The sky was menacing. Big drops of rain fell just before we launched our children’s festival. It was the kick-off event of a family day our church, Mi Esperanza, hosted for the neighborhood earlier this month. After about five minutes of showers, the clouds vanished and the sun began to shine.
We immediately set up game stations, a bounce slide, and a hot dog grill. With well over 20 church volunteers, we finished just as the kids and their parents arrived from all directions.
More than 80 children attended, and many parents stayed afterward to chat with church members. The event concluded with a gospel presentation from our new teammate Carlos Saavedra.
At one point, I saw three kids peeking from behind a fence and begging for their mom’s permission to come to the festival. I approached them, telling them that it wasn’t a private party but open to all the neighborhood children. Their mother’s face lit up—and all three kids were soon romping on the bounce slide.
Later that evening, we hosted a Christian rock concert for teenagers and college students, with styles ranging from worship music to heavy metal. By the time the bands started playing, a group of teens were hanging around the perimeter, afraid to come too close but not wanting to miss the music.
Band members not only played excellent music with Christian messages but also shared their testimonies, along with the gospel, between songs.
Please pray that those who expressed interest in Jesus and in the church will be faithful to their commitments. Also, pray for our church as we revamp our ministry to teenagers and college students to reach more of this generation for Christ. Pray too that Mi Esperanza will continue to gain favor in the eyes of our neighbors.
Thank you for your prayers. Because of your faithful intercession, Jesus is winning the victory in Paraguay, and we are excited to be on the same team with you in service to our King!
—By John Sappia, an Alliance international worker serving Paraguay
Pray
Use the weekly Alliance Prayer Requests to join the Alliance family in interceding on behalf of our teams in West Africa and worldwide, who often serve in challenging circumstances that require Holy Spirit–inspired wisdom and creativity in demonstrating God’s love to those who don’t know Him.