June 2023 Ministry Update

“The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens”

Proverbs 3:19 ESV

This month has been a slow one. After saying goodbyes in May and as the campus got quiet the heat set in. A heat that the locals say is unusual for this time of year and keeps most people indoors. We have followed suit but not without enjoying time with those who are still hanging around. It has been a real blessing to have some staff and students around to help pass the time.

The School of Church Planting is something that Baptist Mid-Missions offers every year and focuses on a few different aspects. While much of this years focus was on Cross-Cultural or Inter-Cultural Church planting in the United States there were several great takeaways from the conference that will be helpful on the foreign field. Largely because Paraguay has such a variety of cultures that we can minister to. The classes went fast and the information was deep but I am looking forward to time in review once we arrive on the field and can work out some things as to how it pertains to our ministry to the people of Paraguay.

After I returned from this conference the family was ready to get away for a day so we made a trip to the beach. South Padre Island is only about an hour away and it is a nice get-away for the family. Being raised in the Pacific Northwest I had never been to a warm beach before so the experience was new and very fun! We would like to make more trips to the beach this summer as it is close by and the temperature is 10 to 15 degrees cooler there then here in Edinberg.

The month of July will be a busy month and we are excited for what God is bring our way. My (Jared’s) parents will be visiting for a few days at the start of the month. We know that they are really coming to see the grandkids, but we can all be excited that they are coming. We have been getting more involved at church which has opened opportunities for Kathleen to teach in Children’s Ministry and for Me to lead in worship. The end of the month Kathleen’s mom and her husband are coming for a visit to help pass the time while I take a trip to Paraguay. The kids are very excited to see all of the grandparents and to make some memories. Please pray for a good month of memory making.

My tickets for Paraguay have been purchased and I fly our July 23rd. This trip is three-fold in purpose: 1) to encourage the church 2) to take some supplies down and 3) to start getting some things in order for the move. I will arrive in Paraguay on July 24th and will fly out of Asuncion on July 31st. This will be a quick trip and full of activities please pray for all that is involved. It has been 8 years since our last trip to Paraguay and it will be exciting to be back especially as we prepare to make the move.