Update: Spring, 2023

Dawn at Cincinnati Children's Hospital

There is too much. Let me sum up.

As a family we will be going on leave of absence from Alliance Missions at the end of April. Both our family and the team in Paraguay have had some good ministry opportunities during the past year. We have seen some progress medically for our family during the past year as well, but still need to make some additional progress. While the door to returning to Paraguay will remain cracked open for a few years, Stephen will transition to new employment as a teacher at a Christian school part-time in late April and full-time in early August. We are excited to learn about the incredibly diverse international community east of Atlanta, and looking forward to discovering how God will work through us in the next stage. We will continue to keep in touch.

What's Happened?

For our family, 2022 was all about getting the family healthy, with the hope of being able to return to Paraguay at the end of the year. We saw great progress for Anna and Grace, both in getting solid diagnoses and in establishing stable treatment plans. We saw good progress for Simeon as well in both diagnosis and treatment. In particular, we got good insight into what's going on and how to move forward by bringing Simeon to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. However, while we now have a clear plan for helping Simeon to continue to improve, he has not reached the level of stability he would need to get medical clearance to leave the country, and is not likely to get it in the imminent future (apart from sudden divine intervention). We are continuing with treatment and seeing progress for all of us, and we look forward to continuing to see progress moving forward.

During the past year, while focusing on getting healthy, we have also found opportunities to serve in our community. We have been active in our local church. Sarah has gotten involved again in ESL ministry (English as a Second Language) with international students. Stephen was able to visit churches in the Mid-Atlantic District to share about missions and how we have seen God at work in our lives. To see these messages, follow the links below.

Reflection on our mission experience: GICF, GCCC

Missions and Eternal Perspective: Island Alliance

Although we were not there, effective ministry has been continuing in Paraguay. The local churches planted by local churches are continuing to grow, and local leaders are continuing to be trained. God is at work bringing the ministry closer to the point where the local leaders can take over the work entirely, which is often a turning point that leads to even greater growth. Below is a video from one of our teammates that describes the work that is being done. (In the video, keep an eye out for mention of the work in Limpio. Our dog Daisy is the daughter of Flopy, who belongs to Andres and Andrea, our friends and local church leaders in Limpio.)

Missions in Paraguay

What's happening?

We will remain “in the system” as International Workers until the end of April, 2023. At that time we will go on a leave of absence. We can return to service from a leave of absence at any time over the next two years. We would love to return to active duty during this time, but it would almost certainly take a special work from God in order for that to happen.

Starting with a few weeks in April/May and then in earnest in August, Stephen will be working as a teacher at a Christian classical school in Atlanta. Living in Atlanta will provide us with better access to good medical care, which our family needs right now.

What will happen?

So, what’s up next for the Zubers? First, we will be wrapping up any remaining loose ends from our current work during the rest of March and April. In particular, we will be in Colorado for about a week and a half for debriefing. We praise God for the opportunity! In late April Stephen will go to Atlanta until the end of the school year to work on curriculum design. While there Stephen will stay at the C&MA Envision Atlanta site in Clarkston. Sarah and the kids will remain in Louisiana to finish off the kids’ school year. The family will most likely move to Atlanta in July, in anticipation of the new school year starting in August.

We look forward to better access to medical care in Atlanta, with the hope that we will continue to see steady or accelerated improvement for everyone. In addition to the direct access to doctors in a larger city, Georgia has a reciprocal telemedicine agreement with other states, which will vastly increase our options for care over what we have been able to receive in Louisiana.

We look forward to living intentionally in our new home. Our initial strategy will be to take things slow at first and take some time to get to know the community, see how God is already at work, and see how we can use the ways He has gifted us to be a part of what He is already doing. Stephen is looking forward to the opportunities to help students discover and deepen genuine personal relationships with God while working as a logic and science teacher at a Christian school. Excitingly, there is an Alliance Envision site only about 10 miles from the school in Clarkston, GA. As an initial landing point for refugees, Clarkston has been called “The South’s Ellis Island”, and “the most diverse square mile in America”. We continue to feel God’s call in our lives to serve the international community, and hope to find good opportunities to reach the ends of the earth next year by loving our literal neighbors.

Details and Questions:

Will you be able to return to the field?

We will go on leave of absence starting in May. This means that we can return to the field without needing to be re-approved and re-commissioned at any time during the following two years. However, we will not be able to return to the field without receiving medical clearance. We do not anticipate returning to the field in the near future.

Will your family continue needing anything?

Yes, we will continue needing your prayer. In the short term, please pray for all of us as we make the next transition. Please also pray for God to direct and provide a good vehicle and a good place to live as we prepare to move. In the long term, please continue to pray for rest and health for our family, and for God to use us to bless others where we are.

Will you continue to send prayer letters?

Yes, we anticipate finding ministry opportunities in Georgia, and intend to continue sending prayer letters infrequently when we have prayer requests. If you do not wish to receive them, please reply and we will remove you from the list.

Can we continue to directly support the ministry in Paraguay?

Yes. You can support IMAP (the training center for equipping local leaders) by clicking here, and typing in 'IMAP' as A project you love. You can also support one of the other team members currently on the field

What will happen if I keep giving to the Zubers through the GCF?

We will no longer receive any financial support after the end of April. Anything given to the Great Commission Fund (GCF) in our name after that time will cascade into the general GCF. Most of the money that has been given in the past to the Zubers has already been used strategically. Anything remaining will cascade into the GCF, from which the Zubers received support while on the field.

We have received requests for information about how people can continue to support us during our final transition. You can contact us directly using paraguay@zuberfamily.com

Can we still get in touch with you?

Certainly. We will continue to maintain our email address (paraguay@zuberfamily.com). The website should remain active, although it will revert to a free version.

I still have more questions or a prayer request.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out.