So Many Americans!

Between mission teams coming and going and a short but sweet visit from one of my dearest college friends Tanya, I have interacted with more Americans the past few weeks than I have since I left the States in January! It has felt strange using so much English on a daily basis, but at the same time, it is a bit of a break from the constant Spanish around me.

I have truly enjoyed getting to know everyone on the several different U.S. teams that have visited recently for either a week or two. We have worked with people from Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas. My oral Spanish skills have been put to good use, as we bilinguals have been interpreting on home visits and at school and church events. While the Dallas, TX team was here, we entered homes and prayed with the families of several of the students here at New Horizon. I interpreted three of those visits. This was a particularly emotional experience because a few of the families are part of the 300,000+ people who have had to relocate lately due to rapidly increasing flood waters. We placed hands on the sites of the new homes, and many tears were shed. This was an incredibly powerful moment for me! I also interpreted testimonies for a couple of the Texas team members at the Tuesday evening service at Fuente de Vida (the church across the street from the school). We formed small groups in order to share our stories with one another. Interpreting has been a difficult, yet very beneficial task for me, as I am looking to eventually get a Master's in translation/interpretation!

My friend Tanya was supposed to arrive in Asunción early morning Tuesday, July 1. However, she didn't actually step off the plane until early evening Wednesday, July 2. Needless to say, we missed out on about a day and a half of visit time. We nonetheless had a splendid time together!!! Now I just need some rest. Let me explain this complicated situation to you:
Colleen and John Eisenberg, Cassidy, and I arrived at the airport in time to meet her at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The flight was delayed until 10:10, then 11:30, then 12:30. Tanya was the only person on any flight that morning to not walk through the doors. We got really worried. To make a long story short, she ended up staying in a hotel in Buenos Aires that night, becoming well-acquainted with part of the city. The next morning, John, Colleen, and I returned to the airport for her flight that was supposed to get in at 8:30 again, only to hear that it had been delayed until 10:30. Tanya never got on that flight but rather put herself on the 4:30 flight that afternoon. She finally arrived around 5:30. So...after 60+ hours of travel from the time she left her house in Ohio Monday morning to when she arrived in Asunción Wednesday afternoon, we were FINALLY re-united after 15 months. We had last seen each other at college graduation. The smiles and hugs in the pictures say it all. :)

finally meeting up after 60+ hours of travel!

 together once again

One of the first places Cassidy, Tanya, and I went together was Café de Acá on the other side of town. Cassidy and I had been there once before with Christian and Angelica (other missionaries here in Paraguay). It is a cute and cozy location to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or simply a cup of coffee or tea. I had eggs, toast, and some very rich chocolate!                     

brunch at Café de Acá

such a quaint café

best part of the meal - CHOCOLATE!

We had filled our bellies that morning with delicious food and drinks and were ready for some entertainment, That night, Tanya, Cassidy, and I went to school for an event called Noche Folklórica (Folklore Night), which was a presentation of native Paraguayan dances performed by the older students at New Horizon. A couple of the dances even contained guarani (the native Indian tongue). To begin the program, the national anthems of both Paraguay and the U.S. were sung, and all of the dances followed. Many students were selling food such as pizza, empanadas, and hot dogs in order to raise money for future class trips. I particularly enjoyed the seniors' dance in their white attire. It was special to see them all together on stage their final year at this school. After attending Folklore Night, I am wishing the U.S. had a traditional dance. Instead, we are such a melting pot of cultures that we aren't exactly sure what it means to be "American". I truly enjoy learning about other cultures and their customs!! Watching these dances made me really miss my weekly flamenco dancing class in Spain :)

lots of great entertainment in one evening

singing the national anthem before Noche Folklorica at school

dear friends enjoying the evening

Cassidy, Tanya, and I traveled all morning and afternoon the next day with a few young adults from Fuente de Vida. We visited many locations, most of which I had previously visited with either John & Colleen, Sue, or Cassidy. We first went to Mercado 4, a giant outdoor market with all the food, clothing, and miscellaneous items you could ever ask for! We all ate lunch at McDonald's. How American, huh?! Later that afternoon. we went to the la costanera (the coastline), Independence House (currently closed for construction), Panteón de los Heroes (Heroes Cemetery), the bus terminal, and a palace. Tanya was able to buy some native Paraguayan items such as pottery and bracelets. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to enjoy the nice cool breeze coming off the Atlantic coastline. The area obviously isn't as attractive during the winter,  but I thought it would be worse with all the current flooding.

a glimpse of the current flooding situation

That's Argentina across the water.

such a great day to sightsee!

enjoying the coastline on a nice, warm winter day

I thought I had seen flooding, but then I came to Paraguay and realized what the word "flooding" truly means! Poverty is so widespread in this country as it is, and when you add the destruction from the recent floods, people who had basically nothing to begin with now literally have nothing. As I said earlier, more than 300,000 people have had to re-locate to higher ground. You can see from the pictures I took that there are houses literally floating across the water. All that is visible are the roof tops. Please pray for everyone affected by this situation, as many do not know when/where they will receive their next meal. I can't imagine living a life as such, but God cares for everyone and has a grand plan for each life that He creates. There is good that comes from every situation, though we can't always see it at the present moment.

All that water used to be houses.

such a sad situation!

School is going well. Not much has changed there. This is the final week of classes before our two-week winter break! YIPPEE!!! I am more than ready for some time without students. Cassidy and I plan to return to Formosa, Argentina by bus (as we did during Holy Week) on the 18th of July. I'm not sure how long we'll stay into the second week of our break, but we must be out for at least thirty hours to renew our visas once again. We would like to spend the entire two-week break in Argentina, but we have to remain in Lambaré for the first week in order to interpret for the U.S. team at the medical clinic that they are leading.
The weather is rather chilly, except for the few hot days we had this week that felt like summer again. I generally wear three or four layers to bed and use two or three blankets. Without heat in the house, the bedroom is freezing, especially at night! Just imagine sitting out at a cold, damp football game for a few hours. That's what Paraguay winter is like. It is nearly impossible to get warm, no matter where you are. Though outside temperatures here aren't nearly as cold as they are in Ohio during the winter (there's also no snow), I look forward to being able to turn up the thermostat and build a fire in the fireplace when I get home in December since I can't do that here :)
The other day, the school staff put on a baby shower for the three teachers who are currently pregnant: Raquel, Jennyfer, and Margarita. All three women happen to be having baby boys, so it wasn't too difficult to decorate the hall - all blue! :) We played some fun games, ate some fabulous snacks, and laughed so hard we cried. Two of the women received dressers, and the other received a stroller.

Calendario escolar julio (school assembly for the month of July) was this past week, and it was a fun one! The second grade class hosted it, and it focused on U.S. Independence Day. How many nations would sing the Star Spangled Banner and perform popular U.S. dances other than Paraguay?! It was a nice tribute! Our host sister Tali even participated in the country dance and did a wonderful job :)

I will conclude by saying, "GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD."

Until next time, ¡Dios te bendiga mucho! Thank you all so much for your continued support through love and  prayer! You are greatly appreciated!

Ways you can be praying...
1) my health (I continue to get sick OFTEN.)
2) my host family and roommate (Cassidy has decided to stay in Paraguay another year but is still trying to raise funds for the rest of this year and now next year.)
3) my English classes
4) my students and their families
5) my daily walk with Christ
6) the young people of Paraguay
7) the spiritual bondage in Paraguay
8) the flood victims!
9) my future plans, post-Paraguay (I will elaborate in my next blog post!) :)