Read about our Christmas with Mike’s family and Pai believers,

our church’s youth camp, field conference with other missionaries,

photography opportunities, and a brief update about our children

Christmas with Mike’s Family and Pai believers

Each year we look forward to spending Christmas with family. Mike’s brother and sister and their families live only a 5-hour drive away, making it easy to drop in for a couple of days. This year included a Christmas service with the Pai Tavytera church on the 25th. The meeting lasted over 3 hours as one by one people would go up front and share a testimony of God’s grace in their lives.

In 3 weeks, we will be returning to assist the Pai Tavytera build a larger church building for their weekly gatherings for worship and teaching. Pray with us and the Pai Tavytera church, as we continue to raise funds for this building project and for volunteer workers.

If you would like to have a part in Acércate 2012, you can visit our website. Be sure to indicate that this is a one-time designated gift toward the building project.

December: Youth camp, Field Conference, and Photography

Mike was given several opportunities to share on missions during our church camp. After talking passionately about the  Ayore people in the Paraguayan Chaco, he asked, “and who will go!?” to which one girl replied, “you will Mike!”

From church camp we went directly to NTM’s conference where we were refreshed by teaching in both Spanish and English.

Mike was able to serve two young couples in December by photographing their wedding. One couple started training in Brazil and will continue missionary training  in Bolivia in 2012. They desire to be tribal church planters.

Children Update

Michael graduated this year from 2nd grade in the Paraguayan Christian school this year. In 2012, he will be homeschooled by his mother.

Lea had a great time playing with her cousin Briana during Christmas Break.

Kaleb is started out the year very shy in pre-school, but he emerged very fluent in Spanish and outgoing.

>> Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. Psalms 145:2-4

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

Because of Christ,

Mike & Trisha Goddard

In this Goddard Newsletter, read about our Chaco trip and the latest tribal news from Paraguay!

>>> CHACO TRIP

This month, our family had the privilege of visiting the Chaco region of Paraguay for a week.  Our first stop was to visit a missionary team working among the Ayore. Mike had the honor of encouraging the local church to consider having an impact among other people groups.

Mike taught the missionary kids a class on photojournalism and Paraguayan culture during an Education Camp. He also had several meetings while in the Chaco and enjoyed visiting a Nivacle village for the first time with a young Paraguayan missionary couple.

Trisha enjoyed teaching the younger children about “the fruit of the Spirit” during the morning Bible class. Her sister-in-law Odie Goddard brought her guitar and taught new songs that followed the same theme.

Michael and Lea absolutely enjoyed their time with the other missionary kids during Education Camp and learned so much from the teachers like “Professor Cranium” and the “Snake Guy” who came all the way from the USA to talk about reptiles and creepy crawly things. At the closing ceremony, their class sang a few songs and did a skit on the “Six Blind Men”.

Kaleb was happy to be on vacation for 10 days and spend most of it in the Chaco. He had all kinds of fun playing with his English-speaking friends like his cousin, Briana. They spent hours outdoors in the playground and found a can full of small snails. During the middle of the week, he began missing his teacher Nancy and especially his friend, Jeremias!

>>> PARAGUAY NEWS

(1) TRIBAL CHURCHES: Paperwork for the formation of an inter-cultural church association was recently submitted for recognition by the Paraguayan legal system, granting the legal right for tribal churches to meet together for worship and to carry out the vision of church planting.

(2) NIVACLE TRIBAL CHURCH PLANTING TEAM: Nivacle Team members continue to progress closer to their proficiency goal in Culture and Language.

Pray for them!

(3) MANJUI CHURCH LEADERS: After many years of ministry among the Manjui people of the Chaco region of Paraguay, the local church and missionaries formally recognized the faithful service and leadership of 5 men from their fellowship. Together these men will continue to guide the church onward in evangelism and discipleship.

Thank you once again for praying for us!

You can read out current praise and prayer below.

Praise:

1.   For God’s Word in our heart language.

2.   For safety during our many travels (there is always an increase in auto accidents during the Paraguayan summer).

3.   For good health.

Prayer Requests:

1.   For Mike and Trisha – continued wisdom and guidance from the Lord as they raise their children and train them to walk in truth.

2.   For Michael, Lea, and Kaleb, as they start at the Paraguayan Christian school the 2^nd week of February.

3.   For good health during the dengue fever season here in Paraguay.

4.   For their lives to reflect Christ and that all they do will honor and glorify Him.

5.   Safety for Mike, as he travels twice to planned events with the Ache church during the month of February.

6.   For Mike, who will be sharing with a Bible study group on Feb. 15^th.

7.   For wisdom for the Goddards as they have opportunities to visit with, encourage, and disciple their Paraguayan friends.

8.   For the ministry of assisting other NTM mobilization ministries in Latin America.

9.   For full time coworkers to help Mike and Trisha in Mobilization.

10. For Ronald and Melissa, Maria Marta, Israel, and Leonie – Paraguayans in Bible or Missionary training in Bolivia or Brazil. Please pray for them as they study, their home churches, financial partners, and their future ministries as each have expressed a desire to be cross-cultural missionaries.

Home Assignment for the cross-cultural missionary, plays a vital role in the life of both the Sending church(es) and the missionary. Both the Sender and the Sent need a period of time together to regroup and reconnect after long absences away from the local fellowship.

The Missionary may need: encouragement, rest, pastoral care, moral support, reoriented, growth, a listening ear, fresh ideas, etc.

The Church may need: encouragement, support, served, greater understanding, insight from a cross-cultural perspective, etc.

During this 4 month Home Assignment, our heart is to spend as much quality time as possible with God’s people who pray, partner financially, and are part of local churches that have stood faithfully behind us during these 6 years of ministry in Paraguay.

If you are a part of this group or are interested in more information regarding what God is doing in and through our lives, we would be delighted to connect with you. Please feel free to write us through email at mike_goddard@ntm.org.

• Paraguayans in training
• Equipping, a lifelong journey

Melissa is in her final year of Missionary Training in Bolivia. Please be praying for her relationship with Ronald and her church here in Paraguay.

Maria Marta is finishing her last semester at PENIEL Bible Institute. She desires to attend the Missionary Training Institute this August in Brazil. This is a 1 ½ year course. Please pray for wisdom and financial support needed to continue on with the training and for her church here in Paraguay.

Israel is in his 1st year of PENIEL Bible Institute in Brazil. He desires to be a part of tribal missions. In June, he will be home on break and will be taking a short trip to the Pai tribe with Mike and 3 other students from the Institute. Please be praying for Israel and his church here in Paraguay.

Equipping, a lifelong journey

God is using these 3 young Paraguayans to pioneer a new paradigm in their country. They have stepped far outside the comforts of their country and have chosen to be equipped for cross-cultural ministries. We have the privilege of coaching each of them during this lengthy process; watching them grow, listening as they tell stories of joyful times and tremendous hardships, and yet through it all, they continue to press on in faith, desiring to glorify God by introducing Him people groups whom have never heard of their real Creator and Maker.

The New Tribes Bible Institute (NTBI) and Missionary Training Center (MTC) exist to train the people passionate about God’s glory and reaching the nations with the gospel of grace. God has used many graduates (from 9 different training centers around the world) to plant churches in countries all over the world.

We both attended the NTBI in Waukesha, Wisconsin: Mike from 1996-1998 and Trisha from 2000-2001. There we received a solid biblical foundation and heard daily about the needs among tribal people all around the world.

Together as a newlyweds, we attended the MTC from 2001-2003. At the MTC, we were equipped  to overcome communication barriers such as worldviews, culture, language and living in remote locations so as to plant a church with all the tools necessary to grow in grace and maturity.

Even today, after 6 years of ministry in Paraguay with NTM, the growth and equipping process continues as we gain greater insight into Gods precious Word and its practical outworking in ministry at the local church level.

So whether you are considering missions or just want a solid Biblical foundation for life, consider attending NTBI, and continue your lifelong journey of glorifying Christ!

To God be the Glory,

Mike & Trisha Goddard

Find us on facebook!

Mike: http://www.facebook.com/mikegoddard

Trisha: http://www.facebook.com/trishagoddard

:: OUR TRIP TO BRAZIL ::

Destination: Peniel Bible Institute in Brazil

Purpose: Visit 2 Paraguayans in missionary training and to challenge Brazilian students to work in Paraguay.

Miles Traveled: 900

Hours in Car: 40+

We received a warm welcome at the Bible Institute Peniel by staff and students. The students were very friendly. At times it was challenging to understand their Portuguese!

The single students are in charge of running their own kitchen.  We enjoyed authentic Brazilian food with the students and also in the home of the staff.

The Bible teaching that they are receiving is excellent! It was a joy to know that our future missionaries are receiving quality training. Mike had the opportunity to share with the students for 3 hours in the morning. In the evening service for staff and students, he shared on “The Identity of the Church”.

During one of the afternoons, Maria Marta and Israel, Paraguayan students, took us to an ice cream parlor to enjoy a snack. We talked with them for 2 hours and enjoyed hearing what God is doing in their lives.

What a blessing it was for us to encourage our 2 Paraguayan students as well as the other students during this time. It’s our heart that they have all the tools needed for tribal church planting.

For us, it is a pleasure to be a part of a team and working together to see unevangelized tribal people reached with the Gospel. Thank you for being a part of our ministry!

The ministry of mobilizing the national Paraguayan church continues to take more and more shape and steadily gets more exciting and interesting. Recently, we combined two trips into one by first visiting an Ache village and later attended a missions conference. Mike has been highly interested in the idea of mobilizing tribal churches simultaneously with the national church so that missions in Paraguay can take on a three-way partnership between the expatriates, nationals and tribal people. Imagine the Body of Christ putting aside cultural norms for the sake of the Gospel!

During the missions conference that was held not far from the Argentine border in southern Paraguay, Mike was given the opportunity to lead discussion at one of the tables during the forum as well as a 15-minute opportunity to challenge people to become involved in tribal church planting. Often Mike walks away from these meetings wondering why so few people are willing to join God’s Plan to see the nations hear Truth in their own mother tongue. One of the keys to unlocking this door in Paraguay is a clear-cut plan laid out to mobilize the Church.

Trisha and the children also traveled with Mike during this 4 day trip and met new friends as well as touched based with friends that they had met at other events. Michael Dean is the true social bug and was immediately out playing with the Ache children and later made friends with the Paraguayan teenagers.

The missions conference was a tremendous help to Mike and Trisha. It provided a context where they could interact with other mobilizers and compare strategies in the mobilizing, training and sending of Paraguayan missionaries.