Happy Father's Day from Paraguay

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Charley

Superintendent of Peru

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ciao for now and many blessings,

Charley

Happy Mother's Day from Paraguay

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

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

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

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

Blessings to all,

Charley

Results of Election

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Charley 

Urgent Prayer Request

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

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

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

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

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

Charley

Mission's Convention

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

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

Blessings,

Charley

Home in Paraguay

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings to all,

Charley

New Member of the Family

I just thought I would introduce you to our newest member of the family: Zoe. She is a Labrador Retriever, and she has quickly become well-loved by everyone. Sherry took a picture of each of the kids with Zoe on a Sunday afternoon. 

We bought a dog for protection, and she has also added joy to our family. She has a unique personality, and she is growing fast. Hopefully, in the next few months, we will be able to get our other Lab, Sydney, and our chihuahua, Bruno, from the States. They make our family bigger and give us a feeling of home. We miss them.

Anyway, it may seem strange to some of you that I would put our new pet, Zoe, on a blog. I just wanted to show you that life in Paraguay still goes on even though we are far from home. We still have the everyday living, work, school, cleaning, cooking, etc. that we always had in the States. So, we wanted to make Paraguay a little more like home. We all love dogs, and they also give us some more added protection.

Every day, it feels more like home here. We are adjusting quickly to the culture, food, and lifestyle here. It is totally different than anywhere in the United States, and it is fun learning how to live in Paraguay. Our family has made many new friends, and we are all enjoying times when we meet new people. Now that we have been here a couple of months, we are starting to fit in and beginning to get to the task at hand. 

In a couple of weeks, our shipment should be sent from the United States, and we should be able to start the drama soon. In the meantime, we are practicing Spanish, getting ready to teach in the Bible school, trying to get our house finished so we can move in, attending meetings, and going to as many churches as possible to meet more pastors and members.

Blessings to all,

Charley

An Amazing Week!

What an amazing week and weekend! This past week, the Bible school held a mission's convention for the students. On Monday, the services focused on Spain. The Assemblies of God in Paraguay has two families in Spain as missionaries. Less than three years ago, Paraguay had never sent missionaries to another country. This year, there will be another family that is going to North Africa. This country is more than 99% Muslim. There are less than 300 Evangelical Christians in the country to where they are going.

On Tuesday night, the services focused on China and the Chamacoco region of Paraguay. The same thing happened on Wednesday night. There were two chapel sessions every night. One for the afternoon classes at 5:20 and the other for the evening classes at 9:05. So, we ate supper every night at around 10:30. It was fun! 

In 2005, David Wilkerson came to Paraguay and challenged Paraguay to send 100 missionaries to China. Many of the Bible school students feel called to missions, and they want to go to China. Please pray with us that God will help them financially to go to China, and that doors will open for Paraguayans to reach the lost in China.

On Thursday, the focus was on North Africa. Then, another missionary preached about the need for supporting missions and sending missionaries around the world. He also talked about Faith Promises. Almost every student in the Bible school made a Faith Promise. Last year, from this tiny Bible school, God blessed them, and they gave over $600 to missions. That is amazing considering the average income for people who have full-time jobs is less than $300 per month in Paraguay. All the students are paying for their tuition, books, food, housing, and yet, they still were faithful to God and sent money to the mission field. Isn't God good?

Then, this weekend, I had the opportunity to preach at an international church. In this church, there was a German family, South African couple, Paraguayans, Japanese, Chinese lady, and a young man from Argentina. It was an English-speaking church. So, no, I have not yet preached in Spanish. I have had many invitations to preach. Sherry has had many invitations to preach, as well, but we haven't preached in Spanish, yet. The service went really well. God was working before we even spoke. I didn't know that they were having communion after the service, but God laid upon my heart to talk about being a servant. He led me to the passage in John 13 where Jesus washed the disciples feet. God led me to focus on the amazing love of Jesus, and how He taught us to always serve others. This is how we show that we are His disciples. The love we show others speaks louder than any bullhorn on a street corner. We can shout until Jesus comes! We can scream out praises to Him until we are blue in the face, but if we do not have love and show love to other people, all we are doing is making noise. Usually, this type of noise drives other people away from the Gospel message.

Then, at the end of the service, we had a really sweet time of communion together. We broke bread together, prayed together, and remembered the sacrifice Jesus made for us. 

As I mentioned above, there were many nationalities at this church. We met one couple who works at the United States Embassy here in Paraguay. His name is Mike, and her name is Jing. She is from China, he is from Oregon. They have a son named Alexander (in English), and I can't remember what his name is in Chinese. They were a really neat family, and they invited us to lunch at a Korean restaurant near the church. It was really good, but it is amazing who God brings into your path. Mike works in the political office of the embassy, and he is very knowledgable about what is going on in Paraguay. He gave me his card with his personal cell phone, and he told me if we ever needed any help from the embassy to call him. I felt honored, and I felt like God placed him in our path to help us here in Paraguay. We will see where God takes this relationship.

Just before leaving lunch, they invited us to be a part of a Bible study they host every Wednesday night in their home. He mentioned that he had a lot of theological questions he had, and he was hoping that we could come and help answer them. Pray for us, because I still have a lot of theological questions that I am studying and asking God to help me answer. Who knows? Maybe we will both help each other answer them.

One more thing before I sign off, I have been asked to teach two classes of Evangelism at the Bible school. I start in a few weeks. Please pray for me as I step out on a limb and teach in Spanish. I will be teaching some of the future ministers of Paraguay. I am excited about this opportunity, and I am looking forward to serving God in this capacity. It will be 8 weeks long. I will teach both classes on Thursday from 2:30 until 10:30 p.m. 8 HOURS STRAIGHT OF SPANISH! WOW! I can't wait!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Soccer or Fútbol

Would you like to play soccer? Take a look at this field. Isn't it nice and green? That's the thing about soccer. All you need is a small, open space, a ball, and something you can put up for goals, and you can play a game of soccer. Fútbol is how it is said in Latin America. It is pronounced almost like we say "football" in the United States.

This soccer "field" is just down the street from where we are staying until our house is done being repaired from the water damage. It is really hot in the afternoon, but almost every day, there is a group of either boys or men playing a game. They play soccer like we play football. It looks rough, but nobody seems to get upset with anybody else. I don't think I am going to join them anytime soon, but it looks fun. 

The other day, we were driving to the kid's school to pick them up, and I noticed that there was a group of boys tackling each other and throwing this odd-shaped ball around. I stopped to watch for a little bit, and I noticed that it wasn't soccer. They were playing rugby. I began asking around and noticed that a lot of people here like to watch and play rugby. I don't know much about it, but it is kind of like American football and soccer all rolled into one. Man, they tackle hard without any type of protection. I definitely will not be joining them in those type of games:)

What about us who are here to be missionaries in Paraguay or in any part of the world? Do we look at mission's work like these guys look at an open field? Can we pick up a "ball," so to speak, and join the game even though the conditions might not be up to our expectations? I, personally, am struggling with Spanish. I can communicate, but I really desire to be able to speak my heart to the Paraguayan people. I haven't learned enough vocabulary to be able to do this. The people here are really nice, and they have a lot of patience. So, what do I do. Do I sit back and not try to communicate Christ's love? No, of course not!

There are many ways we can communicate the love of Jesus without even being able to communicate, but we must also continue to try to communicate with the knowledge we have now. There is no more important message than the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. It is the only thing that can change lives. Do you know that there are people in your own neighborhood who are just waiting to hear that message and see the love of Jesus with their own eyes? Let's be that messenger today. The conditions or the "field" is never going to be perfect, but let's join the game today and stop sitting on the sidelines. Let us be the ones who show Jesus' love to the world. It is time to stop waiting on someone else to do it. What do you think?

Maybe I should ask the neighborhood kids if I can play a game with them.

Blessings,

Charley