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