el 20 de noviembre

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Bienvenidos al primer update de la familia Parada…en español!  Si conoce otros hermanos que quisieran recibir este update, déjenos saber. 

Somos misioneros con Juventud Con Una Misión en Sur Africa.  Nuestro llamado es discipular jóvenes en las comunidades más necesitadas.  Tenemos 4 hijos entre la edad de 8 y 18.

Ha sido un mes bastante ocupado por Ana a causa de los exámenes finales, el baile final, y la graduación.  Es increíble que nuestra nena se está graduando de una escuela en Sur Africa. Ella ha tenido la dicha de estudiar en tres continentes, sin mencionar los años que estudió en casa. Ha tenido una vida muy bendecida hasta esta fecha.  Estamos orando para que le vaya muy bien en los años que el Señor le de en esta tierra.  

Yo (Alberto) recientemente tuve la oportunidad de participar enseñando en una prisión cercana un curso llamado “Justicia Restaurativa.”  Este curso se enfoca en ayudar a restaurar el daño causado por el pecado. Brinda la oportunidad a los prisioneros a confesar sus crímenes primeramente con ellos mismos, y después con Dios, con sus familias, con sus víctimas, y finalmente con sus comunidades. Asumiendo responsabilidad por su acciones, los prisioneros pueden encontrar su libertad en Cristo y convertirse en agentes positivos cambiados, y así comenzar una nueva vida ejemplar en sus comunidades. 

Mi esposa tuvo la oportunidad de estar presente en el día final del curso.  Pudo ver cómo los prisioneros se encontraron con sus parientes (la mayoría eran madres).  Estos tuvieron la oportunidad de confesar sus crímenes en forma pública.  En la mayoría de los casos sus madres o parientes no sabían toda la información del porque sus hijos estaban tras las rejas.  Fue muy difícil para sus parientes escuchar sus confesiones criminales. Fue un proceso bastante delicado y muy emocional para todos presente.  Nosotros inclusive llevamos una pareja que tienen un hijo en la cárcel por 2 años.  

El enemigo ha construido sus altares de maldad en muchas de estas comunidades dónde el Señor nos ha traído.  El diablo ha envuelto a los jóvenes con sus mentiras y falsas promesas de poder y prestigio por medio del crimen organizado.  Pero más fuerte es la sangre de Cristo, que nos lava de todo pecado. Nosotros estamos aquí en obediencia a nuestro llamado, cubiertos totalmente con la sangre de Cristo que es el elemento esencial de guerra contra las mentiras del enemigo. 

Estoy tan agradecido al Señor, porque yo hubiese sido fácilmente uno de estos prisioneros.  Fue un honor haber podido ser parte de este curso que busca la reconciliación, la esperanza, y la vida eterna a todos aquellos que quieren escuchar la voz amorosa del Señor.  La presencia y poder de Dios esta bien activa en las prisiones.  Dios tiene el mismo mensaje para los que están en el bote tanto como para los que aún no han estado en prisión.  Jesus dice, “Yo he muerto por ustedes, y a través de mi sacrificio, tienen la oportunidad de ser como yo y ver mi gloria.”

Motivos de Oración

  • Para que los prisioneros en el program de Justicia Restaurativa puedan entender la profundidad del amor de Dios.
  • Exámenes finales de Ana y Margaret
  • Sabiduría para Ana en la manera que esta buscando la dirección de Dios para continuar su educación.
  • Consuelo para Margaret quién extraña mucho a sus amistades en los Estados Unidos.
  • Por un precio razonable para remover la pintura con plomo en nuestra casa en Massachusetts. 
  • Recaudación de fondos para un vehículo ministerial.

Links

November 20, 2015

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It’s been a busy month with Ana’s matric ball, graduation and exams.  It’s hard to believe our baby is graduating…from a high school in South Africa!  She has attended schools in three continents, not to mention her homeschool years.  She has had a full and blessed life already.  We are eager to see how she will spend the years ahead of her.

Alberto recently spent a week doing a Restorative Justice program in a nearby prison, thanks to an invitation from Andrew May.  Restorative Justice seeks to begin to repair the collateral damage of sin by providing opportunities for prisoners to confess their crimes to themselves, God, their families, their victims, and their communities.  By taking responsibility for their actions, prisoners can be set free themselves, and can become positive agents of change in their communities.   

I (Joanna) had the opportunity to attend the final day of the conference and watched as some of the prisoners were met by family members (mostly mothers) and were given the opportunity to confess their crimes openly.  In most cases, the mothers did not know why their boys were in prison and had a hard time listening to their confessions.  It was a slow-going and highly emotional experience for all involved.  We actually transported one couple to see their son in prison, as they had not seen him since he was incarcerated two years earlier.  The pain was very real.  Satan has a foothold in many of these communities, as he offers the boys lies and empty promises of power and prestige through gangs and crime.  But the blood of Jesus is stronger, and washes away all sins (I Jn 1:7b). 

Below are Alberto’s thoughts on the experience: 

I am humbled because I easily could have been one of those prisoners.  God protected me in order to declare His news to those who are in prison.  It was an honor to be able to collaborate with Restoration Justice in bringing reconciliation, hope and eternal life to those who want to listen to His gentle voice.  God is very active in the prisons.  You can feel the power of His love.  God has the same message for those in prison as He has for those who have never been in prison: “I have died for you.  You have the chance to be an imitator of me and see my glory.”

Prayer Requests

  • The prisoners in the Restorative Justice program, that they would understand the depth of God’s love for them.
  • End of year exams for Ana and Margaret.
  • Wisdom for Ana’s next steps as she considers colleges, and guidance for Isaac’s and Margaret’s education.
  • Comfort for Margaret, who really misses her U.S. friends (although she has wonderful friends here.)
  • A reasonable quote to de-lead our house in Quincy. 
  • Finances to buy a ministry vehicle.

Links

September 16, 2015

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Happy anniversary to us!  One year ago we arrived in South Africa to work with YWAM. Most of the year Alberto has been in class (Bible and Counseling), but recently he has started getting involved in local ministry to hurting youth.  We lived in tight quarters for 10 months, surrounded by other YWAMers.  Now we are in a beautiful home with just our family!  It has been a hard year, but a very good year. We are grateful to God and to you, our friends and supporters.  We are excited to see how God will use us in spreading His Good News of salvation to the nations, starting right here with the troubled youth.

Note from Alberto: “How to Stay Afloat in the Storm”

Life these days is like a severe storm, with strong winds that sweep across our everyday existence.  Sometimes we stop and ponder what we are doing on this crazy earth.  We look at others having a good time in their groups as they celebrate the common events of life like birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals.  Superficially, everything looks good. Deep down, however, so many of us are suffering.  As Christians, we pray to God for miracles of healing.  Most of the time, we end up not getting healed and instead ask ourselves, “Why?”  It is hard to be thankful when we pray for a healing in someone and instead the person dies.  We know we prayed in faith according to the Spirit that is within us.  The only satisfying thing we will have in our hearts is knowing we had the privilege to pray for that person.  We know that our salvation is more important than healing from earthly circumstances.

Jesus wants to be our first resource.  Let’s come to Him because we love Him, and not because we want something from Him.  Let’s pray for those who do not know Jesus yet, as our eternal healing is more important than our physical healing.

Please let me encourage you with Isaiah 43 as you continue through the storm: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Thank you very much for the different aspects of support you have given our family.  We are faithfully here in South Africa building the kingdom of God in troubled youth and their families.  God bless your humble and generous hearts.

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People come to study at our YWAM base from all over the world, and return home empowered with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  We recently celebrated an evening entitled “Voice of the Nations.” YWAMers from many nations shared their culture through song, dance and a parade of flags.

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Happy 16th birthday to Isaac!  He is growing and maturing before our very eyes.  Here he is pictured with his two best friends.  Three boys, three nations.

He had a wonderful month back in the U.S. at camp, and has just started homeschooling using Veritas Press’s online classes.  This is a classical Christian curriculum that we have used on and off over the years.  Isaac was getting too frustrated in the local school, thus the change.  I am happy to have him home again, and his classes are pretty amazing!

DTS (Discipleship Training School) is YWAM’s signature course which comprises 3 months of discipleship training and 2 months of outreach. DTS students recently returned from outreach in Tanzania, while another team just left for Kenya and Swaziland.  Exciting days!

July 28, 2015

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Praise God for our house!  Thank you to all of you for your prayers and financial support which made this possible.  It is very exciting to finally unpack and start to feel settled.

South Africa is cold!  With temperatures just above freezing at night, and in the 50’s during the day, we are cold most of the time.  There is no heat, but we have a fireplace to huddle around.  Our house also has an indoor barbecue area, which is typical for Afrikaans homes in this area.  Now we can cook over the open fire when we are cold and when the power goes out (which renders our electric stove useless).

Along with working with boys in the community, Alberto has also started visiting a rehab center where men are recovering from their addictions to alcohol/drugs.  These men are very thirsty for answers in their lives, and are very receptive to hearing about God’s unfailing love and forgiveness.  Most of them have never had access to a Bible or stepped foot into a church.

Picture Captions:

Some neighbors came by with this cake! Afrikaans is the preferred language here, so the sooner we learn it the better! (Isaac, Margaret and I just finished our second term of Afrikaans!)

Isaac left for the U.S. for a month of camping at Camp Brookwoods, made possible through a generous scholarship! It was his first time traveling alone internationally.  He is pictured above in Boston.  He is coming back this week!

Cape of Good Hope, at the tip of South Africa, is where Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias first rounded the Cape in 1488, thereby opening trade with the Far East.  Many boats have crashed on the rocky coast and choppy waters.  Included in our picture is Lydia Bruce, who came from Boston to visit Ana!

We had an outdoor service at YWAM, to publicly declare God’s sovereignty over the base.  Dinner was also served. Potjie is a typical meal here, which is a stew cooked over the open fire in large cast-iron pots.

Phoebe’s favorite place is the kitchen. Here she is pictured helping make rice for the community outreach.

Some of the boys Alberto is befriending.

We met up with the Park Street Church short-term mission team, who came to spread God’s Word in the prisons. Andrew and Anne May were the hosts. It was a very cold night, but wonderful to see friends!

Prayer Requests/Praises

  • Praise God for His provision of housing.
  • Praise God for a good school break for the kids.
  • Pray for the boys Alberto is working with, that they can know the hope of Christ, and live lives of hope, despite their destitute circumstances.
  • Pray for the kids as they return to school and continue to adapt to a different style of eduction.
  • Pray for Ana who graduates later this year, and is considering many different options.
  • Pray for a muscle I pulled in my shoulder right before we moved. The timing was very inconvenient.

June 10, 2015

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Good news…we have a house to rent!  Finally!  We praise God that after months and months of looking (and being rejected) we finally found a lovely home whose owners are excited to rent to us.  Our days in our 20×15 room are coming to an end.  July 1 we move to our new home.  Now you can all plan a trip to visit us!  (Not at the same time though, please!)

Living in such tight quarters has certainly had its logistical challenges, but it has taught us to live extremely simply, to be patient with each other, and to include each other in every conversation (like it or not)!

We have been learning about God’s incredible love for us, and how precious we are in His sight.  He is actively pursuing each and every one of us, His beloved.  He longs for relationship with us and to restore what has been broken.  Every Thursday night we have community meetings on the YWAM base which are open to the public.  This past Thursday our speaker did a dramatic presentation on God’s unceasing love and pursuit of us.  When people realize the depth of God’s love for them, they often break down in tears, or conversely, are filled with joy!  It’s a  beautiful thing when the Holy Spirit ministers to us.

May 1, 2015

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Thank you for all your prayers and emails concerning the robberies on the YWAM base. With 75% unemployment among young black South African men, thievery is far too common.  On a national scale, there has also been increased crime against foreigners pouring into South Africans from neighboring countries in search of employment.  Many lost their lives in the most recent xenophobic attacks.  Some say not much has changed since apartheid ended 21 years ago.  Race relations are tense, and inequality rampant.

We as Christians need to be an example to the rest of South Africa.  Here on the YWAM base, we represent 33 nations.  Just last night we had a worship time when people from each continent were asked to spontaneously worship God in their language and dance.  It was a beautiful sight to see the differing cultures worshipping the one true God!  I don’t know who were louder: the Africans or South Americans!

Alberto has finished his counseling course!  He is happy to be done with the classroom requirements.  These next two months will be spent in practical outreach.  His assignment this past week was to work with 10-14 year old Coloured boys in their neighborhood.  The boys live a bleak existence, and are actively recruited by the gangs.  Alberto has a heart for these kids, to see them stand strong for Jesus in an environment that will test them.  At this time, he is the only one working with the boys, as the rest of his (female) team is working with young girls.

Alberto and I just completed a marriage course, which strengthened our own marriage and gave us the tools to help others with theirs!

Ana celebrated her 18th birthday!  She graduates from high school in October.  She recently participated in her school’s beauty pageant.

Prayer

  • Join us in praying for the crisis in Nepal, and tense racial relations here in South Africa.
  • Please continue to pray for our housing.  The most recent house we applied for (there have been many) seems to be a real possibility!

Contacts

March 31, 2015

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Cockroaches we can adjust to.  Thieves we cannot. Thieves have broken into the YWAM base the past four nights, and robbed our friends a couple of times. The security guard and barbed wire fences are not enough to deter the crime, so some of our guys have taken to night watching!  Please pray that they catch the perpetrator, and that we stay safe.

The thief left his drug paraphernalia in our friends’ house when he was startled. Unfortunately, many young men are addicted to the drug Tik (Crystal meth).  With little to no employment, young men turn to drugs for fulfillment.

Interestingly enough, Alberto just wrote his last paper for his Counseling class on just this thing.  “Father to the Fatherless”  describes God’s heart for the young generation of men who have grown up without fathers in the surrounding communities.

Alberto’s class actually ends next week, so we are looking forward to a break.  We are feeling pretty tired at this point.  It has been a challenging term in many ways: academically, safety-wise, and physically as we search for a house to rent.

Academically, the kids are in the throws of their first semester.  Margaret was unfortunately not happy at the sweet Christian school on base, so she moved to Worcester Primary School, the public school in town. She seems much happier now. Academically though, the South African system is extremely different in content and structure.  All three kids have been having a tough adjustment in this area.

Safety, as I explained above, is a current threat, which has made people on the YWAM base a bit edgy.  Isaac also had his own incident.  Coming home from a school retreat, the luggage door to the bus opened and three bags fell out.  His bag was one of them. The school and bus company are not taking any responsibility, but rather said, “Welcome to South Africa!”  Isaac lost all his camping gear, sneakers, Bible, and everything else needed for a camping weekend (and his retainer!).  Isaac has been taking this loss with extreme grace.

Lastly, our housing search continues. We have applied to rent a number of different houses, but have been rejected from all of them, with no reason provided.  I know God has a plan for us.

Through these challenges, I am reminded again and again of God’s faithfulness to us. We have been tested, and will declare the glory of the Lord.  During Holy Week, we are reminded of God’s ultimate sacrifice to us through the shedding of His Son’s blood. As we kneel before the cross, we focus on Jesus and count everything else as loss. “Lead me to the Cross” by Hillsong is a timely song:

“Lead Me To The Cross”

Savior I come

Quiet my soul remember

Redemption’s hill

Where Your blood was spilled

For my ransom

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as lost

[Chorus:]

Lead me to the cross

Where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I

Tempted and trialed

Human

The word became flesh

Bore my sin and death

Now you’re risen

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as lost

Feb 27, 2015

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Pictured above are our beloved friends and mentors David and Deborah Bliss (middle). They inspired us to become missionaries at a Park Street Church missions conference 16 years ago.  It has been a long and adventurous road, but by God’s grace, we are here and ready to serve!  They are retiring shortly from their role at the Andrew Murray Centre in neighboring Wellington.  Also pictured above (on the left) is our missions pastor Julian Linnell, who came for the retirement celebration and to visit us!

School has been back in session for a month now. Alberto is taking YWAM’s counseling class “Foundations for Counseling and Ministries.”  He is really enjoying this practical class, which is giving him much insights into how to actively listen to and hear what people are saying, and how to be an instrument of God’s healing.  He will be in the classroom until mid-April, when his two-month practicum starts.  Alberto and I are also taking a weekly marriage enrichment class, which has been lots of fun, and very helpful.

Please continue to pray for us in regard to full-time ministry opportunities.  While Alberto is studying full-time this year, starting next year he can begin full-time ministry.  We have various opportunities to work with disadvantaged youth, but we need to clearly hear from God.  We are also enlisting the help of YWAM and the mid-term missions committee at Park Street Church.

Ana is having a busy senior year at the local high school.  She tried out for a beauty/talent contest, so is now designing and making a number of specified outfits for a show next month.

Isaac is in 10th grade this year, and recently started playing field hockey (also a boy’s sport here).  He is goalie!

Margaret is in 5th grade, and is attending the elementary school here on the YWAM base.

Phoebe has had a few ups and downs with her blood sugar levels, but is fine now.  We now have a good team of local doctors on hand, which is helpful.  We also have some names of recommended therapists in town, which we are excited to pursue.

I am also taking a class this term!  Afrikaans!  Alberto, Isaac, Margaret and I are in Level One!  I am hoping that I will finally be able to get beyond greetings now!

December 24, 2014

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Merry Christmas!

Greetings from hot and sunny South Africa!  Local people are heading to the beach and preparing to braai (cook-out) to kick off the start of summer vacation!  Popular Christmas songs echo through the grocery stores, although it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all!

I have been reading from the book of Isaiah, meditating on God’s absolute love for His people and the mercy He shows, despite unfaithfulness.  Isaiah 43: 11-13 reads:

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed.
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God.
Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?

Amen!  We are His witnesses.  Witnesses of His love and mercy, and His unfailing faithfulness from the beginning of time.  At Christmas we celebrate God’s love for us through the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

On the home front, we have survived Alberto’s Bible Core Class!  With an A- on the final, he had a strong finish.  For now, we have some time to relax and braai.  Our good news is that we have just bought a car!  Now we are looking for a house to rent.  Counseling class starts for Alberto Jan 10, and the new school year starts for the kids late Jan.

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Alberto finished his first of three classes! Bible Core Course offered a rigorous overview of the Bible which included reading the entire Bible out-loud, preparing many outlines and reports, sharing in front of an audience, acting King Xerxes in a play about Esther, and working with children in the poor community of Avian Park.  Needless to say, it was a lot of work, and we are all so proud of him for finishing strong!

November 12, 2014

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We have been here for two months already!   Life continues in our two rooms, although we are praying for an alternative.  Our years of camping were good preparation!

Alberto has had a few opportunities to minister in the nearby Avian Park, home to the local Coloured community.  Conditions there would break your heart.  It is not the lack of electricity and running water that is appalling, but the sexual exploitation of young children. Matthew 18:6 says “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Alberto is studying hard. He got an 88% on his mid-term on Monday. Margaret is playing with her new friends every day, and her accent is even starting to change. Ana and Isaac are officially on summer vacation as of this week, which seems strange, since they just started!  Ana has been taking lots of pictures, including the exquisite sunset behind the mountains by our communal home (pictured above).  Phoebe continues to be greeted by everyone who passes her by.  She has received many kisses.

Worcester

The vineyards outside of Worcester produce world-acclaimed wine.  The problem is that the workers often live in squalor.  Most of them are Coloured, and our target community.  Because they are often paid in wine, there is a high rate of alcoholism in their community.  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and sexual exploitation of children are far too common.

Prayer Requests

  • Protection against evil to young girls
  • Phoebe: to stop grinding her teeth and for her sugars to stabilize. She drank a cup of coke at a barbecue!!!, and her sugar levels have been adjusting ever since. She is still insulin-free though!
  • Guidance about future living options, which are limited on-base, and risky off-base.
  • A vehicle