After a long day in Charata, waking up at 8:00 working until midnight we packed our things and headed to the bus station to catch our 2:30 A.M. bus to Resistencia. Most of the team slept the whole way.
We got here July 12th, which happened to be Sam´s Birthday, right off the bat we sang Happy Birthday to her at the Gutiérrez house. What a nice way to start off the day. We got a schedule indicating what we were in charge of for the week. There were so many meetings, it was a bit intimidating to see it all on paper. We were definitely going to be stretched. So the work began...
That very night we were in charge of the Youth Meeting. It was such a beautiful and blessed night with the people of Resistencia. That gathering was very important step because it paved the way for the rest of the week.
Monday was a day for us to get to know each other better; our team and the Gutiérrez Family. We played volleyball, tennis, card games; we laughed a lot. We went Monkey Hunting in a mosquito infested mini jungle, well we went LOOKING for Monkeys. But it was an UTTER FAILURE! We returned without having seen even one Monkey but with plenty of Bug bites. Good Times =). On Tuesday we painted in the morning and we had the Soldiers Meeting in the evening. Wednesday we painted in the morning and in the evening we had Home League. Thursday we painted and visited the Red Shield. Friday we painted and had Home League at the Outpost and to close the night we went out bowling! Definitely a night to remember!!!! Saturday was our recreational day at the House of Dominga, a soldier of the Outpost. We rode horses and had fun together. Furthermore we had Happy Hour with the Children of the Outpost, they are such beautiful souls. Later on that day we went to the Corp for our final Youth Meeting. Sunday, our final day here in Resistencia, we did our Happy Hour with the kids in the Corp and now we are on our way out to our last meeting here. We will part Resistencia but it will always be a part of our lives.
Raquel and Marcos
p.s. check out some pictures from Charata and Resistencia!
just copy and paste the link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28148929@N02/?saved=1
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Charata
We arrived safely to Charata on Wednesday -- however, the trip took longer than expected. Due to a thick fog which covered a great part of northern Argentina, many of the buses were stopped en route and had to wait until the fog cleared. Thus, we arrived at 3pm, instead of 11.30am as planned.
We had the interesting experience of crossing over the Paraguay-Argentina border in the middle of the night. There was much more security than when we entered Paraguay -- at the border all of our suitcases had to be passed thru a scanner, etc. We were stopped numerous times by different customs officials even after we had crossed into Argentina -- this is normal but was a bit weird. The officials get on the bus, and at times ask you to open your carry on items etc. At one point I woke up from my sleep to see them asking Estith to get off the bus. When he got off, he saw that all of our suitcases had been taken off of the bus by the officials and it appeared that they had already opened them and inspected them. However, they made Estith open them again and asked him various questions -- probably because we had more suitcases than anybody else on the bus and were clearly foreigners! The crazy part was that Captain Fernandez had asked us to take some cans of powdered milk to her mother who is the Major here in Charata. So we had 5 big cans of powdered milk in the team bag with the crafts and supplies. Estith had to explain that we were working with children and the milk was for them. Just to be sure, the officials actually opened one of the cans, stuck their finger in and tasted the powder to make sure it was milk! It was of course milk, and the officials allowed Estith to get back on the bus. Everything was just fine, but it is a bit scary to see your husband getting off of the bus in the middle of the night!
At any rate, upon arrival in Charata we found that the people at the church (El Templo La Hermosa) had already gotten started painting the roof of the church. Wednesday was a national holiday so many people had the day off and there were lots of people working. We shared a meal with the people and then got to work sanding and painting along with them. We spent all day yesterday doing the same. We finished last evening and the church really looks nice, both on the inside and the outside. It was nice getting to work alongside the people of the community --it´s obvious that they really care about their church and are more than willing to invest their time in its upkeep. The Major was very pleased with the finished project.
Also, on another note, we became famous yesterday! Haha A reporter from the local TV station came and interviewed us. We did a live radio interview. And a newspaper reporter came and got some quotes and pictures of us. The TV broadcast was on yesterday at noon and again in the evening. The newspaper article comes out on Sunday and will be distributed across the Chaco province! So we´ll be able to buy it in the next town we´re going to, Resistencia! it was crazy because we´ve only been here such a short time for them to intervies us-- but it was neat because we got to talk about Hands On and it´s mission, why we are here, etc!
The Army here has a Clinic, school, and of course the temple as well. They will open a technical school in another month or so, and this is where we are all staying right now. The Major´s husband passed away only a few months ago, and only a year before they were supposed to retire. So the Major is left to run all of these programs on here own. It´s too much for 1 person, but luckily there are quite a few employees who are members of the church and work very hard. We eat all of our meals together with this great team of people. They are so kind and wish we could stay longer. Our stay here is very short -- we will be leaving Saturday at 2am, which means we´ll only be here for about 2 and a half days! But I´m very glad we came, even if it was such a short visit!
Today we did a program at the school which the Army has here. Apparently the school has had problems with the students behavior -- they are often disrespectful and disobedient, so they asked us to prepare a program that dealt with those issues. So we taught a few songs, a prayer in both Spanish and english, and did an interactive drama about Jonah and what happened as a result of his disobedience to God. The kids were great and really enjoyed it. We did the program twice in the morning and once this afternoon. Today we also got a little tour of the city. The Army has a whole neighborhood here -- it´s called Barrio Ulm, and it´s named after a city in Germany that founded the neighborhood. A pastor came from Germany and developed this community and later turned it over to the Army. It´s very nice, adn the people of Ulm, Germany continue to help support the development of this community. Many places are named for the German pastor who began the community and he still comes to visit every year adn sends people from Germany to help out as well.
Tonight we are going to be having Home League, a Children´s Meeting (which they call Hora Feliz or Happy Hour which sounds so strange to all of us!), and then later the men of the church will join us as well. this all starts at 6pm, dinner is thrown in probably around 9pm, and the night goes on until 11pm or later. We are going to play games with the people as well as share the word, testimonies and our dramas, dances and songs. We have a lot of time so they said they want to see everything that we have! It sounds like it´s going to be a lot of fun! Then, there is a man Enrique who is a dance professor here. He knows all of the typical folkloric dances of the gauchos of Argentina. He is going to perform along with his students! I´m so excited to see it! Then at 2am, we will head over to the bus station to catch our overnight bus to Resistencia where we will be for 1 week. So it will be an action-packed and exhausting evening! But it´s exciting to be able to share with all the members of the community! I guess this is a typical Friday for them. They always get together to eat, play and hear the Word -- it´s a very tight knit community.
An interesting fact -- the city, Charata, is named after a bird that lives around here. When it sings, it makes a sound like ¨charatacharata¨
Thank you for your continued prayers adn support! We are so thankful for them. Please continue to pray for our health as we have continued to struggle with colds and stomach issues -- some of us are on our second bout with the above issues, and this can be VERY discouraging. It´s very dry here which makes dehydration a threat, and so I think that has contributed to some of the stomach problems. So I´m trying to push everyone (myself included) to keep hydrated adn drink those fluids! All in all though, the spirit of the team continues to remain high and we press on to fulfill our mission with joy as faithful soldiers of Christ! May God bless each of you! We will do our best to post again when we arrive in Resistencia!
In Him,
Lindsay
We had the interesting experience of crossing over the Paraguay-Argentina border in the middle of the night. There was much more security than when we entered Paraguay -- at the border all of our suitcases had to be passed thru a scanner, etc. We were stopped numerous times by different customs officials even after we had crossed into Argentina -- this is normal but was a bit weird. The officials get on the bus, and at times ask you to open your carry on items etc. At one point I woke up from my sleep to see them asking Estith to get off the bus. When he got off, he saw that all of our suitcases had been taken off of the bus by the officials and it appeared that they had already opened them and inspected them. However, they made Estith open them again and asked him various questions -- probably because we had more suitcases than anybody else on the bus and were clearly foreigners! The crazy part was that Captain Fernandez had asked us to take some cans of powdered milk to her mother who is the Major here in Charata. So we had 5 big cans of powdered milk in the team bag with the crafts and supplies. Estith had to explain that we were working with children and the milk was for them. Just to be sure, the officials actually opened one of the cans, stuck their finger in and tasted the powder to make sure it was milk! It was of course milk, and the officials allowed Estith to get back on the bus. Everything was just fine, but it is a bit scary to see your husband getting off of the bus in the middle of the night!
At any rate, upon arrival in Charata we found that the people at the church (El Templo La Hermosa) had already gotten started painting the roof of the church. Wednesday was a national holiday so many people had the day off and there were lots of people working. We shared a meal with the people and then got to work sanding and painting along with them. We spent all day yesterday doing the same. We finished last evening and the church really looks nice, both on the inside and the outside. It was nice getting to work alongside the people of the community --it´s obvious that they really care about their church and are more than willing to invest their time in its upkeep. The Major was very pleased with the finished project.
Also, on another note, we became famous yesterday! Haha A reporter from the local TV station came and interviewed us. We did a live radio interview. And a newspaper reporter came and got some quotes and pictures of us. The TV broadcast was on yesterday at noon and again in the evening. The newspaper article comes out on Sunday and will be distributed across the Chaco province! So we´ll be able to buy it in the next town we´re going to, Resistencia! it was crazy because we´ve only been here such a short time for them to intervies us-- but it was neat because we got to talk about Hands On and it´s mission, why we are here, etc!
The Army here has a Clinic, school, and of course the temple as well. They will open a technical school in another month or so, and this is where we are all staying right now. The Major´s husband passed away only a few months ago, and only a year before they were supposed to retire. So the Major is left to run all of these programs on here own. It´s too much for 1 person, but luckily there are quite a few employees who are members of the church and work very hard. We eat all of our meals together with this great team of people. They are so kind and wish we could stay longer. Our stay here is very short -- we will be leaving Saturday at 2am, which means we´ll only be here for about 2 and a half days! But I´m very glad we came, even if it was such a short visit!
Today we did a program at the school which the Army has here. Apparently the school has had problems with the students behavior -- they are often disrespectful and disobedient, so they asked us to prepare a program that dealt with those issues. So we taught a few songs, a prayer in both Spanish and english, and did an interactive drama about Jonah and what happened as a result of his disobedience to God. The kids were great and really enjoyed it. We did the program twice in the morning and once this afternoon. Today we also got a little tour of the city. The Army has a whole neighborhood here -- it´s called Barrio Ulm, and it´s named after a city in Germany that founded the neighborhood. A pastor came from Germany and developed this community and later turned it over to the Army. It´s very nice, adn the people of Ulm, Germany continue to help support the development of this community. Many places are named for the German pastor who began the community and he still comes to visit every year adn sends people from Germany to help out as well.
Tonight we are going to be having Home League, a Children´s Meeting (which they call Hora Feliz or Happy Hour which sounds so strange to all of us!), and then later the men of the church will join us as well. this all starts at 6pm, dinner is thrown in probably around 9pm, and the night goes on until 11pm or later. We are going to play games with the people as well as share the word, testimonies and our dramas, dances and songs. We have a lot of time so they said they want to see everything that we have! It sounds like it´s going to be a lot of fun! Then, there is a man Enrique who is a dance professor here. He knows all of the typical folkloric dances of the gauchos of Argentina. He is going to perform along with his students! I´m so excited to see it! Then at 2am, we will head over to the bus station to catch our overnight bus to Resistencia where we will be for 1 week. So it will be an action-packed and exhausting evening! But it´s exciting to be able to share with all the members of the community! I guess this is a typical Friday for them. They always get together to eat, play and hear the Word -- it´s a very tight knit community.
An interesting fact -- the city, Charata, is named after a bird that lives around here. When it sings, it makes a sound like ¨charatacharata¨
Thank you for your continued prayers adn support! We are so thankful for them. Please continue to pray for our health as we have continued to struggle with colds and stomach issues -- some of us are on our second bout with the above issues, and this can be VERY discouraging. It´s very dry here which makes dehydration a threat, and so I think that has contributed to some of the stomach problems. So I´m trying to push everyone (myself included) to keep hydrated adn drink those fluids! All in all though, the spirit of the team continues to remain high and we press on to fulfill our mission with joy as faithful soldiers of Christ! May God bless each of you! We will do our best to post again when we arrive in Resistencia!
In Him,
Lindsay
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Weekly Update
During the past week the team has begun to feel drained and stretched, as well as sick since most of the team has colds. The week moved along pretty much the same as last week, but we had a few minor changes. We still had devotions with the employees here in "El Redil," took the children to school in the mornings, and shared lunch with them. But, in the afternoons we didn't go to Viñas Cué, the outpost, to give the VBS. This week we painted during the afternoon and then had VBS with the children here at the home. It was a lot of fun, but stressful at the same time. The children were so excited to spend the afternoons with us in VBS, a little too excited at times. We had the opportunity of spending the mornings just having fun with the children playing fútbol (soccer) or just sitting and talking with them. They're all so amazingly loving children. It still amazes me that we've only known each other for almost two weeks, yet we've all fallen so utterly in love with all of them. Every time we open the door to our rooms in the morning, the children are usually sweeping or doing homework, and as soon as we walk out the door, their eyes just light up and the come and say hi to us and bombard us with love and questions. We also spent a lot of time with the older children this week since they come back from school during the afternoons we usually had to spend at the outpost. It was great to just sit down and talk with them about school, or whatever they had on their mind.
On Monday, after the VBS, we had Bingo night here at the home, and the children had so much fun. They all got candies and prizes, and we had fun with them since the game was in teams and we all had the opportunity of playing with a child. Tuesday started a little stressful since Allison woke up feeling a little down, well more than down, she was sick all night, so the team decided that instead of going to the center of the of Asunción as planned, we would stay painting and head out to a Salvation Army Clinic in San Lorenzo, very close to the corps there. So, after a productive morning and having lunch with the children, we all got into the car with the Captain and headed to San Lorenzo to "Clínica Tekokatú," which is guaraní for "wellbeing or health." That was a great experience as we got to spend time with the employees of the Clinic and they spoke to us about some of the MANY programs they have to help out in the community. The first thing we noticed when we got there is that it's a VERY nice building, it looks more like a big house from the outside. There are about 6-8 employees and some of them don't come in everyday. The range of services that they offer is very impressive. They open at about 8 AM every morning, but people are already lining up at 6. The clinic offers medical assistance during the mornings, and in the afternoon, they have special educational programs for the community. They attend hundreds of people a day. In the mornings, there's usually only 3 or 4 employees, and only one of them is the doctor. This doctor comes every single day. And on Thursdays, they have a gynecologist that comes in during the morning, but it's just once a week. The people only have to pay a minimum fee of about 1,000 Guaranís, which is about 25 American cents. While we were there, Allison got seen by the doctor and I was her handy-dandy translator. That was fun. The doctor put her on a special diet for about a week of crackers, rice, and fruits. After seeing the doctor with Allison, we got to sit with the rest of the team and enjoy some soda and crackers while the secretary of the clinic and the psychologist spoke to us about some of the programs they have there. They told us that most of their work involves walking out into the community and reaching out to all the people who need help. Many of the children in the community, as well as the adults, have parasites, and one of the free programs they have is that of de-parasiting the children of the community for free. They also teach the people about hygiene and maintaining good habits, which can be hard in a community where they take showers in a local river that is contaminated, and is also the only source of water for some. Most of the people do not have running water in their homes, or even bathrooms. They also have a program for malnourished children in which they choose families from the community and give them milk, cereal, and oatmeal so that the children will get healthy and grow. Also part of the program is a commitment from the parents to come to educational courses in the afternoon during the week teaching them about nutrition so they can continue to feed their children healthy meals. Unfortunately, many of the families have more than one child or other family members, and they can sometimes misuse the food they receive for their child, giving it to other family members, or even selling it. It is a good thing that the employees at the clinic go visit these families during the week to see how the child is progressing.
One of the saddest things we learned about in the clinic is the rate of physical abuse that women and children suffer in this community. About 80% to be exact. 60% of that abuse is towards women, and the remaining 20% is toward children from both parents. We were told that physical abuse is a matter of culture here. It is not believed to be a social problem, it is considered, by many, a taboo subject that should not be spoken of. At the clinic, however, many women from the community can reach out and find out about their rights, and about options they have to rebuild their lives and their families. This program was institued, as well as the psychologist in the clinic, only 1 year ago. They were only expecting to have a success rate of about 300 women, but in this past year, they have had about 600 cases, and more coming. Women are reaching out, receiving personal therapy, group therapy where they help each other, and there are even some couples coming to receive therapy together. One of the worst cases we heard of is about a woman that has been violently abused by her husband all their marriage. She has five children with him. And, the last beating she received left her with multiple broken ribs, an irrecognizable face, concussions, and a shattered skull. The only reason she did not die was because her mother-in-law came and stopped her son from killing her. This all happened in front of their five children. Three days after the beating occurred, her husband brought her to the clinic because she was in immense pain and because she hadn't been able to urinate because he had kicked her so hard in her stomach and back that her kidneys were punctured, along with other vital organs. He had threatened her into saying that she had been run over by a car and she stuck to that story, even after the nurses and doctor tried to pry the truth from her. The employees came up with an elaborate plan to get her husband out of the house, bring him to the clinic, and distract him, while the psychologist and the Major went to the house and got the woman to say the truth. Once they were able to do so, they took the woman and her children to the fiscal office where they got a restraining order and banned her husband from their home, and then they stayed in a shelter for a couple of days. Fortunately, her husband just left the house and didn't try to get revenge, which happens very often here.
On Wednesday, we visited the city of Asunción. We got to see a cultural museum in the old House of government, as well as a the Independence House, where rebels met and planned the siege that made Paragüay independent. We had a lot of fun, and then we saw the White House, not as elaborate as ours, but still white. Unfortunately, no one can go in, and it's prohibited to take pictures of it where the guards can see us. We had to cross the street and go into a museum in order to get a picture of it. We also walked behind the House to see the "Río Paragüayo," it divides the Center of Asunción from the rest of Asunción. It was amazing when we walked toward the river because right next to this huge, elaborate, White House, we could see this large community of amazing poverty. Just shanty houses basically, not even a mile away from the White House. They're literally houses made out of sheet metal and some of them cement. When we looked from the old government house, we could see this huge community that gets poorer and poorer the farther downhill you go. One can see large buildings and "sky scrapers," and then the road starts going downhill, and it just gets poorer by the block, to the point where the poorest and most dangerous community (after dark) is basically in a hole, a valley. Inside this community, The Salvation Army has a program called "Rayito de luz," Little Ray of Light. It is basically an after-school program where about 20-25 children receive help for their homework and food. We had the opportunity to go there the next day, on Thursday. In order to get there, we had to drive downhill for a while, and then we had to go through a maze of tiny streets where the minivan barely fit, and go down a very steep hill, cross a bridge over a stream and arrive to the building on a dirt road. We were surrounded by tiny homes made of sheet metal, cardboard, wood, some cement, basically anything they could find. Chickens roam around the street, and I guess the lucky people may have a pig or two. The ground was dirt and mud, and the building where the after-school program takes place is a very humble one that the people from the community built. It fits two tables, benches to sit the children, two small eraser boards, and a bathroom. They have a pretty nice piece of land. This land was donated by the community to the Salvation Army because mothers wanted their children to have a safe environment in which to study. A stream passes by the land, but the stream is extremely contaminated and it emanates a very strong odor. The children were still studying when we arrived, so we saw the little kitchen they have in another small building and got to talk to some of the women from the community that were cooking on a coal burner for an activity they had that afternoon. They were all sweet and we could notice they were hard workers. We talked with the woman in charge of the program and she explained a little bit about the history of "Rayito de Luz" and future plans they would like to make a reality. We had the opportunity then, of meeting the children and having a devotional. We did our pirate skit that invites everyone to be pirates and followers of Christ and the children really enjoyed it, even though we had a couple of troublemakers. We made eye patches with them, and then proceeded to spend some time singing songs and just talking. They were all smiling, and absolutely beautiful. The two teachers were very thankful, one even came up to thank us, telling us that the children were very happy because they never have the opportunity to go out and play or enjoy a lesson. This made me feel so emotional because they're children, and they have to study all the time because it takes them a long time to get their homework done. After the children enjoyed a snack, we said our farewells and left with one of the teachers. It was a very humbling experience.
On Thursday, we went to Areguá with don Juan, one of the employees here in the home. This city has a great view of the "Río Paragüayo," and apparently many tourists come to take pictures there. The city is also known for its artistry with clay. We found out that don Juan had lost a seven year old daughter at a pool there last year. My only thought was that it must be so hard for him to work in a children’s home when he has lost his own child. He is an amazing man of God, and he plays the guitar beautifully. I pray that the Lord blesses him and his family.
On Thursday and Friday, the home received visitors from a school called the “Inter.” These children all come from very wealthy families. They come every year and bring lunch as well as gifts and supplies for the children and the home. They basically get to spend time playing with the children in the home, get to know them, and spend time playing with them. Then, the children show them around the home so they can see what it’s like to live here.
Friday was a very emotional day for the team since most of the children left for winter vacation to their homes and families.
Friday was a very emotional day for the team since most of the children left for winter vacation to their homes and families. A lot of tears were shed and all the children wrote messages to us in our journals saying how much they would miss us, and how much they loved us. It has been such a great blessing to be here and work with the children. I'm sure we will never forget it.
Sorry this was so long, we just did a lot of things this week. Hope you enjoyed it!
Leilani
On Monday, after the VBS, we had Bingo night here at the home, and the children had so much fun. They all got candies and prizes, and we had fun with them since the game was in teams and we all had the opportunity of playing with a child. Tuesday started a little stressful since Allison woke up feeling a little down, well more than down, she was sick all night, so the team decided that instead of going to the center of the of Asunción as planned, we would stay painting and head out to a Salvation Army Clinic in San Lorenzo, very close to the corps there. So, after a productive morning and having lunch with the children, we all got into the car with the Captain and headed to San Lorenzo to "Clínica Tekokatú," which is guaraní for "wellbeing or health." That was a great experience as we got to spend time with the employees of the Clinic and they spoke to us about some of the MANY programs they have to help out in the community. The first thing we noticed when we got there is that it's a VERY nice building, it looks more like a big house from the outside. There are about 6-8 employees and some of them don't come in everyday. The range of services that they offer is very impressive. They open at about 8 AM every morning, but people are already lining up at 6. The clinic offers medical assistance during the mornings, and in the afternoon, they have special educational programs for the community. They attend hundreds of people a day. In the mornings, there's usually only 3 or 4 employees, and only one of them is the doctor. This doctor comes every single day. And on Thursdays, they have a gynecologist that comes in during the morning, but it's just once a week. The people only have to pay a minimum fee of about 1,000 Guaranís, which is about 25 American cents. While we were there, Allison got seen by the doctor and I was her handy-dandy translator. That was fun. The doctor put her on a special diet for about a week of crackers, rice, and fruits. After seeing the doctor with Allison, we got to sit with the rest of the team and enjoy some soda and crackers while the secretary of the clinic and the psychologist spoke to us about some of the programs they have there. They told us that most of their work involves walking out into the community and reaching out to all the people who need help. Many of the children in the community, as well as the adults, have parasites, and one of the free programs they have is that of de-parasiting the children of the community for free. They also teach the people about hygiene and maintaining good habits, which can be hard in a community where they take showers in a local river that is contaminated, and is also the only source of water for some. Most of the people do not have running water in their homes, or even bathrooms. They also have a program for malnourished children in which they choose families from the community and give them milk, cereal, and oatmeal so that the children will get healthy and grow. Also part of the program is a commitment from the parents to come to educational courses in the afternoon during the week teaching them about nutrition so they can continue to feed their children healthy meals. Unfortunately, many of the families have more than one child or other family members, and they can sometimes misuse the food they receive for their child, giving it to other family members, or even selling it. It is a good thing that the employees at the clinic go visit these families during the week to see how the child is progressing.
One of the saddest things we learned about in the clinic is the rate of physical abuse that women and children suffer in this community. About 80% to be exact. 60% of that abuse is towards women, and the remaining 20% is toward children from both parents. We were told that physical abuse is a matter of culture here. It is not believed to be a social problem, it is considered, by many, a taboo subject that should not be spoken of. At the clinic, however, many women from the community can reach out and find out about their rights, and about options they have to rebuild their lives and their families. This program was institued, as well as the psychologist in the clinic, only 1 year ago. They were only expecting to have a success rate of about 300 women, but in this past year, they have had about 600 cases, and more coming. Women are reaching out, receiving personal therapy, group therapy where they help each other, and there are even some couples coming to receive therapy together. One of the worst cases we heard of is about a woman that has been violently abused by her husband all their marriage. She has five children with him. And, the last beating she received left her with multiple broken ribs, an irrecognizable face, concussions, and a shattered skull. The only reason she did not die was because her mother-in-law came and stopped her son from killing her. This all happened in front of their five children. Three days after the beating occurred, her husband brought her to the clinic because she was in immense pain and because she hadn't been able to urinate because he had kicked her so hard in her stomach and back that her kidneys were punctured, along with other vital organs. He had threatened her into saying that she had been run over by a car and she stuck to that story, even after the nurses and doctor tried to pry the truth from her. The employees came up with an elaborate plan to get her husband out of the house, bring him to the clinic, and distract him, while the psychologist and the Major went to the house and got the woman to say the truth. Once they were able to do so, they took the woman and her children to the fiscal office where they got a restraining order and banned her husband from their home, and then they stayed in a shelter for a couple of days. Fortunately, her husband just left the house and didn't try to get revenge, which happens very often here.
On Wednesday, we visited the city of Asunción. We got to see a cultural museum in the old House of government, as well as a the Independence House, where rebels met and planned the siege that made Paragüay independent. We had a lot of fun, and then we saw the White House, not as elaborate as ours, but still white. Unfortunately, no one can go in, and it's prohibited to take pictures of it where the guards can see us. We had to cross the street and go into a museum in order to get a picture of it. We also walked behind the House to see the "Río Paragüayo," it divides the Center of Asunción from the rest of Asunción. It was amazing when we walked toward the river because right next to this huge, elaborate, White House, we could see this large community of amazing poverty. Just shanty houses basically, not even a mile away from the White House. They're literally houses made out of sheet metal and some of them cement. When we looked from the old government house, we could see this huge community that gets poorer and poorer the farther downhill you go. One can see large buildings and "sky scrapers," and then the road starts going downhill, and it just gets poorer by the block, to the point where the poorest and most dangerous community (after dark) is basically in a hole, a valley. Inside this community, The Salvation Army has a program called "Rayito de luz," Little Ray of Light. It is basically an after-school program where about 20-25 children receive help for their homework and food. We had the opportunity to go there the next day, on Thursday. In order to get there, we had to drive downhill for a while, and then we had to go through a maze of tiny streets where the minivan barely fit, and go down a very steep hill, cross a bridge over a stream and arrive to the building on a dirt road. We were surrounded by tiny homes made of sheet metal, cardboard, wood, some cement, basically anything they could find. Chickens roam around the street, and I guess the lucky people may have a pig or two. The ground was dirt and mud, and the building where the after-school program takes place is a very humble one that the people from the community built. It fits two tables, benches to sit the children, two small eraser boards, and a bathroom. They have a pretty nice piece of land. This land was donated by the community to the Salvation Army because mothers wanted their children to have a safe environment in which to study. A stream passes by the land, but the stream is extremely contaminated and it emanates a very strong odor. The children were still studying when we arrived, so we saw the little kitchen they have in another small building and got to talk to some of the women from the community that were cooking on a coal burner for an activity they had that afternoon. They were all sweet and we could notice they were hard workers. We talked with the woman in charge of the program and she explained a little bit about the history of "Rayito de Luz" and future plans they would like to make a reality. We had the opportunity then, of meeting the children and having a devotional. We did our pirate skit that invites everyone to be pirates and followers of Christ and the children really enjoyed it, even though we had a couple of troublemakers. We made eye patches with them, and then proceeded to spend some time singing songs and just talking. They were all smiling, and absolutely beautiful. The two teachers were very thankful, one even came up to thank us, telling us that the children were very happy because they never have the opportunity to go out and play or enjoy a lesson. This made me feel so emotional because they're children, and they have to study all the time because it takes them a long time to get their homework done. After the children enjoyed a snack, we said our farewells and left with one of the teachers. It was a very humbling experience.
On Thursday, we went to Areguá with don Juan, one of the employees here in the home. This city has a great view of the "Río Paragüayo," and apparently many tourists come to take pictures there. The city is also known for its artistry with clay. We found out that don Juan had lost a seven year old daughter at a pool there last year. My only thought was that it must be so hard for him to work in a children’s home when he has lost his own child. He is an amazing man of God, and he plays the guitar beautifully. I pray that the Lord blesses him and his family.
On Thursday and Friday, the home received visitors from a school called the “Inter.” These children all come from very wealthy families. They come every year and bring lunch as well as gifts and supplies for the children and the home. They basically get to spend time playing with the children in the home, get to know them, and spend time playing with them. Then, the children show them around the home so they can see what it’s like to live here.
Friday was a very emotional day for the team since most of the children left for winter vacation to their homes and families.
Friday was a very emotional day for the team since most of the children left for winter vacation to their homes and families. A lot of tears were shed and all the children wrote messages to us in our journals saying how much they would miss us, and how much they loved us. It has been such a great blessing to be here and work with the children. I'm sure we will never forget it.
Sorry this was so long, we just did a lot of things this week. Hope you enjoyed it!
Leilani
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
pictures
Check out some of the team pictures!!!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28148929@N02/
just copy and paste the link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28148929@N02/
just copy and paste the link
Monday, June 30, 2008
Games, Dances and Sunday Services
All continues to be well in Paraguay -- after a few days of rain which prevented us from doing the painting we were doing, the sun is out and today is beautiful. We spent the morning playing with the children. For many of us it´s the first time we´ve tried our hand, or I should say, our feet, at playing soccer, which is called football here! It´s a lot of fun and good exercise too! Some of us have even scored some goals for the first time! I have to admit I was a bit nervous because one of the boys on my team,Carlos, kept saying ¨Come on, Lindsay! Go down the field!¨ I would much rather play defense, but he insisted on helping me get a goal, and I finally did!
This week we will continue our painting work and in the late afternoons we will be doing our VBS for the kids at the Home. We also have some excursions planned to see a little more of the capital and also to visit the Medical Clinic.
Yesterday was jam packed! It started with a morning service here at the Villa Mora Corps. The Colonels Neusch who are responsible for this territory were here as well as the Commisioners Swanson. The children from the Home sang a song together, our group did a dance, and a group of children from Vinas Cue did a timbrels number. After the service, we had a birthday celebration. Every six month they decorate with balloons and have cakes for every one who celebrated a birthday in the last six months. They invite the children´s parents, and afterwards they have an afternoon of sports adn games.
The visit of the parents was very interesting to see. For some of the kids, it had a positive impact, but for others it was very difficult. then there were those whose parents didn´t come or who don´t have parents to come and I think for them it was somewhat depressing. One little girl, Miryan´s mom came, but it was obvious that she was trying to get out as quickly as possible. When she left, Miryan cried for at least an hour. As we consoled her, I noticed that she was clutching some money in her hand. Her mom had given her some money, probably to make herself feel better about leaving, but it was obvious that this was no consolation to a little girl who just wants a mom and someone to make her special.
the crazy thing is that so much of our ministry here is playing with kids and just being with them. This is what they need more than anything else. When I think of all of them not having one person in the world to call their own, to whom they are the most important in all the world, it makes me sad. It also makes me give thanks to God for my mother, and for the blessing of having someone who loved me and made me feel special.
In the evening we went to the San Lorenzo corps. It was a beautiful meeting with a lovely spirit to it. San Lorenzo is a corps that has seen a lot of growth. They have 40 adolescents and 100 children in their programs! God truly is blessing the work there! Commisioner Swanson gave the message and it was about suffering for the gospel -- which many of the people here do. It was definitely a call to serve Christ no matter what the cost and I thought it was very inspirational. The meeting ended with a Paraguayan dance with the young people in traditional clothing!
Speaking of dancing, one night we were coming home from our VBS in Vinas Cue and we passed a dance school with big windows where we could see a group of dancers dancing a traditional Paraguayan dance where they put bottles on their heads and balance them there. it was quite impressive and all of us took out our cameras to take photos. The Captain turned the car around so that we could get a better shot, and the cameras were flashing away as if we were the paparazzi!! The dancers became a little self-conscious and stopped dancing! But at this point Estith was already running up to the man at the front door and telling him who we were, etc. The next thing we know, we were all invited inside! There they did 3 dances for us -- and each one was awesome! But they said it was going to be a trade off, they wanted to see us dance too! So before they would do their dances, Leilani had to show a dance from Puerto Rico, and Ashley did a dance from TAM!!! As we were leaving, we went thru the line giving everyone the customary greeting of 2 kisses, one on each check. There were at least 20 dancers and 8 of us so as you can imagine it took a while! Only after we left did the Captain tell us that we didn´t have to give them 2 besos! He said that is only for people that you know really well. . Well, during our cultural orientation, we were told the greeting in Paraguay was 2 besos, no one clarified it by saying it depended on how well you know the people! So the Captain was laughing at all of us and saying that the dancers would never forget that group of missionaries who came and kissed all of them! We felt so embarrassed!
On another note, we all had the chance to try Mate, the traditional tea drink here. I think the reactions were mixed. I really liked it and found it to be much more flavorful than regular tea. Basically the people fill up an entire cup with herbs add a little water and drink it thru a special type of metal straw. It´s served very hot. This drink is a HUGE part of the culture. You see people everywhere with their mate cups and also with a special kind of thermos of water. The people even bring all of this when they go to the mall! It´s incredible!
Well, that´s all for now! Thank you again for all of your prayers! God Bless You All!
Lindsay
This week we will continue our painting work and in the late afternoons we will be doing our VBS for the kids at the Home. We also have some excursions planned to see a little more of the capital and also to visit the Medical Clinic.
Yesterday was jam packed! It started with a morning service here at the Villa Mora Corps. The Colonels Neusch who are responsible for this territory were here as well as the Commisioners Swanson. The children from the Home sang a song together, our group did a dance, and a group of children from Vinas Cue did a timbrels number. After the service, we had a birthday celebration. Every six month they decorate with balloons and have cakes for every one who celebrated a birthday in the last six months. They invite the children´s parents, and afterwards they have an afternoon of sports adn games.
The visit of the parents was very interesting to see. For some of the kids, it had a positive impact, but for others it was very difficult. then there were those whose parents didn´t come or who don´t have parents to come and I think for them it was somewhat depressing. One little girl, Miryan´s mom came, but it was obvious that she was trying to get out as quickly as possible. When she left, Miryan cried for at least an hour. As we consoled her, I noticed that she was clutching some money in her hand. Her mom had given her some money, probably to make herself feel better about leaving, but it was obvious that this was no consolation to a little girl who just wants a mom and someone to make her special.
the crazy thing is that so much of our ministry here is playing with kids and just being with them. This is what they need more than anything else. When I think of all of them not having one person in the world to call their own, to whom they are the most important in all the world, it makes me sad. It also makes me give thanks to God for my mother, and for the blessing of having someone who loved me and made me feel special.
In the evening we went to the San Lorenzo corps. It was a beautiful meeting with a lovely spirit to it. San Lorenzo is a corps that has seen a lot of growth. They have 40 adolescents and 100 children in their programs! God truly is blessing the work there! Commisioner Swanson gave the message and it was about suffering for the gospel -- which many of the people here do. It was definitely a call to serve Christ no matter what the cost and I thought it was very inspirational. The meeting ended with a Paraguayan dance with the young people in traditional clothing!
Speaking of dancing, one night we were coming home from our VBS in Vinas Cue and we passed a dance school with big windows where we could see a group of dancers dancing a traditional Paraguayan dance where they put bottles on their heads and balance them there. it was quite impressive and all of us took out our cameras to take photos. The Captain turned the car around so that we could get a better shot, and the cameras were flashing away as if we were the paparazzi!! The dancers became a little self-conscious and stopped dancing! But at this point Estith was already running up to the man at the front door and telling him who we were, etc. The next thing we know, we were all invited inside! There they did 3 dances for us -- and each one was awesome! But they said it was going to be a trade off, they wanted to see us dance too! So before they would do their dances, Leilani had to show a dance from Puerto Rico, and Ashley did a dance from TAM!!! As we were leaving, we went thru the line giving everyone the customary greeting of 2 kisses, one on each check. There were at least 20 dancers and 8 of us so as you can imagine it took a while! Only after we left did the Captain tell us that we didn´t have to give them 2 besos! He said that is only for people that you know really well. . Well, during our cultural orientation, we were told the greeting in Paraguay was 2 besos, no one clarified it by saying it depended on how well you know the people! So the Captain was laughing at all of us and saying that the dancers would never forget that group of missionaries who came and kissed all of them! We felt so embarrassed!
On another note, we all had the chance to try Mate, the traditional tea drink here. I think the reactions were mixed. I really liked it and found it to be much more flavorful than regular tea. Basically the people fill up an entire cup with herbs add a little water and drink it thru a special type of metal straw. It´s served very hot. This drink is a HUGE part of the culture. You see people everywhere with their mate cups and also with a special kind of thermos of water. The people even bring all of this when they go to the mall! It´s incredible!
Well, that´s all for now! Thank you again for all of your prayers! God Bless You All!
Lindsay
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
El Redil Childrens Home
We are currently in Paraguay at El Redil Childrens home. We have been here for about 5 days now (15 more days here) and we have learned so much about the terrible conditions the children from this home have come from and are going through.
Felix is 9 years old and is diagnosed with scabes. When he first arrived at the home in February he had all open wounds all over his body and they almost couldn´t let him live here because they thought it would be contagious. Now after a few months his skin is still red and swollen all over his body but it´s not as bad. He has to get special treatment done which is very expensive and there is no money in the Army in Paraguay so they struggle to get the finiancial help necessary to help his condition.
Sylvia and Librada are sisters at the home. Their mother left them when they were very young and they were extremely malnurished to the point where they didn´t even know how to chew. The captain acutally had to grab their jaw and their head to show them that they were able to chew. Slyvia´s case was so severe that she can´t walk properly and her condition is irreversible. Librada is 13 and looks 8 because of her malnutrition and she has kidney failure and she needs open heart surgery but it´s very dangerous and very expensive. They both have lice and the staff had to cut their hair really short. Because their hair is so short many of the children make fun of them calling them men.
WHen Felix and his sister Miriam arrived here they didn´t speak any spanish (only the native Guarani) and had no shoes and had never seen silverware before. They didn´t know how to eat. And when they were given a plate of food they only ate the yuca (which is a plain starchy potatoe that just makes you feel full, it´s not very nutritious and tastes gross).
THese are just a few of the many stories we have been told about the children in this home. It´s so devastating to see. We have been working on repairing the building but it still needs a whole lot of work.
Every day we drop off the children at their school which is the worst school in the area, nobody wants to put their kids in that school. But the home is forced to make them go there because they have no money to put them anywhere else. The teachers at the school don´t even call these children by their names. They just say "hey kid from the home." One kid from the home actually got sliced in the head with a scissor by another kid from the school. It is just terrible. The education there is corrupt, the kids will graduate from a grade even if they fail. So kids can be in 6th grade and not even know how to read. There is a better school close to the home but it costs ten dollars a month per child.
There is also an outpost that the officers who are stationed at the home run. Since there was no money for the outpost some of the people in the community had to help build it. They got the supplies donated from various companies. It doesn´t even have four walls. It has three walls and half of a roof. Half of that roof is filled with holes (which is metal sheet) The ground is made up of broken slabs and dirt. The bricks that make up the walls are all different shapes and sizes. It´s in a very poor neighborhood. We walked around inviting kids to vacation bible school and saw some of the homes that they live in. Most of the kids either have sandals or no shoes and we were wearing like 5 layers and we were still cold! Though there is a great language barrier between us, all they want to do is be hugged and loved. It breaks our heart.
We are telling you all this because we want to do something about it. We feel it is our duty to reach out to these kids and the country of Paraguay.
Allison, Lilybeth and Ashley
Felix is 9 years old and is diagnosed with scabes. When he first arrived at the home in February he had all open wounds all over his body and they almost couldn´t let him live here because they thought it would be contagious. Now after a few months his skin is still red and swollen all over his body but it´s not as bad. He has to get special treatment done which is very expensive and there is no money in the Army in Paraguay so they struggle to get the finiancial help necessary to help his condition.
Sylvia and Librada are sisters at the home. Their mother left them when they were very young and they were extremely malnurished to the point where they didn´t even know how to chew. The captain acutally had to grab their jaw and their head to show them that they were able to chew. Slyvia´s case was so severe that she can´t walk properly and her condition is irreversible. Librada is 13 and looks 8 because of her malnutrition and she has kidney failure and she needs open heart surgery but it´s very dangerous and very expensive. They both have lice and the staff had to cut their hair really short. Because their hair is so short many of the children make fun of them calling them men.
WHen Felix and his sister Miriam arrived here they didn´t speak any spanish (only the native Guarani) and had no shoes and had never seen silverware before. They didn´t know how to eat. And when they were given a plate of food they only ate the yuca (which is a plain starchy potatoe that just makes you feel full, it´s not very nutritious and tastes gross).
THese are just a few of the many stories we have been told about the children in this home. It´s so devastating to see. We have been working on repairing the building but it still needs a whole lot of work.
Every day we drop off the children at their school which is the worst school in the area, nobody wants to put their kids in that school. But the home is forced to make them go there because they have no money to put them anywhere else. The teachers at the school don´t even call these children by their names. They just say "hey kid from the home." One kid from the home actually got sliced in the head with a scissor by another kid from the school. It is just terrible. The education there is corrupt, the kids will graduate from a grade even if they fail. So kids can be in 6th grade and not even know how to read. There is a better school close to the home but it costs ten dollars a month per child.
There is also an outpost that the officers who are stationed at the home run. Since there was no money for the outpost some of the people in the community had to help build it. They got the supplies donated from various companies. It doesn´t even have four walls. It has three walls and half of a roof. Half of that roof is filled with holes (which is metal sheet) The ground is made up of broken slabs and dirt. The bricks that make up the walls are all different shapes and sizes. It´s in a very poor neighborhood. We walked around inviting kids to vacation bible school and saw some of the homes that they live in. Most of the kids either have sandals or no shoes and we were wearing like 5 layers and we were still cold! Though there is a great language barrier between us, all they want to do is be hugged and loved. It breaks our heart.
We are telling you all this because we want to do something about it. We feel it is our duty to reach out to these kids and the country of Paraguay.
Allison, Lilybeth and Ashley
Monday, June 23, 2008
El Hogar de Ninos El Redil-- Paraguay
We are now staying at the Children´s Home Ël Redil in Asuncion, Paraguay. The Captains here are Leonardo and Evangelina Fernandez -- they are a wonderful couple with 3 children -- Javier, Marcos, and Leonardo, who is known as Lelu. We have really enjoyed spending time with them and they are so hospitable to us. Each night we have dinner together and it´s so fun sharing with them. We are definitely in good hands and are being well taken care of!! I wouldn´t be surprised if our team comes back a little heavier than before with all the delicious food we have been served here!
We have learned so much about Paraguay since arriving. The literacy rates here are very low with only about 30% of the population being able to read and write. The educational system isn´t very good and children leave school often before graduation. Others are passed to the next grade even if they fail. No one repeats a grade -- so there are many kids in upper grades who can´t even read. There is a big divide in Paraguay between the rich and poor -- and there really isn´t a middle class. It´s very apparent just how wide the divide is because the children´s home is located in one of the best neighborhoods in Asuncion (there are extremely expensive shopping malls here, expensive restaurants, etc.) while the Outpost Church where we went on Sunday, which is only about 5 minutes away by car, doesn´t even have a complete roof. the children came to church yesterday in sandals despite the cold temperatures and the houses are very, very humble. I´ve done a lot of travelling and I´ve never seen anything quite like what I saw yesterday -- it was heartbreaking. On top of that, we´ve learned that the government in Paraguay is very corrupt -- and instead of investing in the country and the people, most public money is used to make the government officials even richer.
Sunday´s church experience was very humbling -- the people there really are seeking God. So many of them have such difficult lives -- domestic violence and abuse is very common here and we met a woman named Guillermina who almost has no teeth left because her husband has abused her so much. It was very heartbreaking to see -- and yet she was in church yesterday with her youngest son and she refuses to give up hope. Captain Fernandez is so amazing with these people -- he walks thru the neighborhood and seems to know and have a good relationship with everyone . Oftentimes, h e has to confront these spouses who come home drunk and abuse their wives. He says it is a major problem here. Under his leadership the Outpost church has really grown. In Sunday´s service, Lily and Leilani lead worship, Raquel and Leilani gave their testimonies, the whole team did a drama together and Lindsay shared the devotional. The Holy Spìrit was clearly present and we had the amazing experience of praying for these beautiful people.
Today we began our work in the children´s home. We are sanding the outer walls to prepare them for painting. We are also cleaning and power washing an area in the back which we will then paint so that the kids have an area to play volleyball, soccer and other sports. This afternoon we will have our first day of Vacation Bible School in the Outpost -- we are expecting between 50 and 60 kids!!! It should be quite an adventure!
the kids at the Home are beautiful and full of energy! The Captain has told us some of their stories and it truly is sad. Many of them have been completely abandoned by their parents or other family members. Before coming to the home, some of them were living on the streets. The children eat 3 times a day here and also have a snack. However, the Captain told us that many of the children, especially the new ones, will ask repeatedly --Äre we going to eat tomorrow? Captain continues reassuring them that yes they will eat -- but in their families and where they come from they aren´t used to this so they would be afraid another meal wouldn´t be provided. Also, m any of the children are used to eating yucca (a type of potato) in their families -- it´s something that makes you feel very full so poor families often eat it -- so the kids would fill up on that and then they wouldn´t eat the good, nutritious food that is cooked for them here. For awhile they had to stop serving the yucca at meals so that the kids would get used to eating other foods.
Another problem here is hygiene. The children don´t grow up learning how to bathe and take care of themselves, their clothes, etc. Many of the little girls have lice because they don´t wash their hair. It´s a constant battle for the Captains adn the staff to get the children to practice good hygiene. IN another story we were told, one group of 3 brothers and sisters here had never used underwear. The Captains bought them some and explained how it s hould be worn. But a few weeks later Captain Evangelina noticed they still weren´t wearing it -- when the Captains asked where their underwear was the children took them to their little closets and showed them a neat pile of underwear neatly stacked up. It was too nice for everyday use they had decided and so they were keeping it in a safe place for special occasions. These stories are just a few of many that exist here. It´s hard to imagine children who have lived and experienced what these children have -- yet they are all so beautiful and loving and bring each of us so much joy. For the next 2 weeks we will get to take them to school, eat lunch with them, help get them ready for school and play games with them. Next week we will do VBS with them as well.
The team is doing very well! I am very proud of each member! I know God is doing great things in each life here, and it´s such a joy because we are having so much fun at the same time! We have shared many great moments of laughter and fun! We are also thankful that the Holy Spirit has been with us and has been blessing our ministry! Please continue to pray for us ! Pray for our ministry and also our health and safety. It´s actually winter here in Paraguay so it´s been a bit cold. Today was the first day of sunshine we had so I´m hoping the temperatures are going to get warmer. but in general we have stayed bundled up. some people have begun coughing adn sniffling --and much of what we do is outside, so please pray that God would give us health and not allow these little symptoms to develop into anything that prevents us from accomplishing all that God has for each of us here! To the family members of these great girls -- thanks for sharing them with us this summer!
They are truly a blessing to us!
In Him,
Lindsay and Estith
We have learned so much about Paraguay since arriving. The literacy rates here are very low with only about 30% of the population being able to read and write. The educational system isn´t very good and children leave school often before graduation. Others are passed to the next grade even if they fail. No one repeats a grade -- so there are many kids in upper grades who can´t even read. There is a big divide in Paraguay between the rich and poor -- and there really isn´t a middle class. It´s very apparent just how wide the divide is because the children´s home is located in one of the best neighborhoods in Asuncion (there are extremely expensive shopping malls here, expensive restaurants, etc.) while the Outpost Church where we went on Sunday, which is only about 5 minutes away by car, doesn´t even have a complete roof. the children came to church yesterday in sandals despite the cold temperatures and the houses are very, very humble. I´ve done a lot of travelling and I´ve never seen anything quite like what I saw yesterday -- it was heartbreaking. On top of that, we´ve learned that the government in Paraguay is very corrupt -- and instead of investing in the country and the people, most public money is used to make the government officials even richer.
Sunday´s church experience was very humbling -- the people there really are seeking God. So many of them have such difficult lives -- domestic violence and abuse is very common here and we met a woman named Guillermina who almost has no teeth left because her husband has abused her so much. It was very heartbreaking to see -- and yet she was in church yesterday with her youngest son and she refuses to give up hope. Captain Fernandez is so amazing with these people -- he walks thru the neighborhood and seems to know and have a good relationship with everyone . Oftentimes, h e has to confront these spouses who come home drunk and abuse their wives. He says it is a major problem here. Under his leadership the Outpost church has really grown. In Sunday´s service, Lily and Leilani lead worship, Raquel and Leilani gave their testimonies, the whole team did a drama together and Lindsay shared the devotional. The Holy Spìrit was clearly present and we had the amazing experience of praying for these beautiful people.
Today we began our work in the children´s home. We are sanding the outer walls to prepare them for painting. We are also cleaning and power washing an area in the back which we will then paint so that the kids have an area to play volleyball, soccer and other sports. This afternoon we will have our first day of Vacation Bible School in the Outpost -- we are expecting between 50 and 60 kids!!! It should be quite an adventure!
the kids at the Home are beautiful and full of energy! The Captain has told us some of their stories and it truly is sad. Many of them have been completely abandoned by their parents or other family members. Before coming to the home, some of them were living on the streets. The children eat 3 times a day here and also have a snack. However, the Captain told us that many of the children, especially the new ones, will ask repeatedly --Äre we going to eat tomorrow? Captain continues reassuring them that yes they will eat -- but in their families and where they come from they aren´t used to this so they would be afraid another meal wouldn´t be provided. Also, m any of the children are used to eating yucca (a type of potato) in their families -- it´s something that makes you feel very full so poor families often eat it -- so the kids would fill up on that and then they wouldn´t eat the good, nutritious food that is cooked for them here. For awhile they had to stop serving the yucca at meals so that the kids would get used to eating other foods.
Another problem here is hygiene. The children don´t grow up learning how to bathe and take care of themselves, their clothes, etc. Many of the little girls have lice because they don´t wash their hair. It´s a constant battle for the Captains adn the staff to get the children to practice good hygiene. IN another story we were told, one group of 3 brothers and sisters here had never used underwear. The Captains bought them some and explained how it s hould be worn. But a few weeks later Captain Evangelina noticed they still weren´t wearing it -- when the Captains asked where their underwear was the children took them to their little closets and showed them a neat pile of underwear neatly stacked up. It was too nice for everyday use they had decided and so they were keeping it in a safe place for special occasions. These stories are just a few of many that exist here. It´s hard to imagine children who have lived and experienced what these children have -- yet they are all so beautiful and loving and bring each of us so much joy. For the next 2 weeks we will get to take them to school, eat lunch with them, help get them ready for school and play games with them. Next week we will do VBS with them as well.
The team is doing very well! I am very proud of each member! I know God is doing great things in each life here, and it´s such a joy because we are having so much fun at the same time! We have shared many great moments of laughter and fun! We are also thankful that the Holy Spirit has been with us and has been blessing our ministry! Please continue to pray for us ! Pray for our ministry and also our health and safety. It´s actually winter here in Paraguay so it´s been a bit cold. Today was the first day of sunshine we had so I´m hoping the temperatures are going to get warmer. but in general we have stayed bundled up. some people have begun coughing adn sniffling --and much of what we do is outside, so please pray that God would give us health and not allow these little symptoms to develop into anything that prevents us from accomplishing all that God has for each of us here! To the family members of these great girls -- thanks for sharing them with us this summer!
They are truly a blessing to us!
In Him,
Lindsay and Estith
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Parque Carpenter and Bus Ride
After our five and half hour lay over in Georgia, we finally boarded our flight to Argentina. The flight was mostly uneventful and lasted 9 hours. At customs our bag of materials for vacation bible school was almost confiscated. After a brief interrogation they decided foam materials and construction paper weren´t going to do their country any harm. We were met at the Airport in Buenos Aires by Captain Willie de Jesus. And immediately went to the Salvation Army´s Parque Carpenter. We shared a room with a team of 5 girls from the Western Territoy who were going to southern Argentina for their missions trip this summer. After settling in, we prepared for our first open air (inside) with the Western Team. We went to Del Viso, a brand new corps where we met Majors Ramos. It was a very powerful experience. Ashley gave her testimony, Lily and Leilani sang a duet, all of us did a choreodrama, we did a dance, and Estith gave the message. There was a group of young boys at the meeting who the Major told us were gang members. When he first arrived at the church, he would find them sitting on the front steps drinking coke mixed with alcohol. Slowly he has developed relationships with them and it was really nice to share the gospel with them.
The next morning we did some handy work. We sanded down rusty doorways and repainted them. After that we had lunch with the Territorial Commanders, Colonels Nuesch. The Majors Villaroel took great care of us at Parque Carpenter and we were very well fed.
That afternoon we left on an overnight bus for Asuncion, Paraguay. It was an 18 hour bus ride with comfy seats that folded into beds, stewards with good food, and aVERY small bathroom. Lily was traumatized by the bathroom experience. She came out yelling down the aisle that her arms touched the walls. At 9 am we walked across the Argentina-Paraguay border where we reloaded the bus and continued our journey.
As you can see we have been traveling a lot which is why we haven´t been able to update the blog until now. Stay tuned for pictures and Paraguay updates.
The next morning we did some handy work. We sanded down rusty doorways and repainted them. After that we had lunch with the Territorial Commanders, Colonels Nuesch. The Majors Villaroel took great care of us at Parque Carpenter and we were very well fed.
That afternoon we left on an overnight bus for Asuncion, Paraguay. It was an 18 hour bus ride with comfy seats that folded into beds, stewards with good food, and aVERY small bathroom. Lily was traumatized by the bathroom experience. She came out yelling down the aisle that her arms touched the walls. At 9 am we walked across the Argentina-Paraguay border where we reloaded the bus and continued our journey.
As you can see we have been traveling a lot which is why we haven´t been able to update the blog until now. Stay tuned for pictures and Paraguay updates.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Orientation and Delayed Adventures
We spent this past week at the Salvation Army's Star Lake Camp preparing for our 6 week mission trip to South America. The week consisted of intense planning, prayer, discipleship training, devotions and getting to know each other. Although shy at first, we began to have fun and quickly grew close. Our leaders, Lindsay and Estith, made us tell our most embarassing stories (we won't scar you with them), which brought us closer together. We spent the spent the week with the Estonia team (we love them), and can't wait to hear their stories and see their faces at the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings. We spent many hours preparing our Vacation Bible Schools, choreodramas, dances and songs. Our team has such a spirit of Joy which makes it easy to work together even if we have uncontrollable laughter. :)
We attended Commissioning Weekend and were part of the Discipleship Conference where we had our first encounter with the Spanish language. The track we attended was "Discipulado en grupos pequeños" (Discipleship in Small Groups). While some of us understood what was going on, others struggled to understand. We had a great time at the Gospel Arts Celebration and were presented, blessed, and sent off for the summer.
We had a late night yesterday packing up our things (some struggled to let go of unnecessary items), and we woke up early this morning to have breakfast, devotions with Major Munn (he rocks!), and head to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that due to unforseen weather changes in Georgia, our flights were cancelled. So, we spent our last lunch together with the Estonia team and saw them off through the security checkpoint. Some got emotional as we saw off our sisters in Christ. So after we wiped away our tears we repacked our vans and headed to the Hampton Inn. After checking in we rushed to our rooms to take a much needed nap.
We would really like to express our thanks to Major Groff and Becki Phillips for their selflessness, encouragement, and for being there at any hour to help us.
Please pray that we will be able to have a safe trip tomorrow.
We attended Commissioning Weekend and were part of the Discipleship Conference where we had our first encounter with the Spanish language. The track we attended was "Discipulado en grupos pequeños" (Discipleship in Small Groups). While some of us understood what was going on, others struggled to understand. We had a great time at the Gospel Arts Celebration and were presented, blessed, and sent off for the summer.
We had a late night yesterday packing up our things (some struggled to let go of unnecessary items), and we woke up early this morning to have breakfast, devotions with Major Munn (he rocks!), and head to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that due to unforseen weather changes in Georgia, our flights were cancelled. So, we spent our last lunch together with the Estonia team and saw them off through the security checkpoint. Some got emotional as we saw off our sisters in Christ. So after we wiped away our tears we repacked our vans and headed to the Hampton Inn. After checking in we rushed to our rooms to take a much needed nap.
We would really like to express our thanks to Major Groff and Becki Phillips for their selflessness, encouragement, and for being there at any hour to help us.
Please pray that we will be able to have a safe trip tomorrow.
Hands On Trip To Argentina
WELCOME!
This is the official Hands On Argentina/Paraguay website. We will be updating frequently.
Pray for us as we fly today.
This is the official Hands On Argentina/Paraguay website. We will be updating frequently.
Pray for us as we fly today.
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