Holidays??

My sister always says that Paraguay has too many holidays. I think after counting them all up, there are actually more up in the States than here. I do agree, though, that the Paraguayan people love to celebrate everything and anything. On Monday, for example, the government declared it a holiday. No one was supposed to go to work. It was for CLEANING YOUR HOUSE! It really seemed more of a party day! People stayed home from work to drink the famous terere. Oscar and Brandon went out to clean someone’s yard and do garden work, so some people had their house cleaned, anyway.
The fuss is all about DENGUE. This is part of a report that I just got last Friday from the U.S. Embassy: The Paraguayan Ministry of Health has issued an Epidemiological Warning due to the recent outbreak of Dengue. Since January of 2007 and up to today, there have been 762 confirmed cases of Dengue and two deaths due to complications from dengue hemorrhagic fever in Paraguay. I think that the numbers have been changed a little bit over the last few days. Here’s what we found out:
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are viral diseases transmitted by AEDES mosquitoes, usually Aedes aegypti.
Dengue viruses spread to humans by the bite of female mosquitoes. These mosquitoes acquire the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person. The virus circulates in the blood of infected humans for 2 –7 days leading to fever. Recovery from infection provided immunity against that particular virus but offers only partial protection against the other three viruses. In fact, subsequent infection increases the risk of a more complicated fever called as "dengue hemorrhagic fever".
In infants and young children, dengue presents as a mild fever with rash. Older children and adults may have the classical symptoms of high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, pain in the joints and muscles and rash. The pain in the back may be so severe that it is also called as backbreaking fever. Dengue fever is usually self-limiting. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by high fever, bleeding and liver enlargement. It requires urgent hospitalization as it may even lead to death.
Treatment for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever is supportive. Painkillers may be needed for severe body ache. The patient should take adequate fluids to prevent dehydration. In case of bleeding or any other complications, patient may require hospitalization.
So, this was the reason for the HOLIDAY on Monday. Everyone was to stay home to clean their houses and yards, and in some areas they were going to fumigate.
People who have had Dengue already comment about how painful it really is. They have to take Tylenol every 4 to 6 hours to ease the pain and fever. None of us in our family has had it yet and we ask for your continued prayers! I guess I am mostly worried about how it could affect a baby, but Edson’s doctor said that little kids don’t seem to suffer as much as adults. It would just give him high fever and a rash.
The weather is perfect for mosquitoes. It is hot, humid and rainy…Perfect weather for breeding! Don’t forget to say a little prayer for us and our people!

Rain, rain go away

Rain, rain go away. Come again some other day…This song was sadly going through my head this morning when Edson woke us up at 5:30 am. The kids were going fishing with Antonio at 6. We never let them go alone there has to be an adult, and fishing is just not mom or dad’s hobby. The Paraguay River (two blocks away) is just too dangerous for kids alone. After feeding and changing Edson, I went down to check on the “sleeping” boys. When I snuck into the bedroom, all I saw were rumpled blankets and NO BOYS. Could they have gone in the rain?
Antonio’s wife came to the kitchen confirming that the boys left on their adventurous fishing trip…in the rain! Well, we took the time to drink “mate” and have some devotions while Edson was “cooing” and smiling. All of us were enjoying the refreshing rain and cool breeze.
The boys came back at 8 soaking wet and with nothing on their hooks. The kids mumbled in my ear that “Antonio was impatient and just wanted to come home”. Antonio is an expert fisherman and I don’t think that he was impatient, just VERY WET.
Yesterday they went hiking up Mt. Yaguaron. Everyone came back sweaty, thirsty and hungry. Edson and I stayed down and played together all morning. He was probably excited to have mom around with no other responsibilities but him. We spent some quality time laughing, talking, and playing together.
We have a daily water problem. The community water tank is emptied and we are without water for several hours or all day. This is a huge problem when we have company and summer heat. I always have a pitcher full for washing hands and a 10 liter bottle for drinking. This morning we mopped the floors with the rain water. We are praying about a solution. One idea is to dig our own well. Each year the water situation gets worse. We are told that we have to dig about 54,68 yards to 109,36 yards through some very rocky land. Please pray with us about this.
We are finishing up paperwork for Edson and passports for all the kids. Sometimes paperwork gets to be a pretty big job going from here to there and getting this and that signed and stamped. Government offices are so far away from each other. Thankfully, Edson does quite well on these “in town” trips.
Well, taking advantage of one of these rare quiet times…I think I’ll take a quick siesta.

Camping, picnics and visitors!

Wow! Camping, picnics and visitors! What a way to end summer vacation! Ellen and Gaby brought logs and sticks home that they found along the way and Oscar started the fire. The tent was pitched and mattresses brought out. It was a hot, summer evening with a hot, blazing fire. Ellen shared those special camping out tricks with our family. She taught the kids how to cook hot dogs and roast marshmallows (Thanks to Grandma Schley for bringing them.) over the coals. Finally, for desert...s’mores!
This morning some visitors from Argentina came. Our kids’ daily dream is to have company over. Even if someone just leaves, they’ll ask, “Mom, can we invite someone over?” Our visitors will be here until Sunday. They already have hiking and fishing planned.
There’s only two more weeks till school starts. We are getting in the mood by studying for two hours a day. Right now, of course, this is a chore. Keep praying for Brandon and Gaby as we try to get the grades even higher.
Edson is growing so fast. He is more alert every day, doesn’t sleep as much and loves to smile or even “goo” at anyone who will look at him. If you want to hold him…that’s even better…he’s all the happier. Some say he resembles my dad. Some say he looks exactly like Oscar. Interesting…Dad and Oscar look nothing alike! We are getting Edson’s paperwork started. He has a passport picture with a little tongue sticking out and in his Paraguay identification card he’s sleeping. The ID card is good for ten years. I hope he’s not upset when he’s older. The place was packed and we couldn’t wake him up so they just took the picture while he was sleeping.
Well, life goes on…

January 22

This is my first! Ellen kind of talked me into it, but I was really interested in it anyway. The boys are with Ellen, Oscar is coming back from Ciudad del Este, Edson is sleeping. The timing seems perfect enough to write...no distractions.
The weather is beautiful. The weekly storms seem to make everything look more colorful. Last Friday there was a storm and here in San Antonio the hailstones were as big as golf balls. Oscar was coming home from town and we were praying non stop. I was worried that one would hit his windshield or something. He got home fine. Praise God.
He went to the doctor after pulling off something like a leech from his thigh that he got from San Pedro last week. It became very much infected and he is now on antibiotics for a week. Oscar went up with the older boys for three days to visit Abuela and the other tios and tias. They came back with adventurous stories of their visit.