News from the Spradlins in South America

MAY and JUNE 2013 / Vol. 5 No. 5

Furlough, First Quarter, and Fruition

Mba eishapa (hello in Guarani) from Paraguay!. This report covers our activities for both May and June. We were traveling in the USA all during May for our annual furlough visit back home which made it a bit difficult to send out our report. I arrived back in Paraguay on June 10 and have been running non-stop ever since! I count it as a great blessing to have so much to do! We hope you find this report encouraging and informative! BIG PLANS COMING TO FRUITION! Just two days after getting back to Paraguay and trying to get back into the groove of things, I went to the airport to pick up brother Eliezer Prez. He is from Coln, Panama and a graduate of the Institute of Theology of Latinamerica, located in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Eliezer came to Paraguay in November of last year to work with the church for a few weeks during a campaign. He liked the work here so much that he has decided to return and labor with us fulltime for a couple of years! To add to this excitement, the congregation here has decided to support him as their first, very own missionary! They would like for him to help them plant a congregation of the Lords church in the nearby suburb of emby. We are truly excited about the forward thinking that the church is demonstrating and we are praying that God will richly bless the efforts of brother Eliezer.

Brother Eliezer Prez in Paraguay!

ASUNCION BIBLE ACADEMY UPDATE The students have already finished their first quarter of studies and each finished strong! We are very pleased to announce that all the students received passing grades in all their subjects. Their quarter ended with brother Donnie Bates of BVBID teaching a short course on Bible Geography. During the past quarter, the students also participated in their first evangelistic campaign. As an effort to generate new Bible study contacts for the upcoming church plant in emby, the students went doorknocking around the neighborhood of our brother Vicente Martinezs house, who lives in that city. They organized a special Bible study for the final night of the campaign and invited lots of neighbors to come. Unfortunately, the electricity went out in the area that night making it difficult for anyone to attend. They went ahead with their plans and finished the week having considered the campaign a success. Their second quarter began with brother Gary Fallis, of BVBID, coming to Paraguay to teach on the subject of the Godhead. We were able to incorporate a couple of our brethren, Ale Yegros and Silvina Gimenez, as translators for brother Gary. The class was well received and the students are excited about the upcoming courses. This quarter will also include a considerable amount of time dedicated to "Practical Ministry," or hands-on experience, where we will be teaching how to do various service works like visitation and benevolence, as well as, teaching how to lead prayers, preside over the Lord's Brother Gary Fallis with the students of ABA at supper, organize the service, etc.
the start of their second quarter.

Evangelistic Contacts / Bible Studies: We have started facilitating our weekly home Bible studies again in the homes of Delci Enciso and the Vicente Martinez family. These have been very fruitful in the past in not only edifying our brethren, but also providing a means to invite their neighbors to join us. Andrea and I will be starting up our Teaching English Using the Bible studies again in July. Recent Developments: History in the making! In order to help facilitate the new church plant in emby, the brethren have decided to start meeting every other Sunday morning to formulate their plan. The first meeting brought up questions of when, where, who, and how. It was decided that the plant will probably start in the home of Vicente Martinez. Brother Eliezer Perez will start leading the weekly Bible study out there and knocking on doors around the neighborhood with some of the brethren that live in emby. No date has been set, as of yet, to begin worship services, but it is so exciting to watch and help in this church growth process! Saturino Gonzalez is a missionary from Mexico to the USA, who contacted our brother Ike Yegros several months ago about the possibility of coming to Paraguay to meet with and get to know the brethren here. He and his wife, Elizabet, arrived on June 15th and he taught our Bible study class the following Sunday. We also gave him an opportunity to teach a couple of classes on song leading for the Academy students. It was nice to get to meet them and we appreciate them taking the time to come and visit us. Finished more improvements on facility! The entire front has been cleaned and whitewashed. It looks great! Also, the students put down a layer of rocks out behind the student housing in order to improve the use of that area. Worship and Bible class attendance: nd th th rd th Sun am 53 (2 ) 47 (9 ), 37 (16 ), 42 (23 ), 59 (30 ) nd th th rd th Sun pm 13 (2 ) 14 (9 ), 21 (16 ), 18 (23 ), 35 (30 ) Sunday Bible study average 43 Midweek study average - 28 Current members: 83 Baptized (45 Family Units) Upcoming plans: We are preparing for mission groups who will be coming down to work with us this summer in June and July. A group from Palm Beach Lakes will be here June 28 until July 7. They will be helping with our evangelism campaign in emby and doing service projects. A group from Leanna will be here July 24 until the 31st. They will be bringing lessons on leadership, church planting, and congregational development. Two of our Academy students will be traveling to the Darien Jungle of Panama in July to work in a campaign with our brethren from Margaret Street church of Christ.

Saturino and Elizabet Gonzalez Missionaries from Mexico to the USA

Saturino Gonzalez teaching a song leading class

Watch our 2013 Paraguay Mission Report on video by going to www.pblcoc.org and navigating to Sermons, Missionaries

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES

HIGHLIGHT(s) of the Month: Call me crazy, but un-eventful international flights to and from the USA and Paraguay are a huge highlight for me! We were blessed with safe travel for all of our furlough and I am happy to rejoice in such small blessings as that. 2013 Furlough was the best one yet! We had such a wonderful furlough visit to the States! It was so good to get to see and visit many of our wonderful, loving supporters. Thank you so much to all of you for making our stay so enjoyable. Even though we love working in South America, we still miss each of you dearly and long for the next time we get to see you again. We are especially thankful to the many brethren who provided us a place to stay, prepared delicious meals, took us out to eat, or on several fun outings. Our cup runneth over! We became rather nervous when Andrea was traveling to Paraguay and the Asuncion airport announced it was closing its runway for 48 hours due to inclement weather. We thought shed be stranded in Lima, Peru, for two days where her connecting flight was. But, thanks to many answered prayers, the weather decided to cooperate and she made it home at her already scheduled time. Be sure and check out our 2013 Furlough Mission Report on video by going to www.pblcoc.org and then navigating to Sermons, Missionaries, South America. Visitation / Other Activities: We had a real nice dinner with the Ike Yegros family visiting with brother Gary Fallis and then another one with the Pedro Vera family, visiting with Eliezer Perez. Andreas family had a big family reunion while she was in the USA. It was the first time her family (seven brothers and sisters) had all been together like that in more than twenty years! Personal study: I have spent a great deal of time preparing for this quarters classes: Exodus through Deuteronomy with Bible study and various materials in Spanish and English. I am currently reading / have read: The Pentateuch by James E. Smith Guidelines to World Evangelism Ed. by George Gurganus The New Global Mission by Samuel Escobar Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzler Cultural or language discovery: Paraguay doesnt have an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to monitor safety on construction sights, that I am aware of, like that found in the USA. If they do, they certainly have their work cut out for them! Everywhere one drives that is near a construction sight, (and there are a lot these days) it is possible to see a scene like the photo at right. Usually, the workers can be found in very precarious positions, at dangerous heights, and almost never with any safety or fall protection. Its no surprise, then, when I read in the newspapers about a construction worker falling to his death or serious injury. Sad.
Andrea (aka cool aunt Dede) with many of her nieces and nephews

My nephew, Layne, was recently baptized! I realize this doesnt really have anything to do with the work in Paraguay, but his missionary uncle is sure happy for him and just wanted to share the joy with all of you! BTW, thats my brother, Lance, baptizing him!

A common sight around construction sites in Asuncion

PARAGUAY MISSION
Asuncion, Paraguay South America Troy and Andrea Spradlin
Casilla de Correo 13092 Shopping del Sol Asuncion, Paraguay (595) 0981-630-886 We are seeking to "equip the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12)

Our Mission Team Goals for 2013:

This year, the mission team will be making a major shift in its role here by focusing on aligning its goals with those of the church and submitting itself to the authority of the Paraguayan leadership. In the past, the team had to make many of the principle decisions for the church until sufficient leadership could be properly developed. In 2013, for the first time, the Avenida Sacramento congregation itself will be making all the principle decisions for the church. The team will simply support them by their direction. The church has chosen the following goals for themselves and have asked us to help them accomplish them. Evangelism: (1) Offer various specialized seminars to the public, (2) conduct evangelism campaigns, (3), use the book "Searching for Truth" in various other ways, (4) provide more English courses, (5) plant a church in the city of emby, and (6) have a radio program. In addition, the team will continue to generate new Bible study contacts through advertising, campaigns, personal contacts, and family relationships. We pray to generate at least 65 new contacts. Edification: (1) Develop and begin an intensive, full -time Bible study program (Academy) to train brethren, (2) conduct a new leadership class, (3) have a camp / congregational retreat, (4) have two planning retreats for the men, and (5) start reconstruction of the church building. The mission team will assist and coordinate these activities according to the direction of the congregation. Benevolence: (1) Offer the course "Comfort in Times of Grief" to the public, (2), keep a box of food for those in need, (3) provide a class on the topic of "Benevolence" (4) use donations to help some members, and (5) participate in various activities of benevolence. These are some wonderful goals and we are so excited to see their growth in leadership. Please pray for the successful completion of each of these and the continual development of leadership in Paraguay!

OUR SUPPORTERS
Margaret Street church of Christ (Sponsoring Congregation) 6745 Margaret Street, Milton, FL 32570 Central Avenue church of Christ Valdosta, GA Dripping Springs church of Christ Dripping Springs, TX Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ West Palm Beach, FL Poolville church of Christ Poolville, TX Families of: Clay Bond / Chet Brown / Virginia Guess / Joseph Markham

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