One of the joys of being at Bible Mission in Germany is hearing about how God is moving all over the world! A few weeks after I arrived in Germany, Manfred Hildebrand, who is leading ministry in Paraguay, arrived for the week.

Manfred had spent one year with Bible Mission volunteering in Germany, but he was born and raised in Paraguay.

‍Paraguay is a landlocked country, nestled in between Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. It has a very low population density and around 6,000,000 inhabitants total. The country is mostly Catholic.

There is a significant minority in Paraguay of Mennonites who moved to Paraguay from Germany. At the end of the 19th century after being defeated in the Triple Alliance War, “Paraguay lost 26 percent of its territory and more than half of its inhabitants,” according to an article.

According to another article, some Mennonites moved to Paraguay after time in Russia and Canada.

The Mennonites were offered territory to colonize in the western part of Paraguay. This area is called the Chaco, which covers 60 percent of Paraguay but only holds 3 percent of the country’s population. Mennonites have settled there. They have continued speaking Low German, a dialect of German that used to be spoken in the north near the Netherlands.

God is moving in Paraguay among the Spanish speaking people. One of the opportunities Manfred described is the nation’s love of soccer.

“We go into the villages and play soccer with them, kids come out of their homes just to play.” Manfred described soccer not just being a good way to connect with the kids, but also to their parents.

“Mothers and fathers come out of their homes to watch their kids play and to play themselves,” Manfred said. It’s a great place to spread the Gospel while games are being played.

Manfred said one of the things to pray for in Paraguay is the maturity of the Spanish language churches. They are mostly made up of new, younger believers. There isn’t the legacy of good values established in the families there, so it’s a struggle to keep away from sin.

“Things that are hard for the Spanish churches include members being on time, working hard within the church and giving tithes,” Manfred said. We can pray for God to continue to build up the believers and the churches there.

The prison system in Paraguay is another place where God is moving radically. Manfred’s church and others in Paraguay have been given the vision by God to help within these jails.

It began with the pastor of Manfred’s church, who came out of jail 30 years ago. God transformed his life, and he came out preaching to his family and friends. Their body of believers began as a small house church but continued to grow. 15 years ago the church got its own building.

When the church first wanted to go into the prison system to minister the government was not receptive to the idea. However, over the last 15 years the churches have developed a better relationship.

“The government didn't know how to manage these prisoners, they would give them food and they would end up back,” Manfred said. “They didn't want us to preach in the jail, but they realized Christian values and change are better for the society.” 

A part of ending the cycle of people going to prison was providing places for people to go after they finished their sentences. Manfred said, “When they come out they can do something again to get back in jail, it’s a big risk. Especially when they have nowhere else to go!”

Manfred said, “A boy in our church is taking the lead of taking care of them after they come out of jail. He’s a soccer player professionally and he really cares for the people.” 

One of the biggest blessings from the Lord was the ability to build a church building on the jail grounds. The local prison had seen the positive effects of Christian beliefs on behavior there. The church and government worked together to build the building.

Not only are the authorities there more open to Christianity, but they’ve grown to rely on the church to help in the prison system.

Manfred said, “Great leaders coming out of jail, they come out and change their lives. They come back and are doing great work for the Lord.” 

We can also be praying for people to step up and be called into the jail ministry. The older generation has taken the lead on this incredible ministry effort, and Manfred hopes God is calling the next leaders. 

Our same God is moving in Paraguay and the entire globe. Bible Mission is working to translate children’s Bibles in Low German to reach the Mennonites with the living word of God. We are also working on a children’s Bible in Spanish. We want to give the local churches tools to share the Gospel.

The Paraguayan churches are not only reaching out to people in their own country, but also supporting mission all around the world. Churches in Paraguay have partnered with Bible Mission to send teams, funding and materials as far as the far east of Russia. These churches are truly helping to spread the good news to the ends of the earth.

If you’d like to stay connected with Bible Mission join our newsletter and connect with us here at biblemissionglobal.org! We also have a YouTube channel you can find by looking up Bible Mission Global on YouTube.

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Psalm 68:5-6

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land

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