Family Radio Mission to Asuncion, Paraguay
August 11 - August 22, 2009
LETTER #1
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:20)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, After an overnight flight and a 6.5 hr connection in Sao Paulo, Brazil, our group of 22 “Ambassadors for Christ” (14 men and 8 women) from various parts of the US arrived in Asunción, Paraguay on another Family Radio tract distribution trip.
We plan to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the people here during the next nine days by distributing thousands of Family Radio’s Does God Love You? tracts and hundreds of Bibles in the Spanish language. The tracts were printed locally and contain the current Family Radio broadcasting schedules for this area and a reference to the multilingual website. The Bibles have been purchased here as well.
We currently have 125,000 tracts and 200 Spanish Bibles (a King James equivalent) in our hotel, and we can order more of both as needed. We also brought 25,000 of the new Judgment Day tract in Spanish and many booklets and CDs of Family Radio’s Bible teaching materials in Spanish.
Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America ( Bolivia is the other). It lies on both sides of the Paraguay River and is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Bolivia to the northwest and north, and Brazil to the northeast and east. With a population of about 6.8 million, it is the fifth smallest country by population and the sixth smallest by area of the 13 countries on the continent of South America.
Asunción is the capital city and the main population center with about 520,000 people in the city proper and over 1.8 million in the greater metropolitan area. Its name means “assumption” in English; and it refers to the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary,” based on a Roman Catholic superstition that Mary’s soul and body were transported into Heaven.
Asunción is located in the southwestern part of the country near Argentina. It is the principal port on the Paraguay River, and the chief industrial and cultural center of Paraguay . It was founded by the Spanish in 1541 and is considered to be one of the oldest Spanish settlements in South America.
The principal ethnic majority (over 90% of the population) are Mestizos, who are of mixed AmerIndian and Spanish descent. The remainder is divided amongst the descendents of Europeans (mainly Spanish), AmerIndians, and Black Africans.
The principal religion is Roman Catholic, which accounts for over 95% of the population, with other Protestant denominations making up the bulk of the rest.
Spanish is the official language of Paraguay and is spoken by almost all of the population. An indigenous language called “Guarani” is also spoken and understood by about 90% of the people. The literacy rate is very high, and some estimates place it at more than 95% for people aged 15 and over.
We are looking forward to sharing the “Good News” of the Gospel of Christ and the warning of Judgment Day with the people of Paraguay, and we are praying that God will perform a mighty work of grace in the hearts of many in this part of the world.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isa. 12:2)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #2
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Thursday, August 13, 2009, Our first day of tract distribution was clear and sunny, and we experienced excellent acceptance of the tracts everywhere we worked. The people are polite, helpful, and receptive to our presence here.
On arriving at breakfast today, one of the female waiters was talking to one of our Spanish speaking ambassadors about Judgment Day coming on May 21, 2011 and said: "You are scaring me with that message". The ambassador told the waiter that she ought to be scared because Jesus Christ will certainly return on May 21, 2011. The ambassador witnessed with her for a little, after which she asked for some tracts and booklets and she said that she would most definitely tell her mother and the rest of the family this message, because they all need to know about it.
After a short meeting to organize the work, we divided the group into six teams and fanned out to various locations in Asuncion. All except one team has a Spanish speaking person on it, and that really helps with the communications.
One team worked in a busy plaza; another was assigned to a shopping mall but was refused permission to distribute there, so they went to a market where they emptied out. Other teams worked at bus stops, other markets, and on the streets in general.
One team submitted this report, which is a good example of our work here:
Our team took a 20 minute taxi ride to the Terminal de Omnibus Asuncion, which was the assignment for the day. Two ambassadors remained on the streets surrounding the terminal and worked the pedestrian traffic and the many city buses that traversed the area bringing people to the terminus to get the long distance buses to various locations outside of the city of Asuncion.
Meanwhile the remaining two ambassadors went into the terminal, a huge complex with many vendors and a hive of activity as the people were hurrying for to make their connections. They conducted the distribution efforts which were very productive for about fifteen minutes, when the terminal officials came and told them that they could not continue to work there. They asked for the manager so that they could obtain permission and the manager gladly obliged. The ambassadors were very excited at alacrity with which this permission was granted and continued working the area.
This activity lasted for about another fifteen minutes, when another group of officials came and stopped the ambassadors, telling them that the owner of the establishment did not want them to conduct that kind of activity there perhaps because of one young man who was very irate about the message of both the Does God Love You? as well as the Judgment Day tracts.
The ambassadors asked to see the owner, but got only as far as his secretary; therefore the two ambassadors could not continue working in the terminal and meanwhile, activity on the streets where the other two ambassadors slowed up considerably.
The team leader asked one of the newspaper vendors in the bus terminal about another busy location in around the area and he informed the team leader about a large market called the Number 4 Market that was ten minutes away by the local bus, and it was expected to have many people. The team traveled to the location, and the newspaper vendor's direction was right on target, because it was indeed a huge market that occupied numerous city blocks in length and was about five city blocks deep.
Using the point where we disembarked the bus as the central location, two ambassadors went to the right, and two to the left and covered the area, distributing both tracts, as well as the teaching booklets with almost 100% reception, by God's mercy. The team was able to finish off its tracts and booklets at this location, with very few discards, and the team also fielded a few questions about May 21, 2011 as well as the end of the Church Age, and providing an opportunity for our Spanish speaking ambassador to witness to these dear people. One man was so glad to receive a Bible that he even kissed it, showing his sincere gratitude for such a precious gift.
May the LORD be merciful to many in Paraguay.
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" (Ephesians 6:17-18)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #3
"Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
Today our group leader and his team went to a large men's prison to see if they could get permission to distribute there. After explaining what they wanted to do to several levels of authority, they finally got to talk to the big boss. He was reluctant at first because they had some churches that were handling the religious activities there, but when they explained that Family Radio was not associated with any churches and taught only from the Bible, he finally agreed to let us come on Monday to distribute. When the group left, they went immediately to the Bible Society book store and purchased over 300 more Bibles to take into the prison on Monday.
Three teams (a total of twelve ambassadors) traveled to three small cities outside of Asuncion to spread the Gospel. The first stop was a city that was one hour away from Asuncion with a small market and other locations conducive to tract distribution. Then we traveled for another fifteen minutes to the next city, which seemed smaller than expected and not too many people were out and about. The team found out that there was no market in town as was previously thought; nevertheless, the four ambassadors for that team remained there, working from door to door in the neighborhoods, visiting the shops and stores, and other places of business in the area. They were able to go into several schools without any problem.
The remaining team traveled for another twenty minutes to the city of Caacupe, which is reportedly the ¨"spiritual capital" of Paraguay because people travel from all over Paraguay and even other countries of South and Central America to visit the large cathedral there.
On the way to the last stop, by God's providence, they noticed that a school was just being dismissed, so they told the van driver to turn around and take them to that location. They arrived there just in time to get the majority of the students (from kindergarten to elementary) and their parents/guardians who had come to pick them up.
They continued into town, and the van driver, being sensitive to our need for busy areas, took them to four other schools (including a high school) that were dismissing between the 11.30 am to 12.30 pm time period. They we were able to distribute many tracts and booklets to the gracious and warmly receptive students, teachers, school guards, staff personnel, and the like, in their classrooms, in the courtyard, and on the streets.
Then they decided to walk the streets of the town, going from one business establishment to another, a supermarket, a park/central plaza, and a mid sized bank with about 50 staff personnel, plus security guards. Although there were no large gatherings in any of the three cities, they are thankful that they were able to meet pockets of people with whom we shared the message of hope and the warning of Christ's soon return using both the Does God Love You? and the Judgment Day tracts. With our efforts the LORD enabled, these cities will never be the same again.
When all three teams had re grouped and were on their way back to the hotel, they stopped at a barrio that seemed to be built in and around a garbage dumpsite. There was debris everywhere (plastic bags, scrap metal, old tires, and every other kind of trash). The shacks where the people lived were even constructed out of materials from the dumpsite.
Nevertheless, these people were eager to receive the True Gospel that promises eternal life and were standing in front of their shacks waiting for them as they traversed the area, sharing tracts, Bibles, and FR teaching materials.
They again had some wonderful witnessing opportunities and were able to tell many about God's methodology in these waning days of the earth's history is to work individually with His people and not through a church or congregation. We encouraged these dear people to read the Bible and never cease beseeching God for His mercy and saving grace.
The remaining two teams worked in markets in Asuncion, and all teams reported a successful day of sharing the words of eternal life with the people of Paraguay and were thankful for the privilege.
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." (1 Cor 4:2)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #4
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
Saturday, August 15, 2009, Today was another productive day of tract distribution, and a particularly interesting one because of the Roman Catholic celebration of the "Assumption of the Virgin Mary." There was a parade with bands, clowns, and dignitaries; and the President of Paraguay made an appearance with all of his security personnel. One of our group was distributing tracts in the crowd and almost handed a tract to the President; but just when he was reaching for it, a security man took it from our ambassador's hand and indicated he would give it to him.
Another team was assigned to the Cathedral area where thousands of chairs were set up in a park in front. Since they got there very early, the team split up; and two men decided to go into a nearby barrio area. However, a policemen stopped them before they got there and said they could not go there because of the danger. But after explaining what they wanted to do, the officer insisted on escorting them through the barrio and was impressed by the kind reception they received.
When the people arrived in droves to the park, our team was right in the middle handing out tracts to the crowd including the security and military personnel, the band and choir, and all the priests and nuns. By God's wonderful grace, everyone took the tracts; and the amazing thing is that no one objected. May God be merciful to those dear people.
Other teams worked in especially busy markets and shopping areas, and most of them reported high distribution rates and excellent acceptance.
One team submitted this report of its activities:
"We took a taxi from our hotel and drove for about 45 minutes to the town of San Lorenzo to visit the market there (reportedly one of the largest markets in Paraguay). The market was expected to be extremely crowded, Saturday being one of its busiest days. Our expectation was fulfilled, because there were hordes of shoppers and vendors inside and outside the market, as well as many buses that were loading and unloading passengers. There was a steady flow of foot traffic as people went about their shopping for the goods and services that the market provided.
"We stationed ourselves at two busy cross streets, two ambassadors at each location and the people were readily accepting both the Does God Love You? and the Judgment Day tracts and the FR radio teaching booklets, and the few Bibles we had with us. We worked for about four hours, with no let up in the flow, then took a short break from the diesel fumes of the buses.
"While on the break, our team leader learned from a young gentlemen, who spoke fluent English, and with whom he had been witnessing, that the crowd at the market was only at a 10% capacity because it was a "holy" day and most of the people were in the capital city of Asuncion to participate in the festivities at the Cathedral and other places in the downtown area.
"We depleted our entire load of about 10,000 tracts. We thank the Lord for a very blessed time of distribution in the city of San Lorenzo, and note that this is a perfect location for a return visit when the activities there are at full strength."
We thank God for the many witnessing opportunites that our Spanish speaking ambassadors had today, and for His hand on all of our activities. May God continue to bless our work here for His glory and honor.
"Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." (Isaiah 51:7)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #5
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." (John 20:21)
Sunday, August 16, 2009, We sent the teams to various churches, soccer matches, markets, and some family style events today. There were a number of events scheduled for the children as part of the "Assumption" celebration of yesterday called "The Day of the Children" (El Dia de los Niños).
One team went to the Botanical Gardens where there was a museum, a zoo, and different games and events. A large crowd was arriving when our team got there, and they distributed to the people in vehicles and pedestrians who got off buses and arrived on by other means.
Two members stationed themselves on either side of a main road into the gardens and began to pass out tracts to families as they entered. A short, elderly lady laid out a blanket on the ground next to them and began to display hats for sale. One team member gave her a tract, which she seemed very pleased to receive. So the team member brought her a few booklets, which she was even happier to have. Then the team member went back, found a Bible, and brought it to her. With that, she through her hands in the air and screamed, "Hallelujah!" She hugged and kissed both team members, clutched the Bible to her chest, and went back to her hat display, wiping away tears from her eyes.
She came back to the team members several times to express how much the Bible meant to her and to point out verses in it to them. A smile never left her face for the rest of the time that the team stayed there; and she frequently opened her new Bible and read from it. Although many tracts were passed out in the botanical gardens, we knew that the Lord had made a special appointment for us there today with the "hat lady."
Another team went to another town called Nemby where there was a huge festival taking place for the children at a park associated with a cathedral. There were all manner of rides, clowns, games, and other kinds of entertainment for the children. That afforded an excellent distribution opportunity for our team.
One team submitted this report:
"Today we had three assignments, one was to visit Club Ytororo (e to RO ro) of San Antonio, where there was expected to be that city´s celebration of "Los Niños;" and then two soccer stadiums. We hired a taxi for the day and traveled to our first location. It appears that we arrived too early at Club Ytororo because the festivities were not yet in full swing, and there were not sufficient people out and about to be productive for four ambassadors. Two ambassadors remained there, and the other two went to a large Cathedral that we had seen on the way to the Club Ytororo.
"The two ambassadors reached quite a few people there who had gathered together to participate in a catechism conference or school for different age groups, both old and young. By God´s mercy we had a very receptive audience, with everyone gladly accepting the tracts.
"Then this mini team moved on to a community stadium which seemed to be for little league soccer. There were children ranging from 8 to 14 years of age on the football field with their parents looking on from the bleachers. They shared the Gospel of Grace with these dear people and even got the players while they were on a little break.
"Then they went back to Club Ytororo, only to find that the other two ambassadors were having a very tough time with the church people. Apparently this was a Charismatic Catholic church that was having its regular Sunday Service, which included a healing ceremony in celebration of the "Assumption of Mary."
"They certainly did not appreciate the message of the Does God Love You? and the Judgment Day tracts and were very irate to the extent that they physically shoved the two ambassadors. They told them to get out of there, even though the ambassadors explained that they had to wait for the taxi to return. By God's mercy the other mini team returned before the situation escalated further, and the whole team left the area; but not before they were able to share many tracts in the town of San Antonio. May God be merciful to those dear people.
Overall, we had another very blessed and productive day in the Lord's service.
"Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD." (1 Chronicles 16:10)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #6
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalms 34:8)
Monday, August 17, 2009, The weather turned cool and rainy today, but it did not dampen our spirits for distributing tracts and witnessing the True Gospel to the people of Paraguay. We continue to thank God for His hand on all that we do, for the positive acceptance of the tracts, and for so little opposition to the hard message presented.
A team of six ambassadors went to the large men's prison today and their report follows:
:The facility is located within the city of Asuncion, and it is about 25 30 minutes from our hotel. We got there around 9.30 a.m., and the Chief of Security was waiting for us. On the way into the complex, we encountered several security personnel equipped with machine guns. Then we went through the customary security checks and were allowed into the complex.
One of our Spanish speaking members spoke with the Security Chief and informed him of our desire to get the precious Words of Life into this complex, which houses about 3,500 inmates in six cell blocks.
"One of our Spanish speaking members spoke with the Security Chief and informed him of our desire to get the precious Words of Life into this complex, which houses about 3,500 inmates in six cell blocks.
"After a few minutes, about 150 inmates came to hear our message in a large room. They sat in orderly rows, and they listened with rapt attention as the ambassador talked with them about the end of the Church Age and God's impending judgment on the world. He informed them that the only way of escape is by the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Then we shared the Does God Love You? and the Judgment Day tracts with them all and gave them some Bibles and FR teaching booklets. The Security Chief was gracious enough to allow us the visit individual cell blocks, and there again the inmates gathered around to listen as each of the four men took turns speaking, either individually or via an interpreter from the group. They told the inmates that any one of them could be one of God's elect and that God will save them on a personal basis through His Word. They encouraged the inmates to read the Bible and pray unceasingly to God for His mercy that He might save them.
"The Security Chief informed us that there were twelve leaders for the six modules, so we divided the remaining Bibles, booklets, and tracts so that each leader had materials to share with the inmates who were under his care. Included among the inmates we encountered were four Muslims and a man from Cyprus.
"Everything went very smoothly at the prison complex, and although the weather was cool (about 50 degrees), we were warmed by the unexpectedly marvelous reception that we received by the prison officials, security personnel, and the inmates themselves. May there be many of God's lost sheep in this facility whom He will set free from the prison of spiritual darkness.
"The Security Chief asked us to come early in the morning on Wednesday to give the same message to both shifts of guards. Please pray for the two men who will come back to do that.
With the idea of spreading the Gospel as far and wide as possible, three teams went by van in a southerly direction to three more towns the third town being about two hours away. The first team got off at a very small market and covered the small town on foot going from door to door and catching people wherever they could find them. Most of the people stayed indoors because of the weather, but the team was able to distribute a surprisingly large number of tracts, a few Bibles, and booklets despite the conditions.
The second team did the same thing at the next town. It was a little bigger and was busier. There was a fairly large market and a plaza area, and they reported good success. They were able to give tracts to many school children and shopkeepers, and the acceptance was almost 100 percent.
The third team experienced the same acceptance in the third town, which was a little smaller than the second. They first went into a covered market area, and then the rain came pouring down for about a half hour. There were very few customers, but the vendors all gladly received the tracts. When the rain stopped, they took the van to three schools where the children were either letting out or going in, and they were able to distribute over 1,000 tracts, some Bibles, and FR teaching materials in that town before it was time to leave. Now all three of those towns have the True Gospel message of salvation and judgment perhaps for the very first time and will never be the same again.
One team went to the San Lorenzo market and experienced the same good acceptance of the tracts, and the Spanish speaking member of the team had a number of witnessing opportunities there. Overall, they had a very productive day of distribution.
Our group leader ordered 40,000 more of the Does God Love You? tracts and 200 Bibles today, and the first batch of tracts will be delivered on Wednesday afternoon.
"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalms 34:18)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #7
"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:26))
Tuesday, August 18, 2009, Today was overcast but not as cool as yesterday; and all teams were assigned to the suburbs, or "barrios," surrounding the city where the people live. One team submitted the following report:
"Our assignment today was to visit the Maka people, who live on an Indian Reservation about an hour from our hotel and close to the Asuncion airport. The taxi driver had a very difficult time navigating the main road to get into the heart of the reservation because it was full of pot holes and large puddles from yesterday´s downpour.
"We got to the Welcome Center for this reservation, which is actually a tourist attraction where people from all over the world come to see the living conditions of the indigenous people of Paraguay. At the Center, there was a school where many of the community´s people had gathered because food distribution was taking place, and they became a captive audience for sharing of the spiritual food of the Gospel.
"By God´s providence, as soon as we started our distribution, a man from the community introduced himself and informed us that he would be our guide for our tour of the reservation. We gladly accepted his offer; and he took us first to their Arts and Craft center to view the products that the reservation is contracted to produce for sale in the souvenir shops at the airport, and we gave tracts to the people working there.
"Then our guide proceeded to take us to the homes where the families desperately needed Bibles. Their homes were make shift shacks with roofs of rusted, corrugated iron sheets with old tires on the top to keep them from blowing off, and the floors were bare dirt.
"We had a wonderful time of distribution in this community as the warm hearted people eagerly accepted the tracts, Bibles, and booklets. We encountered a man who is somewhat of a spiritual leader for the community. He said he was Baptist, and he and the tour guide were very enthralled with the message that our our Spanish speaking ambassador gave them. He wrote down the Scripture references that our ambassador pointed out to him in the Bible he had just received.
"May the Lord change the hearts of these two men and use them mightily in the furtherance of the True Gospel in this community, in accordance with His will. We left some booklets and tracts with the tour guide, and he promised to take them to another Indian tribe that is on a similar reservation about 40 minutes away from the Maka reservation.
"Since we were already away from the city and did not have any Bibles for our next barrio assignment, we decided to share the remainder of our tracts in the town of Remansito, which is across the Paraguay River from Asuncion. The taxi driver took us directly to a school with a community clinic adjacent to it, and we were able to share the words of eternal life with the students and with people at a small clinic.
"Then one of the students pointed out another school that was not too far from the clinic, and there we went from classroom to classroom and shared tracts with no complaints from the teachers. Very soon after that, there was recess, and children of all ages poured out into the school yard, and gladly received the tracts. Our Spanish speaking ambassador talked to the students and told them how important it is to read the Bible and pray for God's mercy for themselves and their families while there is still time.
"Then we broke into two mini teams and traversed the streets of that rural community, and shared the message of hope with these dear people. We regrouped at the main road, and while we were wondering if we could get a bus to take us back to Asuncion, there came a bus, and lo and behold, its route took us just two short blocks from our hotel. What a blessing! The one hour ride on the bus was productive as well because we still had a some tracts that we shared with the incoming passengers, and there were also a few witnessing opportunities."
At our nightly meeting, the other teams shared their experiences in the barrios, and we marveled at how the God's hand was upon each team for guidance and protection as we brought the True Gospel to these dear people of Paraguay. May He be merciful to many.
"The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #8
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13)
Most teams went to the barrios with the remaining tracts this morning. The barrios are neighborhoods where the people live. They are not high productivity areas, but the people there make it a real blessing for us as we hand out tracts, Bibles, and booklets.
One team walked to a barrio along the Paraguay River not far from the hotel. The streets and alleyways were narrow and filled with all manner of filth; but the people were very receptive to our presence, and the acceptance of the tracts was close to 100% with very few discards. One man who received a Bible said it was the first one he ever had, and he wants to read it to his family. Other people who received Bibles could not believe it was free. We tell them it is a gift from God to them, to read it every day, and to pray for salvation.
Another team visited the barrio/suburb of Fernando de la Mora and submitted this report:
"This was a middle class community with fenced yards behind which were ferocious dogs, expensive cars, and other visible signs of the materially well off. Although the purpose of our work today was primarily to minister to poor people, the closest we came to poverty was a little boy walking a donkey back into his home, a family of four sorting out bottles from the recycled garbage, and another man and his wife going around the community on a donkey cart selling fruits and vegetables. We gave each of these families tracts, Bibles, and booklets.
"We also shared with construction workers, some students, and many office personnel in and around the area. Then we made our way back to the main road and continued our distribution at a busy intersection where there were two large supermarkets across the main thoroughfare from each other. There was a steady flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and we finished sharing the tracts, Bibles and booklets at that location.
"Our Spanish speaking ambassador was again blessed with many witnessing opportunities. A student from a technical school said that his father, who did not attend a church, was a devout student of the Bible and was always trying to convert him. Our ambassador told him only God could transform an individual and that he should beseech the Lord for mercy while it is still the day of grace. We gave him a Bible and some booklets, and he said he was going to read the materials and share them with his father.
"We thank the Lord for yet another wonderful day of sharing the words of eternal life with these dear people of Paraguay, and pray that there would be a bountiful harvest of souls in this part of God´s vineyard."
The other teams reported similar experiences at some other barrios; and one team was given unhindered access to a large hospital where they were able to distribute all their tracts.
Another team gave a Bible to a lady who lived in a garbage pile under a bridge, and she carefully covered it with a plastic bag to make sure it did not become soiled. We pray that God will save that poor woman, who has so little earthly pleasures, and give her all the riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
We received all of the 40,000 tracts that we ordered on Monday this afternoon, and we plan to distribute them in the markets and other busy areas during the next two days. May God continue to bless our efforts here for His glory and honor.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay
LETTER #9
"The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate." (Psalms 34:22)
This is our last letter covering the last two days of work in Paraguay.
Thursday, August 20, 2009, The weather turned cool, windy, and overcast again today; and all the teams took full loads of tracts from our new order of 40,000 to markets and other busy areas. We continue to marvel that the acceptance remains close to 100 percent everywhere we work, and we thank God for preparing the hearts of these dear of Paraguay to take the tracts and read them. In fact, a vendor in one of the markets that we have visited several times said that he had received a tract on four different occasions and has read it completely four times.
One team went to a huge wholesale market called "Los Abastos," where there were many trucks loading and unloading foodstuffs like flour, eggs, milk products, and all manner of fruits and vegetables. They gave tracts to all the workers and found a retail market that had a lot of vendors but not many customers quite possibly due to the weather. After they had covered that market, they came back to our hotel for a break, and then went out again to a busy area nearby to catch the evening crowds and finish their tract loads.
Another team visited several schools in an outlying town, and the students gathered around the team members asking a lot of questions about why we are in Paraguay and about the messages on the two tracts. One young boy spoke perfect English and translated the questions and answers to and from Spanish for our English speaking ambassador. Then the team came back to Market Number 4 in Asuncion, and they finished off their tracts there.
Still another team went to a big hospital where its Spanish speaking member was given unlimited access inside the facility while the rest of the team caught the crowds of people coming and going from the main building and the emergency room. They were able to empty out there before returning to the hotel.
All teams reported similar stories of good success, and we plan to distribute the remaining tracts (about 13,000) tomorrow
Friday, August 21, 2009. This is our last day of distribution in Paraguay, and the team that was assigned to cover a number of schools submitted this report:
"Over the last two days the Lord has provided us with many wonderful opportunities to reach the student population of Asuncion, as we were able to visit about ten schools. With God's perfect timing, we reached them either as soon as they dismissed during the 11.00 am to 12.30 pm time frame, or when they were entering between 1.00 to 1.30 pm for the afternoon session. (The schools operate on a shift basis with three shifts each day.)
"On this trip we have seen that the Lord has really inclined the hearts of the school children from elementary to college to be very respectful and inquisitive about the May 21, 2011 date for the Rapture and the first day of the Day of Judgment; and some seemed to recognize the seriousness of the situation, given that we are exactly 21 months away from that date.
"We were able to communicate with these students the need to read the Bible and beseech the Lord for His mercy and saving grace; and they were most appreciative even begging for additional information at which time we would point them to the website on the back of the tract.
"On this trip we have also seen how God is working in a mighty way to draw His elect unto Himself, so that we are convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that "... the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7), despite our eagerness to get the message out
"Here is a case in point: Our team worked in the town of Luque yesterday, and we met a lady who lived in another town quite a few miles away. Our Spanish speaking ambassador offered her a tract, and she promptly said that she already had received one from her neighbor. Maybe she is one of God´s elect on whom He is working at this very moment to save.
We are indeed grateful to God for using unprofitable servants such as we to proclaim the message of salvation to these dear people of Paraguay, and we thank the supporters of Family Radio for their prayers and contributions that make these trips possible. We pray that the Lord has many of His elect who will become saved in Paraguay for His glory and honor as a result of our work here.
"Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD." (Psalms 107:43)
In Christian love,
The Family Radio Mission Group in Paraguay