San Francisco Ára (Saint Francisco day)

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Yesterday was our community’s patron saint’s day. Because it rained all day yesterday the parade was postponed until today. We woke up to little homemade Paraguayan flags stuck into ours and our neighbors fence posts marking the parade path. I have included pictures from last year. The Saint Francisco is kept at the church but on this day he is held high. The ladies in brown robes are Franciscan nuns.

The Saint Day parade begins


Our town saint coming down the road in front of our house


Our San Franciscan nuns


Happy Saint Day, San Francisco!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY TYLER!

October 10, 2008

Last night Ginny, Joshua and Ryan tip-toed out of bed after Tyler was asleep in order to decorate his bed with balloons and birthday signs (this has become a tradition). This morning we sang Happy Birthday to Tyler and he blew out the four candles stuck into his breakfast crepe. He loved opening the Cars towel and the Yurtle the Turtle book and animal grandma and grandpa sent.

Two days ago several of Tyler’s missionary buddies were here for his Olympic themed birthday party. The kids threw the discus (a frizbee), the javelin (rolled up construction paper), had a ball toss. Each kid received a cookie medal with a frosted gold star on top. The cookie hung around their neck by a red, white and blue striped ribbon. I made a simple cake with the Olympics rings on top. As the kids said good-bye I gave them a plastic water bottle decorated with either a blue or red home-make cup cozy and paper medal hanging from it that said #1.

No shortage of kids at this party!


Birthday boy blowing out his candles


Tyler and David showing off their cookie gold medals


water bottle gifts for the kids

Mobile clinic—a practicum

Since we had 2 recent mobile clinics canceled due to rain, I decided to post about our very first mobile clinic. Jeff wrote that last year in a newsletter and SIM has now published it on their web-site: www.sim.org. We are planning a clinic for Sunday. The forecast calls for rain.....

Alva sharing Christ

Helping with labs



On a cold winter morning, a handful of local believers and a few SIM workers embarked on a short journey to the community of Santa Ursula. It was to be our first mobile medical/evangelistic clinic. We began the day with a short talk about Jesus, and then as I attended to patients (45 in all), other workers showed the JESUS film.

Every half hour, the film was paused so believers from the nearby village of San Francisco (where our church is located) could talk about what Christ had done in their lives. Their testimonies were so captivating that many people stayed all day, even after patients had been treated, in order to talk further about what they had heard. What was the speakers’ secret?

Earlier in the month, our team in San Francisco had started a leadership training initiative, and our first course was a two-day workshop on evangelism. For the next two weeks, the students practiced their personal testimonies. No wonder they spoke with such clarity, power, and conviction! The clinic was like a practicum for the evangelism class.


Shady (pronounced Sawdee), a high school senior, spoke first. She told what her life had been like before she had met Christ a few months earlier, and how he had changed her. Many in the audience could relate to her pre-Christ life. Next came a father in his 30s; he, too, told how God had changed him and his whole family. In a culture where most husbands are unfaithful or absent, and most children are born to unmarried parents, his family is a bright light. A single mother told how God had transformed her life since she had come to him a few months before.

Each patient received a leaflet I’d written in the Guaraní language that showed clearly and simply how they could put their faith in Christ. When Shady saw one woman leave the clinic with a tract in hand, she asked if they could read it together. Several people gathered around as the Christian teenager and the very needy woman bent their heads over the pages.

Just as the woman was agreeing to pray to invite Jesus into her life, one of her many children interrupted and dragged her away. Shady approached her again later, and this time she had the great privilege of leading this woman, plagued by problems and sins, to Christ. The woman went home a new person, with the huge challenge of showing Christ to her large and troubled family!

The clinic raised awareness of the bi-weekly Bible study offered at the clinic location in Santa Ursula. And back in San Francisco, we’re offering courses on intercessory prayer, answers to frequently asked questions, and how to give a public evangelistic talk. The believers have enthusiastically embraced the mobile clinic as their own ministry—an opportunity to put their new skills into practice.

Car Update

Question: What weighs 41 lbs, costs $650, costs $160 to mail, and takes a weeks worth of labor?

Answer: Our new car part!

In light of all that has gone on with our car these past three and a half years, Ryan tonight prayed in all seriousness, "Lord, help someone to steal our car tonight."

Home Sweet Home

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Our 4 day trip to Asuncion was extended to 10 days after our car broke down trying to get back home on Wednesday. Thursday all day we tried to call the bus line that went to San Francisco find out the departure schedule but could not get through. At first no one answered and then in the evening it was always busy. It wasn’t until 10:00 at night that we got through and were told that they were on strike until the 10th of October. We called a second bus company that didn’t go directly to our town but we thought would get us close. That option was to leave either at 1am or 5am and ride 10 hours (as opposed to 6 hours). In the end we would still be 1 ½ hours from home. That option did not sound appealing!

Our San Francisco team mates were having a meeting in Villarrica Saturday morning (on the road half way from Asuncion to San Francisco). A new plan was formed: we’d take a bus to Villarrica and they would take us home.
Saturday at 9:30am in the pouring down rain we boarded and settled in for a 4 hour bus trip. Jeff, Joshua and Tyler shared two seats and Ginny, Micah and I shared two seats. Ryan rode behind us in a seat by himself. It is normally a 3 hour car trip but the bus stops every 10 minutes to let more people on. The new people stand in the aisle and flop over onto the people sitting in the paid seats. I was praying that Micah didn’t have a dirty diaper because I would have grossed out everyone hovering over us. The aisle was jammed packed and I (mistakingly) thought that no one else would fit. But the bulging aisles didn’t stop the plump ticket man from squeezing through to collect his money or the round ladies with chipa (bread) piled in a basket on their head or the gum/soda/cell phone/wallet salesmen from pushing their way up and down the aisle the entire trip.

Once in Villarrica we piled into the Floyd’s car. Tony, Jeff with two kids on his lap and one on the console were in front, Jean and I with 5 kids sat in the back. At 6:00 we pulled into San Francisco. It was nice to finally be home sweet home.
As for the car, we are waiting for a bearing assembly (car part) from the US.


Ginny and Micah on the bus from Asuncion to Villaricca

The bus stop in Villaricca. there was no way these people were going to move aside to let us off. We had to use elbows just to get off the bus.

Back to Asuncion

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Our plan was to drive to Asuncion Thursday, do all our shopping Friday, celebrate Micah’s birthday Saturday and drive home Sunday. Well, it looks like God had different plans for us….
The past few weeks the car starter has been a problem. It has always started - it just has taken 5 or 6 attempts at times. Friday, as we were completing our errands, we had a couple starter scares and we decided to take it in to the shop. Saturday the electrician couldn’t be found, they don’t work on Sundays, and Monday was a holiday. They worked all Tuesday and by Wednesday morning we picked up the car and were ready to get out of town.
I am always amazed at how much our Suburban can hold. We always seem to pack the car to the ceiling with groceries, suitcases, and kids. On our way to the Cucurucho for lunch (our first stop, about 1 ½ hours from Asuncion) we heard a “clunking” sound (real scientific, I know) coming from under the car. Jeff thought about turning around and heading back to Asuncion but we pressed on. After lunch we stopped at the Mennonite hospital for Jeff to smooze with some doctors. We thought about turning around but we pressed on. About 2 ½ hours outside of Asuncion Jeff declared, “We’ve lost our brakes….and the steering!” He was able to navigate to the side of the road safely and he assessed the situation but couldn’t see anything abnormal. We came to our senses and turned around to head back to Asuncion. Driving on the shoulder and going 20mph we limped just a few minutes until we smelt rubber burning followed by smoke coming from the right front tire. I am not a mechanic but I knew that was not a good sign and that our trip had come to a halt. Jeff called the tow truck.
We waited 3 hours for the tow truck. I got out modeling clay and oranges to keep the kids occupied. Micah, of course, ate the clay and played with the oranges but at least it kept his attention. Jeff and I unpacked the Suburban and repacked for the next few days (less suitcases, separated groceries). Our team-mate was driving from Asuncion back to San Francisco that day. He stopped and we transferred all the refrigerated/freezer items to his car (I buy a lot when shopping for 6 weeks at a time). Plus, I had done grocery shopping for his wife and another missionary lady too. There was plenty to fill his car.
That was the first hour.
For those of you who have been following our Paraguay adventures over the past three and a half years, you have heard many car stories. We have been broken down, towed, and have spent a lot to repair the “green monster”. The second hour of sitting on the side of the road we (adults too) grew restless. We counted our blessings. Ryan was thankful that his game boy was charged up this time. We were thankful it wasn’t 100 degrees outside (it was only 90 and we have been stranded in 100 degrees before). We were thankful that it wasn’t raining (we’ve done that too). We were thankful it wasn’t night. We were also thankful that there not 2 million bugs, only 1 million. And we praised God that we broken down by a run-down bus stop set about 20 feet from the highway. There was a nice tree to sit under and grass for the kids to play in.
That was the second hour.
By the third hour we were all loopy! Finally at dark the tow truck came and loaded the car. All 7 of us plus the driver piled into his cab and we drove two hours to Asuncion – two kids on Jeff’s lap, two kids on mine and Ryan on a little corner. I was very proud of the kids, I must say. They did great. We sang many songs (from Ta-rah-rah-boom-da-ray to All Hail The Power of Jesus Name).
We dropped the truck off at the shop and took a taxi to the SIM guest house. When I called to request a room and explained that I didn’t know how many days we’ll be staying, the host said, “I’ll just mark you down for a week.” Two thoughts ran through my head: I sure hope we aren’t here for a week and she knows us so well! At 9:00pm we arrived at the guest house - just 12 hours after we left. We bathed, ate, and all fell into bed.
Today, Thursday, Jeff talked to the mechanic. The car needs a big heavy part from the states (we’ve walked this road many times too). I sit here writing at 10:00 Friday night and I have no idea when or how we will leave Asuncion (a 10 hour bus ride that drops us 1 ½ hours from home just doesn’t seem to spark my interest nor does staying in Asuncion another five days). I am sure our trip home will be an adventure in itself…..and another blog entry.

Jeff driving our car onto the tow ramp.

All of us piling into the cab of the truck.

Waiting road-side


Enjoying oranges by the road-side

Interruptions or Divine Appointments?

In North America is it the cell phone that interrupts, here it is the sound of someone clapping at the front gate. People usually clap when we have just sat down to a meal, or when we are spending time as a family, and on occasion clapping has woken us up at 5:30am. I wish at times that I had an answering machine that told people to come back later or a secretary to prioritize the needs. People come to our house on horseback or motorcycle or by foot. Some are selling meat or herbs and others come begging for clothes and food. Some need medical consults and others are just passing by and in need of a drink of water. Some need pictures taken or English help and some simply come to visit. If I see these people as merely interruptions then I become frustrated and selfish of my time. But if I view them as divine appointments than I can smile as I invite them on my front porch and offer them a drink. I can relax and let God’s words speak through me (in Guarani!) to their soul. And I can be confident that they will see, if only just a glimpse, of Jesus’ love for them.



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