Read in this monthly Goddard Grapevine:

(1) 9 months of Bible teaching in Caaguazu

(2) Testimonies of Rural Church Leaders

(3) Intercultural Missions Conference

(4) Children Update

(5) Prayer Requests

9 Months of Bible Teaching

November concluded 9 months of Bible teaching to rural church leaders. One man gave testimony saying, “I’ve been saved for 20 years, but finally I feel like I’m getting to know God! Mike has helped us establish a firm foundation in our lives; that foundation is Christ!”

The church leaders expressed their gratitude to each of the Bible teachers by giving a printed certificate.

Trisha’s service in the kitchen alongside the other cooks, was also recognized through a certificate. Her experiences will be very helpful as she cooks for the 2 work teams in January and February 2012.

Testimonies of rural church leaders from the 9 month Bible teaching:

“The stories of Adam and Eve and about the Church had become common to me until this year. I’m understanding things I had never known.”  – Alcides

“I have always been extremely timid and backward, but God’s Word has given me tremendous confidence!” – Manuel

“Mike wrote on the white board about who we were before salvation and who we are now in Christ. All we have to do is use the tools God has given us to live in holiness!” – Saul

Intercultural Missions Conference

A Paraguayan organization called LETRA Paraguay and NTM put together an intercultural missions conference where tribal church leaders, national missionaries and expatriate missionaries were able to fellowship together and learn from one another’s experiences and ministries. There were 11 different ministries present, numerous churches, and 4 tribal groups from both Paraguay and Argentina.

Mike oversaw the organization and logistics of the conference while Trisha handled the welcome table and NTM’s display table. It was encouraging to see so many people working together toward a common objective: to see that the Gospel is preached and lived out among the least-reached people groups of Paraguay.

Children Update

Michael, Lea, and Kaleb have finished their school year in a Paraguayan Christian School and are now homeschooling.

This next year, we will be homeschooling. The kids are very excited to have mom as a teacher again and enjoy having their own assignment books to “check” of the assignments that they have accomplisted during the day.

Michael is finishing his 2nd grade English Abeka books and will begin 3rd grade soon.  Lea is finishing her 1st grade English Abeka books and will begin 2nd grade soon. Kaleb is continuing his Kindergarten English Abeka books.

Their Spanish has greatly improved over the year and often speak it in the home. We praise the Lord for our children, who have learned Spanish as well as tidbits of Guarani and Portuguese. In fact, this next  2 1/2 weeks, we will be having a Brazilian friend stay with us.

Prayer Requests

(1) to provide our children a balanced life-style in both education and ministry.

(2) wisdom as we raise our children to walk in righteousness in their faith in Jesus Christ.

(3) wisdom as we lead two Latin missions teams to build a church building with the Pai Tavytera

(4) wisdom as we live out Christ in so many contexts and cultures on a daily basis. May His Church be built up and engage efficiently in worldwide missions!

Download a printable version here: Goddard Grapevine – November 2011

Check out our new family photos here >> Goddard family 2011

Mike & Trisha Goddard
Michael, Lea, and Kaleb

Missionaries in Paraguay since 2004

Praise:

1. For God’s continued provision for their needs.
2. That their children have a week vacation from school in October.

Prayer Requests:

1. Wisdom and guidance from the Lord as Mike & Trisha raise their children and train them to walk in truth.
2. For their lives to reflect Christ and that all they do will honor and glorify Him.
3. For Mike as he prepares for different meetings with pastors and missions organizations.
4. For safety as the Goddards travel to 4 different cities this month (Encarnacion, General Aquino, Neuland, and Caaguazu).
5. For the different meetings throughout this month with Pastors and other Mission Organizations.
6. For the different ACERCATE short term mission trips that are being organized for 2012.
7. For the Latin Mobilization conference that will be held in Brazil in April 2012.
8. For the Ache tribal church and the Bible translation being done by LETRA Paraguay.
9. For students in Bible Institute or Missions Institute: Ronald & Melissa (training in Bolivia); Leonie  (training in Bolivia).

MINISTRY // CHILDREN // YOU CAN BE INVOLVED

MINISTRY NEWS

A tremendous blessing from the first Missions Conference in our church here in Asuncion was that it brought the missionaries closer together in unity. Recently after church, the six missionary families had dinner together and discussed ways that we can continue to encourage our church in missions throughout this year and the next.

Each month we invite the Christian community to NTM Paraguay’s Acercate meeting. This has been a tremendous opportunity to build relationships and share about tribal missions around the world!

Mike continues to meet with the members of a Paraguayan Mission Board called FEMIPA. Currently, they are working their way together through the Mobilization Manual that Mike put together for such an occasion. The objective is to assist FEMIPA to equip their church association to handle both local and cross-cultural ministries.

The Pai Tavytera church where Mike’s brother and sister are working, have been praying about a new church building. FEMIPA has adopted the church project, and therefore, several short-term missions trips are being planned for early 2012, to build a church building and to see young people challenged into cross-cultural ministries!

Mike has 2 more teaching sessions (last weekend of October and last weekend of November) to teach the church leaders of an association called CEMP. Out of 68 Bible lessons, he has taught through 12! When offered the option of moving rapidly toward the end, they said “No! We want to savor all the truths we are learning from the book of Genesis!”

Trisha recently had brightly colored t-shirts made; each designed with a missions challenge designed to show the need for more missionaries among tribal people.

MICHAEL, LEA, AND KALEB

Michael continues to plug away at learning different languages and doing really well. He is happy that they recently started their Soccer tournament at school. He, Lea, and Kaleb are on the “Blue Shark” team! When his team didn’t win, he said, “That’s alright, we did our best and had lots of fun.”

Right now in school, Lea is learning cursive writing and has been practicing a lot. She is praying that mommy will be her teacher next year, because she says “Mom is the best teacher and doing school with her is easy!”

Kaleb loves using the different languages that he knows and especially mixing them together to make new words. He has definitely outgrown his shyness. He now enjoys talking away, being his teachers’ helper, and motivating other classmates in their schoolwork.

YOU CAN GET INVOLVED!!

Would you like to sponsor a Paraguayan youth to be a part of building the Pai Tavytera church? The estimated cost per person for one week is $100. This includes transportation from Asuncion and food. Any remaining funds will be given as an offering toward the building project.

Thank you for your prayers and support which make it possible for us to serve on a full-time basis here in Paraguay.

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36 HOURS = 65 STUDENTS

Mike had the privilege of teaching through once again an Evangelism and Discipleship course he and another coworker had prepared in 2009. He taught the course three times in August, starting in a city on the Brazilian border.

In the photo, Mike is with a Pastor and Director of the Bible Institute.

Mike used sunglasses to illustrate the importance of teaching and training at a worldview level to avoid syncretism. 65 students, 36 hours of teaching in three churches gave Mike a prime opportunity to build relationships and to share about the global needs of cross-cultural ministry. The seeds planted in the hearts of these dear followers of Christ will have a lasting impact on their community and among unreached people groups.

RENUEVO’s 8th ANNIVERSARY and 1st MISSIONS CONFERENCE

This August was a very special month for us as we assisted our local church on their 8th anniversary to organize their very first World Missions Conference! We ordered 20 flags from the USA and for a very affordable price was able to give an international flavor to the church decorations.

Mike was given an evening to share on the local church’s reaction before the Great Commission by faith-giving and praying.

During the Missions Conference, Trisha and some of the women put together a “Cantina Misionera” to raise funds for a nice offering for a Paraguayan missionary family from our church. Trisha sold brownies, coffee cake, empanadas, soda, and coffee. On the last day, we were able to hand $150 to our missionaries!

KIDS’ KORNER

The children also heard stories by missionaries during the Conference. They enjoyed videos on the lives of famous missionaries like Amy Carmichael. Lord willing, these children will grow up with a heartbeat for Missions!

For Kid’s Day in Paraguay, we went to a bike store to purchase Lea’s first bicycle. A young man from a church we’ve spoken in gave us a tremendous discount enabling us to buy a bike for Kaleb too! Now all three enjoy riding their bikes at any opportunity they get, even in the house on rainy days.

Kaleb and his buddy Jeremias dressed up as colonial Paraguayans for a school play!

SU REFUGIO // HIS REFUGE

Yesterday, we enjoyed visiting Su Refugio (His Refuge) >> A place where children in troubled living conditions can find a safe and loving environment. It is a place where His glory is manifested, where His love is shared, His light is revealed and His Word is taught to the people of Paraguay.

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. Psalms 18:30

You can see some pictures of our day trip to Su Refugio on Facebook.

“…and they two shall be one flesh”

Ephesians 5:31

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Today, Mike & Trisha celebrate 10 years of God’s faithfulness and love!

It has been the greatest 10 years – serving our Lord in Paraguay for 7 of those years, 3 precious children, and plenty of adventures!

Check out the book I made with Picaboo of the Goddard’s first 10 years together 2001-2011

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Because you have shared in our lives

by your friendship and love,

Trisha Kay Jennett

&

Michael Dean Goddard

together with our parents,

warmly invite you to join with us as we

vow our lives to one another

and become united as One in Christ

on Saturday,

the twenty-sixth of May

two thousand one

at two in the afternoon in

New Tribes Bible Institute’s Chapel.

Mike and Trisha praise the Lord for His faithfulness during their first 5 years of ministry together in Paraguay. Truly He is worthy to be served!

Mike has been very busy lately do to the Paraguayan church’s steady advance in the Great Commission. In the next 4 months, he has scheduled over 20 different church meetings, events, teaching seminars, and camps, where he enjoys challenging people to look beyond their borders to a world full of tribal people who have not yet heard even once the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Trisha loves taking care of her home and family, enjoys preparing a meal for any guest that stop by unannounced. She helps Mike by doing secretarial work and running errands downtown. Next year, she plans to home school Michael and Lea (starting in February 2010), so that they can travel more with Mike as well as be prepared for later in the year, when we will be in the USA for a few months to visit our support team and family during a Home Assignment.

Michael Dean loves people and recently asked: “When do I get to go visit my Ache tribal friends again? Because when I go back, they will know who I am and they will say, “Hola Michael!” For Michael, school isn’t easy, especially when he and Lea are trying to keep 4 languages straight. AMARILLO CAMPEÓN! The soccer tournament has begun at Michael and Lea’s school. They are on the yellow team, and Michael gets really excited when he makes a goal! 

Lea is an A+ student, and she can’t get enough of languages. She is our grammar and pronunciation cop and helps Mom and Michael to conjugate their Spanish verbs correctly. She loves going to the park on the weekends, and then afterwards, she begs daddy to stop by the local ice cream parlor to buy a ½ kilo of 3 different flavors for $2.40. The dulce de leche (caramel) flavor is her favorite. 

Kaleb is believed to be the cutest, little boy by all the Paraguayan ladies, and they try everything possible to get him to give kisses on both cheeks (a traditional greeting). Often he will accept a bribe of candy for the kisses.  Kaleb enjoys  riding his scooter and once he got it down, there was no stopping him from trying to go faster than his big brother and sister.

As our children grow older, we see each of them grasping truths from God’s Word and desiring to apply them to their lives. Michael loves to read the Bible during our story-time before bed. We are now on the life of King David.