OUT OF TOWN and BACK AGAIN

June 14- 23

The interns have had some interesting medical cases, great class times and fun visits in the community.  They are improving on their Spanish skills, having meaningful conversations with host families, and are getting use to cold showers (kind of).

 Cooking demonstration -  making and eating chipa with our landlord, Maxi

Main street

 Reina with her host sister, Lumi

 Horse rides at Na Estelvina’s house

 Another cooking demonstration with Reina’s host mom, Estelvina - Milenesa

Enjoying chipa

June 18-21 we ate lunch in Yuty (1 ½ hours away) with team mates.  Christie shared with the girls about animism in Paraguay.  That afternoon we headed to hotel Tirol near Encarnacion in the south.  We toured two different Jesuit ruins, ate tons of food, laughed through several games and had a great mid-trip debriefing time.

 And we did it – we said good-bye to Ryan with minimal tears.  From the hotel, Jeff drove Ryan to Asuncion (5 hours) and came back solo the following day.  As of writing this (June 23) Ryan has been in Canada for two days hanging out with some of his best friends.  Oh how I love technology of today!  He’s been able to text me sporadically throughout each day.

We also said good-bye to Sarah who was at our house three weeks.  She will spend two weeks in Asuncion with another missionary family she knows.

Drinking mate with Mariza

Pulling mandioca

 Visiting Aristide and his family

HANGING OUT in JATAITY with the T.I.M.E INTERNS

June 7-13

            This week has been great (although a bit cold in the morning and afternoon).  The interns have seen some great stuff in the clinic, we’ve had some great visits and some great class discussions.  They’ve heard testimonies from several of our missionary colleagues who have been more than happy to help pour into these interns.

 We had a great turn out a at the last two Bible studies.  Normally we have it outside but since it was cold, we all packed into our kitchen.

 I added two more teens to my household this week (remember we also have Sarah, a daughter of a supporter staying with us for a while).  Two of Ryan’s MK friends came to visit.  They played tons of soccer and card and board games.  I only hope that they also did a lot of home-school. 

Kids playing spoons at my house

 Soccer game!  This was Ryan’s team playing but unfortunately he wasn’t playing because he (and Jeff) were in Asuncion for Ryan to take the SAT.

 Sunday youth group

Visiting the “Monkey Lady” and taking Ginny's goats with us

 Fresh honey - so sweet

 Na Ignacia making a blanket on her loom from wool she sheered and spun.

 terere time

This is my friend, Marta, and her house and her little boy.  Isn’t he adorable?

 Cultural activity – pulling and peeling mandioca, Paraguayan’s staple food

 This is my friend, Mariza

 The guys watching the Americans learning to peel the mandioca. Quite entertaining!

Another visit…another terere time

 class time

 Melissa helping a patient be fitted for glasses

 Things are going well in the host homes.  This is Daniele with her host sister.

Praising God that all Ryan's finances have come in for his mission trip. Ryan has been amazed at people's generosity toward him. A week from today he will board his first international flight alone. He will spend 7 weeks at YWAM's Summer of Sports DTS in Montana and outreach to Taiwan. Coming in and out of the US he gets to spend a week with friends and family in Canada and Texas. If you think of him over the next several weeks, pray for safety, wisdom and that he will glean from this experience all that God has for him.