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

I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD , the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;  the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The LORD will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life;  the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalms 121

Praise:

1. For the opportunity to serve the Paraguayan Christian community.
2. For the ACERCATE 2012 project that is now in full swing >> building a church for the Pai believers in a tribal location.
3. For Michael, Lea, and Kaleb, who are finishing up their school year at the Spanish Christian school mid- Nov and looking forward to being homeschooled with mom.

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 wisdom for Mike and Trisha as they serve in the different responsibilities that they are responsible for.
4. For Trisha, who will be homeschooling their 3 children. Lord-willing, she is hoping to get 3-4 weeks of school in before the 2^nd week of December and start again end of February.
5. For Mike & Trisha as they lead 2 short term mission trips (ACERCATE) for 2 weeks each with approx. 12 Latin youth (end of January and beginning of February). These 2 teams will have a part in building a church for the Pai tribal people and see cross-cultural missions first-hand.
6. For good health.
7. For safety in travels.

Unfortunately, the broken fellowship caused by sin tainted our ability to even know what we want or desire. The things we study, work for, purchase, and dream of are only as long-lasting as the very breath we take. But when we intently look into the historical revelation of God we gain an entirely new and clearer perspective on reality. We see that the Messiah who hung on a horrible cross secured redemption for all mankind that chooses to trust in Him. We see the triumphant King commission His newly formed church to carry that Good News to all ethnic groups. We see an initially fearful church empowered by God in the face of persecution carry the Gospel to the known world in that day.

Today, in 2009, we are nearly aware of every people group that exists on face of the earth and yet His comfortable church turns and looks the other way. Over 2,500 ethnic groups HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOOD NEWS EVEN ONCE, that the forgiveness of their offenses against a Holy Creator is found in Christ’s finished work on the cross. We need a new and clear perspective on life. We must invest in eternity; NOW. If you cannot go, please continue to do everything possible to mobilize and send others who can through your teaching, training, prayers and financial support.

Pray with us that God will move powerfully in hearts here in Paraguay and around the world for the sake of those whom have not heard!

Filled with curiosity, I swung the door to the auditorium part way open so I could hear the fluent Spanish of the Chamacoco tribal leader.

I had been standing outside watching our three children as church nurseries are nearly unheard of in Paraguay. First, he shared about his family that lives far away in a small village alongside the Paraguay river and then described how God is drawing the indigenous churches together. They are setting aside their cultural differences so that other tribal groups in Paraguay and in the Amazon Basin can also learn of their Creator God and to come into a relationship with Him.

What happened next I had never experienced before in Paraguay. My husband, Mike, had been invited to share in that morning and evening in this church, and he gave the Chamacoco tribal leader 10 minutes of the meeting to share about his ministry. Mike went on to explain that to the congregation that the Chamacoco man had not seen his wife and family for a number of weeks and due to the nature of his work and ministry, he was dependent upon churches for support.

Immediately, the Pastor of the church stood up and put a basket out for those in the congregation who wanted to help the Chamacoco man with his travel expenses. As the first person got up to go put in some small change, many others followed. When I saw this, tears poured down my face, as I observed a local Paraguayan church sacrificially giving so that this tribal man could once again see his family!

God provides for each of us in many different ways, and I praise the Lord that through our ministry, Mike and I can have an impact in Paraguayan churches so that they too will be proactive in seeing tribal people reached with the Gospel!