My wife’s parents, Bill and Frances Skinner, were missionaries in Paraguay for 38 years. They are both in their nineties today, sharp in mind and full of faith. Their incredible stories of seeing the hand of God at work while bringing the Good News of Jesus to the people of Paraguay strengthen my faith every time I hear them recounted. In her book, Adventures in Paraguay, Frances Skinner reveals how faith is most powerful when exercised in the dark.
Her story begins in the small, rural village of Guayaybi, Paraguay. Only accessible by primitive dirt roads, the missionaries had established a medical clinic near the village that they opened on weekends– offering medical help together with the gospel message of Jesus. A dire situation occurred that required a trip back to civilization, but Dr. Bill was up to his neck in medical work so Fran agreed to make the trip for him, accompanied by a friend named Ruth– a German lady that Frances had randomly met on a trip to Argentina. Ruth, just happened to unexpectedly show up for a visit to Paraguay, and so had gone with the Skinners to the clinic at Guayaybi.
There was a problem, a big problem! It had rained a down-pouring tropical deluge and main road had closed to all traffic. Since Doctor Skinner was engaged in humanitarian services, he had been issued a permanent pass by the highway authorities to travel any road at anytime. So Fran and Ruth took the pass and sallied forth. In her own words, the following story is an excerpt from her book:
