January 1, 2012
Ringing in the New
We had a great time last night spending New Year's Eve in a very different way from probably almost every other person in Paraguay. There were parties on every street we passed last night, and firecrackers in the hands of every child we saw. The New Year is a big holiday here! We went to church until about 9:30 PM, then played a game of Pictionary back at home. Around 10:30, we moved out to the driveway in front of our house in lawnchairs, where there's a great view of the lights of Asuncion--about an hour and fifteen minutes drive from here. A kid and a house dad from the children's home came down to sit with us, and we all watched the fireworks for the next few hours. Fireworks are a huge deal here, and there were "bombs" going off in all directions. Around midnight, the view of Asuncion and her surrounding towns was just incredible.
I can't say I'm sad to see 2011 go, since it's not been my favorite year of all time. I am very thankful, though, that God has used this year to teach me more about His faithfulness, about the strength that can only come from Him, and about relying totally on Him. I have thought a lot about how many people out there are praying for us, and how grateful we are for the love and support that those prayers communicate... not just love for our family, but for the people of Paraguay. Despite this difficult year, we still feel very, very blessed that God would allow us to live for Him here in this wonderful country. We feel very blessed that you have faith in Him and in us, and that you partner with us in prayer and financially. We know He has great things in store for 2012, and I for one am very excited about that!
How did you spend your New Year's Eve?
we went to Yuty to celebrate Ryan's bday on the 31st as well as New Year;s eve. Did the whole fireworks thing, as tradition. happy new year. oh, and thanks for passing on the news of my dad.
ReplyDeleteFor the first time that I can remember, there were no fireworks, no wiener roasts, and no children. The holidays were very different at my house this year. Though there was plenty of noise in the community from fireworks going off. I studied in the New Year.
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