WEEK #2 with TIME STUDENTS

Rain, rain go away…come again some other month.

It’s rained every day since the students arrived.  I’m not talking about scattered showered.  I’m talking full blow, thunder and lightning, run for cover storms.  Our roads are super slushy and our front yard is a mud pit.  The students have such great attitudes.  They just go with the flow and accept changes in the schedule without blinking an eye.  They will all make great missionaries.  

 We’ve had some great visits.  Julia, this lady in the pictures below, gave us a cheese making demonstration – from curing the cow’s stomach lining to curdle the milk to drying the cheese for a day before eating it. 

Paraguayans cut one long swath around the fruit leaving just a thin layer of white flesh.  Then you hold onto it and squeeze the juice into your mouth.  Karai Ignacio cut 5 oranges before Ryan could finish his first. 

We also visited our local petting zoo (as my kids have named it).  My friend, Ignacia, loves animals and lets us come to feed, hold, pet and take pictures.

Elijio peeling a grapefruit for the guys.

In case you are wondering, yes, we still have a petting zoo of our own.  Our newest attraction, Zoe, is super fun.  I am sitting with Zoe on my lap feeding her a banana while her mama (Ginny) sleeps a bit longer.  This has become our morning routine.  After she’s eaten, she’ll play a bit.  When she settles in for a nap, I’ll tuck her in next to Ginny.  Sounds like a human baby, right.  It’s crazy. 

We realized just yesterday that what we thought was a Capuchin is really a Howler monkey.  We aren’t too sure what we think about that but it’s too late to do anything about it.  Ginny and Zoe have bonded.

 A selfie with a monkey

Ginny cooking dinner with the monkey attached to her.

Ok.  

Back to the students.

On another visit, we pulled up mandio (a staple food here) with my friend, Mariza.

There been a few patients that have trickled in on the rain days and the students have been able to practice some.  But, as I mentioned before, clinic days have been slow due to weather.  I guess they have lots of time to practice on each other.

 We’ve had some great class times.  We finished up the language and cultural sections of our book.  We’ve also watch a video and discussed Catholicism.

Our team mates, the Houghs, came to share their call to missions testimony on Monday. Tuesday, team mates, the Reiches came to share their testimony and do a class on church planting.  We are so thankful to work with an awesome team who is willing to pour into this Cedarville group too.   

We have a bunch of athletic students.  A few have found time to run in between down pours.  Thursday the students went to San Francisco to play basketball.  Saturday morning the weather was bright enough for students and host siblings to enjoy volleyball together.

Makayla watching the volleyball game

 Bailey and her host sister, Lumi

Ginny and Ryan's host sister, Elisabet

 Grace and her host sister, Diana

 josiah and Andrea, Megan's host sister

 The monkey seems to steal the show wherever she goes

Julia ans our neighbor, Leonela

These students are amazing.  They wash my dishes and hold my baby.  They allow my kids to jump all over them and vie for their attention.  They ask such good questions about missions and life.  They are observant and keen to learn all that they can while here in Paraguay.

They are eating everything their host family serves.  They are praying with their siblings and talking Spiritual matters with them, and reading the Bible together.  They hung out at each other’s house playing games and watching soccer games.  They are being salt and light to their host families and it is so fun to watch.

Sunday morning, unfortunately, we couldn’t go to church due to rain, but we did get to go to youth group mid-afternoon.  It was nice that several of their host siblings came.   

 Throughout their time here, each student will stay the night at our house.  Tyler was first up.  Here we are playing Ticket to Ride.