With great joy, more than a thousand young people from Paraguay carried out the first missionary activity of the year: Mission Caleb. They dedicated a week of their time off from school to community service and lived an experience of service, self-denial, and mission.

One of the major evangelistic points was developed in the city of Capitán Bado, department of Amambay, on the border of Brazil.

During the Caleb Mission, many testimonies of conversion were shared. One of them was that of Claudia Garay and her family.

“Since [me and] my brother Roberto [were small], we went to church, but only to accompany our mother. We had never been interested in religion; we thought we could live well without [it]. I remember [one time] when [we] returned from [church], my brothers and I began to [say] bad words and continue with our bad behavior, and my sad mother asked us why we went to church if we would continue with our bad behavior, ”he said.

“Sadly, our mother passed away a year ago and we began to feel her absence, as she was the only one taking us to church. Little by little, the need to know God more closely and to make a commitment of fidelity and communion with him was born. In God's response, around 70 volunteers from across the country conducted missionary activities for a whole week. At the end of the Caleb Mission, my family and I decided it was time to accept the Lord and make a commitment to him, ”he added.

“We thank God for the arrival of the young 'Caleb'. Our wish is that one day we will all meet [our mother] again together in heaven" he said.

Mission Caleb in Captain Bado

On this occasion, 45 young people and 31 leaders of the Sapucai church joined forces to bring the gospel to the city of Capitán Bado, a place that until now had no Adventist presence.

As a result of the missionary work, they opened six evangelistic meeting points, delivered more than 400 Bible studies, formed a choir of adolescents, youth and adults, and started the Pathfinder Club “Esperanza”. The club had more than 100 registered children. With that, 130 people gave their lives to Jesus and are days away from inaugurating the first Adventist church there.

During this year, the youth who are a part of the ‘A Year in Mission’ project will work in the same place and continue with the mission that the ‘Calebs’ started.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site