The First Days...

This is my third day in the HOT AND HUMID country of Paraguay, and I am already having the time of my life!

The weather is probably the only down side to living here for almost an entire year. I do have to say that it was wonderful leaving behind frigid and snowy Ohio, but this extreme heat and humidity is a killer as well. I guess I had my choice between one extreme or the other! :) The high temperature each day I have been here so far has been either 102 or 103 with heat indexes of 110-112! It is strange enough experiencing summer in the middle of Ohio's winter, but this is not your typical 80-90 degree summer. This is unbearable. It doesn't help that we don't a/c in our house, but hopefully that will soon change. The noisy ceiling fan is about as good as it gets for now, my friends. That means that I constantly feel like I need a shower. My clothes and body feel soaked within 10 minutes of showering, which is one of the worst feelings in the world. I've been thinking to myself, "How much hotter could it possibly get?" Well, my roommate and I were just told today that if we think it is hot now, wait until February. OH BOY...

a view from our roof

My host family is one of the most incredible families I have ever met! I have three new sisters--Andy, Ruth, and Tali. Andy is 23, Ruth is almost 19, and Tali is 7. They are definitely the sisters that I never had! Tali and I play Uno together several times a day, and we have been able to meet the neighbors and some other friends of the two older sisters and spend time with them as well. In fact, we played Uno and Skip Bo for quite some time at a friend's house last night. The people here are so friendly and selfless. I can't even explain how much at home I feel living in this house with this family! They are a Godsend!

my youngest sister, Tali, and me

Tali and me

the front gate to our house

The food has all been great thus far! There is a lot of beef, which I love! Thank goodness we are land-locked, so there is hardly any seafood! Everyone knows that is my favorite. The lime juice and the liquid yogurt are probably my favorite drinks. I have actually learned how to make the juice. The empanadas are fantastic, especially the ham and cheese ones. My host mom has told my roommate and I that we WILL learn to cook before we leave her household! How can we be excellent wives if we don't know how to cook? haha!

I think I have covered about everything for now. School doesn't begin until mid-February, so I have plenty of time to become acquainted with the city and my host family before writing lesson plans, teaching, and grading papers. God is already doing AMAZING things here, and I know He is going to grow me SO much this year! My desire is to recognize exactly who I am in Him. I am a child of God and belong to no one else! He has a specific purpose for my life! Until I recognize this, nothing else will ever make sense!

I am sure I will have many more adventures to speak of next time...but until then, hasta luego! Dios te bendiga! :)

Final Words From the States...

My departure date of January 21 is rapidly approaching (as in five days from now!), and I am now able to inform everyone in more detail about my upcoming eleven-month stay in Paraguay.  Early morning on the 21st, I will be flying from Columbus to Miami, FL.  From there, I will take a non-stop flight to Asunción, the capital, arriving on January 22. Right now it is in the 90s and 100s as far as temperature goes in Lambaré, the city just outside Asunción where I will live. Because Paraguay is in the southern hemisphere, it is in the midst of its summer and will have “winter” when it is summer in the United States. The temperature will remain warm even through the “winter” months, so I won’t be definitely needing heavy clothing or a heavy coat! The time in Lambaré is two hours ahead of the time in Ohio. For example, when it is 5:00 p.m. here, it is 7:00 p.m. there.  Spanish is one of the two official languages in Paraguay.  The other is Guarani, which is spoken by the majority of the population.  It is an indigenous language which was used by the Guarani Indians, the original inhabitants of most of southeastern South America.  Guarani is also the name of the national currency in Paraguay, and one guarani is equal to .00022 of one U.S. dollar.

I will be living with Pastor Andrés, his wife Felicia, and their three daughters, as well as a roommate named Cassidy Lancaster. Cassidy is a recent college graduate like myself, and she resides in Lakeland, FL. She studied elementary education at Olivet Nazerne University. I have communicated with both Felicia and Cassidy several times over the past couple of months, which has helped to calm my nerves.  I will be teaching English to 4&5 year olds a few days a week, and I may also assist with other classes or activities that occur at the school.  John and Colleen Eisenberg, whom our church currently supports, will serve as my missionary mentors in 2014.  I will be teaching at the same school as Colleen, New Horizon, which administers to children from low income families.  Sue Givens is the director of New Horizon, and I have contacted her with many questions about the program. 

I want to leave my contact information with all of you so that you don’t feel too disconnected from me in the coming year. Feel free to reach me or to follow along with all of my adventures by any of these means:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.collins.1422

Skype: natalie.collins3

Email: natalie.collins@myemail.indwes.edu

Blog: http://natalielynn13.blogspot.com/

Phone #:  I am not yet sure what type of phone I will have in Paraguay.

Ways you can be praying...

1) that I would have an open heart and mind to everything God is revealing to me

2)  that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, would fill my heart

3)  for the children to whom I will be teaching English

4) for my host family and roommate

5) for my roommate’s financial support

Praises...

1) that I am fully funded (and then some) because of your immense generosity!!!

      Talk to you next from Paraguay! :)