PARAGUAY MISSION - MONTHLY REPORT SUMMARY

Missionaries: Troy and Andrea Spradlin

Mission Field: Asunción, Paraguay
Date/No. of Report: November, 2010 / Vol. 2 No.11

CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INVOLVEMENT

Name of congregation: Avenida Sacramento Iglesia de Cristo
Address: Avenida Sacramento 650, c/ Espaňa - Asunción, Paraguay
Year established: September 2004
Present number of members: 33 Family Units (62 Baptized)

Average Bible classes attendance:

• Sunday – 42
• Midweek - 18
• Other - 4

Worship attendance:
• Sunday – 60 (7th); 73 (14th); 62 (21th); 42 (28st)

Recent Bible classes:

• 2 Corinthians has been the Bible subject for our group study.

Recent preaching engagements:

• I preached my first Spanish sermon as a located missionary. The
lesson was based upon 2 Cor 8:11.
• We also had the wonderful opportunity this month to speak at one of
our supporting congregations, Dripping Springs COC. What a joy and
a blessing it was to “attend” services, deliver a report, see everyone,
and then visit a little afterward via Skype!

Recent congregational developments:

• Men's Business Meetings – making decisions and preparations for
the “lanzamiento,” (ground breaking) day for remodeling the facility.

Recent conversions/identifications/restorations:
• What an incredible month! God has provided the increase! Several
new brethren have put on Christ and have been added to the church.
• Ramon Paredes, had been visiting services and studying with Perry
Hardin for the past couple of months. Prayers were answered when
he decided to obey the Gospel call.
• Luana and Patricia Arzamendia – the daughter and a niece of
Carolina Arzamendia. We rejoice in these young ladies' decision.
• Carlos Riveros is the son of one of the team's early contacts from
the church plant, Arminda Gonzalez. It took Carlos several years to OUR NEW BROTHERS and S IS TERS !
come to this decision, but we know the angels are rejoicing now! Ramon Paredes (topto bottom), Patricia
and Luana Arzamendia, and Carlos Riveros
• Please keep these new babes in Christ in your prayers.
were all baptized into Christ this month!
Contacts made and resulting studies:
• Viviana Castro, one of our ESL students, has indicated she wants to be
baptized! She is still trying to work through the decision because she is
Catholic and has a few things to resolve. Keep her in your prayers!
• We are still studying with several other ESL students: Dr. Pablo Avalos,
Ramon “Sixto” Vega, Elin Caceras, and Dafne Hassan. We continue to
pray that perhaps each may recognize the precious gift of salvation that
Christ offers and will put Him on in baptism.
• Andrea is preparing a study concerning the Holy Spirit that she will soon
have with one of her students who is Pentecostal. A member at Palm
Beach Lakes, who was once a Pentecostal preacher, is assisting her.
• Benitez Family – their sons and friends, who are members of the Lord's
church in Brazil, have encouraged this couple to seek out the church in
Asuncion. Chris is studying with them weekly in their home. Our ESL student, Viviana Castro.

Visitation:
• Jackson Arzamendia Family – We invited Jackson,
Franci, and their son “Jaycito” to our house for dinner one
evening. This young family continues to grow spiritually
and we pray we might be of encouragement for them.
• Yegros Family – we had lunch in their home shortly after
they returned from their trip to the USA. We always enjoy
the opportunity to get to visit with this fine, faithful family.
They have five children: two who are attending Freed-
Hardeman in the US and three who are very active in the
church in Asuncion, including their oldest son, Ale, who
just married one of the missionaries, Brittnea Dye.
Thanksgiving dinner with the mission team.
Meeting/efforts with fellow missionaries:
• Had several meetings to finalize all the “Responsibilities and Roles” among each of the mission team
members. The Fry family will be returning to the states this next year and we will have completed our
one year of Spanish training in February. Therefore, we are preparing what responsibilities each
teammate will have.
• We had a traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner at our house for the entire team. Andrea was able
to secure a turkey and pumpkin pies (which are not easily available in Paraguay). Each of the families
prepared different plates for the meal which all turned out to be delicious! I didn't realize how much I
had come to miss good 'ol American food.

Evangelistic efforts:
• Developing and writing a “Teacher's Manual” for our Learn English Using the
Bible program.
• Weekly Bible studies with our several ESL students.

Special activities of the month:

• Brittnea Dye, a former team missionary, has returned to Paraguay!
• The men of the congregation gave approval for me to begin editing our
weekly church bulletin.

Mission plans for the near future: I preached in Spanish for

• We are trying to develop a “Mentoring Program” or type of sequence that will the first time before the
help us in training the men to become church leaders. church in Asuncion.
• A congregational “mini” retreat is being planned for Dec 8.

Notes:
• I wrote an article for the Christian Worker titled, “With the Mouth Confession is Made Unto Salvation.”
 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INVOLVEMENT

Personal HIGHLIGHT of the Month: Baptisms, a Wedding, and an American Thanksgiving! There was lots
of activity this month between planning for a Thanksgiving dinner, a wedding ceremony, and the blessing of
witnessing precious souls put on Christ in baptism. God is good!

Personal study:
• Expository study of 2 Corinthians. Andrea and I read Acts, and are currently reading Romans together.
• Currently reading: Roman Catholicism by Loraine Boettner. Our ESL student, Vivian Castro, asked me
about what the Bible says regarding “celibacy.” So, between Bible study and this book, I have begun
developing a study that we will share with the congregation. We pray it will help them interacting with
their Catholic friends and family.

Culture and language study:

• Currently reading and studying “More
Paraguayan than Mandioca” by Anibal Romero
Sanabria which is a local book regarding the
allegedly “true” culture and aspects of Paraguay.
• Our Spanish studies will continue until Feb. 2011

Family activities:
• I attended my first Paraguayan soccer game with
one of the church members. Quite exciting!
Las Amigas and US Ambasador to Paraguay, Liliana
Community Involvement: Ayalde, and Kim Díaz de Bedoya.
• We attended the annual Las Amigas Thanksgiving
banquet fundraiser. They are a group of mostly English speaking ladies (many of whom are North
American) that hold charity events to raise money for local university scholarships. We had the
opportunity to visit with Liliana Ayalde, the US Ambasador to Paraguay, and Kim Bedoya who is the
founder of Las Amigas. We even made the local newspaper, ABC Color, with the photo above.

Government requirements:
• Our residency papers are complete! There is nothing left to do! We have our “Permanent Residency”
cards which allows us to remain in the country without having to continually update a tourist visa.
• Believe it or not, we still do not have the title transfer to our
name completed for our car. We are still waiting for the
“escribania” (legal) to complete the papers …. which
apparently is a slow process.

Plans for the near future:

• I am currently writing a teacher's manual for our ESL program. I
We pray that it will be a useful tool to help facilitate more
interest in Bible study.
• Continue our language studies and learning the culture.
• We hope to take a short trip to Iguazu Falls in a few weeks.

Notes:
• Andrea recently assisted and helped plan
a wedding! In order to be recognized as a
legal marriage in Paraguay, Ale and
Brittnea Yegros, had a civil ceremony on
Nov 20 before witnesses and a judge.
Some 250 people attended the event.
The weather was perfect and the evening
was absolutely elegant! (pictured right)