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Dec 18, 2004
Prayer & Praise - December 2004 Update
PRAISE
PROVISION -
"I am the Lord thy God, ... open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." - Psalm 81:10
This was one of George Müller’s favorite verses. We mentioned him in our October newsletter as a modern Hero of the Faith whose life spanned Victorian England. Müller believed that Christians should never ask for money, but trust directly in the Lord for everything. On the basis of this Scriptural principle, Müller was able to build up an immense work in orphanages & Gospel literature distribution to the glory of God alone.
Also in October's newsletter, we shared with you our family's commitment to trust the Lord alone to provide for us financially, as well as, in every other way.
With the example & witness of numerous faithful servants of the Lord in both modern times & in the Scriptures, we are convinced that this is how we are to "walk by faith, not by sight."
From personal experience, we also know that when we make our petitions known only to the Father in secret prayer, and according to His will, He provides the exact sums we need, when we need them, and God, not man, gets all the glory.
Let us share a testimony that illustrates just how our Lord moves His people to provide financially for His workers, without a direct appeal ever being made.
This week, Sherri received an email from an old friend & fellow church member with whom we have lost track of and have not seen or talked to in several years. In addition, they have not been on our mailing list since relocating to another state about 2 years ago. Here is an excerpt from that email:
"I know you guys are doing great things in Paraguay thru much sacrifice on yours and your family's behalf. We would like to be a part of your ministry. We have sent a check ... in the amount of 2,400. We also would like to give to you guys on a monthly basis in the amount of $200."
Isn't that awesome! This is totally the Lord's handiwork. God moved the hearts of these people to give the amount He wanted, not some amount we were trying to raise. In fact, now we are seeking the Lord's will concerning how He wants us to use these funds.
God is SO good! He truly can fill our mouth's when we open them wide & let our requests be made know to Him alone.
Of course, our faithful Lord has provided for us in more ways than just financially since we last wrote you.
PROGRESS -
Sherri finished teaching a 6-month Ladies Bible Study on "Practical Christian Living" & all but one lady completed the course. Sherri rewarded the ladies by taking them on a day trip to a beautiful part of the country near the little town of Piribebuy. Piribebuy was founded in 1628 and was the third capital of Paraguay.
Along the river outside of town, the ladies enjoyed a cookout next to some of the many small rapids & waterfalls. Even though it began to rain during their meal, they were able to shelter under a thatch roof, have their meal & a devotion. Driving back home they sang hymns all the way. It was a great time of fellowship & bonding for these growing believers.
PUPPETS -
The first week of December we were invited to the annual conference for New Tribes Mission here in Paraguay. It was a great time of fellowship with the 35 or so New Tribes families working in this country that we have come to know & love over the last couple of years.
This year they asked us to perform one of our Puppet Plays. Autumn, our 18-year-old daughter, wrote the script which she entitled, "Mikey Monkey." The play was based on a bedtime story Sherri made up 20 years ago for our first-born, Cameron. The story became a family tradition as each of our children in turn has been told the tale.
Autumn adapted the original bedtime story to be a Christian Puppet Play by highlighting the concept of obedience to God & parents that ran through the original story.
Four other missionary kids helped Autumn as puppeteers (there are 7 characters in the play), and we mixed our own soundtrack that included the voices, music & sound affects. The play has four parts, the first 3 of which have cliffhanger endings. We performed one installment each night of the conference at the beginning of evening chapel.
Next we are translating "Mikey Monkey" into Spanish as we are using it for Vacation Bible School the week of January 10th.
PERSEVERANCE -
While we were out of town at New Tribes´ conference, we were not able to be at home for our Sunday meeting with the church that meets in our home. We were concerned that the believers learn to meet on their own. So, we sought the Lord's direction on how best to handle this aspect of their Christian growth.
The Sunday before we left town, we suggested to the assembly that that get together in our absence for a time of Bible reading, singing & prayer. We didn't plan it for them or tell them where to meet, we just left it up to them.
The day we left, one of the ladies in the group told us several of them had talked about it & decided to meet in her house. We were thrilled! We gave her the songbooks & suggested some Scripture they might want to read.
When we returned from the conference, we were anxious to find out how things went. What we learned was a joy & encouragement to our hearts. The most faithful of our regular attenders DID get together in the one lady´s house. They reported that it was a real blessing & they thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a tremendous step of growth in the spiritual maturity of these precious people. Please keep the church that meets in our home in your prayers.
As always, thank you so much for your faithfulness in praying for us. Without your fellowship with us, our work for the Lord would greatly suffer.
May you have a blessed holiday remembering that our Father not only sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be born in a humble stable, but also to die on a cruel cross to pay for our sins.
Yours in Christ,
PRAYER REQUESTS
OUR FAMILY:
- David - Grace in learning Spanish. Wisdom in teaching the believers in the assembly meeting in our home. Wisdom & direction in planning additional outreaches.
- Sherri - Patience & wisdom in preparing varied & numerous details of the upcoming Vacation Bible School. Grace & wisdom in continuing to disciple the women in the assembly.
- Cameron - Endurance, safety, grace & wisdom as he works and pursues his flight training. In addition, Cameron will arrive here in Paraguay on January 6th to help us with VBS & will be staying for about a month. Pray for a safe trip & a time of spiritual refreshment with our family.
- Autumn - Grace & wisdom in finishing her Senior year, taking the SAT test, & preparing to move to the States to attend New Tribes Bible Institute next year (around May). Grace as she helps with her last VBS before leaving for college.
- Bethany & Matthew - Perseverance in their schoolwork, ever-increasing dependence & growth in the Lord, & grace as they help in the various ministries.
MINISTRIES:
- Assembly Meetings - Faithful attendance by all the believers (some let work & activities get in the way of meeting together), and for continued spiritual growth. Reproof, repentance, & restoration of those who have made the choice to continue in disobedience to God concerning their personal relationships (living together outside of marriage).
- Puppet Ministry - Grace & resources to finish preparing our latest puppet show for Vacation Bible School in January (we have to edit it & rerecord it in Spanish).
- Vacation Bible School - Wisdom & creativity in preparing for VBS the week of January 10th, 2005, and the resources to carry it out. Our VBS is geared to present the Gospel through Puppets & daily lessons. It is open to all neighborhood children, so pray that many will attend. Last year we saw 8 come to trust Jesus as their Savior.
- Lending Library – Wisdom & resources in putting together a library of Biblically-sound books in Spanish to help disciple the believers here.
UNSAVED:
There are 17 people on our prayer list for salvation. We will mention specific ones from time to time for special prayer. Here is one we've mentioned before who is greatly on our hearts:
- Lazaro - The atheist Cuban husband of Andrea, one of the first believers in the assembly. Sherri & I will soon start meeting with this couple to teach them English. Pray that the Lord will give us opportunities to share Christ with Lazaro & that his heart will be open to the Truth.
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The Pryors of Paraguay
Web: http://www.pryors.net
Email: david@pryors.net
Mail: Casilla 13154, Asunción, Paraguay
Tel: (595) (981) 170-367
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