For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Elvio is a Pai Tavy Tera man who grew up in Paraguay. He had a rough life. Elvio had not just been a victim of violence, he also knew how to dish it out. He had a nagging question that had been troubling him: “Is there hope for me?”
“Is there any hope for peace from my past?” Elvio asked. “Is there forgiveness for a murderer? See my scars? I fought with my stepfather and he stabbed me, then I shoved the knife back into his shoulder. See this scar on my nose? It is from a fight. I have spent time in prison. My life has been one of fighting and turmoil. Is there peace or hope for someone like me?”
Don, a missionary to the Pai Tavy Tera people, knew there was only one hope: Knowing Christ. And he knew the only way Elvio would know Christ was if Scripture was unfolded for him, one story at a time, precept upon precept, so Elvio could understand it. He encouraged Elvio to come to the foundational Bible teaching lessons.
Elvio was determined to listen to the series of lessons that began with Creation. “Twice Elvio came to the Bible class with his eyes swelled almost shut from bee stings,” wrote Don. Another time only one eye was swollen shut, after his wife accidentally hit him in the face with a catfish while they were fishing. It didn’t seem to matter how painful or difficult or downright absurd his situation was. He told Don, “No matter what happens I don’t want to miss a lesson.”
He and his wife were not just listening. “We took the lesson home so we could read it over and over. We wanted to understand about God.”
When the lessons reached their climax in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, Elvio and Miria understood. He found not only the answer to his sordid past, but the hope he sought, and so much more. Elvio found the peace that he longed for as he placed his trust in The Prince of Peace.
The clear foundational Bible teaching prepared Elvio and Miria to learn and grow in Christ, and now they are teaching Bible lessons to their own people. Foundational Bible Teaching, Worldviews & Story Telling, and Biblical Frameworks are just a few of the courses taught here at the Missionary Training Center that help prepare our students to reach people such as Elvio and Miria.
Please pray for us to finish strong as we approach the end of the semester.
Bob
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God is Love
One day C. H. Spurgeon was walking through the English countryside with a friend. As they strolled along, the evangelist noticed a barn with a weather vane on its roof. At the top of the vane were these words: GOD IS LOVE. Spurgeon remarked to his companion that he thought this was a rather inappropriate place for such a message. “Weather vanes are changeable,” he said, “but God’s love is constant.”
“I don’t agree with you about those words, Charles,” replied his friend. “You misunderstood the meaning. That sign is indicating a truth: Regardless of which way the wind blows, God is love.”
