Warring with Ourselves

Yesterday we were visiting with a lady in town, whose son operates a shoe store. The son is working with us to find tennis shoes for several children from the elementary school. While we were talking, we heard a loud roar and walked outside to see what was happening. Across the street, a big cow with very long horns was standing in front of a pharmacy. The cow had seen his reflection in the glass and issued a warning roar. When the "other cow" (his reflection) refused to budge, he lowered his head and charged the glass doors. We just knew they'd break as the cow charged again and again, snorting and huffing. Finally, a man was able to shoo the cow away.

I thought about how many times we look at a perceived "enemy" that's actually ourselves.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

All those things listed above come from within us, yet we're so quick to blame other people or good old Satan for battles we're really fighting within ourselves. I've said before that sometimes I make the devil's job way too easy and give him too much credit, because my worst enemy is just my flesh. It's my desire to stop butting my head against my reflection and focus on the real enemy, and the battle going on around me, rather than within me. Sometimes I just need a cow to remind me of that.

Seneca ROCKS!

The Seneca mission team has been such a blessing here. Not only has it been nice to have good ole' Southerners around (no offense, Canadians), but they've worked awfully hard and touched lives here. They spent most of their time painting the Children's Home next door. When I say painting, I mean EVERY ROOM inside, sanding and sealing the bricks outside, and painting the outside stucco walls. Today, they started a "secret project" and painted all the playground equipment in bright primary colors. The children were so excited when they came in from school and saw what had been done.

Some of them were able to walk with us through the neighborhood a few times, and visit the school. Rhonda, a school teacher herself, took a little "tour" of the schoolrooms and went on a shopping spree to make gift bags for each of the four teachers and the school director. The neighbors were all encouraged by their visits and happy with the lollipops. One elderly woman who lives back in the woods behind us told the visiting South Carolinian ladies that there must not be any ugly people where we come from. Aww. We left that statement alone.

Thanks, Seneca, for sharing the goodies and your team with us these past days. They represented you well! (Short post, don't click...)

A Tribute to Domingo

While we were out of town, we received a text message from one of the youth in the neighborhood that our elderly friend, Domingo, had passed away. He was a blind man living alone in a tiny, one-room house, where the tree-trunk walls didn't touch enough to keep the wind out.
He'd been battling some sort of infection or tumor in his jaw, and hadn't been able to get out of his bed the last few times we'd visited. The final time we saw him was just a few days before his death. At the other houses we'd been to, Saul had been reading a Bible verse or two and translating them into Guarani. At Domingo's house, however, he stopped short and asked Ken which verse he thought he should read. Ken suggested John 14:1-3:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

None of us had any idea that those words would be realized so soon in Domingo's life. We're thankful for the opportunity to have known him and look forward to seeing him again on the other side.

Goodbye, Hello!

It's been a whirlwind of action these last few days. We left home Monday morning, and spent the day enjoying Asuncion and doing more paperwork concerning our residency/visas. Will that ever end? That evening, we took Allisha and Cole to the airport to catch their flight to Lima, Peru. They'll be staying another week there and helping conduct VBS in Lima, then youth camp in Iquitos. This is the first time in four years I haven't been a part of that Peru trip and am a little sad to miss seeing the friends and church family there. Amber, the third member of their team, decided to stay here a little longer. She's been feeling a call into missions since a short-term trip last year, and she's "testing the waters" here in Paraguay. Please pray for direction for her as God works His plan in her life.

So back to the airport...we got them off on their flight, then spent the night with the Mortons in Itaugua. The next day we did MORE paperwork, and were at the same airport at 4:00 PM to pick up the Seneca mission team. We were told that the flight had been delayed, so we hung around a little before hearing it was VERY delayed. We left, came back, and ended up spending half the night in the airport, the other half sleeping in the parking lot, waiting for their plane to land. The weather wasn't cooperating (MAJOR storms including very heavy winds and hail), so the plane was diverted to Ciudad del Este to wait a little. They finally landed around 6 AM the next day.

We drove the two hours back home to find that the storm had knocked out electricity for us and the neighboring towns. Did I mention that it's remarkably cold here right now? Needless to say, we bundled into the covers and slept a BIG nap that day. All but Ken, who drove halfway back to Asuncion to tow our friend's car, which had just ceased to function. I was just glad Ken didn't cease to function!!

We've enjoyed being with the Seneca group, which is painting the Children's Home next door, inside and out. We took Rhonda, a school teacher herself, down to the elementary school to meet the teachers and principal. She found out what sorts of school supplies they use and we went shopping! About thirty minutes ago, the lights came back on, and I ran in here to see what I'd missed in the world of the worldwide web. So for those of you who'd sent emails worried about the arriving team, I'm sorry we didn't get to respond to you. They're all here, though, and in good spirits, despite the delays in their trip. Amber is settling in nicely, Allisha and Cole got off to Peru without a hitch, and we're all a bit cold. Thankfully, we'll be plugging in the little room heaters tonight and enjoy a good night's sleep!

Trip to Pedro Juan Caballero

We took our visiting mission team on a trip to the border of Brazil, to visit with some churches there and get to see some of the country. Well, that was the plan, at least. We took the bus there in rainy weather, which meant our windows fogged on the outside and inside and we couldn't see a THING, and then we rode the "middle of the night" bus back home. Oh, well, so much for sightseeing along the way.

We DID, however, see a whole lot of the little border city of Pedro Juan Caballero. It actually adjoins to the Brazilian city of Ponta Pora, so closely that the main street between the two looks just like any other main street, except that one side of the road is Paraguay, the other Brazil. So all the signs on one side are in Spanish, the other side in Portuguese.

We stayed with a lovely host family there, on top of the daughters' hair salon. This meant that we ladies were surprised with a complementary "makeover" and even one of the guys got a manicure. (I left his name out on purpose, so that Cole isn't embarrassed that his friends know he had lovely shiny nails.) The ladies of the home treated us to some typical food from the region, which we all enjoyed immensely!

We spent time with some of the youth of the growing church there. One morning, we awoke to some really loud prayers, and found that a pastor from across the border had come to visit us and invite us to his services. Did I mention that folks in PJC walk just about everywhere? So we started out the "short trip" (they say EVERYTHING is a short trip) that turned out to be a good hour's walk, in biting cold wind that turned into rain. When we arrived, we found it had taken us longer to walk there than anticipated (Allisha's shoes didn't have enough traction for the slippery paths). Service was ending as we came in. The pastor called us up for prayer, gave us a word the Lord had given him for us, and we started back.

As the rains became a downpour, we ducked into another church service along the road. The service was in Portuguese, but I was surprised to find out I was able to translate some of it for our friends. It's a pretty language. The folks in these two adjoining towns speak Spanish, Portuguese, and Guarani. Incredible.

We attended their Sunday service and Saul preached the message. Allisha sang a song in Spanish, and the rest of us gave a quick testimony each. What a wonderful time with our brothers and sisters in Pedro Juan and Ponta Pora!

Happy Birthday Allisha!

One of our visiting friends, Allisha, turned 18 this week! What fun to host a princess pizza party (we're using whatever excuse we can to cook pizza these days) for the team and a few of our neighbors. Amber made a Jell-O cheesecake, and even though she accidentally added the milk to the crust instead of the cheesy part, it was a big hit. We also enjoyed laughing at each other in tiaras. We skipped the candles.... Happy birthday, Allisha! (Pictured are Camille with her tongue out, Antonio, his brother Francisco, Francisco's wife Gladys, and the Princess herself)

Windy Days Mean...

Sometimes the wind gets pretty cranked up here, with or without the rainstorms. This time, Ken decided to make the best of it. He gathered his little croanies on the porch and taped together a couple long grass reeds, then added newspaper, fishing line, and a garbage bag tail. Next thing you know, we'd learned the word for KITE in Guarani and in Spanish (although no one pronounced it the same way in either!)

No one ever could get it off the ground more than a few feet at a time, but it sure was fun to watch their excitement over making it and running around trying to get it flying.
All the little guys wanted to add their advice for the construction of the SuperKite.
Caroline's on the far right, Ken on the left, attempting another lift-off.
Anildo displaying the finished but not quite functional product! This little guy would be smiling no matter what he's holding. He hardly speaks any Spanish but hangs out all the time, always grinning and always jumping up to be a part of whatever we're doing.

Things You Probably Won't See...

We find the greatest things in the grocery stores. Sometimes the girls start giggling and can't even tell me aloud what it is, and end up dragging me over to the shelf where they've found the "offending" product. Here are a few I snapped photos of. I'm guessing these are brands that wouldn't sell much in the States.

Yep, this is a brand of diapers, and yep, they pronounce it "poopie". Go figure.
I still haven't gotten used to the fact that they call anyone with really dark skin, whether of African heritage or not, a "negro" (or negrito at times), or if female, a "negra" (negrita).
A name like BARFY makes me want to run out and buy these exclusive burgers, which, by the way, can only be found in the big, nice supermarkets in Asuncion.

Welcome, Mission Team!

Today we picked up Amber, Allisha, and Cole from the airport. They will be visiting with us the next few weeks. Amber and Allisha are from our home church, Carolina Heights, and we are SOOOOO looking forward to reconnecting with them. They've always been special to our family, and good friends to our girls. Cole is new to us but comes from the Summerville church, which we belonged to before moving to Greenville. Ken is excited to have another fella tagging along.

We have lots of things planned for them, including projects on the grounds, at the school, in the community, and in a town about 6 hours from here. They started their series of flights Saturday morning, so we're expecting at least a few hours of sleeping in tomorrow before we hit the ground running. Please pray that they adjust well to the change in climate, the food and water, and anything else that might be a possible source of culture shock. (And that I master the art of cooking for a group!)

A Night at Arpa Roga

A few nights ago, we joined a couple of other missionary families and a visiting team for a special night of culture and food. The location was Arpa Roga ("Harp House"), a cultural center operated by the Pederson family of Asuncion. We enjoyed typical Paraguayan food, such as chargrilled steaks and sausages, various types of salads, breads, and desserts. All the while, we were being entertained by harpists who take lessons at Arpa Roga, and a lovely dancer who performed the traditional Bottle Dance. This entire dance was done with a large glass bottle atop her head, which never even came close to falling (much to my girls' dismay....)

We got to meet the McKissick family (Jeff, Amy, and their five gorgeous kids), who are leaving on furlough very soon. I've been following Amy's blog since before we moved here, and she's always been a great resource for learning about living in rural Paraguay. We met the Terhaar family who have been here a few months longer than us. It's always great fun and a big encouragement to meet other missionary families. The TIME students, who've been with Jeff and Amy for the past 6 weeks, were also there, and we enjoyed hearing of their adventures in Paraguay!

Pictures follow...

Good News, It Seems!

We're in the midst of a wonderful "summer" vacation from homeschooling, although it's more like winter vacation here. I'm loving the much needed time to plan for the next year, and the girls are loving the freedom to play a bit more and get into fun projects, like Caroline's latest invention: sticks crammed into the holes of her belts, which will play the guitar for people whose hands don't work. All you have to do is put electrical current to the belt buckle. Luckily, she doesn't want to really try it out--it's a concept. I think she was inspired by the BEAUTIFUL harp music we heard live last night (future blog topic).

But for now, let me tell you what's happening with our local elementary school Bible class crisis. Well, I'm not really sure WHAT's happening. Last week, we were told the classes would be temporarily suspended until the parents' meeting THIS week would decide the course of action. Late last night, the call came from one of the teachers, that we should be there today for regular Bible classes. YAY! I wasn't able to go with Ken and Saul this morning because Camille's fighting a stomach virus, but the fact that they were called to come, we take as a victory. I'll fill you in on the details as they come in, but wanted you to know it looks good. Thank you all so much for the encouraging emails and the prayers you sent up on behalf of this class. The war may not be over, but it seems this battle is one we can chalk up as a victory. We appreciate you, our fellow soldiers. ;) God bless y'all!

Me-oh-my--Pizza Pie!

We celebrated the birthday of our friend Silvia, with a pizza party. She came over with her family and a few grocery bags full of everything we'd need to make 5 of the most delicious homemade pizzas ever! Luckily, Saul's mother taught him to make pizza a few years ago, so he took over. Camille and Caroline watched the whole process in awe (and hopefully remembering the steps to repeat them later), while Silvia made a scrumptious blend of toppings and sauce. I kept pointing out that she shouldn't be cooking on her birthday, but she maintained that in Paraguay, the birthday person prepares a celebration for her friends. I did pitch in a batch of brownies, though, and Caroline hung decorations and balloons throughout the house and porch. What a great evening spent with great friends! (click for pictures)

San Juan WHAT?!

We recently attended a couple San Juan celebrations. San Juan is a pretty big holiday that gets to be celebrated any time during the month of June, and sometimes into July. The parties reminded me of a typical fall festival we'd hold in late October-early November. The highlight of these celebrations for our family was the typical food, including asaditos (meat on a stick roasted over a fire--think SHISKABOB!), bejy (pronounced bay-JEW: a flat, fried bread-thing with cheese inside), sopa (similar to cornbread) and chipa (very dry doughnut-shaped biscuits).

Both parties were to benefit the local schools that sponsored them. The first was held at night with a DJ, blaring music, and tons of dance space. When we were there, there wasn't ANYONE dancing, but a lot of people standing around their motorcycles enjoying the asaditos.

The second party was held on a Sunday afternoon, with much more children and much less music. This seemed to be the family version of the party we'd attended earlier. Our neighbor Gladys had invited us to attend, as this is her little sister's school. The little sister is the girl on the left in the flowy red skirt, below. We met her mom and aunts and watched them cook bejy and hot dogs--I guess you can't get away from hot dogs no matter WHERE you go!

We enjoyed watching "Draw the Tail on the Pig" and a couple guys trying to eat apples dangling from strings. Everyone laughed while the competitors in the flour sack race fell down, and watching the boys try to eat a long piece of string without using their hands was funny to most (except me...I was thinking of all the mud as the long end of the string drug across the ground. Yeesh.)

Several dance presentations were performed, in traditional long flowy skirts, with little boys dressed like gentlemen cowboys and farmers (see pictures that follow). In one dance, the children paraded around in a big circle, as pairs. The music stopped every thirty seconds and one pair would walk into the center of the circle, where the boy presented some compliment to the girl and proposed to her, I think. The girl replied with something that turned his own words into a refusal on her part. This was mostly in Guarani and we couldn't hear even that, but the crowd was roaring. As the last couple did their little conversation, she accepted, and they began to dance in the center. Then the other little couples joined in and danced around to celebrate the "marriage."

From one of the soccer goalposts hung a stuffed scarecrow sort of thing, which they told us was Judas Iscariot, the betrayer. At one point, someone lit Judas on fire, and he burned until the firecrackers and little "bombs" inside him caught fire, sending flaming projectiles into the crowd. This was my first clue that I shouldn't have used hairspray that day!!

Later, two boys climbed underneath a metal frame with plastic draped over it, in the shape of a cow, if you used your imagination. I'd never have known it was a cow except that they had a real skull on the front of it, with big horns wrapped in cloth. They dipped these horns in kerosene, lit them on fire, and the boys underneath took off running the flaming bull through the crowd. Faster than I could say, "Danger, Will Robinson," the thing started heading my way. Could be that we stuck out like a sore thumb, and I was the only person really standing still, as I was trying to catch the whole thing on video. I'm including the video because my description doesn't do it justice. Either way, I had no choice but to run. Luckily, the flaming cloths fell off before anyone was injured, although one little fella was scared and cried for quite a while.

After this, things got a little hairy. One of the teachers was the emcee of this event and moderated the dances and comedy skits the children presented. He called out the next skit, which was a Paraguayan beauty contest. Sadly, young ladies paraded around in their skimpiest wear, while the young men in the crowd all pulled out their cell phones to capture it on video. As the skit ended, the teacher began a whole different style of music and these girls began to dance. It was--how can I put this?--very raunchy, and it made me quite sad. In this country full of unwed young mothers, infidelity, cohabitation, and STD rates through the roof, I wondered why the adults at the school, not to mention the parents in the crowd, found the provocative dancing to be cute. I tried to imagine Camille or Caroline up there (writhing with other girls or with the guys that soon joined in), and Ken and I standing in the audience smiling. I don't think so. One of the little girls participating looked to be about 8 years old, which meant the crowd applauded even more loudly when she did a really "sexy" dance move. Our friends noticed me talking to our girls about this and why we didn't find it cool, and he seemed really confused. He replied that it was just tradition. (Sigh.) Set Judas on fire, send the flaming bull through the crowd, but don't teach these little girls that they should be giving away their purity. Our fellow Paraguay-missionary blogging pals, the McKissicks, posted a blog about the festival they attended, which you can read here.