In 1864, Paraguay entered into what is known as the bloodiest and deadliest war in South America. The War of the Triple Alliance was fought by Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against Paraguay. Roughly two-thirds of Paraguay’s population perished during the conflict, including ninety percent of its men. The women were left with a determination to keep their country together.
This landlocked country, known as “El Corazón,” the heart of South America, now holds strong nationalistic ties. For this reason, Paraguay has two national languages, Spanish and Guaraní (the Indian dialect that is still spoken by its people today.) Although rich in cultural heritage and beautiful in its scenery, the country of Paraguay faces a much more serious war today. With ninety percent of the Paraguayan people claiming Roman Catholicism as their religion, the people of Paraguay are indoctrinated with false hope. They live daily hoping that their good works will outweigh the bad to secure them an eternal home. They attend Mass and make futile attempts to pray their loved ones into heaven. The saddest part of all is that they have no one to tell them of the hope found in Christ alone.
The people of Paraguay are blinded by their sin and destined for a godless eternity in hell. Satan is waging war on the hearts of the people of Paraguay, and it is up to us to do something about it. The excellent news is that Paraguay is a wide-open mission field, without restrictions on the work of the Lord. We need to take the Word of God and the hope of the gospel to all those who desperately need it!