T.I.M.E in ESCOBAR

June 3.  We packed the car inside and out and headed to Escobar (about 2 hours away) to the Bowen’s house.  Andy and his wife, Lizet have been very instrumental is teaching us Guarani and encouraging the calling God has for us.  Again there was little time for rest as we jumped right into an expectations class to get us all started on the right foot.  We went over greetings, meal time and terere etiquette, money, dress, our (very flexible) schedule, expected attitudes.  We also went over the goals we have set for them while they are here and their homework assignments.  Oh yes, this is not a trip for slackers.  We have put together a book full of articles on language, culture, missiology and medicine.  During class times throughout the week, we will be discussing those articles.  Each student was given Preach and Heal and are expected to read it while they are here.  After dinner we had worship (how wonderful it is to sing in English), a devotional thought by Jeff and student testimonies.  We all stayed up to watch The Mission (a movie about the Jesuits in Paraguay).

This is how we roll...everything on top and 14 of us stuffed inside.

June 4.  We began our second day in Escobar with a ropes course.  At Mbatovi we donned harnesses, gloves and very attractive helmets.  We then walked on a series of swinging bridges, zip-lined over a beautiful canopy of trees and repelled about 20 meters.  Back at Andy’s house and after lunch, the students had their first of two crash courses in Guarani.  We love that this is not a class so much for the students to master Guarani while they are here, but the fact learning helps us remember how Jesus entered our world – as a humble baby who would be raised speaking the heart language of his people, not the language of the wealthy or the religious.  In Paraguay, you can get by with Spanish in many situations, but Guarani is the heart language of those we work with.  Dinner was followed by games, chatting, and another devotional where we head Andy and Lizet’s testimonies and more student testimonies.

 Listening to the instructions.

Ryan, Tyler and I about to head out.

The group 

 Liz swinging above the trees.

 Andy hanging out on the zip line.

Drew on the zip line.

Tara getting ready.

Tyler was finally old enough to do theropes course.  He loved it and showed no fear.

 Tyler found a friend.

Austin going over the edge.

Gracie's heading over.

June 5.  The interns had a morning class of Guarani.  After lunch there was a little break to go hiking or take a siesta.  In the afternoon we met again for a class on Paraguayan history.  After dinner we ate s’mores around a camp fire.

Class time with Andy Bowen.

Austin trying to make some of the strange sounds of Guarani.

Drew and Andy doing their devotional.  We gave each student a devotional guide to work through while they are here.  Before the trip, we sent them a two week devotional guide to help prepare their mind and heart for the mission trip. 

Our kids LOVE having the TIME students around.

T.I.M.E has ARRIVED!

June 2^nd we received another wonderful group of 6 students.  Once they arrived and we made it back to the SIM guest house, there was little time to relax as Tom (our director) and his wife Kelly began an orientation to SIM and SIM Paraguay.  Tom and Kelly shared their testimonies and we ate an empanada dinner together.  One of our goals for T.I.M.E is to expose the students to as many missionaries as we can.  As they share their testimonies, we want to students to be reminded that God calls and uses us all differently but the key is obedience.

THIS WEEK

KIDS, CATS and WORMS

Our cat seemed extremely hungry this past week.  We decided to treat her for worms, and while we were at it, treat Julia since she eats enough dirt to build a mud hut.  I don’t know if the medicine was effective on our cat, but it worked on Julia.  I was sure glad that Jeff had diaper duty that time! 

CHURCH MATURITY

May 27, 2012

            Two very tangible ways I measure the maturity of the church here in San Francisco is: entire families are now coming (before someone always had to stay back to guard the home) and now we have a crowd even when there is the threat of rain (everyone walk or rides motorcycles and we meet outside). Today, we woke up to clouds that looked ready to burst.  In the middle of church, the rain began to come down.  All 50 of us moved to the only covering – a 5x10 extended roof.  No one complained or left.  We just worshipped God a little closer together and prayed a little louder as to not be drowned out by the thunder.

STUDENT PHYSICALS

May 28, 2012

The past month Jeff, Ryan and I have given every Jr high and high school student in our town physicals.  They have come class by class every couple of afternoons.  We have an effective routine - I take their blood pressure and pulse, next Ryan weighs them (we’re both on the front porch) and lastly, they see Jeff in the clinic/van.  Today, however, our automatic blood pressure cuff didn’t work and I had to do all 33 pressures and pulses manually.  The challenge was listening while a chain saw worked in the background, dogs barked at passing squealing pigs, motorcycles zoomed by, students chatted 5 feet from me, and my children played in the yard. 

The teacher was so gracious for our help that she gave us shirts.  She had a lady in town make us their typical ao-poi (fine thread) shirts to look like a scrub top.         

AUDIO BIBLE DISTRIBUTION

Saturday, May 25, 2012

How excited it was to be a part of distributing audio Bibles all over San Francisco (our town) and a few surrounding areas.  Thanks to the effort of 20 believers from Asuncion, 20 believers from San Francisco and other communities, and 10 missionaries, 800 families can now listen to the Word of God in Guarani. 

EIGHT HUNDRED! 

I cannot even begin to image all the fruit that will come from this. 

JUNE PRAYER REQUESTS

On June 2^nd, 6 interns will arrive.  These 5 weeks are always an exciting and busy time for us.  They are full of activities, mentoring and travel (all of which are prayer requests).  Pray that the students will have a fabulous time in rural Paraguay - that they will bond with their host families, learn about incorporating medicine and faith and that they will walk away with a clearer vision of God’s direction for their lives.

We praise God for an incredible experience handing out audio Bible in our town and surrounding areas.  The believers are requesting another distribution in order to reach even more communities.  Pray that logistics can be made, volunteers will be available and that people’s hearts will be softened towards the gospel.

TEAM SAN FRANCISCO

On our recent camping trip

 

Tony and Jean (on the far left) with their kids Daniel, Luke and David are the pioneering missionaries here in San Francisco.  They lived here 10 years before recently moving an hour away to start a new church plant.   

Dan and Sarah (in the middle) with their kids Eli, Toby, Sammy, Silas and Judah just moved to San Francisco.  Dan and Sarah will be helping with the youth.  

ANNUAL CAMPING TRIP

May 20-22, 2012

 

We camped last year at the same time – partly for Joshua’s birthday request, partly because it is one of the last times before winter sets in and partly because we know our June and July will be busy with the TIME interns.  This year, two sets of teammates were able to join us. 

 Cooking cabure, sausages and hot dogs for dinner

 Julia loves her buddy, Judah

 Dads and big boys preparing to play air-soft - a new favorite pasttime

 Julia pondering life....

Fun, food, fire and friends

Enjoying the view

Water fun

Rock slide