Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM) Founder and President Dr. John Wagenveld says,  'The Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us globally as national leaders in newly planted churches are having to find different ways of ministering in their communities.' Please note that all of MNM's leaders around the world have been cautioned to reduce exposure and be safe while following the regulations set by their countries' governments.

Isaias Santa Cruz is a church planter trained by Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM) in Paraguay. He was sent by his mother church to start a new community of faith in Asentamiento la Esperanza based on the recommendations of others who saw a need for a church in there.

The training Isaias received from MNM has been a huge help. The session that taught Isaias about researching about the area was especially beneficial to him. He learned there are more than 130 families and many are made up of several children but only one parent. Isaias saw there was a need to provide care and love for the children.

So Isaias first began by ministering to the children. While the parents are working, the children are left completely alone. Isaias and his team provided a safe place for the kids to come together to learn about Jesus.

Once they had established relationships through the families in this way, his ministry progressed to reaching out to the adults. They began discipling them.

“The people are pretty receptive. There is a thirst for the gospel. We have never had opposition in this place—the people are very open,” says Isaias.

Isaias first began working in this community two years ago and the children are now becoming teenagers who continue to come to the church and grow in the teaching of the Word.

Isaias’ vision is to continue strengthening the men and women of this community, that they may rise up and make disciples. Isaias is reminded of when Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Through his ministry, Isaias is inspiring the next generation of “workers” to multiply and carry the gospel to new communities.