US Work Team

Our work team has been painting inside and outside at the school and they have been waiting patiently for our Paraguayan people to come to start building together. The people in this laid-back culture took time out for the holiday weekends and left our group kind of stranded. Today at 9 am they were supposed to be there with all the equipment! We hope!

We took a day off last week to visit the Iguazu Falls. It was a very hot, crowed day, but every time we go there...it is a reminder of God's greatness and power! The work of His hands is always amazing no matter how many pictures I have of the same thing!

The Canadians are here!

We guessed! We guessed right! The next flight to come from Brazil was at 11:30 pm. We went and waited after calling back and forth to the airport. Everyone was fine and happy to be "home".
Martha was careful to look out for the bins, the kids, the luggage guys helping them so eagerly, etc. We quickly loaded up and were off.
Back home the kids woke up (I mean Brandon woke up.) and started going through the boxes of goodies from Grandma and others. We were tired, but joyful. Family, encouragement, letters to read or write from others, snacks, clothes and gifts. What excitement!
We have been having water problems. Well, no NEW NEWS to some, but anyway, when we heard the water coming back on...some of us rushed to shower.
Just about then, Martha looked frantically from here to there...her suitcase was no where to be found! With all her worry about the kids and the other boxes and suitcases, hers must have been left behind.
2:30 am was too early to call the baggage claim section at the airport, and so we went to bed praying for a miracle. Oscar came home at 10 am WITH THE SUITCASE!
Today we are "catching up" on family news, cousins getting to know cousins, finding a space for everything, etc.
Thankful that the water shut off...we left the dishes for later and raced to our beds for a "siesta"...a good way to adapt to Paraguayan Culture...don't you think?

Visitors???

My Vivistors are LATE! Well, good thing they started off with a Canada problem. They'll get plenty more Paraguay problems, but they probably won't complain as much (hahaha)...as if this kind of stuff NEVER happens in THEIR country. hummmm!
We were expecting them at 5 pm...it has turned into a LATE NIGHT WAIT! Yes, for us and them.
Do you think they are on that 11:10pm flight from Brazil?...or are they coming tomorrow morning?

Some of our visitors this past month...December

Visitors!

(Written Friday night before the crew came home...)
We have been blessed with US visitors! Rod, Melissa, Brian, and Renee Koch, and Joel Shurance and Erik Steidl came on the 18th to work on the new building project. Both groups started off their stay in Paraguay with problems in flights and lost luggage. One of the bags finally arrived and there is no news of the other one.
Our ladies group at church did an amazing job of cooking lunches for the workers and sharing a taste of Paraguay with the “Americanos”. Through hot, humid weather and sun burns they prepared the foundation, dug a sewer hole and painted the classrooms…THANKS TEAM! So much was accomplished in such a short time. We are expecting another team at the end of January.
For some it was the first, hot Christmas Eve they ever experienced. Brian and my kids (I think the dad’s, too) loved the firecrackers. At 12 o’clock midnight there is an exploding sound of “Christmas” here in Paraguay. The neat thing is that neighbors will go around house to house greeting each other and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Plates of food are shared with others and there seems to be an abundance of provisions, love, and happiness.
Tuesday, Christmas Day, was spent climbing up Cerro Yaguarón. The cool breeze was definitely on the top! Christmas day registered 85% humidity! We were tired, hot, and sweaty, but were grateful for God’s beautiful creation and the beauty of Paraguay’s countryside. I haven’t climbed it since 2004 when Liz and Joe Bocka were here. I am still VERY SORE from the climb. (I got lucky, Oscar carried Edson the whole way!) Ben, Vivi, Joel, Eric, and Jason came for the afternoon. As always…our family loved the time spent with visitors.
Thursday proved to be a good day to rest since it rained…more like, poured…all morning long. While we were waiting at school the drain pipes filled up and started flooding the classrooms. This doesn’t always happen. Thursday’s rain was just too much. The afternoon was spent sight seeing and buying souvenirs. Some people found some interesting things, a machete, a parrot, and…
Today they were all off to see the Iguazu Falls. I GOT to stay home this time. That is why I am trying to catch up on writing! It is a 4 hour drive there and back but I’m sure they will think it’s worth it. Edson is catching up on his sleep and Brandon is at home catching up on organizing his bedroom.
Tomorrow, Saturday, will be a half a day of work. Sunday, the Koch’s will take off, and Monday, Joel and Eric will be on their way. It seems like time went so fast! We were very busy, we stayed up late, we got up early, we cooked a lot, we all jumped into two cars every where we went. We have been having a wonderful time and have been BLESSED by their work and time. “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.” 1 Thessalonians 1: 2, 3.
The Paraguay Mission and Colegio Privado Adonai are grateful for this group.