News > Latin America

On Sept 27-29, my wife M. Paulina and I visited Paraguay UBF and had fellowship with the missionaries there. We wanted to learn their faith and their prayer topics.

 

M. Andres Heo welcomed me at the airport. The family of M. Andres & Ana Heo has served the Paraguay UBF mission for the past 17 years. During that time, God gave them four children: Andres (17), Moses (11), Isaac (7) and Gloria (5). They were very obedient children.  Their oldest son, Andres, wakes up at 4:30 in the morning and helps his father at the market until 11am and then goes to school in the afternoon.  The Heo family runs a small grocery store in the market. After closing the store at 5pm, he goes to the campus for fishing.  Currently, M. Andres & Ana Heo and their son, Andres, attend the Sunday service. For the last 17 years, this family has never had an opportunity to return to Korea for a spiritual recharge. Especially, M. Ana has been suffering from migraines, facial bell palsy and ear problem.  They are praying that M. Ana may attend the Latin American Directors’ Conference in Spain and afterwards visit Korea for a medical check-up.

We also met M. Juan Hwang and his wife, Sh. Rocio.  They run a mini-supermarket next to their house.  They have two sons, Elijah (4) and Junior (2). They are expecting their third child. They seem to have difficulty financially and are somewhat tired spiritually. At this time, due to their circumstances, they are not participating actively in the ministry, but they communicate with the Heos and help one another.

 

We also met Sh. Oscar who is now a professor at the university.  At first, I had a critical mind toward him about living as an ordinary man after receiving much grace and God’s calling.  While talking with him, however, I learned that he had spiritual desire to serve God’s ministry in Paraguay as a steward. He hopes missionaries without the burden of self-support may come to Paraguay to serve the ministry of God’s word wholeheartedly.

 

The Paraguay UBF center is a building that the late M. John lee remodeled. A one to one Bible study chart and the poster of the spiritual heritage of Dr. Lee showed the evidence of the tears and sweat of M. John and Maria Lee in this land. I felt nostalgic momentarily as though M. John Lee would suddenly appear before me with a smiling face.

 

At one time there were 30 Sunday attendees in Paraguay UBF.  I believe that our Lord earnestly desires a new history to grow in Paraguay. At this time, I was reminded of Matt 24:45: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?”

 

Right now, the most urgent need in Paraguay is a servant who can give the word of God. Especially, there needs to be someone who can serve M. Andres, Juan and Sh. Oscar with God’s word, support the ministry financially, and also be a grandparent for the 2nd Gen children.

 

One Word:  “Who then is the faithful and wise servant to give them their food at the proper time?”

 

By Esteban Cho, Bolivia UBF