Jon and Jen Quast Learning Language and Culture of Paraguay 
After nearly 5 years of wanting to be involved in Tribal Missions, Jen and I are starting to take some big steps. You see, for years now we have seen this thing of Tribal Missions for us go from a discovery, to a vision, to a mission board, to Bible training, and now to missions training. It has been a time consuming ordeal. Some days it felt as though we were no closer to reaching the lost than day one of learning of unreached people group’s existence. It has been a long process.
A process in which we are still involved. Having only begun at the Missionary Training Center last August, we still have 11 months in training here before we can even become members of New Tribes Mission. But it doesn’t stop with simply becoming members of New Tribes Mission. It continues into the possibility of an 8 month chunk of time studying linguistic analysis concepts. Not only this but also a needed time of developing ministry partners to financial support us in this endeavor, a time of national language and culture study in the country in which we will serve, followed by a time of studying the tribal language and culture. All this would have to take place before we can ever attempt to communicate Christ to an unreached people group. Sometimes it seems as though tribal ministry is as far away as ever.
But it is not. We are beginning to come to crossroads in which a decision about the future must be made. Two decisions we made this month which have great importance into our future plans. One is regarding which country we will serve in, and whether or not to take the linguistic training offered by New Tribes once we become members.
Regarding linguistics we have decided to take the course, provided the Lord provides the necessary funds to do so. This is a big step for us because not only will it require us to delay our arrival to the mission field by several months, but it will also define our role in tribal church planting. We will take on a bigger role in breaking down the tribal language from a big “elephant” into little “bite sized” pieces. This will greatly increase our effectiveness there.
Without further ado, we would like to inform everyone that we have contacted the field leadership in Paraguay and have expressed our intent to serve in that country. Thank you for your prayers! This has been a decision a long time coming. We never saw ourselves going to this field, but God has directed us through various things to bring us to this point of decision. We look forward in the coming weeks and months to inform all of you of ministry in Paraguay among one of the 8 unreached people groups that remains in that country.
