Why Canada? l MISSIONS

 

Evangelistic Support Program I received an offer from a sister in Canada. I wrote her a few emails and she told me a little about her story. She's not a rich person to be distributing money around, but I felt love in that woman for the work we do. Every year we receive tons of the Word of God printed in Bolivia and we make it available to evangelists and those who help us get the materials into Bolivia, pay customs costs, freight and many other expenses are some brothers from Canada. They are simple people, not great businesspeople, but really simple people. The brother who organizes to collect the offerings with the other brothers is a truck driver. But why Canada? Is there anything special about Canada? I don't believe there is anything special about Canada to the point of saying that they are better than the United States, England or another country, but what is special about Canada is a word that God gave us many years ago regarding Canada's involvement in the mission work we do. Many years ago, my great-grandparents worked with a Canadian mission in the north of Brazil. The mission paid my great-grandfather a salary and they helped the missionaries interact with the natives. My great-grandparents earned very little and my grandfather had to work as a tailor to supplement the family income, support the family and continue doing God's work together with several other missionaries. One day my great-grandmother found out that the base's leading missionary only passed on half of the salary that went to my great-grandparents. My great-grandfather wanted to reveal the situation, but my great-grandmother was very angry and they decided to leave the mission and move to São Paulo. In São Paulo, my great-grandmother abandoned Christ Jesus together with her children. Only my great-grandfather remained faithful to the Lord Jesus along with my grandmother, my father's mother. My father grew up and went to be a missionary in the northeast of Brazil, opening churches in places where there were no churches. And during that time, I was eight years old, God told my father that he would send a country to start missionary work that would have several mission projects and that there would be Canada's participation. My father liked to hold worship meetings at home among the family and during the speaking time my father told us that one day we would go to another nation and the brothers from Canada would participate. In 1995 we arrived in Paraguay, started the Siloé Mission and received offers from some brothers in Canada. In 2005 I went to Bolivia and God started using a Canadian to help me bring evangelistic materials to Bolivia. Today we involve the Mennonite community who do the importing, and the majority are Canadians. Customs, freight and other costs are paid by this group that I mentioned above, which is from Canada. Here in Paraguay, my brother, Pastor Davi Dayan, works with vulnerable children. This project has a strong participation of Canadian brothers. In the photo above you can see some of the brothers who work at the Siloé Mission in Paraguay. In addition to coordinating the Evangelistic Support Program, I do pastoral service at the Siloé Mission base in Pedro Juan Caballero. But why do I tell this whole story? For you it may be just a story, but for me every time I see a Canadian being willing to support the work we do on the mission field I see the Word of God being fulfilled. We received help from brothers in the United States, the United Kingdom and a couple who help us a lot are in Italy. I can say that the biggest offers sent to the project have come from this couple from Italy, but when I see someone from Canada interested in the work we do and decides to be part of it, I see the hand of God.

Above I leave a video where I show a little of the basis of the Siloé Mission. The video has subtitles in several languages. I want to end my letter by thanking everyone who helps the work we do. I am especially grateful to each brother in the United States who has offered with love and helped us with shipping, documentation and even personal expenses. I don't write to everyone about my personal needs, but I only present to a few who I think are most interested in the work we do. Yesterday I presented a personal need to some about my children's school and I received several emails from "brothers" complaining, saying they don't want to know about my problems. I was so sad, but the Lord reminded me of a word HE gave me in 2013 when I was still in Bolivia that God would raise up people to help this work with love in their hearts. How come they are interested in the work I do, but have no interest in me being the missionary and doing the work? Well, they left the list to not receive my newsletters and I continue my journey living the Word of God. Thank you for your presence, your prayers and your participatory offerings. God bless you Peniel N Dourado