Prayer is a blessing to give and receive
PARAGUAY
What is a prayer team? For a number of years EMC has been sending out teams to pray for missionaries on EMC-administrated mission fields. Those who have gone on such trips can testify to the blessing it is, both for them and for the missionaries they went to serve. I can report from the receiving end as well as the giving end, as I have now been on both sides.
After a two-and-a-half year wait due to the pandemic, the latest prayer team was able to go to Paraguay to minister to the field staff there. We were a group of 11 people, including Rolf and Angela Kruse’s three daughters. For me, having worked in Paraguay for 22 years, it was like going home. It was encouraging to see how the different ministries that EMC has been involved in over the years have thrived.
Revita Kroeker (second from left), one of EMC’s administered missionaries in Paraguay, is joined by prayer team participants Ariana Kruse, Sharon Friesen, Mary Braun, George Braun, Joanne Martens, Diane Fehr, Sonia Kruse, Angela Kruse, Nadia Kruse and Rolf Kruse.
These are the missionaries and ministries we visited and prayed for:
Alto Refugio, the HIV/AIDS center started by Dave and Judy Schmidt. The current administrators, Bertram and Elsa Hein, continue the work, serving up to 1,000 clients every month. They asked for prayer for unity among their staff and praise God for the number of clients who attend the weekly Bible studies they offer.
Complejo Rama, a camp for Spanish-speaking young people, run by Marcelo and Mera Hildebrand. Begun only two years ago, it is already running at full capacity. Their vision is for the facilities to be used year-round by different groups—whether churches, schools, businesses or families.
Centro Vital, a rehab center for alcohol and drug addicts, begun through the vision of Berthold Friesen. They have room for 14 residents at a time, with a six-week treatment program. The men have a full day of activities including one-on-one counselling, group therapy sessions, Bible studies, personal devotions, work in the gardens and with the animals, sports and some free time. A facility is being built to work with women battling depression.
Radio Mensajero, a ministry that started through the vision of Frank Kroeker. The radio ministry serves people around Tres Palmas Colony, broadcasting programs in various languages. Directors Daniel and Ella Klaue are excited about the possibilities for the churches to use the radio programs for evangelism and discipleship.
Santa Teresa, the Guaraní community close to Tres Palmas colony where several EMC missionaries have served over the years. Augusto and Christina, the Paraguayan couple there at present, are responsible for the church and medical part of the work. The school has over 300 students with 10 teachers, and the church has an attendance of around 200 people. What began as an often-discouraging ministry has flourished into a thriving community of believers.
Joanne Martens (far right) shares a meal with Sharon Friesen, Evelyn Rodgers and Diane Fehr during a recent trip to Paraguay.
RadioNet, a relatively new ministry started by Benny and Esther Goertzen. It focuses on providing short devotionals for national radio stations as well as sending them out to WhatsApp groups. In addition to devotionals, they have produced short stories in Guaraní to help teach positive biblical values to young people.
Chris and Revita Kroeker focus on marriage restoration through their ministry Caring for the Heart. They travel to many locations where they have group classes and personal counselling sessions with the couples who take part in their courses.
Travis and Rosey Zacharias are in a church planting ministry in Minga Guazú. They work with low-income families and have many requests for help especially with medical needs. The church is growing slowly, but the Sunday school attendance has multiplied rapidly. They are also involved in camp work for Spanish-speaking youth.
With so many missionaries and ministries to visit and pray for, we were overloaded with information and overwhelmed with all the needs that were presented to us. However, it was also exciting to see how the work in Paraguay has grown and how the work that missionaries have done over the years has borne fruit. Prayer teams that go out have a part in that growth. As one of our contacts said, “We always see positive results in our ministries after a prayer team had been here.”
