the whole time he is there. I often wonder how many times he actually gets to eat each week. He has a temper problem, as well. He gets angry and wants to run away at the littlest things. Please pray that we can get through to him and that God's love can heal his troubled heart and spirit.

Below: Chariti and Kaylee are helping the kids to play "soccer" while crab-walking. It was fun to watch them do it. You can see a few seconds of the doing it below this picture because I have uploaded a video to this blog. Please let me know if you can't open it.

 Above: Video of the worship time with our puppet, Tito. It's fun for the kids to participate. They enjoy it, a lot.

Below: Behind the scenes, Chariti (and inside Tito, Elias) helping the kids sing and do the motions.

 Below is a video of the kids eating lunch. It's fun to watch!

New Church

This past Sunday, March 3, 2013, we stepped out in faith and began a new journey in our ministry here in Paraguay. For some time now, God has been directing our steps and speaking to our hearts about doing something more for Him here. As things fell into place, we could see God's hand of guidance leading us to a place we have never been before. Doors opened up wide before us, things fell into place, and we stepped through the doors and began walking with Christ through this journey of faith.

As a result, we are now pastors of a brand-new church that we have called, Iglesia Cristiana Hacedores, "Doers of the Word Church". We are using James 1:22 as our theme verse: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." I like how the Message Bible translates this verse: "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!"

This was the theme of the first message. James goes on to say the to basically pretend to listen and not do what the Word says is like a person who looks in the mirror, walks away, and two minutes later forgets what they look like. When we look into a mirror, we can see the wrinkles, scars, marks, signs of problems, etc. that are on our face. We walk away and, more often than not, forget what we saw until we look into the mirror again. We do the same thing when we look into the mirror of our soul, the Word of God. We listen, we read, we peruse through, pass over, and take a few minutes to read a passage or two. We see, in this Mirror, our defects, our scars, our sins, and signs of problems in our life, but when we set It aside and walk way, we forget about them. We forget what we read, what we listened to, and we don't do anything to change it. Some of the problems we see in the mirror, we can correct. All of the problems we see in the Mirror of our soul, Jesus can correct. He can and will forgive. He can and will help us to grow. We just need to become doers of the Word and not just hearers. 

In the church today, we have so many hearers and hardly any doers. Lord, please help me to be a doer and not just a hearer thus deceiving myself into believing that I am your disciple.
 

Charley preaching in the first service at Iglesia Cristiana Hacedores

The first service was held at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening, March 3. We had 39 in attendance (including our family) and 15 raised their hands to either give their lives in service to Christ or to completely give their lives to him for the first time, trusting Him to save them from their sins. It was so impressive to see God working on their hearts and lives.


As we begin this new church, we look forward to what God is going to do. We know the challenges are ahead, and they are sometimes very difficult to overcome. We also know that God is with us. He will lead and guide our every step along the way.

Blessings to all,
Charley

What would you do?

Sometimes, in ministry and in life, there are things that you have to do that you don't really want to do. Pay bills, pay taxes, obey laws that don't make sense, go to five different places to get one sticker placed on your car so that you will be legal, fill out endless forms, visa requirements, haul dirt to fill in a hole, sweat profusely while you try to preach, etc. All of these have a back story that is very interesting, but I won't take the time to tell them all in this blog.

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of ministering in Guarambaré. A small town about an hour outside of Asunción. It wasn't a big church, but every person in the church worked hard during the drama. They prayed, they fasted, they memorized their parts, they helped set up and tear down the scenery, and they ministered faithfully.

The first night of the drama, at 7:30 p.m. (the starting time), we were informed that our devil would not be coming. Apparently, the military had called him to duty, and they wouldn't let him go until Saturday morning. There was no time and no one else so guess who had to play the role of the devil? Yep! I had to!

I love being able to do that altar call. Through all the sweat, tears, prayer, stress, casting out demons, calling upon Jesus' name to help us, lights blowing out, power going down, etc., etc., etc., it never ceases to amaze me when the altars fill with people who realize that they need a Savior. They need someone to help them through this life, to forgive them of their sins, and to give them hope. 

Was it hard? Yes, harder than I ever imagined. Was it worth it? I kept thinking it wasn't worth it until we heard a testimony on the last night. On the last night, before we start the drama, I usually have the cast share testimonies. For some reason, I forgot to do it. After we finished, they had a meal prepared for us. During the meal, one of our actresses shared a story about what happened in her family on Friday night. I will share it here.

She comes from a home where she has only known a drunken father. He swore and swore that he would never enter any church in his life. He was an abusive father and husband and led a very destructive life. For some reason, unknown to the actress, her father came and gave his life to the Lord. He told her that the devil in the drama scared him so bad that he knew he needed to give his life to Christ. I guess I must have been convincing. Maybe that's what I am. Just kidding!

You never know! When you have to do something that you don't want to do, give it your all. You never know who is watching and what God will do in their lives.

Blessings to all,
Charley

 

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

HEAT

I was thinking today of writing about HEAT. Heat, glorious heat. We just spent 9 days in Chile near Santiago with most all of the missionaries from the Southern Cone (Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay). While it was great to be with them, to see them, to share life's journey, to be understood, etc., I found myself really missing the HEAT! Yes, I love the heat of Paraguay. Do I sweat? Of course, all the time. I even preach with a towel instead of a handkerchief, but I still love it.

I've often thought about why I can  tolerate 120-130 degrees with high humidity (if it's possible to tolerate something like that, maybe survive is a better word). I mean, I used to complain when it would get in the 90s in Southern Missouri in August. 

I was thinking again on this, today (because it's really hot and the air conditioner is not working), and wondering. Why do I like this? Why do I do this? I could be in the United States, working a normal job, maybe attending a church and working in one as well, but that's not enticing to me. Why isn't that? Am I abnormal? (My brothers aren't allowed to answer that question) 

As I was wondering about that I received a phone call from a pastor of a church we have been attending. They have been awesome to our three children. In fact, Chariti, Kaylee, and Chaz are at practice, right now, for the upcoming youth camp. They will be doing a dance routine and other things with their youth group during the camp. They come home from practice excited to be a part of something like this. Anyway, he called to let me know that a project we have been praying about has come to fruition. 

The church, First Assembly (the only one in Paraguay) or Iglesia del Centro (Downtown Church), has been meeting in a really tiny room with space for about 50 people. Many more would like to attend the church, but there just isn't room. We've been praying about selling the building, purchasing land, and building. The land was purchased just before Christmas. Last Wednesday evening, Pastor Simon talked to someone about purchasing the building, and it sold. In fact, tomorrow will be the last service in it as we have to be moved out by Monday. Talk about a fast answer to prayer.

After the phone call, I knew why I love the HEAT. Whether it's the heat or the humidity, whether it's the heat of every day living in Paraguay, whether it's the heat of ministry, or whether it's the heat I place on myself to do things correctly, I know that I am here for a purpose, and I love serving God in the heat of Paraguay.

Maybe there's some heat in your life that has got you all boiled up and steaming over. Give it to the cooling waters of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to soothe you, calm you, and cool you. You know what? He loves you and wants the best for you. Just ask Him and see what He won't do for you!

Blessings to all,
Charley

(photos: a picture of myself and the pastor of our church, Simon Arias)


Also, you can check out a video on my Facebook of Sherry and the kids in their Christmas play: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2929181384291&set=vb.1103640131&type=2&theater

Amazing!

The past few months have been a whirlwind. To sum it all up would take several pages of writing. I will briefly (in a timeline fashion) inform you as to what has been going on. Here goes:

August 8-left (3 hours late due to marine layer in L.A.) the States for Paraguay.
10-arrived (24 hours behind schedule) in Paraguay.
11-rest of August and September, repairs on mission's owned home (electrical problems, broken lights, air conditioners broken, fire in chimnea over the grill, etc.)
August-preaching in many different churches, we saw over 100 people come to Christ
September-Chariti's birthday,preaching in more churches, teaching at Bible school, more repairs on house, watched as 24 people were saved and 12 filled with the Spirit (whoo hoo)
October-traveling to many churches and preaching, teaching in Bible school, meeting new pastors, more repairs on home, getting older (i.e. birthday), blessed to witness the re-birth of 22 new brothers and sisters in Christ)
November-preaching in more churches, Bible school ends for year and graduation of 26 students, watched as God called people into ministry and many were filled with the Spirit
December-a month full of blessings, miracles, and my first baptism service in Paraguay. One young teenager (the only Christian in his family) was baptized and came out of the water speaking in tongues. I had never personally witnessed anything like it before. It was amazing!

Now, we are in a new year. It is a year of expectation, of blessing, and of hope. I really believe that God is going to do some amazing things, this year, in Paraguay. We are looking forward, in anticipation, to see what He will do in our beloved, adopted nation of Paraguay. Please remember to pray for us. Without you, we cannot do what God called us to do. We need you, we love you, and we pray for you!


Blessings,

Charley

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

Trip to Wisconsin

My family and I are still itinerating. This past weekend, we were given the opportunity to travel to Sheldon, Wisconsin. We stayed with some friends, who have become like family, in Holcombe, Wisconsin. Yes, there was still a lot of snow on the ground. It was cold, for me, but not for them. There were a lot of people walking around in shorts and t-shirts. 


Anyway, the Sitler family took us to Grape's Sugar Bush where we went into the woods and learned how they tap maple trees for the sap to make maple syrup. Then, we went to the barn or workhouse to see it being boiled down into syrup. Of course, we had to taste some of the sap and syrup and had some maple candy. Really sweet! It was a wonderful time. I really enjoyed learning about the process of making maple syrup. They even gave us some root beer made out of the maple syrup they made at their farm.


Also, we went to a store where they sale cheese and other dairy products. The owners are the parents and grandparents of Dylan. Dylan was a young man that had cancer and his one wish was to own his own dairy. Before he passed away, his wish was granted and his family still runs it in his memory. If you've never had real Wisconsin cheese, then you haven't had cheese. It's amazing, and of course, we bought a few pounds of cheese and tried several different kinds.


On the trip to the farm and dairy store, there were many interesting conversations in our van between Chaz and two of the Sitler grandchildren. Their names are Zara and Zander Groothousen. Zander is 6 years old, and he kept trying to get Chaz' attention by yelling, "Hey, talker! Hey, talkative, talker!" Finally, Chaz asked what he wanted. Here's the conversation: Zander: "Chaz, have you ever been to Madagascar?" Chaz: "No." Zander: "Have you ever been to San Diego?" Chaz: "Yes." Zander: "What? You've been to San Diego? That's so cool!"


Anyway, we got a kick out of it. I guess San Diego was a bigger place to visit than Madagascar. He seemed more excited about it than asking about Madagascar. There were other conversations, as well, but I can't remember them all.


We went to Wisconsin to do a Faith Promise mission's service at Sheldon Full Gospel Assembly of God. Their regular monthly mission's giving has averaged around $890 per month. After the Faith Promises were taken up, they had commited to having God give $2760 per month in mission's giving. I can't wait to see what God is going to do for this church in the near future. Their faithfulness to obey God will result in every blessing being poured out in abundance so that every need is met and they have enough to do what God asked them to do. It says in 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.”


If there is something that you need or your church needs, why not take God at his word and step out in faith and obey Him? When we do this, He is able and willing to provide every blessing in abundance. If your church is struggling, why not take on some more missionaries and see what God will do for you.


We are almost there. We only have 8% to raise for our monthly commitments and $15,000 on one-time cash offerings. Please continue praying with us to see God finish up our budget so that we can get back to Paraguay and do what God would like us to do.


Blessings to all,
Charley

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We wish all of you a very merry Christmas and  a Happy New year. 

This past year has seen us travel all over this great country of ours visiting many churches, meeting new friends, and raising our budget. It has been challenging, fun, and busy. A big thank you to each and every one of you for praying for us and supporting our family and ministry in Paraguay. You are a blessing to us.

One big thing that has happened during this itineration has been a move of God in each of our services. In almost every one of the services, people have given their lives to Christ and made Him Lord of their lives. It has been amazing to see Him work in people's hearts and lives.

As we come to the end of another year, we are thankful to God for His many blessings in our lives. We are thankful for His provision, His safety in our travels, health, and His annointing upon our lives and ministry. We are thankful that we have almost finished this itineration, and we will be headed back to the country of our calling. We can't wait to return "home" and continue the work in Paraguay that God has called us to do. God has provided 90% of our needed monthly budget and 20% of our needed cash budget. In order to return to Paraguay, we still need $1,200 in new monthly commitments and about $25,000 in one-time offerings. We would like to return in January, but we know that is just around the corner. The plans are to return by or before April of 2011.  Please pray with us!

Would you pray with us as we continue to travel from church to church telling them what God is doing in Paraguay? Would you pray for protection, help, and provision?

Thank you to all who have already made that commitment to pray and support our ministry. To those of you who would like to help us out, please contact me via email or phone. You can find that information on our website: www.mattixfamilynews.com.

Blessings to you all,

Charley, Sherry, Chariti, Kaylee, & Chaz

Schedule

Here is a quick update of our schedule for the rest of August and September:

This weekend, we will be in Caruthersville, MO at First Assembly of God for the morning service and Holcomb, MO for the evening service. Both of these are the Assembly of God churches in those towns. If you are in the Bootheel of Missouri, please join us for the services. We are looking forward to being with Pastor Rob and family on Sunday morning and Pastor Richard and family on Sunday evening at 5.

August 29, 2010:  open

August 31, 2010:  7 p.m., Central Bible College, Springfield, MO

September 5, 2010:  Assembly of God, Stockton, MO

September 12, 2010:  Full Gospel Tabernacle, Sheldon, Wisconsin

September 19, 2010:  open

September 26, 2010:  First Assembly of God, Sparta, IL (a.m.)

September 26, 2010:  Bethel Fellowship, Florissant, MO (p.m.)

October 1 & 2, 2010:  People's Church, Arnold, MO (Mission's     Convention)

October 3, 2010:  People's Church, Arnold, MO (Mission's     Convention-a.m.)

October 3, 2010:  First Assembly of God, Camdenton, MO

October 10, 2010:  Trinity Tabernacle, Bridgeton, MO (a.m.)

October 1o, 2010:  open (p.m.)

October 17, 2010:  Northview Assembly of God, Joplin, MO (a.m.)

October 17, 2010:  open (p.m.)

October 24, 2010:  Tampa Assembly of God, Springfield, MO (a.m.)

October 24, 2010:  open (a.m.)

October 31, 2010:  open (a.m. & p.m.)

November 6, 2010: Grace Assembly of God, Florissant, MO (Mission's Convetion dinner)

November 7, 2010:  Grace Assembly of God, Florissant, MO (Mission's Convention/Faith Promise Service)

November 10, 2010: First Assembly of God, Nixa, MO

November 14, 2010:  open (a.m.)

November 14, 2010:  First Pentecostal A/G, Ottumwa, Iowa

November 21, 2010:  Orlando, FL

November 28, 2010:  Orlando, FL

December 26, 2010:  First Assembly of God, Buffalo, MO

So far, this is our schedule for the rest of they year. As you can see, we have several dates where we don't have anything scheduled (especially almost every Wednesday evening). If you could pray with us so that we can fill up our schedule with services. In order to raise our cash budget, we need at least 10 services per month. Right now, we are averaging 5 services per month. Please pray with us that doors will be opened for opportunities to minister.

God is moving during our itineration. So far, we have seen 250 people come to know Christ or re-dedicate their lives to Him in our services. He is touching lives and changing hearts as we continue to serve Him at each and every church. We thank God for working through us!

Please pray with us that God continues to work on our behalf. We still need to raise about $1,500 in new monthly support and a little more than $32,000 in cash offerings. As many of you know, we are living in a different time, but God is faithful. What is amazing is that with all of the support that has fallen off, God is bringing in new partners. Please continue to pray for us as we are "home" raising the necessary support to live and serve God another four years in Paraguay.

Blessings to all,

The Mattix Family