Mattix Family Journal

HEAT

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:14:00 +0000

I was thinking today of writing about HEAT. Heat, glorious heat. We just spent 9 days in Chile near Santiago with most all of the missionaries from the Southern Cone (Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay). While it was great to be with them, to see them, to share life's journey, to be understood, etc., I found myself really missing the HEAT! Yes, I love the heat of Paraguay. Do I sweat? Of course, all the time. I even preach with a towel instead of a handkerchief, but I still love it.

I've often thought about why I can tolerate 120-130 degrees with high humidity (if it's possible to tolerate something like that, maybe survive is a better word). I mean, I used to complain when it would get in the 90s in Southern Missouri in August.

I was thinking again on this, today (because it's really hot and the air conditioner is not working), and wondering. Why do I like this? Why do I do this? I could be in the United States, working a normal job, maybe attending a church and working in one as well, but that's not enticing to me. Why isn't that? Am I abnormal? (My brothers aren't allowed to answer that question)

As I was wondering about that I received a phone call from a pastor of a church we have been attending. They have been awesome to our three children. In fact, Chariti, Kaylee, and Chaz are at practice, right now, for the upcoming youth camp. They will be doing a dance routine and other things with their youth group during the camp. They come home from practice excited to be a part of something like this. Anyway, he called to let me know that a project we have been praying about has come to fruition.

The church, First Assembly (the only one in Paraguay) or Iglesia del Centro (Downtown Church), has been meeting in a really tiny room with space for about 50 people. Many more would like to attend the church, but there just isn't room. We've been praying about selling the building, purchasing land, and building. The land was purchased just before Christmas. Last Wednesday evening, Pastor Simon talked to someone about purchasing the building, and it sold. In fact, tomorrow will be the last service in it as we have to be moved out by Monday. Talk about a fast answer to prayer.

After the phone call, I knew why I love the HEAT. Whether it's the heat or the humidity, whether it's the heat of every day living in Paraguay, whether it's the heat of ministry, or whether it's the heat I place on myself to do things correctly, I know that I am here for a purpose, and I love serving God in the heat of Paraguay.

Maybe there's some heat in your life that has got you all boiled up and steaming over. Give it to the cooling waters of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to soothe you, calm you, and cool you. You know what? He loves you and wants the best for you. Just ask Him and see what He won't do for you!

Blessings to all,
Charley

(photos: a picture of myself and the pastor of our church, Simon Arias)

Also, you can check out a video on my Facebook of Sherry and the kids in their Christmas play: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2929181384291&set=vb.1103640131&type=2&theater

Amazing!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:30:00 +0000

The past few months have been a whirlwind. To sum it all up would take several pages of writing. I will briefly (in a timeline fashion) inform you as to what has been going on. Here goes:

August 8-left (3 hours late due to marine layer in L.A.) the States for Paraguay.
10-arrived (24 hours behind schedule) in Paraguay.
11-rest of August and September, repairs on mission's owned home (electrical problems, broken lights, air conditioners broken, fire in chimnea over the grill, etc.)
August-preaching in many different churches, we saw over 100 people come to Christ
September-Chariti's birthday,preaching in more churches, teaching at Bible school, more repairs on house, watched as 24 people were saved and 12 filled with the Spirit (whoo hoo)
October-traveling to many churches and preaching, teaching in Bible school, meeting new pastors, more repairs on home, getting older (i.e. birthday), blessed to witness the re-birth of 22 new brothers and sisters in Christ)
November-preaching in more churches, Bible school ends for year and graduation of 26 students, watched as God called people into ministry and many were filled with the Spirit
December-a month full of blessings, miracles, and my first baptism service in Paraguay. One young teenager (the only Christian in his family) was baptized and came out of the water speaking in tongues. I had never personally witnessed anything like it before. It was amazing!

Now, we are in a new year. It is a year of expectation, of blessing, and of hope. I really believe that God is going to do some amazing things, this year, in Paraguay. We are looking forward, in anticipation, to see what He will do in our beloved, adopted nation of Paraguay. Please remember to pray for us. Without you, we cannot do what God called us to do. We need you, we love you, and we pray for you!

Blessings,

Charley

Bible School

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Last night, I was teaching a class on Soteriology (hope I spelled that correctly for all of you theologians). Here the class is called Soteriología. Anyway, it was the second of nine weeks at the Bible Institute in this specific class. I was teaching on the reason for Salvation (the class is the doctrinal study of salvation and divine healing), on repentance, and on faith. When the class was coming to an end, the Holy Spirit began to move when I started discussing with them degrees of faith like small faith, big faith, tested faith, proven faith (at least that's how I translated them). Then, when I went into talking about active or inactive faith and how we maintain our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask them why they were at the Bible Institute or why they were attending Bible school.

I began by asking them their reasons for attending. Are you here to find a spouse? Are you here to earn a degree or title? Are you here because you think it will give you a name or make you into someone important here in Paraguay? Are you here to study and learn? Although that last one is a good enough reason to attend, I pushed a little further and told them that they are attending a place where they get to spend time with God in each and every class and chapel. They should be taking advantage of the next four years to ask God to speak to them, to minister to them, to teach them, and to show them His will for their life. They need to be here for the best reason: to see God, to know Him, to know His works, and to draw closer to Him and allow Him to reveal His plan for their lives.

As I was talking to them about faith and allowing God to give them more faith and them to receive it, tears began to fall on several students' faces (and mine). Several slipped out of their desks and went to their knees before a presence so holy that we all knew the Holy Spirit was ministering to us. I fell to my knees and began to thank God for meeting us in a small Bible school classroom with 14 students in Asunción, Paraguay. It was amazing!

We have been back "home" now for a month. There has been a lot of news of severe cases of abuse, neglect, murder, rape, and other serious crimes. Most of them are committed by fathers and mothers to their own children. Also, many of the young people of Paraguay have lost all hope and are taking their own lives. There has been such a feeling of sadness and despair in this nation that it has been difficult to break through this barrier. I have been asking God to help me break through this in some way. Last night, it was (at least to me) as if God was saying that He had everything under control. All I need to do is depend on Him, and He will help me get the job done.

Maybe you are struggling today with the feeling that God is not near you. He can't hear you, or He isn't answering your prayers. Instead of worrying about it, begin to praise Him and thank Him for saving you, for blessing you, or for something good in your life. Begin asking Him to give you more faith, then receive this free gift from Him. I promise you that the same Holy Spirit, the same God who met a small group of Paraguayan students listening to a gringo teach them about faith, will meet you wherever you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

Blessings to you all,
Charley

Trip to Wisconsin

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:57:00 +0000

My family and I are still itinerating. This past weekend, we were given the opportunity to travel to Sheldon, Wisconsin. We stayed with some friends, who have become like family, in Holcombe, Wisconsin. Yes, there was still a lot of snow on the ground. It was cold, for me, but not for them. There were a lot of people walking around in shorts and t-shirts.

Anyway, the Sitler family took us to Grape's Sugar Bush where we went into the woods and learned how they tap maple trees for the sap to make maple syrup. Then, we went to the barn or workhouse to see it being boiled down into syrup. Of course, we had to taste some of the sap and syrup and had some maple candy. Really sweet! It was a wonderful time. I really enjoyed learning about the process of making maple syrup. They even gave us some root beer made out of the maple syrup they made at their farm.

Also, we went to a store where they sale cheese and other dairy products. The owners are the parents and grandparents of Dylan. Dylan was a young man that had cancer and his one wish was to own his own dairy. Before he passed away, his wish was granted and his family still runs it in his memory. If you've never had real Wisconsin cheese, then you haven't had cheese. It's amazing, and of course, we bought a few pounds of cheese and tried several different kinds.

On the trip to the farm and dairy store, there were many interesting conversations in our van between Chaz and two of the Sitler grandchildren. Their names are Zara and Zander Groothousen. Zander is 6 years old, and he kept trying to get Chaz' attention by yelling, "Hey, talker! Hey, talkative, talker!" Finally, Chaz asked what he wanted. Here's the conversation: Zander: "Chaz, have you ever been to Madagascar?" Chaz: "No." Zander: "Have you ever been to San Diego?" Chaz: "Yes." Zander: "What? You've been to San Diego? That's so cool!"

Anyway, we got a kick out of it. I guess San Diego was a bigger place to visit than Madagascar. He seemed more excited about it than asking about Madagascar. There were other conversations, as well, but I can't remember them all.

We went to Wisconsin to do a Faith Promise mission's service at Sheldon Full Gospel Assembly of God. Their regular monthly mission's giving has averaged around $890 per month. After the Faith Promises were taken up, they had commited to having God give $2760 per month in mission's giving. I can't wait to see what God is going to do for this church in the near future. Their faithfulness to obey God will result in every blessing being poured out in abundance so that every need is met and they have enough to do what God asked them to do. It says in 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.”

If there is something that you need or your church needs, why not take God at his word and step out in faith and obey Him? When we do this, He is able and willing to provide every blessing in abundance. If your church is struggling, why not take on some more missionaries and see what God will do for you.

We are almost there. We only have 8% to raise for our monthly commitments and $15,000 on one-time cash offerings. Please continue praying with us to see God finish up our budget so that we can get back to Paraguay and do what God would like us to do.

Blessings to all,
Charley

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:18:00 +0000

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

This past year has seen us travel all over this great country of ours visiting many churches, meeting new friends, and raising our budget. It has been challenging, fun, and busy. A big thank you to each and every one of you for praying for us and supporting our family and ministry in Paraguay. You are a blessing to us.

One big thing that has happened during this itineration has been a move of God in each of our services. In almost every one of the services, people have given their lives to Christ and made Him Lord of their lives. It has been amazing to see Him work in people's hearts and lives.

As we come to the end of another year, we are thankful to God for His many blessings in our lives. We are thankful for His provision, His safety in our travels, health, and His annointing upon our lives and ministry. We are thankful that we have almost finished this itineration, and we will be headed back to the country of our calling. We can't wait to return "home" and continue the work in Paraguay that God has called us to do. God has provided 90% of our needed monthly budget and 20% of our needed cash budget. In order to return to Paraguay, we still need $1,200 in new monthly commitments and about $25,000 in one-time offerings. We would like to return in January, but we know that is just around the corner. The plans are to return by or before April of 2011. Please pray with us!

Would you pray with us as we continue to travel from church to church telling them what God is doing in Paraguay? Would you pray for protection, help, and provision?

Thank you to all who have already made that commitment to pray and support our ministry. To those of you who would like to help us out, please contact me via email or phone. You can find that information on our website: www.mattixfamilynews.com.

Blessings to you all,

Charley, Sherry, Chariti, Kaylee, & Chaz

Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Here is a quick update of our schedule for the rest of August and September:

This weekend, we will be in Caruthersville, MO at First Assembly of God for the morning service and Holcomb, MO for the evening service. Both of these are the Assembly of God churches in those towns. If you are in the Bootheel of Missouri, please join us for the services. We are looking forward to being with Pastor Rob and family on Sunday morning and Pastor Richard and family on Sunday evening at 5.

August 29, 2010: open

August 31, 2010: 7 p.m., Central Bible College, Springfield, MO

September 5, 2010: Assembly of God, Stockton, MO

September 12, 2010: Full Gospel Tabernacle, Sheldon, Wisconsin

September 19, 2010: open

September 26, 2010: First Assembly of God, Sparta, IL (a.m.)

September 26, 2010: Bethel Fellowship, Florissant, MO (p.m.)

October 1 & 2, 2010: People's Church, Arnold, MO (Mission's Convention)

October 3, 2010: People's Church, Arnold, MO (Mission's Convention-a.m.)

October 3, 2010: First Assembly of God, Camdenton, MO

October 10, 2010: Trinity Tabernacle, Bridgeton, MO (a.m.)

October 1o, 2010: open (p.m.)

October 17, 2010: Northview Assembly of God, Joplin, MO (a.m.)

October 17, 2010: open (p.m.)

October 24, 2010: Tampa Assembly of God, Springfield, MO (a.m.)

October 24, 2010: open (a.m.)

October 31, 2010: open (a.m. & p.m.)

November 6, 2010: Grace Assembly of God, Florissant, MO (Mission's Convetion dinner)

November 7, 2010: Grace Assembly of God, Florissant, MO (Mission's Convention/Faith Promise Service)

November 10, 2010: First Assembly of God, Nixa, MO

November 14, 2010: open (a.m.)

November 14, 2010: First Pentecostal A/G, Ottumwa, Iowa

November 21, 2010: Orlando, FL

November 28, 2010: Orlando, FL

December 26, 2010: First Assembly of God, Buffalo, MO

So far, this is our schedule for the rest of they year. As you can see, we have several dates where we don't have anything scheduled (especially almost every Wednesday evening). If you could pray with us so that we can fill up our schedule with services. In order to raise our cash budget, we need at least 10 services per month. Right now, we are averaging 5 services per month. Please pray with us that doors will be opened for opportunities to minister.

God is moving during our itineration. So far, we have seen 250 people come to know Christ or re-dedicate their lives to Him in our services. He is touching lives and changing hearts as we continue to serve Him at each and every church. We thank God for working through us!

Please pray with us that God continues to work on our behalf. We still need to raise about $1,500 in new monthly support and a little more than $32,000 in cash offerings. As many of you know, we are living in a different time, but God is faithful. What is amazing is that with all of the support that has fallen off, God is bringing in new partners. Please continue to pray for us as we are "home" raising the necessary support to live and serve God another four years in Paraguay.

Blessings to all,

The Mattix Family

Southern Missouri District Council

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:38:00 +0000

I am sitting in the hallway of James River Assembly of God in Ozark, MO. The Southern Missouri 96th Annual District Council is set to begin in a little over 4 hours (7 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2010). This year, we have a booth set up near one of the entrance doors on the north side of the sanctuary. It should be a great time of fellowship and encouragement as the pastors, missionaries, and ministries of Southern Missouri get together to do business, worship God, and network with each other.

Already, I have seen many exciting ministries and talked with several friends of our ministry. We are anticipating seeing more and watching God connect us to more pastors and ministries.

In this, our second itineration, we are seeing God move in a really exciting way. In almost every service, we are seeing people saved and called into the ministry. Last night, we were in Winona, MO, and a young man, only 6 years old, gave his life to Jesus and asked for me to pray for him. He wanted to do whatever God wanted him to do. It was an exciting time, for me, to pray for this young man. Who knows if one day Jacob will be leading a church, become a missionary, or be the next Billy Graham? God knows, and for me, it is amazing to be a small part of His kingdom, serving Him where He has called my family and myself.

As we continue on this week and throughout our itineration/furlough, we pray that God continues to save lives, call people to minstry, and help us return to Paraguay as quickly as possible. Our heart has been left in Paraguay. Our home is in Paraguay. God called us there, and it has become home to us.

Please pray with us that God will continue to work His will in our lives. Pray that He will help us fill our schedule for the rest of the year, and that the required support comes in quickly.

Thank you for praying and supporting our ministry! Without you, we couldn't do what God has called us to do!

Blessings,

Charley

Itineration

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:15:00 +0000

As we travel, visit family and friends, make new friends, and visit with churches and supporters, it never ceases to amaze me how amazing God is. There are so many faithful people who are serving Him, and He allows us the unique opportunity to meet many of His servants.

Let me give you a couple of examples: Danny and Sherry Brown at Brookside Assembly are ministering as pastors in their church and as adoptive parents in their home. They love people, young and old, and are making a difference in Hazelwood, MO and the St. Louis area. Dwayne and Renee Corbin are one of the teams for Reality Ministries in the U.S. In fact, they are the president (I think that's the correct title) of the ministry in the U.S. They work with two drama ministries called, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" and "Last Chance." They are changing lives all over the country as they present the Gospel message in a vivid way. Pastor Duncan Ahrens and family are pastors in Staunton, IL. As we went to visit with Dwayne and Renee as they presented HGHF in Staunton, Pastor Duncan invited us to lunch, and then asked us to come and minister at their church in August. His heart is to reach the lost, and through Harvest Time Assembly (and the Assembly of God in Gillespie) they are doing just that. Many people are coming to know Christ.

As we continue to itinerate, we are so honored to meet many people like these three families. Our schedule is busy, but we have many dates still open. If you would like for us to come visit your church, please let us know. If you have a small group or Bible study in your home, let us know. We would love to come and minister with you.

Here is our schedule for the rest of March and April:

March 14: a.m. Sorento Assembly of God; Sorento, IL

p.m. New Life Assembly of God; Coffeen, IL

March 21: a.m. Giddings, TX

afternoon: possible Spanish service, Giddings, TX

March 28: open

April 4: open

April 11: a.m. Grace Assembly of God, Kansas City, MO

p.m. open

April 18: open

April 25: a.m. River of Life Assembly of God: Boonville, MO

p.m. open

April 28: 7 p.m. Assembly of God; Dexter, MO

Hope to see some of you at one of these services. Please be praying with us that God will continue to open up opportunities for ministry.

Blessings to you all,

Charley

Upcoming Schedule for Mattix Family

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:33:00 +0000

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on our schedule for February.

Feb. 7: Sunday a.m. service; Harvest Time First Assembly, Perryton, TX
Feb. 16: Noon; Kansas City Sectional Council
Feb. 21: Sunday evening service; Exeter Assembly, Exeter, MO
Feb. 22: 11 a.m; Cape Girardeau Sectional Council
Feb. 22: 5 p.m.; Kennett Sectional Council
Feb. 23: 10 a.m.; Park Hills Sectional Council
Feb. 23: 3 p.m.; St. Louis Sectional Council
Feb. 25: 10 a.m.; Sullivan Sectional Council
Feb. 25; 3 p.m.; Sedalia Sectional Council
Feb. 26; 12 p.m.; Clinton Sectional Council
Feb. 26; 6 p.m.; Joplin Sectional Council
Feb. 28; Sunday a.m. service; First Assembly, Lebanon, MO
Feb. 29; Noon; West Plains Sectional Council
Feb. 29; 6:30 p.m.; Van Buren Sectional Council
Feb. 30; 10:30 a.m.; Springfield South Sectional Council
Feb. 30; Noon; Springfield North Sectional Council

As you can see, we are busy with many meetings during the week; however, we still need more services at churches. We have 3 services scheduled in February, and we need to have at least 10. We are looking to fill the dates of the 14th, 21st (Sunday morning), 28th (Sunday evening service), and all Wednesday dates (10th, 17th, & 24th). If you can help us pray that these dates will be filled, we would really appreciate it.

In order to raise our budget to return to Paraguay, we need to average at least 10 services per month. Please pray that this will happen for our ministry.

If you are a pastor or on the mission's committee of your church, would you please consider helping us with a service. We would love to minister to you and your congregation and share what God is doing in Paraguay.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

Blessings,
Charley

Itineration/Furlough

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:40:00 +0000

In case you haven't heard, yet, we are home for our second itineration/furlough. We finished our first-term in Paraguay, and now we are back to raise more funds to return to the work in Paraguay.

We arrived home in December to spend Christmas with family in California. On January 3rd, we were supposed to have our first service in California City; however, I became very ill and we had to reshedule. I suppose that our bodies have to readjust to North America. Kayleee became very ill 2 weeks later, and now, Sherry is very ill.

God has been good to us despite the illnesses. We have already been to three churches, and we have seen God work in each one. On January 10th, we went up in the mountains to Running Springs Assembly of God, and 2 people rededicated their lives to Jesus Christ. It was awesome to see Him work. On January 17th, we visited First Assembly of God in Victorville, CA. In the 3 morning services, 18 people gave their lives to Jesus. Then, yesterday, January 24th, we were at Crossroads Assembly of God in Barstow, CA. It is their mission's convention time, and we opened the convention sharing what God has done in Paraguay and ministering. 7 people raised their hand to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is so awesome and humbling to be used by God. I never cease to be amazed at what he does for us and through us.

Our schedule for the next couple of weeks is as follows:

January 31st; California City, CA; New Life Assembly of God
February 7th; Perryton, TX; Harvest Time First Assembly of God

If you are in one of those areas, and would like to visit, please stop by for the services. We would love to see you.

Blessings,
Charley

Merry Christmas!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:56:00 +0000

Merry Christmas, everyone! This year has been a year full of the grace of God. He has been amazing to this missionary family! We have seen His hand upon on our lives, protecting us, guiding us, and helping us as we learned to live and minister in Paraguay. He has now brought us back to the United States for a time of ministering in as many churches that will have us, visiting family and friends, and traveling across this great country meeting new people and making new friends.

To all of you who have been praying for us and supporting our ministry, we say a great big THANK YOU!!!! We pray that God blesses you for your faithfulness. There were many times, in the past couple of years, when we knew that you were praying for us. We felt your prayers when we went through difficult situations. I remember one time, I was struggling and nervous about giving the invitation after one of our drama presentations. It was one of those nights when the audience was cheering and clapping for the devil (in the drama, not the real one :), and it seemed like they were more excited to watch people being dragged off into hell than for those going to heaven. I didn't think anyone would respond to the altar call. As I stepped out to begin the invitation, a sense of peace and a calmness spread over me. I could feel God's presence. I could feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and I knew that you were praying for me. The amazing thing is that on that specific night, over 100 people responded to the altar call. Over the past two years, it was the biggest response, for one night, to the invitation to give their life to Jesus Christ.

That is just one example of God's grace upon our lives. This next year, we would like to visit with everyone, but we know it is not possible. Our plans are to post our schedule on Facebook, Twitter, and here on the blog. You can check out the schedule and if you are in a nearby town or in the area, please feel free to join us in that church. That way, we can visit and share what God is doing with as many as possible during 2010. As you probably know, our website is down. We have a MacBook, and I am trying to use iWeb to do a better website; however, it is not working too well. We do have our domain registered correctly, now. I just have to figure out how to get it published to the web.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel all over the United States. Currently, our van is broken down. It doesn't work, at all, and we don't have the money to purchase another one. For me, it doesn't seem smart to buy a new car only to try and sell it in a year. I would rather not have a monthly car payment, if we can help it. Please pray that our 2001 Pontiac Montana can be fixed well enough to last another 130,000 miles or so. Also, we will be moving back to the Springfield, MO area in February, and we need to make sure that our van can get us back their, safe and sound. Other prayer requests are: health, protection, rental home, raising funds to return to Paraguay, and that I don't gain any extra weight during itineration :)

Love to you all! Merry Christmas and may God bless you now and in the new year!

Charley

Website

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Just a quick update: for those of you looking for our website, it is currently down. We are working on the situation and changing things to make it more user friendly and to be able to post video and pictures more easily. We are hoping that these changes will give everyone a better opportunity to see what is going on in Paraguay. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope to be up and running in early December.

Blessings,

Charley

What price are you willing to pay?

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:42:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to do the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames," again, in a church named Buenas Nuevas (Good News). I thought it was cool to share the Good News in a church named Good News.

Anyway, it was a rather unique experience for us. The cast, this time, was the Bible school students where I teach. Normally, we go into a church that has invited us, and we choose the cast from the volunteers that show up. Members or attendees in the church who want to share what God has done in their lives with others through this powerful drama. So, we went into this drama not knowing what to expect because we didn't get to meet with the church members or talk to the pastor too much beforehand.

The pastor of the church is an amazing person. He is the National Treasurer of the Assemblies of God in Paraguay. He opened the doors of his church to us, allowing us to use the facilities to do this outreach. Not only did he open the doors, but he encouraged his people to get involved in the discipleship process. They caught the vision of the drama and began inviting unsaved people. They put together packets of information with an invitation letter to a brindis or fellowship the following Monday after the drama. It was awesome!

Over the 3 nights of the drama, we saw 150 people come forward to give their lives to Jesus Christ! Now, Pastor Nery (the pastor's name) and I feel like there were more than 150 people, but we only have 150 cards filled out. The church people and some of the Bible school students worked hard at consolidating or following up on our new brothers and sisters in Christ. On Monday night, 50 people returned to the church for the fellowship and Pastor Nery gave them their first discipleship class. Also, thanks to the Arkansas and Southern California districts men's program, Light for the Lost, we were able to purchase a complete, hardback Bible for each and every one of them and all the others who have given their lives to Christ. We thank all of you who support Light for the Lost! Your new brothers and sisters in Christ thank you, as well.

There was one particular salvation that I thought was just amazing. It was amazing because of how God did it. We arrived early on Saturday evening before the 2nd night of the drama. There was a gentleman asleep on the ground in front of the church. Two of our students went up and talked to him. He was a homeless gentleman who didn't have a job, money, or clothes. It looked like he hadn't bathed in a while. The students and I invited him to come inside, and we would get him something to eat. He said that he was fine, and he wanted to come in, but he didn't have the proper clothes to go inside a church. We told him that it didn't matter what he was wearing, but he couldn't do it. He promised to come back the next night. We weren't sure that he would; however, as we were getting ready to start prayer time before the drama on Sunday night, in walks this man. He looked the same as yesterday, and he really felt uncomfortable. One of the students had brought some clothes for him with them. We took him to the shower. He showered, shaved, and ate some empanadas that we had purchased for him. He looked like a totally different person. He sat through the drama, and at the end, he came forward to accept Christ.

I often wonder, "What price do we place on a soul? How much would you give or pay to see one person saved?" Did we spend that much, really, to make him feel comfortable enough to enter the church and attend a drama that ended up changing his life forever? How much would you give in order that someone could hear the Gospel and be given the opportunity to meet Jesus? I know that I am willing to give my money, my abilities, my time, my love, and my life.

Oh, by the way, this man now has a job and is living in a small apartment while he is trying to get his life back together. If you don't think that Jesus can change lives, here is living proof that He CAN and WILL.

Blessings,
Charley

What is holding you back from running the race?

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:18:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to minister to a youth group in Capiatá, a city about 45 minutes from our home in Asunción. Chariti and Kaylee traveled with me, and we had a good time talking and visiting. They are good girls with great hearts and an amazing love for everyone we come into contact with here in Paraguay. Let me give you a glimpse of what it is like to travel, minister, do things with family, and other daily things that we do in Paraguay.

During the girls and my trip to Capiatá, we were driving along the road, encountering smells, sights, and sounds that just a little over 2 years ago, were so unfamiliar and even unknown. The smell of burning rubber or trash mixed with the smells of chicken cooking on open flames, pizzas in the traditional brick ovens, or chipa baking. The sights of children begging, teenagers attempting to wash the windshields of vehicles stopped at lights, families selling trinkets, toys, clothes, or whatever they can just to survive, jugglers with balls or fire-sticks trying to earn a few coins, homeless children with no shoes and torn clothes coming to your car window, putting their hands around their eyes, trying to peer in and ask for a coin, and many other sights. The sounds of cars honking, children crying, vendors selling their wares, policeman whistling and directing traffic, people watching and cheering for their favorite soccer team, etc. When driving in Paraguay, there is no end of sights, smells, or sounds.

Chariti, Kaylee, and I were talking about different things like that as we traveled to the church. We have come to love all of these different sights, smells, and sounds. Some, of course, are more enjoyable than others. We started talking about going "home" in December. We can't believe that our first term is almost done, and it is time to head back and visit churches, family, and friends and allow God to minister through us as we attempt to raise our second budget. Paraguay, already, has become our home. Don't get me wrong. We love the United States, and it is our home, our country, our flag, our people, and our nation. However, God has given us such a great love for Paraguay and the people that it will be very difficult to leave here, even for such a short time to itinerate. We have learned so much in our short time here, and we are anticipating learning so much more when we return.

As we made our turn off of the main highway onto a side road to the church, I made a phone call to the pastor because I didn't know where the church was located. It was a dark road, paved with stones, and we were wondering if we had made a correct turn. The pastor told us to come eight more blocks and turn right. As the girls and I counted the blocks, we came to the eighth one and turned right. We drove for a while but never found a church. In fact, all we saw were homes. It was too dark to take any pictures of the houses, but my heart broke as I looked at some of them. Our home is a mission's owned home. It is nice with lots of space. Some of the homes that we saw were so small and so poorly constructed that I wondered how they stood up in a storm. Sometimes, twenty people will live in one of these tiny homes. It really makes you think about complaining about anything in your lives.

I have learned that when serving God, we never really lack what we need. Being in Paraguay has taught me to rely on God even more than ever before. Every time I speak, minister, or preach, I can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as He ministers through me. At the youth service, after we finally found the church, I preached from Hebrews chapter 12. It follows the faith chapter in Hebrews. It talks about the great cloud of witnesses and putting off all thing that hinder us in running our race. Sometimes, we are more worried about the witnesses and what they think than the race we are running. I brought a large backpack to the church and several bricks. I asked a young person to run around the church with the backpack on during the entire sermon. I talked about the things that take our eyes off of the goal, the end of the race, the finish line, which is Jesus Christ.

There are things in our life that take our eyes off of the prize, the goal, Jesus. Simple things like tv shows, girlfriends or boyfriends, friends, materialism, etc. None of these are sins, but they can take time away from our relationship with Jesus. For example, I could complain or worry about things that go wrong in our house (i.e. pipes bursting, roof leaking, yard eroding, security), but then I must remember homes like we saw that night. Sometimes, our enemy takes simple things in our lives, problems, complaints, worries, lack of something, desires, etc., and uses them to take our focus off of Christ.

As I was preaching, I asked the pastor to add bricks to the backpack each time I mentioned something that can take your eyes off of Christ. It became harder and harder for the young man to run around the church as more bricks were added. I asked some of his friends to help carry the backpack and run with him. Sometimes, our friends help us carry the weight instead of get rid of it. Then, I asked a couple of the youth leaders to stop him at the altar, pray for him, and remove the weights from the backpack. As they removed them, they placed them on the altar. I told him that once we give God something, we shouldn't go back and don't need to go back to get it. It's placed at Jesus' feet, and we don't need to carry it around any more. Then, for the altar call, I asked each young person to take a brick and allow it to represent something that is taking your focus off of Jesus. Then, take the brick, place it on the altar, and give it to Jesus. It was amazing to watch these young people, crying as they placed the bricks on the altar, as Jesus ministered to them.

Is there something in your life that is taking your focus off of Jesus? Allow Him to take if from you. Allow Him to minister in your heart and life and be the main focus of your life and family. If you do, I promise you that your life will be so much happier.

Blessings to you,
Charley

Picture from our latest drama!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Here are some pictures that I promised to put on our blog from our last drama. The first picture shows as we were beginning to set up for the drama. As you can see, the church isn't very big. It was really tight, but it worked out. They were a great group of people to work with.The next picture shows Kaylee's buddy, Spot;) She does a great job running our spotlight for us. In fact, the whole family does a great job.
Our equipment in the church waiting to be opened and placed where it needs to be. Lots of work still left to do.
Me, trying to figure out how to get the computer, video, and sound working. Sherry and Chaz offering moral support :D
This is a picture from the first practice. I am trying to explain something to the angels and other actors.
Part of the first practice. This is the opening scene as they are beating Jesus (the actor who plays Jesus, not the real Jesus :) and getting ready to crucify him.
Our actor, who played Satan, laughing up at heaven. He did a really great job during the drama. He was focused, kept praying and seeking God, and he wants to do the drama, one day, in our large national soccer stadium.
More of the first practice with Jesus entering with the cross.
The day after the first practice, we began to set up the scenery. Nery and Pastor Francisco are trying to figure out how to hang the mylar.

The first piece going up.

Starting to get everything covered up.

This is how we laid it out before putting it all up.

Sherry and Chariti working on the entrance to heaven. They and Kaylee did such an awesome job decorating the scenery.

Here is how it looked. The finished product. Sherry and Kaylee working on the microphones. We had one broken after one of the actresses decided to throw it down on the concrete, tiled floor. Emotion and excitement got the best of her, I guess.

Taking a break while waiting for the electrician to finish up his work so that I could get the lighting all set up.

Here is the light switches for our drama, here in Paraguay. Our dimmer pack fried during our first drama. So, we had to rig up something new.

The other end of the lighting solution where we plug all of the lights in.

Chaz, taking a break with Vicente, drinking some tereré and chatting.

Sherry all smiles because the sound, video, and lighting are all working. Charit took this behind-the-scenes photo of Satan telling the audience that he hates them. Dramatic, but effective.
Praying before our first or second night of the drama. The prayer time was really amazing. This church knows how to pray. Thus the reason for 120 new believers in God's family.
Sherry painting our devil's face while everyone else is praying.
Praying for the devil :D
From left: Chaz' profile, Nery, & Vicente. Vicente cooked up some ribs for us on Thursday afternoon to thank us for doing the drama at their church. YUMMY!
The first night, old lady scene in heaven.
The reason why we do the drama. This is a picture of the altar call from the third night. I had to climb the steps into heaven so that everyone could fit in the front. It was so awesome to see people weeping before God.

Third Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:25:00 +0000

I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am to God for all He did for us, this weekend. This was the third night for our drama presentation of "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames." The crowd starting arriving around 6:00 p.m. By 6:30, it was full. In a building that can only hold about 80-90 small chairs, 200 people crammed into the small space to watch the drama. This church went all out inviting unsaved people. I couldn't believe the effort that these amazing people went to so that their family and friends would have an opportunity to know Jesus.

We actually started this one at around 7 p.m. People were still coming, but we started the drama. It went really well. We didn't have any major glitches with the technical side, and everyone did really well. It went really smoothly. I attribute that to the constant prayer by all of the actors, pastors, and lay people of the church. There was always someone in the back room and in the front of the church, praying. It was what really made this drama, successful.

There are so many testimonies to share, but it would take up a lot of space and time. I will be sharing more, later this week, but I am exhausted, tonight. Suffice it to say, for now, that the total of salvations came in at, officially, 120 people. 66 more salvations, tonight. What is amazing is that out of that total, 30 are family members of the cast!!!! Praise God!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Second Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Tonight was the second of three nights. I am learning that nothing goes as planned here. When we arrived, we set up all the equipment, and everything was working great. The microphones all worked, the lights all worked, sound and video was all working great. I was encouraged to find everything working fine. When prayer time came, I went to the room where all of the cast was supposed to be and found about 10 people there waiting for prayer. I became a little discouraged. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was raining. When it rains in Paraguay, normally noone comes to any type of service. I began to wonder if that meant that the cast wouldn't come, as well.

We were supposed to start the drama at 6:30, again. 7:00 p.m. came around and we were still missing the dad from the Christian family scene, one of our secerataries, a businessman, 2 teens, a drug addict, our satan, our head angel, and 4 or 5 angels. I was beginning to wonder what was going on. How could I question what God was doing? At around 7:15, a group of about 20 people showed up, filling up the rest of the space in the auditorium. They were all friends of our devil. Every last one of them were unbelievers! He had invited them from his neighborhood. God knew that if we started at 6:30, they would have missed almost all of the drama. And wouldn't you know that every last one of them came forward to pray to accept Christ as their Savior.

Also, we had a huge crowd, tonight. I think almost every seat was taken. When I first gave the invitation, no one came forward. I inwardly prayed. Talked some more. Gave another invitation, and no one came forward. I prayed some more. Talked a little more, and gave another invitation. One gentleman came forward. I looked him in the eye and told him thank you for coming. Then, it was like a floodgate opened. More than 40 people, in a tiny church that can hold about 80 people, came forward. It was all I could do to keep from crying as I watched this miracle displayed before me. I sure am grateful to God for this opportunity to serve Him. It is so awesome! That makes for a total of 54 salvations in two nights! Can't wait for tomorrow night!

Oh, by the way, another testimony from last night. I told you (or you can read about it) about the police officer who gave his heart to the Lord. Well, I just put it together today that if the microphone would not have been broken by the young lady last night, I would not have walked around the church to tell Sherry that it was broken. Then, I would never have seen the officer crying, and I wouldn't have asked the pastor to go and talk to the officer. Who knows? Maybe he wouldn't have asked Jesus into his heart. Who knew that a broken microphone could be used of God to make sure that someone is given the chance to accept Christ? I promise to look for more "broken microphones" the rest of my life.

Blessings to all,

Charley

First Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:44:00 +0000

Tonight was the first night of our latest drama. It was very challenging and amazing. I am always amazed at how God works no matter how much goes wrong. One of our guardian or centurion angels didn't get to the church until 30 minutes after we were supposed to start the drama. The hour to start was 6:30 p.m. We started at 7:30 p.m. In the opening scene, one of our drug addict girls, twisted her leg and had to be carried out by one of the other actors. She still did her scene, and she seemed better after the drama. She got so excited and emotional about being dragged off to hell that she forgot to gently place her microphone on the tile floor. She threw it down, instead, and the microphone didn't work the rest of the night. So, some of the actors had to yell our their parts instead of using a microphone. We are dreaming of some day having the headsets or lapel mikes for the actors. If someone has any spare lapel mikes or headsets, we would love to have them in Paraguay. We will be home for itineration in 2010, and we would love to help you get rid of some old lapel or headset mikes (hint-hint:D). The rest of the drama went well, and the church is really excited. One of the pastors came to me and said that they have never seen anything like this before in their church.

God worked some amazing things. 10 people responded to the altar call. There were only about 30 in attendance. Hey, I just realized, 10 is pretty good. 1/3 of the audience accepted Christ! Awesome! WOW! God really is good! After I sent all of the group back with the cast so that the cast could meet them, pray for them, and help them in their new lives, a young couple came forward and asked me to pray with them. They didn't want to miss heaven, and they wanted to accept Christ. I prayed with them and sent them back to meet the cast and pastors of the church.

Then, pastor called me over as I was re-setting the mikes, lights, props, etc. to talk with a man. As I got close, I smelled a really strong odor that almost knocked me over. I realized, immediately, that this man was as drunk as a skunk. I think I might have become a little tipsy just from the smell. He began quoting scriptures and talking about what Jesus and Peter did and said. I couldn't understand half of what he said, but he started crying and talking about how he appreciated me so much for coming and doing this drama. He knows that he needs Jesus. I asked him to be honest with me and tell me if he wanted to live for Jesus. He said, "Yes!" So, we prayed together and he asked Jesus into his heart. He talked for several minutes more about MANY different things. Pastor Francisco and I hugged him (getting the remains of vomit transferred to our shirts -oh, the joys of ministry:), and we prayed for him, again. He walked out a little straighter and with a little more of a smile. I am praying that God work a miracle in his life.

Pastor invited us to eat some hot dogs or panchos, as they are known here. They are not quite the same as in the States, but they aren't too bad. As we were eating, Pastor Francisco mentioned that a police man had accepted Christ, as well. Yesterday, Pastor went to the police station to let them know what was going on at the church. They offered to send a policeman to guard the church during the drama. He came, and I noticed that he was really watching the drama. One time, as I was running around trying to fix things and send cast members in to do their part, I noticed that he was crying. I asked the pastor to talk to him during the altar call. Pastor asked him what he thought about the drama. The policeman said that it was beautiful and amazing. They talked some more, and the policeman asked the pastor if he could accept Christ, too, even though he didn't go down front with the rest of the people. Pastor prayed with him. After I have my 2 panchos, I went out and asked the officer what happened to him tonight. He said, proudly and with a big smile, "I accepted Jesus as my Savior!" We talked, I prayed for him, and he allowed me to hug him. He was so proud to be a Christian! It was such a privilege and so awesome to see it happen!!

The last thing about tonight, and I will finish. One of the other pastor's came to me, and said that in all they years he has been there, there has never been 10 people accept Christ in one service. Wow! 25 years of this church, and never have they seen 10 people accept Christ at one time. I actually felt a little defeated because ONLY 10 came forward. I learned a big lesson tonight. Even if it is only 1, it is still 1 soul that will spend eternity with Jesus Christ. 1 soul is worth all of the sweat, stress, work, problems, and everything!!! Thank you to all who are praying. The struggle begins anew tomorrow night at 6:30 (maybe :D) east coast time! Please continue to pray so that the enemy won't have a chance to keep away those who have their appointed time with God. We want more souls won for Jesus!!!!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Challenges and Salvations

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:06:00 +0000

It is time, once again, for another drama presentation. This one is at a very small Four Square Church in Barrio San Pablo. The title of this blog is "Challenges and Salvations." First, I will start with some of the challenges we have faced with this specific drama. The lighting has always been a problem, but on this one, it wasn't the only problem. The sound and video didn't work for the longest time until I was told by the electrician that we have too much stuff plugged into our transformers. Who would have thought that this would affect the sound and video? Well, I always learn something new each drama. The pastor of this church called in a professional electrician to help, and he has done a good job. The lights work with all the switches that we put in, and we should have lighting this weekend. The other problem, which we can't figure out, is the sound. In order to hear the sound from the computer, we have to crank it all the way up. Then, we we add the microphones for the actors, we get a nice big sound of feedback. Oh, well, we will try to work with it. Sherry is really good with adjusting on the fly. She will have her work cut out for her, this weekend. Please pray for all the technical problems!

Depsite all these problems, and a few more, God is really working overtime on this one. Thursday night was the dress rehearsal. After the rehearsal, I gave an altar call for salvation and rededications. 25 members of the cast rededicated their lives to Jesus. As we were praying with them afterwards, a young girl came up and asked if she could go to heaven. I asked her how she can get to heaven, and she said by asking Jesus to be the Lord of her life. We prayed and she asked Jesus into her heart. It was a beautiful God-moment. It was awesome! Her name is Monse (pronounced MOAN-SAY). Please pray for her new life. It is difficult to serve the Lord when the rest of your family are not Christians.

Tonight begins three straight nights of doing the drama. We are anticipating that God is going to do great things. The cast and crew are prayed up and ready to serve the Lord. They are ready to receive the new converts, and we are excited to see what God is going to do. Tonight, following an hour of prayer with the cast, we will begin a battle for lost souls. Please, please, please ask the Holy Spirit to take control of the entire weekend. There are many diving appointments that we would love to see happen. Please pray that God continues to speak to hearts and souls as they enter the church and are given the chance to either accept Christ or deny Him. Please pray that they accept Him!!!

Blessings to all,

Charley

Visit From Family

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:56:00 +0000

We had the amazing experience of my parents coming to visit us here in Paraguay. They came down on June 2nd and left, yesterday, June 17th. It was a nice visit, but it was way too short. While they were here, we took a trip to the east, crossed two borders, and went to visit Iguazu Falls in Argentina. Above are a couple of pictures of them with the kids and one with Sherry and I. In the background is Devil's Throat. It is amazing the amount of water that comes over these falls. What is really amazing is the difference from November to June. There was not near the amount as their was in November. Here is a picture from the same angle, but this picture is from November. Look at the difference in the amount of water.Amazing, isn't it? If you ever visit Paraguay, northern Argentina, or southern Brazil, you have to go to Iguazu Falls (spelled Iguacu in Brazil). It's truly breathtaking.

Blessings to all,

Charley

Why We Are Here!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Last Sunday night, we had the opportunity to minister at a small four-square church in Asunción. The people in this church are hungry for a move of God. They have been praying for over a year for God to bring a spiritual renewal and revival to Asunción. They have asked us to bring the drama, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames," to their church. On July 4th, we will meet at their church and show the DVD of the drama, select the cast, and begin one month of fasting and praying for lives to be changed by the love of Jesus Christ.

During the service, one of the pastors announced that they will be continuing the prayer for the drama outreach on this Thursday evening. I asked them how long they had been praying for the drama. They informed me that they started praying two weeks ago. I was so impressed and humbled by the faith of this small church. I really believe that God is going to honor their prayers and commitment to bring revival to their church and to Asunción. Would you pray with us that God will bring revival to Paraguay? This nation is ready for change. They so need what we offer. Many here are looking for something, but they will never be satisfied until they accept Jesus.

The only reason we are here in Paraguay is to tell people about Jesus. Yes, there are many ways that we do this, and there are more ways that we can. However, the main objective is to show them who Jesus really is, and that He loves them and wants to save them. Sometimes, we can lose our focus and forget why we are here. I was reminded, again, of why we are here on this planet last Sunday night. It is the small, simple things that God uses to show us how much He loves the unsaved, and how much He desires that everyone comes to know and believe in His Son.

Blessings to you all,

Charley

Mission's Conference Banquet Night in Nicaragua

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:29:00 +0000

I have finally gotten around to downloading the pictures and video I took from my trip to Nicaragua. Again, it was such an honor and blessing to be there and witness what God is doing all over Latin America. A group of 20 different nations assembled together for one week in Managua, Nicaragua to be encouraged, to share experiences, to learn more about missions, to grow, and to meet other mission's organizations. The Assemblies of God is growing rapidly all over Central and South America. God is moving and people are responding to His call to become missionaries. The second quarter just started at the Bible school here in Asunción. Last night was my first night with my new students. Two of them feel called to Africa. Another student is a lawyer by profession, and he started taking classes at the Bible school because his wife is called to the mission field. He told me, last night, that he had better get on board with his wife's call, or she will leave him behind (he smiled as he joked with me about it). Then, seriously, he added, "My wife has a strong call, and I believe that God is calling me, as well. I realized that I had better prepare myself before God really calls me."

This video shows a little about what God is doing in Latin America. These young people are deaf. They attend, during the week, a deaf school in Managua, Nicaragua. They blessed us with a song called "Enciende la luz." Basically, the song is about bringing or turning on the light in the darkness because when the Light shines, it chases away the darkness. There are still many tribes and nations who need the Light to be shined in their lives. Here, in Paraguay, there are still unreached people. Oh, be sure that the Mormon church and Jehovah's Witnesses have a presence there, but there is no Evangelical message, the true message of Jesus Christ, being given to them. We must spread the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever we are and whenever we can. There is no greater message.

I am challenged today with this thought. Someone wrote on their Facebook status this quote: "How come we invite people to church, but we never invite them to Christ?" Isn't that so true? It seems, today, that it is much easier to invite people to a church service rather than show them who Jesus really is, and that He loves them. I want to be a person who shows people the love of Jesus! Help me, Lord, to invite people to meet with you!

Blessings,

Charley

MEC-Misiones en Conjunto (Missions Together)

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:29:00 +0000

I find myself in an intersting place this week. Our general superintendent, Pastor Estanislaus Candia, and our field moderator, Frank Kendrick, asked me if I would like to go to a conference in Managua, Nicaragua and represent Paraguay missions. Frank and I left Sunday morning from Asunción, Paraguay and arrived in Managua last Monday evening. We have attended almost 2 days full of meetings and heard from the director of missions in Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, and several superintendents and missionaries. The superintendent from Spain spoke today about the spread of Islam all over Europe. He talked about how the only place in the world that has gained any "territory" from the Islamic religion is in the south of Spain because a pastor and his church have taken upon themselves to win Muslims for Jesus. What is interesting is they are giving Bibles to Muslims who are reading them and converting to Christianity! The Word of God has they power to change lives! I am pumped!

Many people are sharing their testimonies and reports about what God is doing in the world. The Latin American church feels a strong call to reach Muslims and the Chinese. Paraguay has a family in North Africa ministering to the Muslims. I really believe that God is doing something amazing in Latin America. It is so cool to be a part of it at this time in history!

The leaders of the different mission's departments have reported how God is sending more and more missionaries to Africa, Europe, India, Australia, and China. God is calling Latin Americans to countries where many North Americans cannot go. We have missionaries in the middle East and North Africa, Spain, and Asia. It's amazing how God is moving people all over the world. What's even more amazing is that He has sent and is sending missionaries from countries that used to be the places that only missionaries from the U.S. went to. Now, God is sending missionaries from there. In other words, former "receiving" countries have become SENDING countries! Isn't God so amazing!?

I am hoping to post some pictures from the conference soon. I have been getting to know many people here who have amazing testimonies of God's grace and calling upon their lives. As I post pictures of them, I will try to share their testimony or story with you.

Blessings to you all,

Charley

Bible School Mission's Convention

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:55:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, it was mission's convention time at the Bible school. Up front, you can see missionary, Frank Kendrick, in his Tunisian garb teaching about the Muslim world and how to minister to them. He put some rugs on the chapel floor and had everyone sit as they do in a mosque. It made it a little more real to all of the students. This is a picture of the afternoon class chapel.

During mission's convention week, there are four services, each with a different focus. Monday night, a new missionary spoke. Tuesday night, Frank showed a video of a muslim man accepting Christ and the struggle he has to live with in an Islamic nation. Wednesday night, Frank preached the service seen in the picture above. Thursday night was the faith promise service.

It is amazing to watch as every young person in the Bible school filled out their faith promise cards. It humbled me to watch young people, who can barely pay their tuition (about $30 a month) to attend Bible school, make faith promises for $200 or $300 over an 8 month period. What is even more amazing is that God meets their faith promise every year, and He blesses them with even more. I could share testimony after testimony of how God has blessed the students lives, but what is more important is to know that if these students, from a very poor country, can make faith promises and give to missions, then we all can.

I am proud to say that these students have taught me more than I can ever teach them. I enjoy going to class and teaching Evangelism and Theology I, but what I enjoy more is listening to the students' stories and seeing God work through them. I can't wait to see what the future will bring here in Paraguay. I really believe that God has His hand on Paraguay and is raising up a generation to lead this country to Him. I am excited!

Blessings,

Charley

Cool Story!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mattix Family) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Here is a picture from the drama in Paraguari. This is the opening crucifixion scene. The lighting worked really well. But the story goes like this. Again, we had problems with the electricity. After I received several "shocking" moments, I realized that the surge protector was not "protecting" me. Man, it made my heart race faster each time I touched the metal case that holds the equipment that we plug the lights into. It was not fun! Thank the Lord that Sherry asked me if the surge protector was bad, or not. She is so smart.
Here is the young man who played Jesus during the drama. He did well, but I thought maybe he was kind of young. He is only 16 years old. We had a lot more young people than adults at this church.
Here is the gentleman who played the devil for this drama. Sherry did another wonderful job putting his makeup on. This "devil" did really well. He was scary and convincing and had an "evil" laugh. Again, Sherry ran the microphone and changed his voice, very effectively I might add.
The next two pictures are what made all the "shocks", people quitting the drama the night before we did it, and the heat, all worth it. The first night, the altar was FULL of people coming to Christ. It was so fun giving the altar call that night. God is so good and faithful. He can take a midwestern U.S. missionary, send him to Paraguay, and still communicate His love through this crazy missionary.
It is such a joy to be able to pray people into His kingdom. I love watching their faces as they pray the sinner's prayer and realize for the first time that Jesus is their Savior. The tears of joy, the smiles, and the looks of contentment make all the struggles, language barriers, frustrations with electricity, the heat, and sometimes illness all seem trivial and insignificant.

Before I end this blog, let me share a story with you about a young man who came forward to accept Christ the first night. You can see his back in the above picture. His shirt is either white or light blue with a strip across the middle of his back (running left to right). He is right in front of my right arm. Pastors, teachers, leaders, and mission's committees, please feel free to share this story with your church, youth, sunday school class, small group, or wherever you are. We all played a part in this story.

I wish I could remember his name. I believe it was Juan Carlos, but I can't remember for sure. Anyway, after the end of the altar call, his grandmother brought him to me. The reason she brought him to me was because he is blind. He has been blind from birth. When I looked at his face, I could tell he was blind. I asked him if he had prayed the prayer and meant it with all his heart. He said, "Yes!" I asked why he wanted to speak to me. He asked me if he goes to heaven, will he be able to SEE Jesus' face. I told him that if God did not heal him here on earth, the first thing he would see in heaven will be Jesus' face. I told him that he WILL be healed as soon as he enters heaven's gates. He started to cry and then the coolest thing happened. Without anyone telling him to, he began to thank and praise God for healing him. It was awesome! I started praising and thanking God for healing him, as well. He told God that he could live the rest of his life as a blind person if he knew that he would see Him when he got to heaven. I tell you what. I cryed like a baby after hearing that.

Amazing, isn't it? Some of the things I complain about are really insignificant to what this young man is going thru. I am praying that I can keep the same attitude as him. I want to tell God all the time that I can live with whatever problem there is, whatever illness I have, whatever shortcoming I have, or whatever financial issue I am facing, just so long as I can see Him when I get to heaven.

Blessings to you all,

Charley