Yesterday

Yesterday I walked outside to find this! It was so pretty. Daisies always make me smile!

Beautiful Things...

Beautiful sights on our trip...

Flowers!!

Our Latest Activities

Some of our activities...Spring-Youth. We had a party for our youth group on September 25th. The pastor was remembering past years when they would have a parade of flowers on September 21st downtown Asuncion, and people would make huge floats of flowers, busses would be decked out with balloons, supermarkets and stores would have cut out flowers, streamers, and balloons...times have changed. We celebrated at church with finger foods, a special program, sports, and a cake.
September 29th was a holiday here in Paraguay. Oscar and I were invited to a conference at Hotel Excelsior on the 28th and 29th. We got to see Adolfo Torres a national, Christian singer who wrote a beautiful song about Paraguay. We also got to meet author, Norma Pantojas, from Puerto Rico. It was a nice get-away for both of us (completely free, thanks to a good friend of ours) as we were reminded to be faithful to God's calling in our lives.
Finally, our yard is full of flowers. I just love this time of year!

News and Stuff

This morning we woke up to 47ºF! It's winter in Paraguay! It's supposed to be up to 65º this afternoon, but Saturday and Sunday, back down in the low 40º’s. I guess we'll be making more vorí-vorí.
My kids are can't feel the cold! They are excited about marching in a Parade on Friday. Brandon is in the drum section and there has been practice twice a day. One student's dad is from the military and sent a military trainer to our school to practice with the kids this week. June 12th is Chaco Armistice. Almost all of the schools/towns have a parade either May 14th for Independence Day or June 12th for "Paz de Chaco" Day. Our town, (Lambaré) usually has the parade on June 5th commemorating Lambaré’s (48th) anniversary. So, our parade is June 4th. There will be about 50 schools represented.
I’m just thinking…it’ll be cold and rainy that day!
Brandon just got back from an evangelistic trip to San Pedro. A group of about 20 went to do different activities (visiting, inviting, kid’s bible hours, setting up the sound system, etc.) this past weekend. Brandon adapts so well to different cultural experiences and enjoys every minute of the adventure.
Gaby is still lead singer and guitar player at school (and sometimes at church) and is dreaming of being a soccer player for Tacuari. He was supposed to go last Thursday, but when the riots broke out in town, we decided to wait.
Oscar’s doing fine, but battling a dry cough. For some strange reason I have been so nostalgic lately…it’s probably the cool weather…I have been missing everyone and everything. I just blame it all on the thyroids!
So, that’s the news and stuff for today.

I thought I'd stick a flower in to brighten up this cold day. I found this flower growing out of an old stump in San Pedro on our last visit and loved it.

Argentina 2 - Flowers

I Need a Vacation!

What have I NOT been doing?

Ever since school ended we have been running and going, serving and cooking, cleaning and preparing, weddings, paperwork, etc., etc., etc....

So, since Christmas, hmmm, I have to back up to Christmas to see what when on in this whirl-wind life of ours...

We had Oscar's relatives over at the Quinta. It was fun! We had boxes and boxes of popsicles!

Then, more company...cousin relatives from San Pedro. Fun! Busy!

Paper work for our Paraguayan friend whose fiancé is stranded in Cuba and can only get out if she goes up to get him, marry him and bring him back. She met him after a six year scholarship studying there.

We fixed up some borrowed dresses and made a beautiful boquet of orchids, went shopping for more wedding things and spent time talking about marriage.

We committed to cooking for the youth camp this past week. That means, plan, buy, and prepare the food...Saturday-Wednesday!

All the while...we were trying to get our friend up to Cuba and, finally, Tuesday morning she got a tight, flight up and was delayed 2 hours in Paraguay. Cuba is such a difficult country to communicate with and we finally got word that she is with her dear and is planning a wedding, I think maybe tomorrow.

The car needs fixed, clothes washed, (no electricity in half of the house...the half that has the washer...hmmmm, weird!) More cousins, here, after camp.

I think I'll go to the Quinta and use their huge trays for a couple of homemade pizzas!

Vacation time is coming...soon! Yeah!

Fun Flowers and a Pineapple

Guava Flowers

These beautiful, white flowers turn into golf-ball, size guavas in February. I was remembering that I still have some frozen guava butter from last year...hmmm. It suddenly turned into a Guava Coffee Cake. I kind of re-did a Betty Crocker Coffee Cake recipe and adapted it to our own tastes.















Guava Coffee Cake
3 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
Heat oven to 375º
Grease pan.
Blend all ingredients except for the topping. Spread in pan. Drop guava butter by teaspoons full on top of batter and smear slightly.
Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake 25 to 30 min.
Topping...
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of oats
Mix until crumbly.

A Little Bit of Spring

I love to wake up some mornings and find these tiny, but beautiful flowers peaking out of our grass. I sadly have to step on them while I hang up my clothes. They are just weeds - insignificant beauty! Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. Matthew 6.28,29 (NLT)

Orchids

Every year they are so much more beautiful. Isn't this amazing?

Interesting!

Two paragraphs from John Bevere's book (The Bait of Satan)...

Jesus likened the condition of our hearts to that of soil. We are admonished to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. The seed of God's Word will then take root in our hearts, will grow, and will eventually produce the fruit of righteousness - love, joy, long-suffering, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (See Galatians 5:22-23).

However, ground will produce only what is planted in it. If we plant seeds of debt, unforgiveness, and offense, another root will spring up in place of the love of God. It is called the root of bitterness (Heb. 12:14-15). Bitterness is a root. If roots are nursed, watered, protected, fed, and given attention, they increase in depth and strength. If not dealt with quickly, roots are hard to pull up. The strength of the offense will continue to grow. Soon, instead of the fruit of righteousness being produced, we will see a harvest of anger, resentment, jealousy, hatred, strife and discord. Jesus called these evil fruits worthless. (See Matthew 7:19-20.)

Hmmm...I better get out to my heart's garden...fast!

(P.S. The picture is one Nancy Pauser took while she was here.)

It's 42º F!!!!

We woke up shivering! 42º (6ºC) in Paraguay is soooooo cold! It's cold because if it is 42 outside it is probably 48º inside! Edson goes to bed at night with 3 layers of clothes and three blankets on top! I am usually the one who is so exageratedly cold.
Yesterday I made the mistake of going to bed with wet hair...that was torture! I felt like an icecube all night long. I just couldn't get warm. My pillow was damp and my whole body felt damp.
I heard Sasha barking this morning...she must have slept well. Poor thing...how does SHE keep warm. Having her INDOORS is OUT OF THE QUESTION!
The sun is coming out! Those warm rays trickle in brightening up our frosty igloo...rays of warmth, rays of hope. A new day has begun...let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Beauty

Once again...thanks to Nancy. Aren't these just beautiful?

Pretty Things

We have some BEAUTIFUL flowers outside right now. Nancy has been snapping everything she

can get. I picked some pretty flowers to show you. I LOVE flowers!