Friday, May 1, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Christmas 2008!
Merry Christmas!
As we come to this year's end and celebrate the season of Christ's Birth, I want share with you some of the amazing wonders that God has been doing throughout this past year. And likewise, I want to thank many of you who have supported me through much prayer and support, which moved what would have been "mountains" for me, and permitted me to move ahead throughout this year's journey. I am very thankful to God for giving me such a supportive team to work along side of. I hope that you are blessed as you here what God is doing here in Paraguay.
As I look back on this year alone, I am stunned at the work God has done in my life. For being my first year on the mission field, I can definitely say it has been a busy year. Let me run through with you a little bit what the things that have happened this year alone.
Together with the mentorship of seasoned and competent missionaries at Power to Change, I started the first 7 months of this year with a great opportunity to grow and learn what God is capable of doing through me when I depend on him.
During those months, I became fully involved in coordinating the supply of food that was shipped to Paraguay. A total of 8 contains with up to 8 million meals of food needed to be pledged to feed the kids in Paraguay. I was asked to promote these massive need and help resource this food. At the time I had no idea where in the world to start! But now three of these 8 containers have already reached Paraguay!
In May, I also was able to help with the coordination of the East Asia Leadership Conference, in which a group of East Asia's spiritual leaders (who had more than 15,000 Christian workers on the field) came together at Power to Change to learn innovative ideas of leadership and how to work together to reach Asia for Christ.
In July, I was privileged to coordinate with Athletes in Action a team of Fathers and their 13-15 year old sons into Nicaragua where the gospel was courageously shared at every level of society including: hospitals, schools, government workers, Police officers, fire fighters, and especially on the soccer field. This was a tremendous trip where every father that went grew closer to God and become closer to his sons.
I want to especially thank Faith Community Church and all the people who opened up their homes to me and helped me with everything I needed to get started as a full time missionary!
In August, my long awaited desire of living and working in the country of Paraguay became true. It's funny because even a year earlier, I didn't know that the country exited, but now it was where God had called me and there was nowhere else in the world I would have wanted to go. On the 9th, I left Lynden with my two suitcases which held all my life belongings + my guitar to start a whole new life again. Paraguay sense then has become my new home, and God has blessed me with a bed I can call my own, I house to live in, friends that accompany me, a new church I have grown to love. Plus I have a great team of people I serve along side of with a vision of seeing Paraguay transformed with the love of Christ.
Working with Transforming Paraguay Together has been a thrill, every day with new challenges we face but great opportunities to share the gospel using every means within our reach. I feel like in Canada I learned some of the things that God could do through me as an individual, however here in Paraguay, I have learned what God can do when a team of us commit our every effort to expand the kingdom of God and reach people's needs.
To start out my journey here I must first explain to you who Alexis Aquino is. First of all he is my boss, but more than that, he has become a mentor who has come along side of me with the desire to train me and challenge me as a leader. He is nothing less than a General in the kingdom of God (literally the only thing missing is his uniform), but he is someone I have come to appreciate and respect greatly. The first duty he asked me to take on was definitely the biggest project I have ever coordinated in my life.
October 16, 17, 18th we held an evangelistic event in a large soccer stadium outside of Asuncion in which more than 40,000 people attended! I was asked to coordinate the transportation of these people to and from their neighborhoods. Together with a team of 36 people for 6 weeks we coordinated with hundreds of church leaders across the city and used over 560 buses to transport people to the event. To say the least, it was a logistical nightmare to organize, but thanks to God and a great team, we moved everyone safely without any accidents (a true miracle in Paraguay.) But the real miracle is that 4051 people came forward to receive Christ for the first time! Plus these people are now being followed up with and getting plugged into the local churches. I can only imagine the celebration happening in heaven right now!
After this event, I have continued to work with the "Children of Promise," who are the 17, 260 kids who now receive love, a plate of food, friendship, and Christian values across the poorest areas of Asuncion. Now in 156 different churches, humanitarian aid is being established as a means of sharing Christ within the community. We help the local churches by giving them the basic bulk of the food including rice, vegetables, noodles, cookies, and even clothes. Many of these kids live on the streets or in abusive homes, and the soup kitchens are the only place they can come and find shelter and love. For example even today I met Ivan, an 11 year old orphan boy who was already addicted to cigarettes and living out on the streets before he started going to the soup kitchen ran by the a church in the neighborhood of Capiata. This Church started with the soup kitchen with the desire to reach out to their community, and besides many of the children who now attend sunday school, 21 of the parents have also started going to the church through and are now going to start a dicipleship program. I love it! Every day I meet new people like this who are being blessed with the food.
In addition to helping resource the food, I am also coordinating different practical training days to teach all the soup kitchen coordinators with practical ways to reach the children's spiritual and emotional needs, how to administrate a kitchen, and even teach some good recipes to feed many mouths.
I believe 2009 will continue to be a year full of excitement and challenges. In this year alone we were able to reach 490,000 people personally with the gospel. And we continue to believe God that next year we will be able to reach even more. I want to assure you that each one of these people represents a person who's life has been touched with the gospel this year. And in the next few days I will be sending you the stories of some of these people who were impacted throughout this year.
So as the countdown to Christmas begins, lets start thanking God first for the people who have come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
From Paraguay, I wish you a merry Christmas and I pray God's continual blessing be over you and your families.
With Love,
Judah Mooney
As we come to this year's end and celebrate the season of Christ's Birth, I want share with you some of the amazing wonders that God has been doing throughout this past year. And likewise, I want to thank many of you who have supported me through much prayer and support, which moved what would have been "mountains" for me, and permitted me to move ahead throughout this year's journey. I am very thankful to God for giving me such a supportive team to work along side of. I hope that you are blessed as you here what God is doing here in Paraguay.
As I look back on this year alone, I am stunned at the work God has done in my life. For being my first year on the mission field, I can definitely say it has been a busy year. Let me run through with you a little bit what the things that have happened this year alone.
Together with the mentorship of seasoned and competent missionaries at Power to Change, I started the first 7 months of this year with a great opportunity to grow and learn what God is capable of doing through me when I depend on him.
During those months, I became fully involved in coordinating the supply of food that was shipped to Paraguay. A total of 8 contains with up to 8 million meals of food needed to be pledged to feed the kids in Paraguay. I was asked to promote these massive need and help resource this food. At the time I had no idea where in the world to start! But now three of these 8 containers have already reached Paraguay!
In May, I also was able to help with the coordination of the East Asia Leadership Conference, in which a group of East Asia's spiritual leaders (who had more than 15,000 Christian workers on the field) came together at Power to Change to learn innovative ideas of leadership and how to work together to reach Asia for Christ.
In July, I was privileged to coordinate with Athletes in Action a team of Fathers and their 13-15 year old sons into Nicaragua where the gospel was courageously shared at every level of society including: hospitals, schools, government workers, Police officers, fire fighters, and especially on the soccer field. This was a tremendous trip where every father that went grew closer to God and become closer to his sons.
I want to especially thank Faith Community Church and all the people who opened up their homes to me and helped me with everything I needed to get started as a full time missionary!
In August, my long awaited desire of living and working in the country of Paraguay became true. It's funny because even a year earlier, I didn't know that the country exited, but now it was where God had called me and there was nowhere else in the world I would have wanted to go. On the 9th, I left Lynden with my two suitcases which held all my life belongings + my guitar to start a whole new life again. Paraguay sense then has become my new home, and God has blessed me with a bed I can call my own, I house to live in, friends that accompany me, a new church I have grown to love. Plus I have a great team of people I serve along side of with a vision of seeing Paraguay transformed with the love of Christ.
Working with Transforming Paraguay Together has been a thrill, every day with new challenges we face but great opportunities to share the gospel using every means within our reach. I feel like in Canada I learned some of the things that God could do through me as an individual, however here in Paraguay, I have learned what God can do when a team of us commit our every effort to expand the kingdom of God and reach people's needs.
To start out my journey here I must first explain to you who Alexis Aquino is. First of all he is my boss, but more than that, he has become a mentor who has come along side of me with the desire to train me and challenge me as a leader. He is nothing less than a General in the kingdom of God (literally the only thing missing is his uniform), but he is someone I have come to appreciate and respect greatly. The first duty he asked me to take on was definitely the biggest project I have ever coordinated in my life.
October 16, 17, 18th we held an evangelistic event in a large soccer stadium outside of Asuncion in which more than 40,000 people attended! I was asked to coordinate the transportation of these people to and from their neighborhoods. Together with a team of 36 people for 6 weeks we coordinated with hundreds of church leaders across the city and used over 560 buses to transport people to the event. To say the least, it was a logistical nightmare to organize, but thanks to God and a great team, we moved everyone safely without any accidents (a true miracle in Paraguay.) But the real miracle is that 4051 people came forward to receive Christ for the first time! Plus these people are now being followed up with and getting plugged into the local churches. I can only imagine the celebration happening in heaven right now!
After this event, I have continued to work with the "Children of Promise," who are the 17, 260 kids who now receive love, a plate of food, friendship, and Christian values across the poorest areas of Asuncion. Now in 156 different churches, humanitarian aid is being established as a means of sharing Christ within the community. We help the local churches by giving them the basic bulk of the food including rice, vegetables, noodles, cookies, and even clothes. Many of these kids live on the streets or in abusive homes, and the soup kitchens are the only place they can come and find shelter and love. For example even today I met Ivan, an 11 year old orphan boy who was already addicted to cigarettes and living out on the streets before he started going to the soup kitchen ran by the a church in the neighborhood of Capiata. This Church started with the soup kitchen with the desire to reach out to their community, and besides many of the children who now attend sunday school, 21 of the parents have also started going to the church through and are now going to start a dicipleship program. I love it! Every day I meet new people like this who are being blessed with the food.
In addition to helping resource the food, I am also coordinating different practical training days to teach all the soup kitchen coordinators with practical ways to reach the children's spiritual and emotional needs, how to administrate a kitchen, and even teach some good recipes to feed many mouths.
I believe 2009 will continue to be a year full of excitement and challenges. In this year alone we were able to reach 490,000 people personally with the gospel. And we continue to believe God that next year we will be able to reach even more. I want to assure you that each one of these people represents a person who's life has been touched with the gospel this year. And in the next few days I will be sending you the stories of some of these people who were impacted throughout this year.
So as the countdown to Christmas begins, lets start thanking God first for the people who have come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
From Paraguay, I wish you a merry Christmas and I pray God's continual blessing be over you and your families.
With Love,
Judah Mooney
Friday, November 7, 2008
Out in the Chaco
Weeks Update!
Most of you know I work with Cities of the World in Paraguay. So this email might seem ironic to you as I am writting this to you from one of the most remote places I have ever been. The Chaco, the outback of Paraguay. Here 100 degrees of heat combined with humidity is normal. In the Chaco, you don´t waste water, every drop is worth gold. The last paved road I was on is over 100 kilometers away. And I am staying with Andres and Sara Unrau, Mennonit Missionaries who have been work among the native Indians for the last 40 years.
Here everything goes. Just a minuet ago, an old truck pulled up to the electricity pole out in front of the house pulled out a gun and shot a bird that was making its nest. One problem less to worry about. This morning at daybreak, the milk was brought in fresh from the cow out back. Right now it is being boiled for breakfast! O ya, and I can´t help but mention that yesterday I showed a group of kids what a computer is! Explaining how the internet works, got kind of complicated I´m afraid...
Most of you know I work with Cities of the World in Paraguay. So this email might seem ironic to you as I am writting this to you from one of the most remote places I have ever been. The Chaco, the outback of Paraguay. Here 100 degrees of heat combined with humidity is normal. In the Chaco, you don´t waste water, every drop is worth gold. The last paved road I was on is over 100 kilometers away. And I am staying with Andres and Sara Unrau, Mennonit Missionaries who have been work among the native Indians for the last 40 years.
Here everything goes. Just a minuet ago, an old truck pulled up to the electricity pole out in front of the house pulled out a gun and shot a bird that was making its nest. One problem less to worry about. This morning at daybreak, the milk was brought in fresh from the cow out back. Right now it is being boiled for breakfast! O ya, and I can´t help but mention that yesterday I showed a group of kids what a computer is! Explaining how the internet works, got kind of complicated I´m afraid...
It is a warm culture out here and people love to talk. “It´s time for Mate”, Sara said t
his morning, as she poured the hot water over a mix of natural herbs. “This mix of herbs is good for the health”, she quielty points to Andres who is looking the other way. for the next two hours we sat together in a "Ronda" ( a circle of friends drinking mate) and talked about life. Every once in a while I would jump up as I fingured we needed to get things ready for the evening meeting. But they quickly reminded me that we would get things done after mate time =) It´s peaceful out here, that is if you can block out the constant croking of the two parrots who speak something inbetween German and the native language and the giant fr
ogs which made me jump up out of my bed last night they where so loud. With the little radio this morning on the table we listened to the news together. News will always be the same: bad news. But today the worse thing that happened in the world is that in the town close by a little white puppy has gone missing, it has long hair =)
ogs which made me jump up out of my bed last night they where so loud. With the little radio this morning on the table we listened to the news together. News will always be the same: bad news. But today the worse thing that happened in the world is that in the town close by a little white puppy has gone missing, it has long hair =) We are here helping Andres with an outdoor evangelistic event. Last night we watched close to 1000 people come together to hear the gospel. Although our meetings don´t start until close to 8:00 pm once things start to cool down, people who need counciling start coming out in the afternnon for counciling and prayer. We prayed w
ith many people with all sorts of problems. One woman was a prostitute, who slept with two people every day she said. She wanted to change, she wanted forgivness from God. After much counciling we prayed with her to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior, and then connected her with a local Church here who will help her continue with this new walk in life.
A family came next, one by one starting with the oldest boys they came forward for prayer. Alcohal had drained the family of the little that they had, unfaithfulness, smoking, and abuse. The father confessed as he showed me where he had hit his wife on the nose and in the stomack. But now he wanted to change, he wanted peace in his family. She wanted her family free from the effects of alcohal. We prayed for each one of them, as they repented of these things that had kept them burdened for so long. Then during last nights meeting close to thirty people came forward to accept Christ for the first time. We have counciled hundreds of people through simular problems, and have been able to lead many people to Christ.
I´ll be here for the next few days. Everyday more people show up as the word continues to get out. Here, you don´t have to worry about any other distractions keeping people home, This is the biggest event of the year. Everyone wants to be here. Some people walk for kilometers to get here, others catch a ride on the large wagan on the back of a trackter which is passing by picking up people every day.
Please pray during the next couple days as we continue to evangelise and council people. Only God can change people´s hearts. We desperately need for Him to touch people and heal their lives.
Well, I should get back to drinking my mate, the milk has boiled long enough now, and I think it´s time for breakfast!
God bless,
Judah
Here are some more pictures for you!
This dog is running in competition to make it as World´s ugliest dog!
Milking for breakfast!
Hundreds of people who came forward to accept Christ
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hello Everyone!!
I just wanted to update you all on my situation here this last few weeks. I have started full time now that I am settled in, and by that, I mean putting in lots of over-time. Last night I was with a brother here who is running one of our Soup Kitchens. I was completely blessed as we spent time with over one hundred kids that show up every day to his church from all naround his neighborhood. It was such a blessing to be with the kids and volunteers who use all the food that I have been working on getting shipped down into Paraguayl. The volunteers at the church had become like family to these kids. It did not take long to know that there was a genuin love for these kids there. The Pastor, his wife and the cooks gave so much of their lives to see that the kid's needs were met. Not only are they feeding them once a day, but they have guitar classes, sports programs, and are continually showing them the love of Christ. One of his volunteers, Marta, is there every day from 3 O clock until 7 pm. No matter if it's raining or beating down sun, even when she is sick the pastor told me she has been there for the kids.
They started the program just two years ago feeding 1 day a week, but they did not stay there. The Pastor had a dream of someday being able to feed the kids every day. Soon they heard about our feeding program, and knew that this was an answer to their prayer. Now every day a range of vegetables, rice, noodles, and fruit are fead to these kids. The Pastor has a big vision, and last night we initiated plans on trying to get sewing machines down to him, In this way he can teach the mothers a trade as seamstresses so they can help provide for their families! Please pray for these kids, and what God is doing through the soup kitchen to bless their community.
Also pray for safty and protection!! Last wednesday, my car was broken into and robbed while I was at home. I had the entire amount of travelers checks stolen from me that were going to pay for my vehicle. I was trying to find a bank that would exchange them and my assumption is that I got followed home from one of the banks or that there was an inside informant telling the thieves. Unfortunitley, because I had already signed the checks ( to deposit them into my bank account), it is unlikely that I will recuperate the money. But please keep this situation in prayer as it will take 40 days for the bank to decide what to do with my case.
Thank you so much for your continall suport. I know that right now I am at the front of the battle lines, and that Satan will continue to try to discourage me and try to make me pack up and go home. But my trust remains in God who is more powerful than any attack that the ememy can throw at me. There are so many more things I would love to tell you about what I see God doing every day here, but I will continue to be in touch!
God Bless,
Judah
AIA Sports clinic that are just starting up. Every Saturday Morning we have churches gather the kids from their neighborhoods to play soccer and hear the meesage of Christ..
After a good game of soccer, a child prays to accept Christ
This is a soup kitchen that is starting outside of town. Close to one hundred kids gather every night to have a good meal!
Local soccer game!
Why did anyone ever invent forks anyways? This is also at the soup kitchen!
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