Here are a few updates on our daily life….

THE GIRLS:  Homeschool is wrapping up for the 2011-12 year, and it’s time for “summer break,” which is just in time for Paraguay’s autumn.  Camille is anxious to keep going and skip the break, with plans to finish 12^th grade as soon as possible.  Caroline is content to do exactly what she has to and nothing more.  J  She is continuing with guitar lessons each week, and with the other folks who have picked up guitar lessons with her, Saturday has become youth hang-out day at Hagerman House.  Do you remember Milciades, the maintenance director at Hogar Ganar who has been training about 20 kids in running?  Camille has been helping him out, and she now trains the girls.  Friendly little competitions between them and the guys keep the kids in shape and give them a healthy hobby.  Not only are those who live in Hogar Ganar participating, but several children and youth from the neighborhoods, too.  Those who do well have been entering local 5k’s and even winning medals and trophies!

OUR LITTLE VW:  Good news!  The insurance company of the bus who hit us has finally agreed to pay for repairs.  However, the mechanic’s shop they use is very backed up.  We’ve been on the waiting list for a couple of weeks now, and although the damage isn’t horrible, it’s enough that driving it long distances isn’t a good idea.  Ken is continually repairing the parts that are breaking down/breaking off in the interim.  It’s funny how this little cheapie car we got to hold us over until we could fix the Mission Mobile, has become a major player in our lives.

MY LEG:  A few complications are making this recovery less than fun again.  I have patellofemoral pain syndrome, a broad term to mean that my knee hurts a lot.  It seems that when my quad muscles got so weak after the surgeries, they stopped being able to hold my kneecap in place.  So now any bend in the knee is causing the kneecap to slide out of its place and scrub against the other bones, and it’s pretty excruciating.  The solution is to alter the exercises I do and try to cut back on bending the knee, but this seriously hampers gaining enough strength to toss the crutches, and hampers walking.  I’m trying to be a good little patient and do all they tell me, but I sure am ready to toss these crutches.  February 18^th made a year since the accident.   But the good news is that with less walking, I have more time to study Guarani, and we’ve been having more visitors, which means I get to put it into practice!

SAÚL:  After graduating high school in December, Saúl has now entered the university to study LAW!  If you’ve met Saúl, you know “discussing” is one of his favorite things to do, so we have no doubts he’ll excel in this field.  Depending on which way he goes with it over the next few years, he could work as a lawyer, in social work, or in a few other areas. University here is very affordable, and I’ve even been trying to tempt the girls to get themselves a Paraguayan degree instead of moving to the States when the time comes (ulterior motives, of course). 

THE MISSION MOBILE:  More good news!  The last bit of paperwork from the guy who (illegally) sold us our Montero 3 years ago has finally gone through, meaning, he paid the debt he owed on it.  So now the title is in the process of being transferred into our name, something the government does. (Meaning, this may take a while....) This should be the last step to finally making us the legal owners of this ole’ truck.  We are still saving towards getting the motor replaced in it, so our beloved vehicle can get back on the road after its year-long hiatus in the shade of the shade-tree mechanic's mango.

Those are the nuts and bolts of behind-the-scenes here.  It’s hard to believe some of these are still issues, and I struggle with sharing them because I don’t want to enter into a complaining session.  But we know God is moving in every situation, and that He has the ultimate last word in all.  Your prayers for us mean more than we can tell you, and I share this to give you specific things you can take to the throne on our behalf, if you please, and so that you can rejoice with us in the victories along the way!  : )