Only 4 Months Later?!

My mother kindly reminded me the other day that I said I was going to write a blog once a week. As you can see if you have looked at my last blog it has been about 4 months! 

In July Paty, Juliano, Camila, and I went to a youth camp for the district. It was a great opportunity to see how God is working in Paraguay! We also got to meet many new people and now we have some friends we can hang out with from time to time. We were also in middle of planning for a short term team that was coming in August.

In August we had a short term team which included my parents, sister and some others from my church. It was also awesome to see some people that were with me during Love Extreme and during the time when I faced with a lot of decisions in regards to my missionary journey. We had many different activities going on during the short term team like: Hospital visits, Plaza events, Living water, and School visits. There were a lot of new contacts brought in that we followed up on and are following up with to this day.

In September we went to Argentina again and stayed for about three days. While there we helped with some outreach events and some workshops. The church in Argentina is made up of mostly young adults so we had the oppurtunity to share with them about commitment and how important it is to be in the church with other believers. I also was able to preach and talk about how we need to be preparing now for what God has for us. It was an awesome and refreshing trip for everyone.

 This month we have been working in the community around the Church. We have tried to go out and meet new people by going to different parks and just walking around our neighborhood. As we were walking this last Wednesday we found a park we had never seen before. There was a group of boys playing soccer, some of their mothers, and a teenage girl with her 2 year old cousin. We sat down near them and the two year old came over to me. He started talking to me but I did not understand anything he said. He was so cute! He continued talking to me and everyone was watching us. He then decided to give me a big wet kiss on my cheek. While we were talking a firework went off and he got scared so he hugged me and then hid behind me. I ended up talking to his cousin also and gave her my number and told her we would see her next week. We also talked to a family while we were there and they were really interested in talking to us again. So we have planned to return to the plaza and talk to them again this week.

It has been amazing to see what God is doing through us and in us here in Paraguay. As we continue over these next couple weeks I ask for Prayer for the team. We are getting close to our vacation time and are getting excited. It will be easy for us to lose our focus. We have also been going through another time of change within the group so please be praying that in the midst of change we will see a blessings for us all.

   

Something "Super Awesome"

I think many of you may have read my Facebook post and were wondering what was happening. Well this blog right here will tell you what it was about! But, let me tell you it was something “Super Awesome” and a great experience for me!

So for some background information before I get to the cool part: In Paraguay we are only allowed to stay three months with our visa. So every three months we cross the border into Argentina and get the stamp saying we left the country and then we return and get the stamp saying we can stay another 3 months. This past weekend was the weekend we headed to Argentina to be “renewed” for another 3 months in Paraguay. During this trip we had the opportunity to visit a Nazarene Church in Formosa, Argentina, present some workshops, and get to know the church there.

But in the weeks leading up to the trip there was some unrest within the Paraguayan Government. According to news reports the President of Paraguay was involved or tied to some land seizure and violence that caused the death of 17 people. Because of this the lower House voted to impeach him. The higher House also voted to impeach a day later, which meant the Vice President was sworn in as President. This caused a lot of unrest and there became a possibility that they would shut down the borders in and out of the country. Going to Argentina at this time was necessary, but I was worried we would not be let back into Paraguay.

We made it across the border and into Formosa, Argentina and the Pastor of the Church met us at the bus stop. We went on to the church to get ready for the service we were going to have that night. During the service we did a drama about how we don’t always answer God's call because life gets in the way and it was a really good illustration to go along with Felipe's message that night. It has been a little bit of time since I have been able to be part of a message that really spoke to me or that applied to my life at that exact moment when something is happening - but this message was one that did. In his message Felipe was sharing about Moses going to the burning bush and having to take of his shoes. I think I have only ever though of this moment as a time where Moses had to humble himself before God but Felipe used it as a way to say there are barriers – in this case the shoes - that keep us from doing God's work. This made me really think because even though I am doing God's work there are still things that scare me or I do not want to do. The service ended really late that night so we went back to the place we were staying.

The next morning we had some workshops at the church. Juliano gave the first workshop and one of the things he talked about was how we need to be praying for the people in the church before they even come and before we ever make contact with them. That night Pastor Felix gave the message and even though it was one that I have heard before I got more out of it then I did before. I have had many things that distract me while I have been here in Paraguay. Some of it is temptation and some of it is emotional stuff. But one thing Pastor said that really stuck with me and it may sound obvious to you all but it is to keep your eyes on Christ. When I let myself get distracted I lose the power I have from focusing on him. It was something that just finally clicked I guess.

After service we went to a party and ended up getting back to the house we were staying very late so I went straight to bed. I had been sleeping when I heard Camila say that Paty needed to pray. I thought it was a joke, not the praying part, just the way she said it so I was going to ask Paty to keep it down a little bit. But at that exact moment Paty was saying I do not know why I am praying for Paraguay but there is a need. When she finished, we all felt like we needed to pray more and Camilia said she had a vision or something like that. We went to the guy’s room and Camilia shared with us the vision. She said she saw a bunch of dead people outside of the Office of the President with dirt and bulldozers over the area. We prayed with her and that this vision of death would be lifted. We prayed for many other things having to do with the people of Paraguay and the issues it is facing. This moment was something awesome to be connected in prayer for Paraguay, which has become my country. At that moment I posted my Facebook status because I felt that more prayer then just our group was needed.

It is cool to see how God was working in the midst of all the turmoil in my life as well as the political turmoil. One of the things we have been focusing on this past week was Prayer and how important it is. We had been having 5am prayer this past week. I had to prepare a devotional this week for our team but instead of that I felt we needed to pray as a group. Cole and Kelly mentioned the need to pray and it came up in Juliano's workshop. I feel like all the focus on prayer this last week lead up to the intense prayer session we had on Saturday night. Something I have really needed lately from God is “answers.” I have been asking God to speak to me and show me what He has in store. I feel like God used this time in Argentina to really speak to me. Lots of stuff has happened to the team and I in Paraguay and all of it has been a huge wave of oppression. God used the events of the past week, the fear, the messages, the prayers, and the getting away from routine to help me see how much I have let the Satan’s  attacks steal my effectivesness.

I am so happy now that I had the opportunity to go to Argentina and now that I am back in Paraguay I am ready to go exactly where God is leading me! I do not think my blog post, however detailed it may be, can truly express how I am feeling right now and how much God worked in the two days I was in Argentina. I am so thankful for the God we have that gives us exactly what we need in exactly the right time.

As I finish this blog post I ask that you keep Paraguay in Prayer. What is happening here has not affected our work yet but if it continues it will become a problem. Paraguay needs help and I know God has something planned to get Paraguay through this time. People are going to come to know the Lord through this but to get to that point it will be rough. So pray for the people of Paraguay, pray for our protection, and pray for the government of Paraguay.

Finding Encouragement Part 2 - I guess that fits the best?

So after a little bit of a break from writing my blog - I am back again. My last blog title was "Finding Encouragement" and even after this short break I still feel like that could be the right name for this post also. If you remember from many of my others blogs I had shared how our team had been going through a lot of "stuff." With the loss of team members and lots of spiritual attacks it can, at times, be hard to keep pushing through without just throwing your hands in the air and saying “Why?” and yet that is when God comes along like only He can and offer that “situation” of encouragement.

One of the things that I have been dealing with is feeling like I have not made an impact. However God showed me differently this last Sunday. We had church in the local theater this past Sunday because we had a Impact Team with us. I was sitting in the back by myself waiting for church to start and one of the little boys from my Sunday school class ran up to me and said "teacher!" He was so excited to see me and he gave me a huge hug! He then proceeded to ask me why I was sitting all by myself. I explained to him that I had not found a spot yet. He then turned to his friend and said, “this is my teacher and we are going to sit with her" I don't think I can describe how much that touched my heart. In that moment I could see an impact that I was making on this one child's life.

Our God is a Big and Awesome God. He is able to take the worries we have, change them, and show us something that is going on in the midst of it all that encourages us. I say this because that is what He did with the Impact Team that was with us these past two weeks. A Impact Team is a group of people that come down, in this case it was a group of College students, and lend there support to us by helping put on events in all the different areas we are working in. I was worried about hosting an Impact Team being that we were the first 40/40’s in Paraguay and were still trying to figure out culture and what works and doesn't work. So to have a team down here that might watch us fail was not something I was looking forward to. However this team that came down was super excited to be here and they were willing to try anything. They knew we were stilling trying to figure things out and accepted the challenge. They had a passion for missions and a passion for Paraguay. So even though it was a crazy busy week and I was worried to begin with I was able to see the different ways that God was working through this group and in turn through the work we are doing.

Since they came down I already have new ideas of how we can try some different things so we can possibly be more effective in our ministry. I have also made new friends from this group who are now praying for Paraguay and the team here and they know specifically what the vision is and how we can accomplish it.

So after these past couple weeks the truth is: I am more tired then I have ever been, but I am also feeling more encouraged than ever for the work ahead and God's vision for me and Paraguay but even more for His vision for "me in Paraguay". 

Finding Encouragement

      I am not even sure how to start my blog this week. I fully believe that God has plans for Paraguay and is working hard through us and because of this there seems to be nonstop attacks on the Paraguay Mission Team. Looking back over my recent blog posts I can see an underlying theme consisting of a ton of roadblocks, a lot work with not a lot of results, and yet in the midst of it all there is a lot of good stuff happening.

      On Tuesdays we have been visiting a home for older men who fought in the war. These men are all very old and can hardly understand what we are saying but they are very happy when we come and visit them. It is great that we are able to share a little bit of Gods Word with them as we are there but I think one of my favorite things is knowing that this ministry opportunity was started by one of the contacts I have been working with. They had a desire to share with these men and they decided to follow that dream and took me along with them. It has been such a huge blessing.

      The Tuesday Cell Groups, there are 2 groups, have been consistent and I believe that good things are happening there. One group is with a family who I am blessed to say were actually all there for the first time this past week. This family has been through a lot and yet I am happy to tell you that I am able to see the small changes God is making in their lives. My second small group is with a woman from the church. She has a huge vision for the small group in her house and it is for it to grow and people to come to know Christ. Well this past Tuesday we are finally seeing the fruit of this desire happening! We had four new people in the group who accepted Christ for the first time, Praise the Lord!!!

       What is happening here in Paraguay are some huge victories and yet as I said in the opening these victories come with many and multiple attacks. These past couple weeks have been really hard weeks not only for me but the rest of my team also. Everyone has been having trouble sleeping along with there being a lot of stress. In the midst of these attacks there is a great praise in that Leon's partner finally got here. His name is Juliano and he is from Brasil. So be in prayer as Leon and the rest of the Team grow together as they continue this work. As we praise the arrival of this new teammate we also said goodbye to my original partner, Yoli, who after much prayer and discussion went home to continue her walk of faith in an environment that she can really grow and achieve all God desires for her. Because of everything surrounding all these activities I found myself very discouraged and tired – physically, mentally, and spiritually. And if all that wasn’t enough, it seemed like it was “transportation versus” me this week. Normally I don’t have much of a problem getting from here to there, but this week transportation was just one of those things that didn't go right. This only added to my discouragement as I had trouble making it to my cell groups on time.

Praises:

      The ministry with the men at the veteran home has been such a blessing and is the fruit of a contact.

      Leon’s partner, Juliano, which allows that component of our team to work to their fullest potential

      The Tuesday Cell Groups are showing signs of growth as God works in the individuals’ life within the cell goups.

Prayers:

      Rest and relieve from the stress we are being attacked by

      Pray also for the Team as a whole as we continue to grow together to carry out God’s plan for us

      Pray for me as I am without a partner for the time being as my partner went home. Please pray Yoli, who went home, and also be in prayer for the partner God has been preparing to replace her here on the team.

      Prayer also would be greatly appreciated for me in the area of finding encouragement in the midst of all the attacks all the way around me. Help me to see God at work in and around all that is going on here in Paraguay.

"Consistent" - thats a Praise

Hey guys! Don't worry I am still here and I did not fall off the face off the earth or anything exciting like that. The best way that I can describe these past weeks is that it seems like you are always busy and never have time to just stop and yet it seems like the amount of work I have been doing these past few weeks has decreased somewhat. It's that funny situation where there is a whole lot of little stuff that is taking up so much of the big time that it seems like there is less work and yet there is so much more going on - if that makes sense?


I did want to get a brief blog up though to let you know that our cell groups are going okay. They seem to be somewhat consistent in the times (which by the way is a great thing - consistent!) that we meet but we have yet to see a lot of numerical growth in our areas. So we will count "consistent" as a Praise and continue to push on and pray that God will give us the answers to help spur deeper growth both numerically and spiritually in these groups.


I am writing this to say I am not discouraged, only that I am trying and will try to trust in God's timing in regards to this growth. I also want to thank you for your prayers and support. It helps me get through these rough weeks of "busyness" knowing that I have people thinking and praying for me. 
Thanks for you prayers and looking forward to all God has in store as we continue the journey.






Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you

Contact Info: "There's a Gas Station by my House"

As I write the blogs each week I have come to realize that a lot of what I am writing each week sounds and says the same things and yet that is what a lot of our time is – spending time with the same people, meeting new people, helping people with tools to help grow their faith, praying and being present for situations that are beyond our control, and staying strong in our faith in the midst of monotony, difficulty, and exciting time all the same. All this to say Missionary work is not all glitz, glamour and excitement so I share everything I do so maybe something will catch your heart as something to be praying for.  

On Tuesday, this past week, besides our regular Tuesday Night Cell Group we had the opportunity to meet with a new Cell Group. This group consisted of a husband a wife and while the husband is not a Christian he seemed to be very interested in knowing more about God. The women said she was very blessed to have us there and we have faith that through her excitement and his curiosity that God will grow this group. After this new group we met with our normal Tuesday Night Cell Group. This group is going very well and as we slowly get to know the people more and more in this group we find that we are being able to minister more and more effectively.

Thursday we had the opportunity to go to an event in which the other Nazarene churches in the area were getting together. It was a great opportunity to meet some new people. We ended up traveling about an hour outside of the city to a campground. After about 3 hours in the rain playing soccer I jumped in the pool – like I wasn’t wet enough. It was a very long and yet fun day.

Friday we met with our normal Cell Group that went really well yet this group sees to be lacking any type of growth. We are continuously praying for additional opportunities within this group and presenting different ideas to the women of this group on how to invite people to come. Of all the ideas we have presented so far there hasn’t been one that the leader thinks will work so we are trying to get creative and find ways to overcome her skepticism.

Saturday was a normal day with our English class and then the Teen Service. I was not in the English class that day because I was preaching at that night’s service so I was reviewing my sermon. While I was working on my sermon at the Church a women showed up. She had been talking to some people from the church and they were talking about the small groups. I remember meeting her before at the kid's event we had hosted however at the time she did not want to give me any information, or should I say the only information she was willing to give was that there is a gas station by her house, kind of helpful right? I asked Emily if she could talk to her because they need some more Cell Group leads and yet when Emily went over to talk to her she stopped her and asked for me. She wanted to talk to me because she said she had given me her information – remember, the house by the gas station. We sat and talked with for a while and in the end she ended up giving me all her contact information and we have a meeting set up this Saturday. Then to my surprise she came to church on Sunday! It is amazing to see the way God has drawn her to Him and I am going to do all I can to help her grow closer to Him and not let her get away this time.

Our services on Sunday are continuing to grow and we are running out of room for people. This past Sunday I sat outside because there was hardly any room inside!   

Praise: I have finally got some sleep!

Prayers: Even though we have some new groups starting it feels like we are seeing very little growth. Yoli & I are both feeling frustrated by this. I ask that you pray that we will continually remember to put our frustrations in God and his plan for our groups.

Prayers: I do not think I have mentioned this in a Blog yet. Leon is currently partner-less and has been for a couple weeks now. Please be praying God will open the door and a new partner would get here soon to help carry the load and the burden that Leon is carrying now by himself. Also be praying for Leon for as much as we are a Team there is so much that partners share together in and that piece is missing.

Visiting at a Hospital & A Couple of New Groups

Our Tuesday Cell Group went really well and we had one of the women open up a little more about her life, which was great! With her opening up her life, even a little, we are able to pray specifically for all that is going on in her life right now. Beside this praise we also have been invited to start up a second group in the same area. We are planning to start a new group there this week!

Wednesday we had our cell group with Patricia and before we left her house we asked her if it would be ok if we invite her neighbors. She was very open to this and even told us which ones we should invite and which ones would be more difficult to deal with.

Thursday we had the opportunity to visit one of the local hospitals. We asked around to make sure it would be ok if we talked to some of the people who are waiting to go into the hospital. I am told that the process to get admitted to the hospital here is difficult. A person wanting to be admitted has to arrive around 3 in the morning and wait in a line. At 5 they start passing out numbers to the people waiting and finally at 7 they start registering people. If that isn’t bad enough the doctor doesn’t even come in until about 9 in the morning so it is even more waiting. We see this as a good opportunity for us to visit, talk, and pray with people while they are waiting. We are working on getting a letter turned in that asks for permission to visit the hospital and then we can then visit whenever we want. We are praying and working on getting that done this week.

Friday we finally had a group with Lula again. She had been on vacation so she was not able to meet. When she came back she seemed ready to jump back in and help us get the small group to grow. So we will continue to meet with neighbors and share small devotionals to get to know people.

Saturday we started another small group with a family that lives very close to the church. The mother understands very little Spanish and speaks mostly Guarani, which creates some challenges. However everyone else in the house speaks Spanish and they are excited to have us there.

Praise & Prayer:

1. PRAISE: It seems like we have seen a lot of growth in our groups this week and in our work overall – PRAYER: That God will continue to grow these groups and the influence of our ministry.

2. PRAYER: Sleep is still avoiding me. My mind just does not want to turn off to give me some peace to sleep.

3. PRAYER: Continued growth in regards to unity, relationships, and the ministry of the Paraguay Team.

Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you

A little late...

I know I said that one of my goals, besides the cookie goal, was to make sure I wrote blog each week sharing whats is going on as well as sharing prayer requests and praise reports. I still am planning to do this but this week has been just one of those "stinky not so good weeks!" There were some good things that happened but also some "just stuff".

We went to our Tuesday group and found that there were not many people there. However, the woman who has opened her house for this group was very concerned about this. (PRAISES HERE!!!!!) She was very worried that there was not people coming and she asked us what we can do to get people to come. This is amazing and an answer to prayer! We are now praying and working on different ideas on how to bring more people to the cell group and not only will the cell group grow but also her faith and ours.

There is a English school here in Paraguay with teachers who are from United States and this week Emily and I got to go see the city with them. We were able to get to know them a little better as will as see more of the city and culture that we are ministering in. We also found some different coffee shops which was a nice bonus and made for a nice getaway.

Like I said earlier though this past week was just a stinky week! So prayer is especially appreciated this week:
1. I have been having problems sleeping. Partly because of my back and partly because I can not turn off my mind when I try to sleep. Pray for some restful and renewing sleep.
2. Some things just came up this week. We are past them (praise the Lord!) but there is work that comes with that to continue on the road to healthiness in all areas.
3. I am doing a personal fast this week and ask for prayer that God will reveal himself in a new and exciting way

Some Growth, God at work, and a little Adventure

It was exciting to see that the brand new Cell Group that we started last Tuesday has already experienced a little growth. We had another family join us as well as the mom of the some of the kids who have been in the group. It is exciting to see this group start to grow as they become more and more excited about meeting together.

This past Wednesday we met with Patricia, and if you remember I had asked you to be praying for this group last week as there was some “stuff” going on here and it seemed like all week long leading up to this time there was still more going on. However when we went this week it seemed like the “stuff” that had been happening has passed and moved on – PRAISE GOD! Patricia was in good spirits and we were even able to sit outside which we had not been able to do because Patricia’s broken leg.

When Friday came our cell group ended up being canceled, which was a bummer because we had made some contacts this past week. Our hope and prayer is to be able catch up with them this week and work on building these relationships.

With our group being canceled Paty, Emily, and I went out to explore the city a little. We have yet to master the collectivos - these are like combis or buses - so we called one of our friends to get some help with which ones to take to get where we were going. We got to where we wanted to go with no problems at all, however, the return trip was an adventure! To get to Shopping de sol we were told that the colectivo that said “Aregua” would take us directly there. No problem! But, we assumed it would also take us directly home also. Problem! We were really wrong. As we traveled and we went past some of the areas that I knew we quickly figured we were on the wrong colectivo to take us home but at the same time thought that since we were told it was right we would just wait it out and see. Plus, why not enjoy the adventure. We ended up staying on that colectivo for about an hour traveling in the opposite direction of our house before finally deciding we needed to end the adventure, get off, and go the other way. By the time we made it back Emily and Paty were having to rush off to their small group however Paty had became sick on the way so I was able to accompany Emily to the cell group. It was so cool to see Emily lead this group and to see how much she has changed the style I have seen from her in the past as she embraces the culture here. It was both a blessing and an opportunity for me to learn.

Sunday during Church I was able to be help with the kids again and be part of teaching Sunday school. We started with a few games that they are used to playing, which I had a hard time understanding the rules, however the kids knew what they were doing. I then got to tell the story of David and Goliath using some of the kids to act out the roles. It hasn’t always been easy to get the kids' attention but by telling the story this way they all seemed to pay attention and hopefully learn a little more. It was also nice for me being in my element of teaching and interaction with kids. I love teaching, playing, and sharing Christ with the kids – maybe it has to do with growing up in a Children’s Pastor’s house.

By the way – COOKIE COUNT: 184 down – 29,816 more to go!

Prayer request:

1. I have a bad back and there are times when it goes out and the only relief I find is visiting a Chiropractor. Over this past week or so my back has been acting up and I can’t seem to find a Chiropractor. Please pray for God to heal my back and provide me with the relive I need to carry out His plan for my life.

2. Paty, one of the girls from our team, has been sick off and on. Please pray for her health.

3. Continue to pray for our small groups during the week and that they continue to grow.

Kids Events, New Small Groups, and an Inside Flood

This past Monday was our day off so we once again decided to make cookies. I have this goal that maybe sound really silly and possibly impossible, however it is sometimes fun to have goals like this, right? So here is my goal: To make 30,000 cookies in the year and a half I will be in Paraguay. I know that sounds like a lot however our current cookie count is 142 with only 29,858 more to go. Pretty good, right?

Tuesday we had a NEW CELL GROUP! It is exciting to see our schedule slowly filling up. I was a little nervous going into this group because our host had been involved in another group before but she wanted to host a group to reach her neighbors. I was nervous that they would feel like this group should be just like the other one – interactions, leadership, and function - and if it ended being different than there could be problems. However I had no reason to worry because the group went really well - when will I stop worrying and remember that God is in control. I am really excited about this group because I believe there is potential for this group to grow quickly. It is in a good spot with many friendly neighbors and I feel like we will have many people come.

Wednesday we met with Patricia again. This meeting was just a little different then any other that we have had with her. There is a lot going on here and I ask that you keep this family and group in prayer. There is a lot of tough issues going on here and all I know is that through a lot of prayer that we can see this group grow and lives changed.

Thursday we went out to Lambare, which is the neighborhood where Patricia lives. We just walked around and prayed. We also got to know the neighborhood a little more. It was looking to be a good day overall until we got home. It had been raining, not to bad, but off and on all day so when we got home we were all sitting around relaxing in our room. I got up to get something and when I opened the door it started raining hard and water started pouring into our room. We quickly called the boys to come rescue us so while they were outside trying to fix the problem we were inside frantically trying to pick up our stuff and keep the water out. After about an hour we almost had all the water out of our room and thought the problem was fixed when Round 2 came. By the time we were done we all ended up pretty wet! However, because we were all ready wet, Emily, Paty and I decided to go out and dance in the rain. It was a fun and refreshing way to end the day. The water problem is still not completely fixed and next time we get a lot of rain we may have the same problem so we are currently looking for a solution.

Friday was a pretty busy day. We had a Big Kid’s Event on Saturday so Friday was filled with our normal activities as well as getting ready for Saturday. Yoli and I spent the morning running around buying last minute things and making sure everything was ready for Saturday. In the afternoon I watched Landon and Isaiah Foster - the children of our current cluster support family. It was fun to do and energy is something that is not in short supply for these boys. We played legos and then they wanted to be spies so we ran around the church grounds pretending to be spies. Then later that night Yoli and I had our normal group. It was very encouraging this week as we saw some growth. We led the group with the entire family that lives there instead of just the one lady. After we had the opportunity to visit with her neighbor. We prayed with her and a friend and then shared a little devotional. We visited and talked with them for about and hour and were invited to come back whenever we have the chance and visit with here again. I am praying that our friendship with this woman will grow and she will start coming to the groups and I ask that you join me in prayer.

Saturday was an AWESOME day! We had our first big event in Paraguay! Since the kids are going back to school this week we were planning on doing an event to kick off the school year for them. We had a story, craft, movie, lunch and some water balloon games. There were 41 kids by the end of the day! We got to meet some of the parents from around the neighborhood and talk to them about the church. It turned out to be a great event with a great turnout.

Sunday we had our normal services but this time we had 80 people there! This was the first time I had seen so many people at church. We also had many of the kids from our event show up and some of them with their parents!

I have mentioned many prayers request for this week in my blog above so this week I am going to put my praises down at the bottom.
Praises:
1. We had 80 people at church!
2. We had 41 kids at our kid's event!
3. We had a new cell group!

"This won't make you fat..."

If you haven’t already noticed I have been trying to post a blog every week. While not all the information may be “wow” and “aha” moments I feel it is important for me to be able to share with everyone that is supporting me in both prayer and financially as well as a place to share special prayers for the many different things we face daily and praise for those victories as God works in our lives and in the lives of the many Paraguay people. I have come to realize that prayer is so crucial and important and I didn’t do a very good job of keeping you updated while I was in Peru and therefore missed out on so much prayer, sharing, and praise along the way. Because of this I have purposed myself to have a blog once a week describing my week and sharing any prayer request/praise reports I might have.

Monday was our day off and I did nothing, but it was a day of nothing that was needed and ended up being a very good day. A Day that was very needed! Tuesday was also a fairly light day of organized work and was spent as a preparation day for the rest of the week.

Wednesday we met with Patricia whom we have had a few meetings with before. We showed the Felix Vargas movie, which shares Felix’s testimony and how God has transformed his live. Patricia watched it along with a gentleman who lives in the house with her. Over the past few weeks this man has not been real interested in God or the devotionals we have shared so it surprised me when he came in, sat down, and watched. Unfortunately after watching the movie he wasn't all “gung-ho” about accepting Christ like we had hoped, however I am not discouraged because I believe a seed was planted that night and we will continue to do our part to nurture it as we allow the Holy Spirit to draw this man to the Lord. After the movie as we were talking Patricia offered us some food and remember the rule of thumb on the Mission Field is “if food is being offered you eat.” So Yoli and I agreed and joined in eating one of the best meals I have had in a contact’s house - lentil soup and onion rings. We had just finished our food and then they offered us more. Yoli wanted more but I didn't, as I was really full, so when they brought more out I said that I did not have any more room but thanks for the food. They quickly replied to me: “this won't make you fat so you can eat a lot of it” and then gave me more to eat. I thought that this was one of the funniest things I have heard since being in a different country - well that and “is everyone in North America big like you?”
Thursday we went to the cell group hosted by Gerardo Gordo. We call him Gerardo Gordo because there are two of them - one is on our team and Gerardo Gordo who lives here at the church with us. By the way it is not bad to call him that in Spanish here. We thought we were going to be leading a cell group this night but we ended up being there as participants in his cell group. It was a blessing and a great learning experience for us because we got to be a part of a group that has been led by Gerardo for a few months which allowed us to learn from someone who has been doing cell groups here in Paraguay for a few months.
Friday we met with another cell group hosted by Lula. I find this group to be very frustrating for me because while Lula has a passion for her neighborhood and she wants to bring the light of God to all her neighbors there is not headway being made. We talked this week and decided that we are going to start going door to door in her neighborhood, getting to know people better and sharing a brief devotional if they are open to it. We are praying for this to work and if not then we will look for other ways to continue moving forward in this area.

Saturday was the Youth Service which is growing, slowly, but it's growing. We seem to have more people come each week, but they are different than those who was there last week so we are praying for more consistency of those who come so that the base can continue to grow. Leon preached and I have to say that it was one of the best sermons I have heard and it seemed that most of the teens were really focused and listening. It was a very good night and a end to a pretty good week.

Prayer Requests:
1. We have a Kid’s Event planned for this Saturday, which is right before the kids go back to school. Pray that this event goes well, that we have sufficient help, and that we can make many more contacts and connections with the community around us.
2. Please be in prayer for the cell group at Lula's house. There is a lot of possibility of this group growing however we need some additional inroads and contacts in the neighborhood.
3. We have a pretty busy schedule this week, which makes this a praise and prayer request. It’s praise as we are starting to meet with two more cell groups this week. Please be in prayer for these two new cell groups that we are beginning to work with.
4. Continue to pray for our relationships down here. In case you haven’t heard living on the Mission Field in a different country and culture with a group of different people you didn’t know before you arrived can have some challenges. Please pray for the Paraguay 40/40 team as a whole and for each partner group: Mike & Felipe, Leon & Gerardo, Emily & Patty, and for Yoli & myself we continue to figure out how to work together as partners and a team.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all...

I have now been in Paraguay for about three weeks and this was our second full week of work. Sunday the 15th was our second Sunday here and I was actually able to be in the Service. Since I have been on the mission field there haven’t been to many services that I had not been actively involved in so this was a good change of pace. I have noticed that one of the coolest and most different things I have seen in church so far is seen during worship. First of all I love the worship music because it is almost always LOUD and is always pretty upbeat. Secondly is the way people worship unhindered and freely here. We have a man in our church who loves to praise the Lord in his own special way - he is literally dancing up and down the aisle with his whistle praising the Lord. I know it sounds crazy right? However part of me is jealous because he can, or I guess I should say he chooses to put himself out there and really get down to praising God which is something I continue to pray for the Lord to give me strength to do.
Monday was our day off so we decided to do something fun and relaxing – WE MADE COOKIES, or as I seem to say them calletas. (Look that up in Spanish - not how you say cookies but that is the way I pronounce it – should be galletas) It was a little difficult to makes the cookies because our oven does not have a temperature setting so we were not sure how they would turn out. But they turned out well and I was happy to just be able to relax and have some fun.
Tuesday we got to visit with the lady that I wrote about in my last blog. The meeting went well and we are hoping to show an outreach video this Tuesday when we visit again. She also has some neighbors that she is inviting to the next meeting so we hope to be able to connect with them and invite them to the church.
Wednesday I had the opportunity to go into the actual city of Asuncion, we live in a city close by called Fernando De La Mora, with Mike, Felipe, & Gerardo. Asuncion is very different then anything I saw in Peru. Even though there is a South American feel to the city it is almost like walking through a big city in the states, as there are many big buildings and skyscrapers. We visited a couple of History Museums, saw the building where the President works, and also got to see the river. It was a good day getting to know more about the area and city God has called us to minister in during this coming year.
Friday we had a meeting for another small group. This time before the small group we went and invited the neighbors and anyone else we saw on the street. Even though we spent time inviting people no one came so we will continue to ask week after week praying that someone responds to the invitations. It seems to be the way a lot of the work here is. We just keep extending invitations and sharing over and over again until there is finally a response.
Saturday we had the youth group meeting. This time the teens took a passage of the bible, created a scene, and then acted that scene out. Let's just say when you use Revelations to choose that scene from the acting is interesting. It was great to see all the teens working together and we are praying for this unity among them as Christians to be a changing force in this community.

Before I go I wanted to share some prayer requests:
Every time we have a group we ask for Prayer requests and while I am not able to share these request I ask that you be praying not only for these cell groups but also for the people and their requests that attend.
I also ask that you pray for me. The devil likes to use the little frustrations I encounter day to day to get me down or discouraged. During this past week or so there have been many of these “frustrations” and the devil is doing all he can to twist and turn them to discourage me. Please be praying that I will continue to push forward through these frustrations, be thankful for the opportunities within these frustrations, and by God’s power be able to work within these situations instead of dwelling on them. Pray that I can be thankful for the moments I have in the midst of everything and really live 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”


Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you

It's the Start!

We have now finished out first week of ministry here in Paraguay and I wanted to give you a brief update on what the week was like:
Saturday, the 7th, the teen's small group from our church met and had invited another group of teens to join them so we had a ton of people there for the service. Our team put together a skit and after that we were there to experience and participate in the service. It was a great service and the Lord was really present and working. This group of teens is on fire for Jesus! A pretty good way to start of the week, right!
Sunday I was able to be with the kids. It was great for me and felt a lot like being in church at home. I am excited to see what is happening with these kids and potential in what it could become. Being the daughter of a Children's Pastor I am excited to see how I can help be part of this ministry growing and becoming as on fire as the teens were from the previous night.
Monday is our free day so we went to Pastor Felix's house to swim and just hang out. We left at 5 expecting to get there at about 5:30 however we took the wrong bus. We ended up with about an hour walk to the Pastors house which put us at his home at 7. We finally got there and were able to jump in the pool and swim for an hour or so, building our team as this was a great time of fellowship with each other. We left his house and I am happy to say we made it safe and sound back at our house without any wrong bus rides.
Tuesday Yoli, my partner, and I had our first cell group meeting. We met a women who had broken her leg. The father of her children is living with her to help take care of her yet during this time there was a lot of yelling and conflict going on. However the meeting went really well and we will lead our first devotion with this cell group this coming Tuesday.
Wednesday and Thursday we did not have anything organized going on as we were still trying to work on getting connected with all the people we will be having cell groups with.
Friday night we had a meeting with a another new family. They attend the church yet feel they are not quite ready to lead a cell group on their own. We will be working with them, helping them get started, and growing in their faith so that they can then learn to lead a cell group themselves. I am very excited for this family because I believe they are not to far away from leading a group on their own.
Saturday we had another youth service however this one was not as big as the first one. This group is in just the beginning stages and had just started on Saturdays so it will take some time to grow. But, I can see now how big this group, with God's blessing could and will get.
God is moving here in Paraguay and I do not think this blog could really express how much work God is doing and yet how much is still to be done. This is why I encourage all of you to join me in prayer and also consider coming to Paraguay for Love Extreme this August.

Prayer requests for this week:
Please be in prayer for our cell groups as we real feel that God is using these groups to grow His Church here in Paraguay.
Pray also about what role you can play in Paraguay Love Extreme this August. AND THEN ACT AS GOD LEADS!!!!
Prayer for me and the rest of the team as we try to learn Gurani. It is difficult for me to learn but I am trying. Everyone here in Paraguay generally speaks two languages, Spanish and Guarani, so it is good to be able to greet a person in Guarani because it helps build friendships and opens ministry doors with many people. So please be in prayer that my team and I will be able to learn Guarani in the midst of our ministry work.

I'M HERE!!!

I AM IN PARAGUAY!!! It is crazy to think that just a year ago I was getting ready to go to Peru for training. That means that a year ago I didn’t speak or write Spanish, I didn’t know the things I do now know about being a missionary, and I wasn’t the same person that I am now. These are all crazy things for me to think about!
I sat down to write a year-end blog about how 2011 went, all the changes in my life, and to just kind of sum up the year. However, when I started to write that blog all I could think about was how awesome it is that I am finally here, in Paraguay, on the mission field where God had called me. As I was trying to write about the last year I find myself getting too wrapped up thinking about the work we are going to do and celebrating the fact that our team is complete – That’s right - Our team is finally complete with 4 pairs (1 North American & 1 South American) of missionaries!!!
What I will say about 2011 is that it was an exciting year with many changes and challenges. I grew a lot in my walk with Christ. I learned to trust him as I felt his presence close during many rough times as well as times of celebration. I trained hard to learn Spanish and in Missionary Training so I could be prepared to succeed in what God has called me to. I also made so many great friends and got to know some great teammates.

Now to get to matters at hand: I AM IN PARAGUAY! I mean how cool is that. Mike & I arrived this last Wednesday afternoon to find four of my teammates (Leon and our 3 new Venezuelan partners) here ready waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Felipe arrived a day later and then our team was completed today with Emily arriving this morning.

So we are all here, anxious and ready to push forward to start our work in Paraguay. We are all starting to adjust to Paraguay and all the differences it has but are excited to move forward.
In closing I would like to share some praise and prayer requests:
PRAISE: Our 40/40 team is complete! All of our team is here which includes 4 North Americans, 1 Brazilian and 3 Venezuelans.
PRAYER: Because we are a complete team now we will start our work in pairs. This means adjustment for everyone so please continue to pray for our team as we go through what is commonly called "partner shock" in the midst of culture shock.
PRAYER: The request is for the country of Paraguay itself. It has been said that Paraguay is the missionary cemetery. This is not because they die but is because when missionaries have worked here nothing sticks and the seeds of faith die away. Please pray that God will use us and win Paraguay for the Lord.

Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you