Christ to Paraguay

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The Hardest Post Yet

   This will probably be the hardest entry I write. This morning I woke up with a heavy heart, my iminent leaving placing a sadness upon it. I laid in bed and considered all that I will be leaving. There’s so many people here that I have grown close to, I feel like part of my heart will be uprooted when I leave. Living here for five months, this has become my home, and the thought of leaving it makes me so sick at heart.

   I know that when I return to the States I will face a whirlwind of emotions. With reverse culture shock, missing my loved ones here, and having to give up the work I love. For those of you in the States, I ask for grace. I know I will come back and not be myself, I don’t expect anything less. But please know that I deeply care and love for you all in the States as well. It’s not that I don’t love my home back in the States, it’s that I love both my homes and my heart is torn between the two.

   One of my friends told me that he doesn’t want to come to Paraguay because he sees how much the experience changed me- How I act and talk differently. I disagree with the premise, but fully agree in the observation. Know that when I come back this time I will be very different. Trust me, however, that this difference is a good thing, even when it doesn’t look like it. Again, I ask for grace.

   At this point in time I’m not ready to talk about any future I might have in Paraguay. I have many ideas to come back within this year, but nothing is concrete. I pray that God would have it in His will to allow me to come back and continue ministry here. I know God called me to missions, I just hope He calls me to Paraguay as well.

   I have a lot to process when I return to the United States and plan to continue this blog by talking about my reflections of the experience, as well as any updates on my future here in Paraguay.

To the Paraguayans and missionaries here, I love you and ask for grace.

To the friends and family back in the States, I love you and ask for grace.

I leave Paraguay June 11th, and land home June 12th.

[christtoparaguay]

Here's the link!

http://sammydez.com/alex_interview/

[christtoparaguay]

Friendly Reminder

Just a reminder that I will be interviewed tonight at 7 PM CST live through Google Hangout! Come back to my blog at 7 to find the link!

[christtoparaguay]

You're Invited!

   Hello friends and family (In Christ and/or blood)!    This coming Monday, May 26th, I'll be participating in a live streaming interview about my mission work. You have the oppurtunity to watch and participate in this interview LIVE at 6 P.M CST! Here's the Facebook event with all the details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/251232741729870/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

Not on Facebook? Come back here at 6 P.M. on May 26th and I'll post the link  to the live feed.  Hope to see you all there!

[christtoparaguay]

"You Will Be Scared"

   … My friend and local missionary said as we sat outside the men’s penetentuary, Tacumbu. As we exited the car I noticed a young man circling a car, holding a screwdriver. He was systematically checking every door to see if they were unlocked. He greeted us with half-glazed eyes and proceeded to the next car. The whole neighborhood had been affected by the prison; Poor, shacks of homes were scattered about dirty, trash filled roads.

   As we entered the prison I was stamped with the prison seal to indicate that I wasn’t an inmate and my passport was taken as a form of identification. As we passed into the prison, I could feel a darkness in the place. It was as if the spiritual evil presence of the place was tangible and pressing on my heart. On the inside we were first welcomed by two transvestites, looking us over.  We were bombarded with requests for money from men with faces of stone, searching for their next fix. We headed from the general population area to the drug rehabilitation cell block. 

   We entered into a small meeting hall that held about thirty men. We sat in the front and a few minutes later, the service began.

   “My spirit and my soul are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit…” the inmates sang as they began pouring their hearts in worship to God. Toothless, tatooed men with horrible histories were raising their hands and crying out to the Lord. After worship, the lesson began. The thirty men began discussing who Jesus is, and how they can know they are saved. They had a hunger for the Word. After the service, these men, these “hardened criminals”, my brothers in Christ, greeted me with most loving hugs and smiles. 

   Every one of them have a story. Every one of them had and still has their struggles. But through the program that my friend, Tim Revett, works through, lives and hearts are being changed for Christ. One of the convicts of the prison and participant in the program, Richard, gave me a tour of the facility. 

   I left Tim in the meeting hall and went with Richard. Again, I was surrounded by drug addicts. Richard kept close to me and introduced me to many people. We entered into their recreation area- A concrete slab. From there he took me into one of the dormitories. It was slightly larger than the average North American living room, but held about twenty men with bunkbeds stacked three high. The prison was built to house 1,000 men, it currently has about 3,000.

   We ducked between clothes hanging on lines and continued into the labrynth of the prison. He showed me their market next. It was a hallway with small rooms on either side. Every room held an inmate’s “shop” where they make handmade art in an attempt to make money while they are in jail. One can find beautiful paints, wood sculptures, and other cultural objects there.

   The tour then ended and I gave Richard my greatest thanks. As we left the prison, Tim recounted how a few of the men in the Bible study had originally plotted to rob him, and now they’re Christians in his Bible study.

   I can’t help but feel the awesome power of God in this work. The way God is shining His light in such a dark place brings awe to me. There is a palpable battle between good and evil in that place. I thank God that I already know Who has won the battle.

   Please, pray for the ministry at Tacambu prison. Pray that the inmates would continue to grow in the Lord. Pray for strength for the leaders and missionaries involved in the work there.

Until next time,

Alex

[christtoparaguay]

This weekend I visited Iguazu Falls. In Spanish: Las cataratas de Iguazu. It is one of the seven wonders of the world, located on the border between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. None of these pictures do it justice as it's impossible to capture the whole thing in one picture. Feel free to click on a picture to see it in a larger window. 

[christtoparaguay]

Paradise

     Many of you probably think I live in a mud hut. Some of you may think I wash myself in a river, use a leaf for a toothbrush and don’t know how to use toilet paper anymore. Some of you may even think I live in Africa. I don’t.

   I talk to many people who picture me living in a garbage heap amongst starving people. I don’t.

   I live in a paradise. I live in a paradise filled with tropical wonder. Waterfalls, brilliant flowers, and citrus fruit all around, bringing thoughts of the garden of Eden. It’s filled with loving and beautiful people who, by our American standards, are poor. But even they are living in this paradise with me.

   But the landscape and flora doesn’t make it paradise. 

   Christ makes it paradise.

   No matter where you are, if you have the Spirit of Christ indwelling in you, you are living in a paradise.

   Yes, I have hot water, toilet paper, and even a toothbrush, but if you were to walk fifteen minutes from my house into the slums you would encounter people who do live on a garbage heap and where some are starving.

   Yet, many that live there would tell you it’s paradise.

   Why?

   Because they have Christ.

   Yes, I am here to eradicate poverty and bring education, but more importantly and frequently forgotten, I am here to bring Jesus Christ. Bringing education and oppurtunity is not my goal. Christ is my goal. Because no matter how intelligent and rich Paraguayans become, without Christ, they will still end up in an eternal garbage heap apart from God.

   Education and oppurtunity isn’t the goal- It’s the means to accomplish the goal. Likewise, compassion isn’t the feeling that should drive us missionaries- It’s the feeling that ignites us, but the Spirit drives us.

   We must be very careful as Christians not to focus on social works and forget our God. Relieving a sinner’s thirst is good, relieving a sinner’s eternal thirst for God- Even better. Giving a sinner the ability to read and write is fantastic, giving a sinner the Word of God- Eternally good.

   No matter where you are the world won’t make your paradise, Christ will. This is my paradise not because of the language, culture, or landscape, but because I’m in the will of God.

   This week I begin a very important ministry that I need prayer for. I’ve encountered an oppurtunity to do ministry in a public school located in the slums mentioned earlier. I’m going to start the first ever English classes at the school. This is an amazing chance for beginning a permanent ministry that will continue even when I’m gone. 

   I ask that you pray that God would lead me as I start the ministry. That my goal would be Christ, not education, and that God would lift up missionaries to continue this ministry once I’m gone. 

   Help me make paradise with your prayers, then, go out and make paradise yourself.

[christtoparaguay]

... And the World Breathed

   The world waited. For three days everything in the world held it’s breath. It was as if the world itself stopped spinning as it waited on the answer. The singing birds sang no more, the crying infant fell silent, the stray dogs stayed their barks; All were anticipating. The mountains themselves trembled as they waited on the answer. Three days the world waited, holding it’s breath for the answer to the question hanging in the air- Is God’s love greater than our sin?

   The world waited a day.

   The world waited a second day.

   Breath was held in anticipation.

   Did our sin finally destroy that which created us?

   Then the answer roared from the tomb. The mountains shuddered and the Earth shook with the response:

   I. Am. Love.

   Nothing can overcome me. There is not a single thing that can break the love I have for you. Your sin is no more, and you may now, after thousands of years, enter into communion with me. Come, daughter. Come, son. Seek me, and you WILL find me; for now there is nothing that can seperate us. 

   And the world breathed.

   The world breathed knowing that finally, finally all is settled. And thus, this became our hope, our joy, our everything. Not only did Jesus die, but he rose and showed us that nothing will ever seperate us from the love of God.

[christtoparaguay]

Do I miss home?

   I had no idea this weekend was prom back at my highschool in the United States. Rest assured, though, that the overwhelming amount of pictures on Facebook served as a sufficient reminder. Which brings me to the point I want to make tonight.

   Lots of people always ask me if I miss everything back in the States. “What about your family? What about your own bed? What about your friends, and school?”

   Well, to answer that, let me tell you what I did this weekend as my other life in the United States was preparing for and attending prom:

   After taking a public bus for two and a half hours, excluding the hour wait at the bus terminal itself, I and a missionary-friend of mine arrived at a church in the interior of the country. The church, Su Refugio (Transation: His Refuge), is nestled amongst the large hills in a town called Tobati. The church runs a girls orphanage, women’s center, and hosts various vocational classes. 

   I spent the weekend painting different rooms of the orphanage, as well as helping cook and clean with the orphans. By the time my friend and I left, two bathrooms and all the outdoor columns of the building had recieved a fresh coat of paint. The cook of the orphanage let me help cook lunch for all the girls, and taught me along the way. One of the orphans even gave me the name, “Tio Alex” (Translation: Uncle Alex). I cannot begin to tell you how blessed I was to have this oppurtunity.

   While most of the girls spent their time sleeping during siesta, I and some of the leaders of the orphanage were able to sneak off for an hour and visit a waterfall just a little ways down the road. The view was breathtaking and is only one of the many beautiful places in Paraguay.

   There is one more picture I really want to share, but I am unable to. Paraguayan law prohibits me from publishing any pictures of the actual orphans. Instead, I will describe it with words.

   It’s a picture of me and one of the orphan girls playing. Her eyes are filled with joy, even though they have seen so much pain. Her smile is radiant, even when she has experienced so much difficulty. Her skin is soft, even though she has endured much hardship. Her name is Ruthie, and her picture is my reply to those who ask if I miss things in the States. 

   Facebook reminded me that I missed prom with it’s thousands of pictures of my friend’s smiling, dancing, and having fun, but those thousands of pictures don’t amount to my one picture of this girl.

   While the prom experience will grow old and become a distant memory, I have confidence that my experience will have an eternal permenance. Not because of what I did, but because of what God did through me. He used me to show His eternal love to this girl.

   So, in a nutshell, no, I do not miss the things of the States. Not because I think them inferior, or because I have “converted” to Paraguay, but because God is using me here, and nothing can compare to that. There is nothing wrong with my friends and family, and I do love them dearly, but I love my God more.

   And I have faith that as my friends are walking across the stage during my graduation, God will be faithfully walking alongside of me, here in Paraguay, using me for an eternal impact.

   You see, it’s not the things of the United States are lesser, it’s that God's call for my life is that much greater.

[thegreathope]

[christtoparaguay]

Mission Extended!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

First, I want to thank you for all that you have done for me. The way you have poured into my life financially, spiritually, and emotionally means more to me than you can ever imagine. I thank you for your participation in my ministry and mission work here in Paraguay. 

Please know that your investments in my life and ministry are not wasted. I have had the opportunity to form so many fruitful relationships with the people of Paraguay and I know that God is using me powerfully here. Most of my work days are spent at the school Nuevo Horizonte teaching English, helping in the office, and spending time with students. My free time is spent participating in the young adult and youth ministries in the Methodist church, both locally and nationally. It is amazing how God can use me to pour into others, while simultaneously allowing others to pour into me.

The opportunities I have had on this trip have radically changed the man I now am. I see God, and the world, in such a different light. God is not just loving, He is a passionate, jealous being who seeks us with such fervor that our minds can’t even comprehend. Likewise, the church isn’t simply one building or one group of people, the church is the place where people of all races, creeds, and nationalities come to find and know God.

I know that God is using me and molding me into who He desires me to be. My ministry here has produced fruit and want it to continue to grow. For this reason, I have decided to extend my stay here an extra month. I have tentatively set my new return date for June 11th.

This extension will require extra planning and financing. For this reason, I ask that you pray with me that God will provide the necessary funds for my extra time, as well as His continue guidance in my work here.

If you are interested in donating to fund my extra time, you can make checks out to The Mission Society with “Alex Mitchell #3061” in the memo line. Please mail all checks to The Mission Society at 6234 Crooked Creek Road, Norcross, GA 30092. 

Alternatively, you can donate online at www.themissionsociety.org.

Again, I thank you for all your participation with me and my mission work. If you have any questions or simply would like to chat with me, you can reach me at [email protected]. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.

In Christ,

Alex Mitchell

[christtoparaguay]

Update #5

What a wonderful adventure this has been so far. I can’t even begin to recount all the things God has done through me. I praise Him everyday for calling me and choosing to use me in such a powerful way. Here’s a few of the highlights of my life so far:

                                       Brazilian Visitors

  From March 17th to the 23rd I had the pleasure of working with seven Brazilian missionaries, four of which lived with me. Right when I thought I was starting to understand and gain fluency in Spanish, God threw Portuguese at me! With the help of God, an occasional translator, and lots of pointing, we were able to communicate without problems. 

The brazilians did mission work in the public schools in the community. Using dancing, storytelling, and singing, they shared the word of God to many students.

After seeing the state of the Paraguayan public schools, I now realize how blessed the students and teachers of my school, New Horizon, are. At the beginning of the year, you can see public school students carrying their desks on their backs, just so they’ll have a place to sit and work when they arrive at school. I praise God for His blessings.

The Brazilians taught me a few very important lessons about my faith:

Prayer is powerful - I’ve never met anyone who can pray as powerfully as those brazilians can. They deal with a lot of spiritual warfare in Brazil, and because of this they have become powerful prayer warriors.

Time is Unimportant - Brazilians have a tendency to be late. To everything. Always. But with good reason. If they feel the Spirit moving in a service, they have no problem staying an extra hour to pray and be with the people. This happened more than once during their stay here, and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

We wrapped up the mission and their stay here with an amazing worship service. We went out to a beach alongside of the Paraguayan river, at eleven P.M., and with only an acoustic guitar began to sing hymns- In three different languages. Fifteen of us in total, God's presence rained upon us and the Spirit moved amongst us. As we sat in the sand on that calm evening, God poured out his peace upon us.

                                          Teaching

I also continue to teach at the school, New Horizon. My classes are geared for the new students who need to be caught up in their English skills. Because of this, I’m blessed with having small classes of about 5. I also work as a substitute/aid for other English and Music classes. When it’s needed, I also help in the office doing paperwork and filing. Last week I worked on translating a video about the history of our school here. If you’re interested in learning more about the school I work at, here’s the link to the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUyJjOBxE8I

                                    An Unexpected Gift

I am constantly reminded of how many people are praying for me, and how much they care for me. Last week I received a large packet in the mail, filled with cards! My church in the United States wrote me cards of encouragement to show their love. God has blessed me with so many caring, loving people. I thank God for all of you who have been praying for me, reading my blog, and have donated money. 

                                        Kindled Hearts

I didn’t expect to have many North American friends here, hence why it’s called cross-cultural missions. Yet, God blessed me with two amazing friends who have become my sisters. Natalie Collins and Cassidy Lancaster, the former from The Mission Society and the latter from Latin American Missions, are short term missionaries like me. They will be staying for a whole year, with the possibility of a second year extension. Before we got here, we didn’t know each other existed. Now, we have become wonderful encouragers, counselors, and friends to each other.

[christtoparaguay]

New Horizon History

Here's a video about the history of the school I work at, as well as some of the missionaries that work here. Cassidy and Natalie, other missionary interns here, helped me translate it into English. Just click on the title to view it.

[beereans]

The world doesn’t need more of me. It needs more of Jesus.

-anon- (via community4christ)

[christtoparaguay]

I want to scream at the world. Not out of anger, or resentment, but to wake them up. Wake them to the reality of this great big world, with this great big God; to pop the bubble of their small life and engage them in Christ and His creation.

[christtoparaguay]

Update #4

   You know you're a serious teacher when your fingertips are forming callouses due to using chalk, and when your hands are tye-dyed three different chalk colors. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be doing what I'm doing now. Teaching has never been my strong suit, yet here I am, explaining English grammar rules entirely in Spanish. I thank God for being able to use me in ways I never think possible.

   Sorry I have written much lately, there's been a lot of craziness in my Paraguayan life.

   First, I was gone from the house this weekend because I attended a youth Bible camp. (Very similar to Beulah, for my St. Matthew friends). The Spirit powerfully moved during the camp and in my life. I have now decided to become more disciplined and have started fasting every Tuesday. It was a wonderful weekend full of games, fellowship, and lots of the Holy Spirit

   Second, my real work, teaching, is a bit crazy at the moment. Every year around this time all the students of the school have to write letters to their sponsors. Since I'm one of the few people equipped to do translation and assist students in writing, I've been very preoccupied. Addittionally I've been helping to organize and sort the letters and attached photographs. 

   My Spanish has improved more than I ever thought. I find myself thinking in Spanish and not needing to translate words- I simply understand them. I praise God for His assistance in helping me learn. The one down side? I've learned the majority of my Paraguayan Spanish through speaking and very much lack the ability to read and write well in Spanish. How strange to be a teacher who can't read or write good! ... Er.... Well.

   Thanks for your continued prayers! I ask you that you pray specifically for the school, that the Spirit would move amonst the students, for my missionary intern friend Natalie who is sick, and for a group of brazilian missionaries who will be helping this coming Monday. 

   Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] !

[christtoparaguay]

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?

" And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ... And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” "

       -Mark 15:33-34, 37-39 ESV

   This verse chills me to the bones. I think we often forget the grave significance of this text. Here we have Jesus hanging on a cross after being flogged, mocked, and tortured- Jesus, not just any holy man or prophet, Jesus, the living incarnation of love, of righteousness, of God Himself. 

   In this passage, God dies. Ponder the significance of this. All that is holy, all that is good, all that is love, all that is right in this world has just ceased. Our sins, evil, has killed God. Out of context, this verse shows that sin reigns. Why not kill your neighbor? Why not lie, cheat, and steal your way to the top? Clearly evil does conquer good, according to this passage. 

   This is the significance: Evil killed good. Oh, the numbing gravity of this text. God Himself forsook His Son, and died. Notice the tense of the centurions remark, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" (Mk. 15:39, emphasis added.) Was. Not is. Not will forever be. Was. The centurion understood the grace significance of this dark day. All purity, all goodness, dashed forever.

    This text serves to be the greatest horror story in existence.

   Almost.

" The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. "

       -Matthew 28:%,6

   Glory to God! For He reigns victorious! What was originally the greatest horror story has been transformed into the greatest story of hope. All that is evil, all of our sin, could not conquer the ferocious love God has for us.

     Incarnate love, incarnate God has reigned supreme over all death, all sin, and all the schemes of evil. This is our hope. This is our salvation.