More Birthday Surprises!
(This was supposed to be published on Friday, but I had problems with the dial-up connection until today, Monday. Computer problems always get me upset so I just didn't even get near it!)
FRIDAY: Oscar came home today with a HUGE bouquet of flowers from my mom and sisters! Wow! I wasn’t expecting that! See…the celebration lasts a week!
I wondered why Gabriel was talking to my sister so long yesterday! He did VERY well at giving out directions and keeping a secret!
Thanks Gals! I never got “INTERNATIONAL” flowers before!
I will send pictures when I get a better connection. If not, they will never up load at "21,6kbps".
More birthday news (written today, Monday)…
The Celebration Continues...All of Oscar’s relatives (and Jason) here in the Asuncion area came over on Sunday for a spaghetti meal…in honor of my birthday.
I think that THIS week…I am tired of the birthday celebration. It was great! Beautiful! Fun! Wonderful to be loved by so many people!
BUT....its a new week…a new month! Time to get focused!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
My Birthday...chapter 2
Sorry about the sad tone to yesterday’s chapter. Okay, I must confess, though, that we started a family tradition of celebrating birthdays for whole weeks!
It all stared years ago because Oscar’s birthday is on the Paraguayan Mother’s Day, May 15th. We either celebrated Oscar’s birthday or Mother’s Day and I always seemed to lose. Then we ran into problems with celebrating for the kids if their special day fell on a church night. They were not home all day and then we go to church and don’t really have a special celebration so we would have to do it a different night. Then, family from San Lorenzo wanted to have a get together, the church family wanted to greet the birthday person, a good friend wanted to have us over, etc. So, our birthday turned into days of celebrations.
I was thinking that this year my birthday was a little messed up because of the family sickness, but I realized that we started celebrating since Monday. The kids were off school because of “immunization day” and we decided to go Chinese for my birthday. We found this neat Chinese buffet where you can mix and pick your own Chop Suey ingredients. So, Monday started my birthday week off.
Then I received a phone call from a Canadian friend (who found my birth date on Facebook!) That was special!
Wednesday was my birthday. I got several text messages from people at church and calls from some others. I got emails and Facebook messages…Thanks! You all are a wonderful crew!
Yesterday evening the “Women in Action” group at church invited me to a beautiful “tea party”. I felt blessed by sisters in the Lord who appreciate the life the Lord gave me. I appreciate their closeness, also.
Mom and Dad called when I got home from church to sing the traditional birthday song over the phone and we had some quality telephone time. Other family members called today.
Today, we were also invited to another lady’s house from church, but will cancel because of the sick guys…Yeah! That means more birthday celebrations next week!
Today, I also bought a small cake, hopefully someone will help me eat it!
So, in the end…my birthday week was a wonderful reminder that the Lord is working in me and through me, and that many people care about me. I don’t feel that much older…Ellen said to me once, “you CAN’T be old…you just had a baby!” I felt good about that! I sure hope I can have forty more birthdays…at least!
It all stared years ago because Oscar’s birthday is on the Paraguayan Mother’s Day, May 15th. We either celebrated Oscar’s birthday or Mother’s Day and I always seemed to lose. Then we ran into problems with celebrating for the kids if their special day fell on a church night. They were not home all day and then we go to church and don’t really have a special celebration so we would have to do it a different night. Then, family from San Lorenzo wanted to have a get together, the church family wanted to greet the birthday person, a good friend wanted to have us over, etc. So, our birthday turned into days of celebrations.
I was thinking that this year my birthday was a little messed up because of the family sickness, but I realized that we started celebrating since Monday. The kids were off school because of “immunization day” and we decided to go Chinese for my birthday. We found this neat Chinese buffet where you can mix and pick your own Chop Suey ingredients. So, Monday started my birthday week off.
Then I received a phone call from a Canadian friend (who found my birth date on Facebook!) That was special!
Wednesday was my birthday. I got several text messages from people at church and calls from some others. I got emails and Facebook messages…Thanks! You all are a wonderful crew!
Yesterday evening the “Women in Action” group at church invited me to a beautiful “tea party”. I felt blessed by sisters in the Lord who appreciate the life the Lord gave me. I appreciate their closeness, also.
Mom and Dad called when I got home from church to sing the traditional birthday song over the phone and we had some quality telephone time. Other family members called today.
Today, we were also invited to another lady’s house from church, but will cancel because of the sick guys…Yeah! That means more birthday celebrations next week!
Today, I also bought a small cake, hopefully someone will help me eat it!
So, in the end…my birthday week was a wonderful reminder that the Lord is working in me and through me, and that many people care about me. I don’t feel that much older…Ellen said to me once, “you CAN’T be old…you just had a baby!” I felt good about that! I sure hope I can have forty more birthdays…at least!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesdays..."Free Day"
Today was supposed to be my “free” day…not only because it’s my birthday, but because EVERY OTHER day of the week I am busy. For example:
Monday – missionary meetings
Tuesday – full teaching day at school
Wednesday – FREE
Thursday – Chapel and meetings at school
Friday – Cleaning day
Saturday and Sunday – Church days
So, Wednesdays are the kind of days that I can sleep more after the kids and Oscar go to school, I can read, I can do computer stuff, etc. Wednesdays are the kind of days where I catch up (or get farther behind!), enjoy Edson, cook, or RELAX.
Today is Wednesday.
I have done none of the above…yet.
Last night Oscar went to bed with a 103.9ยบ fever. I woke up at 1:30 am…Oscar was still burning with fever, throwing up and the rest. (He did manage to say Happy Birthday to me!) At 3 am he still hadn’t slept, he had a bad headache. At 4:45 our alarm goes off. At 5:15 I went to wake up the kids and…what!…slipped on vomit! (We have a problem with cats getting in opened windows at night and thought maybe a cat got in, vomited, and left…or maybe it was Oscar…roaming thru the house at night and was too sick to clean up.) I walked in the bathroom to see worse sites. What is going on?
Brandon came out and said, “mom, Gaby can’t go to school today he has been sick all night.” WAAAA! What a birthday present!
Well, Everyone…even Edson…got up to take Brandon to school and Gaby and Oscar to the doctor’s. In the meantime, Brandon and I were joking about us eating “cake and ice-cream” on our own today. The others practically puked at that idea.
We got to the doctors and both Gaby and Oscar did blood tests and it turns out to be a very bad virus. We thought it may have been something with the Yellow Fever alarm, but Oscar was immunized on Thursday and Gaby on Saturday. The doctor even suspected dengue (another disease carried by the same mosquito that carries Yellow Fever) but the blood tests proved differently.
I got home to call school and let them know why Gaby was absent and the secretary informed me that Brandon was in a half hour before with a slight fever and saying that his whole body hurts! Oh no! Not another one!
Anyway, pray for us as sickness strikes the Caballero household. We are extremely thankful to God for our health. Things like this almost NEVER happen to us. I feel so blessed that we are usually so healthy. Good health has always been our prayer and thankfully, God has been by our side. Moments like these bring us down to our knees as we face these unwanted trials and look to Him for healing.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll get some “free time” in again…
Monday – missionary meetings
Tuesday – full teaching day at school
Wednesday – FREE
Thursday – Chapel and meetings at school
Friday – Cleaning day
Saturday and Sunday – Church days
So, Wednesdays are the kind of days that I can sleep more after the kids and Oscar go to school, I can read, I can do computer stuff, etc. Wednesdays are the kind of days where I catch up (or get farther behind!), enjoy Edson, cook, or RELAX.
Today is Wednesday.
I have done none of the above…yet.
Last night Oscar went to bed with a 103.9ยบ fever. I woke up at 1:30 am…Oscar was still burning with fever, throwing up and the rest. (He did manage to say Happy Birthday to me!) At 3 am he still hadn’t slept, he had a bad headache. At 4:45 our alarm goes off. At 5:15 I went to wake up the kids and…what!…slipped on vomit! (We have a problem with cats getting in opened windows at night and thought maybe a cat got in, vomited, and left…or maybe it was Oscar…roaming thru the house at night and was too sick to clean up.) I walked in the bathroom to see worse sites. What is going on?
Brandon came out and said, “mom, Gaby can’t go to school today he has been sick all night.” WAAAA! What a birthday present!
Well, Everyone…even Edson…got up to take Brandon to school and Gaby and Oscar to the doctor’s. In the meantime, Brandon and I were joking about us eating “cake and ice-cream” on our own today. The others practically puked at that idea.
We got to the doctors and both Gaby and Oscar did blood tests and it turns out to be a very bad virus. We thought it may have been something with the Yellow Fever alarm, but Oscar was immunized on Thursday and Gaby on Saturday. The doctor even suspected dengue (another disease carried by the same mosquito that carries Yellow Fever) but the blood tests proved differently.
I got home to call school and let them know why Gaby was absent and the secretary informed me that Brandon was in a half hour before with a slight fever and saying that his whole body hurts! Oh no! Not another one!
Anyway, pray for us as sickness strikes the Caballero household. We are extremely thankful to God for our health. Things like this almost NEVER happen to us. I feel so blessed that we are usually so healthy. Good health has always been our prayer and thankfully, God has been by our side. Moments like these bring us down to our knees as we face these unwanted trials and look to Him for healing.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll get some “free time” in again…
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Yellow Fever...prayers please!
Things that are happening today in Paraguay...
Warden Message from the American Embassy Regarding Yellow Fever
American citizens traveling to or living in Paraguay are advised that the Paraguayan Ministry of Health declared a national epidemiological alert on February 8, 2008 and President Duarte Frutos formally declared a national emergency on February 15 due to the outbreak of yellow fever.
As of February 19, there are 66 suspected cases of yellow fever of which seven have been confirmed. Due to the limited stock of vaccine available at this time, the government of Paraguay is prioritizing vaccinations in those communities and populations judged to be at the highest risk which are the Department of San Pedro and the town of San Lorenzo, near Asuncion.
A note the kids brought home from school today...
To the entire ACA Family:
School will be cancelled on Monday, February 25, 2008 to provide all of our family members, including faculty and staff, an opportunity to be vaccinated for Yellow Fever. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
Below is a list of locations where vaccinations may be obtained free of charge in Asuncion and the Central Department (Departamento Central). As with any vaccine, there may be adverse and serious side effects and it is recommended that you check with your personal physician before being vaccinated. Please check with the institution directly for their hours of operation.
· Hospital Distrital de Limpio
· Hospital Distrital de Lambare
· Hospital Materno Infantil de San Pablo
· Club Fomento de Barrio Obrero
· Hospital de Loma Pyta
· Hospital Materno Infantil de Fernando de la Mora
· Hospital Distrital de Capiata
· Hospital Distrital de Mariano Roque Alonso
· Hospital Regional de San Lorenzo
· Mutual Cooperativa de Luque
· Hospital Nacional de Itaugua
With the hot, humid weather and daily thunderstorms, the mosquitoes are quite numerous. Say a little prayer for us, our missionaries, our church and school ministries and the people we work with.
Warden Message from the American Embassy Regarding Yellow Fever
American citizens traveling to or living in Paraguay are advised that the Paraguayan Ministry of Health declared a national epidemiological alert on February 8, 2008 and President Duarte Frutos formally declared a national emergency on February 15 due to the outbreak of yellow fever.
As of February 19, there are 66 suspected cases of yellow fever of which seven have been confirmed. Due to the limited stock of vaccine available at this time, the government of Paraguay is prioritizing vaccinations in those communities and populations judged to be at the highest risk which are the Department of San Pedro and the town of San Lorenzo, near Asuncion.
A note the kids brought home from school today...
To the entire ACA Family:
School will be cancelled on Monday, February 25, 2008 to provide all of our family members, including faculty and staff, an opportunity to be vaccinated for Yellow Fever. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
Below is a list of locations where vaccinations may be obtained free of charge in Asuncion and the Central Department (Departamento Central). As with any vaccine, there may be adverse and serious side effects and it is recommended that you check with your personal physician before being vaccinated. Please check with the institution directly for their hours of operation.
· Hospital Distrital de Limpio
· Hospital Distrital de Lambare
· Hospital Materno Infantil de San Pablo
· Club Fomento de Barrio Obrero
· Hospital de Loma Pyta
· Hospital Materno Infantil de Fernando de la Mora
· Hospital Distrital de Capiata
· Hospital Distrital de Mariano Roque Alonso
· Hospital Regional de San Lorenzo
· Mutual Cooperativa de Luque
· Hospital Nacional de Itaugua
With the hot, humid weather and daily thunderstorms, the mosquitoes are quite numerous. Say a little prayer for us, our missionaries, our church and school ministries and the people we work with.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Storms!!!
It’s very hot and humid here in Paraguay. It usually causes afternoon thunderstorms. All day today it was beautiful, but very sticky, and yes, it rained this afternoon...well, just a little.
Yesterday, though, we had such a bad storm at school that the classrooms flooded. The street was overflowing and backing the water up into our drain system so all the street water was coming in also just pouring into the classrooms. It was raining so hard that it looked like white sheets outside. It was about 2:30 pm. Some of the kids were scared and we said prayers with them. I was teaching 4th grade English in the upper level and didn’t let the kids down until recess. I didn't realize things were SOOOOO WET!
When we went down the slippery, wet steps we ALL almost fell. Down on the ground floor, I couldn’t believe what I saw! All the teachers and secretaries were trying to shove the water down the drain system. They all had their pants rolled up and they were completely soaked.
We quickly started moving all the students into the sanctuary with their back packs and all. While we were preparing to show a movie, Juan (a secretary), slipped and fell splitting his finger open. Everything was so crazy. Vivi decided that whoever came to pick up their kids should just take them home.
At 4pm the rain was slowing down a bit. The boys and I took a different route home because of the flooded streets everywhere. It seemed like we were rowing up a river. There were rocks, fallen branches and trash totally polluting the street.
We got home safely to find Oscar and Edson oblivious to the storm, sleeping soundly.
Yesterday, though, we had such a bad storm at school that the classrooms flooded. The street was overflowing and backing the water up into our drain system so all the street water was coming in also just pouring into the classrooms. It was raining so hard that it looked like white sheets outside. It was about 2:30 pm. Some of the kids were scared and we said prayers with them. I was teaching 4th grade English in the upper level and didn’t let the kids down until recess. I didn't realize things were SOOOOO WET!
When we went down the slippery, wet steps we ALL almost fell. Down on the ground floor, I couldn’t believe what I saw! All the teachers and secretaries were trying to shove the water down the drain system. They all had their pants rolled up and they were completely soaked.
We quickly started moving all the students into the sanctuary with their back packs and all. While we were preparing to show a movie, Juan (a secretary), slipped and fell splitting his finger open. Everything was so crazy. Vivi decided that whoever came to pick up their kids should just take them home.
At 4pm the rain was slowing down a bit. The boys and I took a different route home because of the flooded streets everywhere. It seemed like we were rowing up a river. There were rocks, fallen branches and trash totally polluting the street.
We got home safely to find Oscar and Edson oblivious to the storm, sleeping soundly.
Monday, February 18, 2008
My first days back to school
After a year of “REST”, I got back into the school schedule…just two days out of the week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesday I came home totally wiped out! I thought Edson was a little demanding, but I forgot how demanding students, schedules, and clocks are.
Tuesday, I got home dragging myself. Our Canadian visitors left that morning. We said our “Good byes” the night before since I was off by 6:30 am. Things went well the first half of the day, then, after lunch I was feeling desperate for a pillow…a bed…or whatever. I ended up having the most difficult class of all, Special Ed. There were four in the class, but it seemed like 20. Every 5 seconds I had to think of another activity. My eyes were glued on the clock and I kept praying that minutes would go by faster. I walked out of that class drained! One teacher said, "Profe, you look so tired." Oh…I tried so hard, but couldn’t hide it any longer. My first day back was very rough! At 4 pm, my last class ended, without even saying Goodbye, I took off for home with more challenges waiting for me there.
Thursday was much better. I played the guitar for chapel and lead the worship for kids…something I LOVE to do. I love to praise God with this huge kids' choir all singing praises to the Father. The kids are excited, the church echoes our voices and it sounds wonderful. Who could get tired of that! We have a morning chapel and an afternoon chapel. It was beautiful.
Tomorrow is Tuesday. Thanks to my sister, Liz, I have a year full of music planned…The Great Adventure. I better rest up enough today…I have a full schedule tomorrow!
Tuesday, I got home dragging myself. Our Canadian visitors left that morning. We said our “Good byes” the night before since I was off by 6:30 am. Things went well the first half of the day, then, after lunch I was feeling desperate for a pillow…a bed…or whatever. I ended up having the most difficult class of all, Special Ed. There were four in the class, but it seemed like 20. Every 5 seconds I had to think of another activity. My eyes were glued on the clock and I kept praying that minutes would go by faster. I walked out of that class drained! One teacher said, "Profe, you look so tired." Oh…I tried so hard, but couldn’t hide it any longer. My first day back was very rough! At 4 pm, my last class ended, without even saying Goodbye, I took off for home with more challenges waiting for me there.
Thursday was much better. I played the guitar for chapel and lead the worship for kids…something I LOVE to do. I love to praise God with this huge kids' choir all singing praises to the Father. The kids are excited, the church echoes our voices and it sounds wonderful. Who could get tired of that! We have a morning chapel and an afternoon chapel. It was beautiful.
Tomorrow is Tuesday. Thanks to my sister, Liz, I have a year full of music planned…The Great Adventure. I better rest up enough today…I have a full schedule tomorrow!
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