Dear Prayer Partner, In February our Bible a Month calendar is focusing on Paraguay . Paraguay is a South American country which boarders Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.  The Paraguay River divides the country- the more fertile and developed land is found on the east of the river and the scrub forests, marshes and ranches of the sparsely populated Gran Chaco are found in the west. The Paraguayan Bible Society has many projects working with everyone, young and old, to bring them the Word of God. The project we are supporting this year is the “El Amanecer” project which brings the Bible and supplies to people in remote areas along the Paraguayan River. In this Extra Insight we'll tell you more about the "El Amanecer" project and the impact it is having on lives.

Paraguay Capital: Asuncion Population: 7,025, 763   (July 2018 est.) Official language: Spanish, Guaraní Religion: Roman Catholic (89.6%), Protestant (6.2%), other or unspecified (3%), none (1.1%)  Statistics and map taken from The World Factbook and Operation World .

Ministry in Paraguay The Paraguayan Bible society has many projects. Their overall goal is to deliver the Word of God in an accessible format that people can understand and be encouraged to grow in their Christian faith. They mainly work in Bible distribution and engagement, but they are also working on translation projects including the revision of the Guarani Bible. The "Life of Jesus" project helps to equip Sunday School teachers with the resources and training needed to teach children about the Bible. They also have projects to engage those with hearing and visual impairments. They are running a project to translate the Bible into Paraguayan Sign Language as well as the "Vision and Life" project which gives medical treatment to those with cataracts. The Paraguayan Bible Society partner with local churches to help them with Bible engagement and evangelism. They have helped establish churches and their leaders in areas that before had no Christian influence. They offer training and resources to leaders to help them too shepherd their congregations. They hope that through all their projects they will have a positive impact in their society and that many will come to Christ through these activities.

"El Amanecer" - Paraguay

The land around the Paraguayan River is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Many of the communities who live here are isolated and depend on the river for everything. The Paraguayan Bible Society travels along the river onboard El Amanecer, bringing supplies to meet the needs of these people. The El Amanecer provides medical assistance, scriptures and biblical teaching to communities located along the river, such as the Hugua Chini, San Alfredo, Carayá Vuelta, Leonor Island, Estancia La Novia communities, along with many others. As a result of the Scriptures they bring, churches have started to form. Currently, the focus of El Amanecer is to train up church leaders in these communities and provide the members with Bibles and literature so that they may grow in their faith and encourage other communities to do the same. One of our colleagues from the Paraguayan Bible Society writes to tell us, “We are so grateful to God for the people of the riverside communities as they increase their understanding of the Bible and get to know God’s love through special visits planned. We also see the children learning to trust Jesus through Bible classes given by our volunteers,” - what an encouragement! This project has brought the Word of God to these people groups and is providing them with the resources to grow in their faiths. Your donation this month will help to provide Scripture to the people along the Paraguayan River.

" Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Pray for this Project Here are some of the ways you can pray for this project: Pray for the volunteers that are serving the churches along the riverside. Please also remember the staff of the Paraguayan Bible Society and their families as they go every month to these remote areas. Pray for God's protection and guidance in every trip that the El Amanecer takes. Pray that the boat will continue to run well, and that God would use this boat to spread His Word. Pray for the new leaders of the church in the area, that the Lord will give them wisdom and grace to continue serving in these remote communities.

Give Every £5 donated to this project will help the Paraguayan Bible Society to run the El Amanecer boat and deliver Scriptures to remote peoples. Make a donation online now. This project is our Bible-a-Month project for February. Decide to become a Bible-a-Month partner today! You will receive a free calendar with information about this and 11 other Bible Society projects. Commit to giving just £5 each month and you will ensure that the Word of God is shared across the world. Sign up here.

BIBLE SOCIETY NI 27 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6NB 028 9032 6577 Charity Reg. No. NIC102557 www.biblesocietyni.co.uk Header image shows the El Amancer boat as it sails down the Paraguayan River.

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