Bob and Joy Brougher

About Us › Our Family › Locate a Worker

Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

BROUGHER PRAYER LETTER -
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Bob and Joy Brougher in Paraguay!

Dear Friends,

We greet you from Asuncion, Paraguay, three months after having first arrived! We rejoice in the Lord for His help and grace over the past months in finding a nice apartment, beginning our ministries in the Mi Esperanza Church (a new church plant that will be a year old in December), successfully setting up the mission office in our home (as Bob is Field Leader) and our smooth adjustment to life and ministry in a new country and culture. Thank you for the part you played in all of this as you prayed and gave to our ministries.

The Culture: What is terere (said: tereray)? In our last prayer letter we gave you information about the geography of Paraguay and its population. This time we want to share with you a unique aspect of Paraguayan culture: Terere is a social beverage that was passed by the Guarani indigenous group to the people in general. To be offered terere is to be considered a true friend or one who is worthy of trust and communion. In summer it is a cold drink that is believed to help people cope with the heat--sometimes up to 110F or 43C! People commonly carry their personal thermos jugs filled with ice water and their guampa, a special cup that they fill with leaves of the yerba mate plant and other herbs. Cold water is poured over the herbs and is drunk through a metal straw with a filter on the end, which is known as a bombilla. The guampa is repeatedly refilled with water and is passed all day long to friends with everyone drinking from the same bombilla. Joining in drinking from the common straw is a great cultural adjustment for North Americans, but a very important one to accept!

Ministry News:

1. The Mi Esperanza Church celebrated its first baptism in October, encouraging six other believers who want to be baptized soon! We are enjoying working on the church’s pastoral team with fellow missionaries, John and Lisa Sappia, and Rodrigo and Patricia, a young seminary couple. Please PRAY for wisdom for us as we plan and execute new evangelistic and discipleship approaches, and other ministries.

2. The Mi Esperanza church also had its first eye clinic on November 14 with eye exams and eye glasses being provided at a very low rate. There were 37 people who came and received exams, glasses, and medications, as needed and heard the gospel presented! Twelve people from the church came to help as well. Please PRAY for us as we follow-up those whom we contacted in the eye clinic.

3. Joy and Lisa Sappia are organizing the women’s’ ministries of the church. The first scheduled event will be a Christmas handcraft and cookie decorating workshop on December 19, with an evangelistic devotional to be given. An evangelistic tea and the beginning of two cell groups are also being planned for after the New Year. Please PRAY for this important ministry of the church.

4. We are beginning a ministry to couples in the church. Besides the two missionary couples, there are only three other couples who attend regularly and only a few couples that we have ministered to outside of the church. PRAY with us as we minister to the couples.

5. English classes sponsored by the Mi Esperanza Church will begin in January. PRAY for Patricia as she heads up this ministry. Joy will be participating in this as well.

6. A work team from three New Jersey Alliance churches will be coming February 12-22. Please PRAY for some of the team as they construct a “soup kitchen” to feed the poor in the area of the San Antonio Alliance Church. PRAY for others of the team who will conduct an outreach Vacation Bible School in a park near the Mi Esperanza church.

7. The Paraguay missionaries will gather in a hotel near Asuncion for our annual Field Forum, February 25-28. Please PRAY for a refreshing time spiritually as we meet.

Family News:

We thank the Lord that our son, Nathan, found temporary work. He hopes to find something in the area of his international relations degree in the New Year. PRAY for God’s provision in this. Our daughter, Hannah, is a freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, and is enjoying her studies. Please PRAY for her continued transition into college life.

Our daughter, Carrie, and husband, Jeff Stredney, continue as lay leaders at Metro Alliance in Cleveland, Ohio. PRAY for the inner city youth they minister to. Rachel, and husband, Jared Ostlie, continue their ministries at Faith Alliance Bible Church, Des Plaines, Illinois in the areas of outreach ministries via ESL classes, computer classes, and preaching. Their goal is to begin overseas missionary service in 2011. Our precious grandkids, Nolene (2 yrs. in Dec.) and Jonas (6 mos.) keep them blessed and busy! Please PRAY for their and roles in ministry and in the family.

THANK YOU! Thank you for supporting us through prayer and giving to the Great Commission Fund. It is a team effort and we sense your great support in every way! May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving as well as a joyous, Christ-filled Christmas!

Serving Christ,

Bob and Joy Brougher

Field mailing address:
CC 13173, Shopping del Sol, Asuncion, Paraguay
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Here are some opportunities for you to participate financially in our ministry in Paraguay as the Lord leads you:

Outfit – To help set up our apt. Please send your gift to the address that follows and designate it: “Outfit – Robert and Joy Brougher, Paraguay.”

Car Fund – To buy a new vehicle, we need $5,000 more. Please send your gift to the address that follows and designate it: “Vehicle – Robert and Joy Brougher, Paraguay.”

Work Account – This fund helps us with our ministry related expenses. Please send your gift to the address that follows and designate it: “Work Account – Robert and Joy Brougher, Paraguay.”

Great Commission Fund – This fund supports our general living and ministry expenses. Please give to the Great Commission fund through an Alliance church or send your gift to the address that follows.

The Christian and Missionary Alliance
PO Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500

BROUGHER FAMILY INFORMATION:
Bob & Joy - Field Leader and church planting in Asuncion, Paraguay
Rachel & Jared, Nolene & Jonas Ostlie - Working and home service as accepted candidates of The C&MA in Faith Alliance Bible Church, Des Plaines, Illinois
Carrie & Jeff Stredney - working in Cleveland, Ohio; youth leaders at Metro Alliance Church
Nathan - Graduate Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois; looking for a job
Hannah - Nursing student at Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

PRAYER BULLETIN - November, 2009

"And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." Colossians 3:15

We are SO thankful to God for each of you who pray for us and for God's work in Paraguay. At this Thanksgiving time, we thank you for your faithful prayers for the following:

1. Our pastoral team has met a few times already, and the six of us are excited about what God is doing and will do in the Mi Esperanza CMA Church. We PRAISE Him for His working in and through us to see this young church built up. Please PRAY we will be unified and doing God’s will and purpose in the church.

2. Thank you for your continued prayers for Brenda Boston. She will need further radiation treatments for six weeks which begin this month. Please PRAY for Bob and Brenda as they trust God in these coming months for Brenda’s recuperation.

3. On Oct. 18 we attended the San Lorenzo Alliance Church as they celebrated their 8th anniversary! What made it more joyful was the baptism of 9 believers (even a lady named Maria Teresa, who was undergoing cancer treatment!). PRAISE God for this church! Another Alliance church also celebrated their 5th anniversary on the same Sunday—the San Antonio Church. Please PRAY for the 7 churches in the greater Asuncion area, that all of them would see a great work of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

4. Bob preaches on Nov. 1 at the San Lorenzo Church in two services, on Nov. 8 at the Asuncion Church and also on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29 in the Mi Esperanza Church. PRAY that God’s Word will touch the hearts of the hearers of that Word.

5. On Saturday, Nov. 14 there will be a “Mision Vision” (or Vision Mission) in the Mi Esperanza Church. This is a service outreach to the poor in the community for vision care (eye exams, glasses available, counseling if surgery may be needed, etc.), and all at very low cost to the person who comes for such care. Please PRAY for this event and for the follow up by the pastoral team of the people who come as this is a way to reach new people with the gospel as we contact them, visit them, invite them to church, etc.

6. John and Lisa Sappia and their four children will be traveling to the U.S. for some vacation time, but also for the purpose of replacing John’s heart pacemaker. This surgery is set for Nov. 19. Please PRAY for John and for a safe surgery and quick recuperation.

7. On Nov. 21 all the CMA churches gather for a national church Missions Day where presentations are given of what churches are doing in outreach. Because some of our churches are not self supporting yet, pledges are taken to help support the pastors of these more needy churches. Please PRAY that pledges are given to cover these needs for the coming year.

8. Lisa and Joy are making visits to the ladies of the church and also other contacts from the Awana kids program. We are in the process of developing a women’s ministry as well. Please PRAY for us as we seek to minister to the women in the church and in the church’s neighborhood.

9. Family requests: Our son Nathan has found temporary work, PRAISE God! Thank you for praying! Please continue to PRAY for his long term goal of a permanent job.

Thank you for participating in what God is doing in Paraguay!

"Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart...."

Serving our Lord,

Bob and Joy Brougher
Serving with The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Paraguay

Email: Brougherbunch@gmail.com

If you would like to participate in our support in any way, it would be much appreciated. Donations can be made to:

The Christian and Missionary Alliance
P. O. Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO 30935-3500

Options (Mark clearly one of the following):
1. Support of Robert and Joy Brougher (Great Commission Fund)
2. Outfit for Robert and Joy Brougher (to help set up our household)
3. Work of Funds for Robert Brougher (to do ministry in the Mi Esperanza Church)

Paraguay

Approved Specials

If you wish to contribute to one of our specials (vehicle funds, building projects, etc.) you may select it from the Approved Specials List.

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•