It's not a thing...

I recently was asked by a friend what I liked most about Paraguay.

I always have a hard time answering this question because I just love this country so much, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific answer.

As I started listing one thing after another, not sure which I liked more, I finally came up with the right answer…
 “I honestly don’t know. It’s more of a feeling than a thing. I have peace here.”

You see, the love I have for Paraguay just can’t be put into words.

The love I have for Paraguay reaches deeper than the pretty landscapes, rica comida, and each special friendship I’ve made here. 

It’s a love I feel when I walk down the street everyday to school and think
“Wow, I’m in Paraguay.”

When I’m riding to church in a car packed full of neighbors and think
“Wow, I’m in Paraguay.”

When I stand on the top of a cerro and look out at the beautifully created landscapes and think
“Wow, I’m in Paraguay.”

It’s the love I feel after a week of serving others.
After getting called up to pray for my brothers and sisters at church.
After my students all run up and hug me.

It’s the presence of God in and around me.

A presence unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

Two weeks ago I spent a week in Yrybucuá, a small town in the interior, to accompany a medical team from the US, and upon returning everyone kept asking how it went.
I literally couldn’t find the words to explain.

“It was fantastic…”
“amazing…”
“wonderful…” I said, but I just couldn’t find all the words to explain why.

It was a week full of my love for Paraguay.
The love that can’t fully be described.

I love Paraguay because it’s where God lives.
It’s where He brought me to fall in love with Him and His beautiful creation.
It’s where I’m needed.
It’s where I feel at home.

Rohayhu Paraguay.

Yisenia and Fatima in Yrybucuá

Reflections.

As the clock nears midnight, closing this 22nd chapter of my life, I can't help but think back on this year with a heart filled with joy. This year has been filled with so many great blessings and accomplishments. 

Twenty-two started off with an ice cream date with a friend from high school who I hadn't seen in years. This short afternoon interaction rekindled a friendship and reminded me of how interesting our lives can be when we follow our dreams and passions. 

I spent a wonderful night with my family, eating fajitas at Chili's and being serenaded in Italian by the balloon man. My dad gave me a letter that said how proud he is of me which made me cry in front of the balloon man. I am so thankful for such precious family memories. 

Twenty-two was filled with fantastic moments and milestones...

I lived with one of my very best friends until December. Those eight months living with Lyz hold such precious memories. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to grow closer before we got so busy with our careers. 

I found community. My Monday nights through January were spent with some of the coolest God-loving people I know. They filled my yearning for Christ-centered friendships and community after leaving the Olivet bubble. 

I learned about love. Real love. God's love and my love for others. A special relationship taught me more than I could have imagined and left a deep impact on my journey. 

I packed up everything I owned and embarked on the most challenging experience of my life, 4,000 miles away from home. 

I started my first year of teaching, which has been filled with laughter, tears, and joy. Many surprises, learning experiences, and lots of growth. I've felt inadequate and defeated, successful and loved. 

This year has been such a neat experience. I've learned so much about myself and have experienced so many new and wonderful things. I've traveled, I've laughed, I've cried, I've LIVED. Oh what a year this has been!

Although this year I won't be spending my birthday with my family, I've made a new family this year in Paraguay. Andres and Felicia have been such wonderful host parents, welcoming me into their home as one of their daughters, and continually encouraging and challenging me to be everything God has called me to be. I'm surrounded by amazing missionaries who live out Christ's love through their words and actions and have become my extended family and support system. I am continually blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people.

As one amazing year comes to a close, I'm looking forward to an even better one! 

23 on the 23rd. Let's makes this a good one. :)

The Sunset I Couldn't Instagram

This past weekend I attended a women's conference known as Encuentro con Dios (Encounter with God). It was a wonderful weekend full of powerful preaching and life-changing prayer times.
One special part of this experience was that we were prohibited from having our cell phones or cameras and for part of the weekend we were asked to stay silent to allow God to speak to us without distractions. 
The following is something I wrote while on our evening break on Saturday. I sat silently on a staircase with the little notebook they gave each of us and wrote while marveling at the beautiful creation around me. 

Masterpiece of the Sunset

The perfect blue and white marbled sky slowly
transformed into a rainbow of colors. 
The natural white light changing to orange, to red. 
The sky slowly transitioning into soft swirls of
cotton candy colored wisps seen through the trees. 
Like Christmas lights twinkling or red rubies shining,
the light of the pink cotton candy sky made it's way
through the crevices between each leaf as the wind
swayed each exotic branch. 
Then slowly the sky grew darker, like a blank canvas,
uniform across the sky as blue and pink formed the 
gray-lilac that filled my view. 
The last bits of pure yellow descending into the horizon
for a night's rest. 

I look up. 
Straight up. 
Stark white against periwinkle. 
Just slightly crescent, with a shining, circular aura,
sits the moon. 
Street lights appear. 
The sound of a familiar trumpet beckons us back
for another satisfying banquet. 

I’m not going anywhere.

This year has been crazy. My schedule is so busy with teaching, church events, social activities and various outings that the time has been flying by. I’ve also been hit with a ton of spiritual warfare, leaving me frustrated and discouraged more times than I thought possible. But despite all the opposition I can confidently say I love my life here in Paraguay.

How can I be discouraged, stressed, or upset when every day I go to school I’m greeted with hundreds of happy, smiling faces yelling “Hola Profe!” and “Hello Teacher!”

Getting to know my high school students and being silly with my elementary students has made this such a fun year. I’ve been challenged by a lot, but those challenges have helped me learn and grow so much.

As I’ve been looking ahead to next year I’ve been faced with a lot of decisions. Do I go back home and reenter my old life and familiar routines as I try to find a teaching job and move on in my career, or do I stay here in Paraguay for another year of challenges? As I began to pray about this decision, I began having so many doubts.

How am I going to fundraise for another whole year when I’m not even fully funded for this one?
How am I going to afford a plane ticket to get me home and back?
I’m facing so many challenges here, do I want to stay in this place?
If I go home, will I be happy?
Will I find a job?
Will I stay in Florida or move back to Illinois?

So many questions, decisions, and doubts began surfacing the more I weighed my options.

I kept praying for God to show me what I should do next year and in the meantime the Devil kept creeping in with roadblocks and challenges that screamed “THIS IS HARD, GO BACK HOME.” 

I began doubting God’s provision for my financial support and physical and mental strength I’ll need to continue through these challenges. I began wondering if I could really do this for another year. I was living in fear of the future, instead of in faith that it would all work out.

But then I started realizing how much I like it here and how I can do so much more good if I stay another year and I realized I’m being tempted to go home because the Devil wants me to FAIL. Like Joy told me the other day, the best victory the Enemy can have is tearing a missionary from the field. So I decided I’m going to spit in the Devil’s face as I say “I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”

I’ve decided to stand firm in my decision instead of saying reluctantly “I’m thinking about staying…”  The more I tell people with confidence, “I’m staying another year,” the more the Devil cringes in fear of my faith.

So, here’s the big news… I’m not going anywhere.

I’m staying in Paraguay another year, where Satan likes it or not. :P

I’m standing firm on the promise that if God has called me here, He will provide the money I need and will equip me with all the strength and peace I need to be successful here. Despite all the challenges I’ve faced, I’ve started something here that I can’t abandon. I’ve been told I’m “needed, wanted, and loved” here and that I’m definitely “missionary material.” Everyone I’ve talked to about my decision has told me they are so excited for me to stay.

So with all of that encouragement I can say with a smiling face, that I am trusting in the Lord to provide for everything I need as I continue to serve His people here in Paraguay. :)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." 

Ephesians 3:20-21

To be a part of my Paraguay Adventure you can donate online at www.uwm.org/donate or go to www.gofundme.com/a4h5ew to help me fund my way home and back at the end of the year. :)

Thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support!
I wouldn't be here without all of you!

Bag the Live Ones

About a week ago I met with Joy, a seasoned missionary here in Paraguay, to talk to her about life and my decisions for next year.

I began realizing on my walk to the church to meet with her that a lot of the struggles I’ve been facing here in Paraguay are simply deep spiritual warfare that has tried to discourage me and distract me from my mission here. As I began talking to Joy about this and revealing many of the struggles I’ve been facing and their effect on my life here, she shared a story with me that she said has stuck with her for many years.

Once there was a plantation owner in the South who owned a slave named Sam. Sam was a Christian, but his master was not. Bad things always happened to Sam while his master lived a nice, carefree life. All day Sam would sing praises to the Lord while he worked and one day his master took note of this and came up to him to ask him about it.    

“Sam, why do you always sing praises to your Lord, even though bad things are always happening to you?” 

“I’m not sure, I guess I’ll have to think about that.” said Sam.

A few days later Sam’s master saw some ducks flying overhead and yelled for Sam to come along with him to hunt them. So off they went and they began shooting them down. Killing some while only wounding some others, who started running away. 

Suddenly Sam’s master began yelling, “Bag the live ones! Bag the live ones! Leave the dead ones and bag the live ones, Sam!” and at that moment Sam realized something. 

“Master! Master! I’ve got it! I know why bad things don’t happen to you! You see, I'm a live one. The Devil is afraid I'm going to get away, so he tries to bag me first. But you, Master, are a dead one! He's already got you, he's not worried about you."

Joy told me that because I’m a live one, the devil keeps trying to do all he can to stop me from being successful here. I need to do my best to not let him win. 

I’ve heard people say that the closer to the Lord you are, the more spiritual attacks you may come against because the Devil is really jealous. I’ve definitely experienced that throughout the years and after talking to different missionaries, I've found it’s very common on the mission field as well. Every missionary that leaves the mission field discouraged and defeated is another victory for the enemy, so he tries his hardest to make that happen.

I’m determined not to be one of his victories, but instead I plan to stand firm where I am and claim the victory of Christ. :)

"I'm glad I came"

Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to accompany Alex to his English classes at a nearby public school, Ava Mba’e. It was an experience that left me nearly speechless.

But before I tell you what I experienced there, let me tell you a little about my friend, Alex.

Alex Mitchell is an 18-year-old from Bellevue, IL, whom I affectionately refer to as my little brother. This is Alex’s fourth visit to Paraguay. He started coming in 2009 on one-week medical mission trips with his church. After getting a few little tastes of Paraguay he was hooked. He prayed about an opportunity to come back and after working his butt off to finish high school a semester early, he arrived here just days before me in January.

Alex is a really hard worker and has a deep passion for the Lord and the people of Paraguay. His goal while here is to disciple others by building intentional relationships with the people he meets. He has gone above and beyond in the last five months to help out at the school and his church and after a lot of prayer he decided to stay an additional month before going home to prepare for college. (We’re all really sad he’s leaving and think he should pray some more and stay forever ;) )

One day, Alex decided he needed to pick up a new project because he had a lot of free time on his hands and still had six weeks before he leaves. He decided to visit a public school to walk around and pray for God to speak to him about a way to evangelize. By the time he left the school, he was committed to three weekly English classes. After hearing about how well these classes were going, I was really excited to go with him last week.

I met Alex at his house and after about a ten minute walk, we had arrived. The school is small, just an L-shaped building, whose classrooms open onto a patio in the interior of the L shape.  We stopped by the office to say hello to the principal and then made our way to the first classroom. The teacher welcomed us in and the students were so excited for our arrival.

Upon entering the first classroom, I realized I was in a whole different world from our nice, missionary-built, private Christian school. The first two classrooms we visited were no bigger than my freshman dorm room, with mismatched chairs and desks, completely covered in writing and scribbles. The students in each grade were a variety of ages, many with obvious learning disabilities. The air was heavy and hard to breath with my already scratchy throat. But despite all the negative, I saw hope.

I saw kids eager to learn English from two rubios.
Kids who were excited to show off what they’ve learned to Teacher Alex’s visiting friend.
Kids who begged for attention, as well as kids who were shy.
Above all, I saw kids who are LOVED by the Lord.

For fifteen minutes we had the opportunity to sit outside while the students played during recess. I happened to notice that just about every one of these students was particularly thin, and each one had a different interpretation of the school dress code.  They ran around playing on the patio and on the soccer field below, which was surrounded by trash that two students were later given the task of starting on fire. There seemed to be an emptiness in the air. A void of some kind that was hard to place. Alex asked what I thought about it all and I barely had words to answer. It was a mixture of the sadness I was seeing before me and the hope the Lord placed on my heart.
“I’m glad I came.” I finally uttered.

The students stared at us, seemingly curious, yet ignored my attempts at starting conversation. A simple “Hola, cómo estan?” was returned with blank stares and averted eye contact, until a sweet boy from fourth grade found me. 

Patricio Samuel. 

He was excited to talk to me and continually made eye contact.
“What was your name?”
“What’s your second name?”
“What’s your last name?”
My last name baffled him so we decided to go ask Alex his names. Which then turned into a conversation about our pretty eyes.

Patricio Samuel.

I spent just a short time with this boy, but the image of him will stay with me for a while.
His dark eyes, one obscured by a gray cloud.
His thin face.
His sweet smile.
His curious spirit.

Patricio Samuel.
A beloved child of the King.

A reason for hope in this dark place.

“I’m glad I came.”

Ghost Town

Two weeks ago we had a couple days off of school, so Sue decided to take Natalie and I out on a tour of Lambaré.

She decided we should start the day’s tour of at the cemetery, since we hadn’t seen one yet. Since Wednesday was Paraguayan Independence Day, the official entrance to the cemetery was closed, so we went in through a side entrance. Once through the gates, I didn’t realize right away that we were actually in the cemetery already.

At first glance it seemed like we were transported into a small town, whose paved asphalt road was lined with carefully shaped trees and small decorated houses. After walking past a few of these “houses,” I began to realize they all had family names on plaques above the doors. It was then when I realized that these “houses” were each family’s gravesites. 

Sue began to explain the traditions of Paraguayan burials as we made our way through the maze of family mausoleums. In Paraguay all of the graves are above ground in house-like mausoleums or small shrines that enclose the cremated remains or casket of the lost loved one. She mentioned how it is typical for caskets to have a glass window over the face of the deceased.

"Temporary housing" for some caskets

We first wound our way around the more wealthy family gravesites, along tight paths through the stately looking mausoleums, each having a locked door adorned with a stained glass cross on the front. Many mausoleums we passed had broken windows making it easy to see inside. We stopped and peeked into some of them, to see shelves inside on which the caskets were just sitting there on either side of another shelf where flowers and pictures can be placed.

As we got deeper into the cemetery, it began getting harder and harder to find a path through the graves. The small shrines became more and more concentrated, many built one on top of the other, creating a confusing, senseless maze of decorated tombs.  Here was where the lower income families left their loved ones. 

It seemed so surreal to me as we made our way through the small spaces between graves, carefully placing our feet on the almost nonexistent path between them. As we rounded the corner, we saw a couple women tending to a grave, one putting out new flowers, while the other sat crying. We carefully squeezed our way past as Sue explained how many people come to the cemeteries and cry over their lost loved ones for decades, feeling they have no hope, because they don’t know the hope of Christ.

The whole experience in the cemetery was extremely surreal and brought a whole new perspective on evangelism in this country. These people are searching for hope. For peace. And that’s exactly what Christ has for them.

Rekindle (Part Two)

Last week I awoke on Wednesday really encouraged about what God was going to do in and through me this year. I reread the passage in Isaiah 60 that God had showed me the night before and got ready for my outing with Natalie and Sue.

We took a tour all over Lambaré, which included visiting a cemetery, learning about the statues on top of Cerro Lambaré, driving through the yacht club, and seeing the neighborhoods where our students live.

Sue told us about the changes that have happened since she moved here, such as new developments on once barren fields, controversial political issues, and community improvements. It was really interesting to hear how many changes she’s seen, both good and bad, since she moved here in 2000.

The whole day was extremely eye-opening. It was a huge reality check of what goes on right around us that we haven’t been seeing by living comfortably with our host family and teaching at a private school. I was reminded of the strongholds Satan has on this country, and the idols these people fall victim to. But the best reminder of all, was how God brought me here for a reason, and that although my year is almost halfway over, that means I still have half a year left to make a difference! ;)

Since that tour of Lambaré, I’ve had a fresh outlook on my purpose here in Paraguay. I’ve been reminded of how much good our school does for this community and have been eager to find more ways to get involved.

During our tour Sue drove us through the “flood zone” neighborhood, where the road has fallen out in some places and garbage litters the fields. We drove through the “settlement,” where families who have moved out of the interior of the country have settled into an overcrowded community on a once barren field just minutes from our school. Sue showed us the houses right underneath high voltage power lines and told us stories of power surges that have exploded houses and of families contracting cancer and other diseases for “unknown reasons” since moving there.

These are the communities where my kids live. 

MY kids.
The ones who shout “Hola Teacher!” when I walk into school.
Who say “Profe, mira!” when they proudly finish their work.
My kids who give me hugs, kisses, and candies when they enter my class.
The students whose teachers tell me “They just LOVE your class.”

For forty minutes, twice a week, each of my little smiling angels get to see Jesus reflected through my smiles, hugs, and silly dances about new vocabulary words.
This, THIS, is why I came to Paraguay.

I thank God that He has reminded me to live in the present and make decisions each day to do my best to serve Him.

I’m tired of the Enemy clouding my days with dark discouragement.

I came to be LIGHT.

I came here to SHINE.


"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn."
Isaiah 60:1-3

Rekindle (Part One)

Two years ago God called me to Paraguay the first time through a few different happenings, but specifically through a passage in Isaiah 2 that tells of a day when the idols will fall away and the Lord will be exalted.
(Isaiah 2:11-22)

My first time in Paraguay I saw many of the strongholds and idols present in the country and heard many stories about the missionaries who come here with a desire to serve, only to leave discouraged and exhausted from the lack of responsiveness to the Gospel. I learned of the nickname "Missionary Cemetery," that has been given to Paraguay based on the actual deaths of missionaries as well as the termination of some missions programs that were unsuccessful here because of this unresponsiveness.
Those stories and the images I saw here myself are what fueled my desire to come back to this country to serve and bring more of God's light into the darkness present here.

Before coming this year I had the idea that I would arrive on fire for change and would be able to get really involved and see my work make an impact on others pretty easily. This was definitely a good vision, but not what has happened this year so far. My schedule has been so busy with teaching, which has been a real challenge itself, that I haven't been able to get super involved in other ministries as much as I would like. I've also been dealing with a lot of spiritual warfare, which has discouraged me in my work here and has left me sitting in my room some nights wishing I was back home already. It's drained me of my energy and has often taken away my passion for being here. I really have to remind myself a lot of why God brought me here and what I have to offer.

Some of what has led to these feelings has been a pure lack of knowledge of what's going on around me which has made each day just seem mundane, but that is all beginning to change...

Two weeks ago, New Horizon's General Director, Sue Givens, finally arrived back in Paraguay and since then I have learned so much about our school, our students, the neighborhood, the country, missions, and more. Finally meeting Sue after talking to her for a year and a half through emails and phone calls was so great, and I have really enjoyed talking to her and learning more about her work here in Paraguay and her heart for these people.

Natalie, Sue, me, and Alex
on Sue's first day back at school

Talking to Sue has reminded me of why I came here in the first place and has helped me start getting out of the discouraged funk I was in for weeks.

Last night while sitting next to Sue at the middle and high school Mother's Day celebration, she leaned over and whispered the stories of some of the kids as they performed...
"That girl and her brother are straight A students..."
"That girl's dad works a minimum wage job at the yacht club..."
"That boy is an artist..."
"That girl's mother died when she was in second grade..."

9th grade girls

Slowly these students started becoming more than the teal polos that say hi to me everyday in the halls and my mind began to fill in the gaps and see these smiling kids as products of the love and care New Horizon has offered them. I've been teaching here since February, but I haven't had a chance to learn each student's story or go look around the neighborhood to see where they live. All I've known about them is what I've see them do in my class or in the halls. Now I'm finally starting to learn what makes each student unique. 

After talking to Sue at the celebration, my heart was so filled with love for my students all over again and the spiritual fire that I had been missing recently was starting to ignite again.
I ended up going to church last night with Alex at Fuente de Vida (Source of Life) and God began reminding me of why I wanted to come here in the first place.
He brought me back to Isaiah and told me:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn."
Isaiah 60:1-3

Hearing this passage at church was like a big hug from the Lord. I heard Him saying, "See this? Remember the plans I have for you here?" And I began to get excited again about the time I still have left this year. 

When I got home, I looked through a couple care packages I received yesterday and read a stack of index card notes from Nicole Enzinger, three Olivet students who share our heart for Honduras, and a bunch of people from Nicole's church. Each one was so encouraging and they were filled with scripture, truths, and prayers that I have so desperately been needing these last few weeks. 

I went to bed super encouraged, with a light heart and an excitement to keep learning more and letting God use me every way He can. 

Día a día

Things just never seem to slow down here in Paraguay. 
My schedule just gets busier and busier as I get more involved with school and church activities. 

Here's a general idea of my daily routines, though some things change from week-to-week.

Monday through Thursday I teach at New Horizon Methodist School. 
Students come in two different groups, turno mañana - morning session and turno tarde - afternoon session. 
Staff devotional time begins at 6:45am and turno mañana starts at 7:00 and lasts between 11:25 and 1:00pm depending on what grade the students are in. Early elementary gets out first and high school is last. 
Turno tarde starts at 1:00 and ends by 6:15.
Every day I go home for lunch between 11:30 and 12:15 and return between 1:00 and 2:00 depending on my class schedule that day. 
We eat dinner around 10:00pm most nights and then get ready for bed. 

MONDAYS
On Monday mornings from 7:00-9:00 I observe the 11th and 12th grade chemistry classes and help students with their in class work. Many students have trouble passing chemistry here so I help in class and will be starting a tutoring session on Tuesday afternoons. 
After that I leave the high school building and go across the street to the main school building to teach third grade ESL. After that class I either stay in the teacher's lounge to plan lessons for the week or I go home early for lunch. 
I return sometime in the afternoon to plan lessons and then teach the third grade afternoon class from 3:35-4:15. I usually go home after that.
Monday afternoons Natalie and I usually walk with Alex to the nearest supermarket so he can buy his weekly groceries. He doesn't live with a host family, so he makes breakfast and dinner for himself at his house. We usually get back before it gets dark at 6:30.
Monday nights are usually spent at home relaxing, while mamá and papá are at a home bible study. 

TUESDAYS
Tuesdays I teach high school lab courses from 9:00-11:45. 
After lunch I return to plan lessons and wait to see if anyone shows up for chemistry tutoring... so far no one has. Profe Amalia said they will probably start coming once they start having tests and seeing their grades. When that happens, I'll be doing tutoring from 3-5.
Tuesday nights I go to the weekly prayer meeting at church. 

WEDNESDAYS
During each turno on Wednesdays I teach second, fourth, and fifth grade ESL. I have classes first and last hour each turno so I'm at school the entire day, 6:45pm-5:30pm, except for my hour and a half lunch break. 
At 7:00pm we have bible study at home with some members of the church. 

THURSDAYS
Thursdays are my long days. I teach second, third, fourth, and fifth grade ESL both turnos. By the end of turno mañana I always have to remind myself that it's only 11:30, not 5:30, and that I still have to come back and do it all again! I often ask myself, "Did I eat lunch yet?" because I can't remember what turno I'm in. It's a little disappointing when I realize it's not even noon yet.
Thursday afternoons I often nap out of sheer exhaustion from my week. We usually end up doing something interesting on Thursday nights and I stay up late because I'm off on Fridays. 

In addition to all of that, I teach 7th, 8th, and 9th grade lab classes once a month, which squeeze right in between my classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

FRIDAYS
Día libre! My off day! I usually sleep in and skype with people while Natalie is at school. We usually hang out with church friends or with Alex on Friday nights.

The first Friday of every month we have a prayer vigil at church from 8:00pm to midnight. After it's over we all eat together at church and get home around 1:00am. 

SATURDAYS
Saturdays can be unpredictable. It's either a day to sleep in, or it's getting up early to go on some adventure. If there's not a big event going on or I'm not out of town, at around 4:30 I leave to go to church for the youth service. Afterwards we usually stay up late hanging out with friends.

SUNDAYS
Church in the morning. We leave at 7:15 and get back home around 11:00. Then we usually eat a big lunch, often with many of our church friends or family. After lunch we all usually rest for a couple hours and then I have English class with my host sisters and some of our friends and we usually end up making food or watching a movie afterwards. Then we end up staying up late hanging out and playing UNO. 


That's a basic rundown of my weekly routine. All the moments unaccounted for are spent taking naps, going out to an event or someone's birthday party, drinking tereré, hanging out with friends, playing UNO, or eating, haha. 

Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what my life is like here. :)

Want to know more? Ask me questions and I'll post all the answers in my next post! 

Testing, testing...

I came to Paraguay bursting with confidence. 
Confidence in my health, my teaching abilities, my go-with-the-flow attitude, and my independence.
Yet since I've gotten here those have all been tested. 

Concussion. Bruises. Sickness. Mosquito bites. Exhaustion.
Organic chemistry. Rowdy students. Punching. Not listening. 
Busy schedule. Different meal times. Power outages. 
Language barriers. Lost iPhone. Malfunctioning computer.

The confidence I had in myself and my abilities has been tested to the limits every day since I've been here. 
I've gotten discouraged and beat up mentally and emotionally too many times in the last two months. 

But that's not what I'm here for. 

I'm here to be obedient to the Lord.
I'm here to shine His light on everyone I meet. 
I'm here to show myself and the world that He is all we need. 
I'm here to proclaim His goodness through my actions and my words.

I'm not here to be upset.
I'm not here to be sad. 
I'm not here to be discouraged.

I'm here to do what God has called me to do.

Despite all of these trials and tests. I'm determined to come out victorious. 

I'm not going to let homesickness, ridiculous amounts of itchy mosquito bites, uncooperative students, organic chemistry in my second language, or anything else steal my joy. 

I am determined to remain encouraged that I am exactly where I'm meant to be and no lost iPhone, power outage, or exhausting day can tear me away from the plan God has brought me here for. 

So, here I am. 4,000 miles away from home. Bites on my legs and bags under my eyes. Ready to be who God needs me to be. 

I came here with a purpose, now I'm ready to fulfill it!

Somos Paraguayas

Natalie and I have been here in Paraguay for about four weeks now and we are well on our way to becoming Paraguayan!

We've been learning a lot about the culture of Paraguay and have been enjoying speaking Spanish everyday and learning some words here and there in Guarani.

Here are a few of our mini adventures in becoming Paraguayan:

La prueba más difícil de mi vida

The first day we were here mamá called us downstairs and over to the front door. She told us that she needed to teach us how to use the key to unlock and lock the door. It sounded like a simple task, but it proved to be much more complicated than I first thought.

She handed us a very antique looking key and told us you must fit the key into the lock until it's right in the middle of the door and then you'll be able to turn it around. It sure sounded easy, but after many tries Natalie nor I could figure it out. We were locked out for a while and I told mamá "It's okay mamá, I'm just going to live out here now. I have a chair here and I'll make friends..." She laughed at me and unlocked it from the inside to give us more tips. Eventually I figured it out, but not until I continually joked that it was "la prueba más difícil de mi vida" - the most difficult test of my life. :)

The good news is, I can now successfully lock and unlock the door on the first try every time! ;)

Jugo de limón

As the newest daughters in the Prieto household, mamá has started teaching us how to cook Paraguayan food. Our first week here she told us that by the time we leave her house in December we will definitely know how to cook, because "how can we be excellent wives if we don't know how to cook?"
Our kitchen adventures started by mamá teaching us how to make "jugo de limón" - lemonade!

Our dinner one night, including our jugo de limón!
Caldo de frijoles y sopa paraguaya.

Apparently in Paraguay there are two different types of lemons available, both of which look like limes to me, which confused me for a while.

The Tahitian lemon is very small, seedless, and green on the outside and inside. To use these ones to make juice we use a knife to cut off the entire peel , which is easier said then done, and then throw the whole fruit into a blender. About six of these plus some water and a little sweetener and you've got yourself some delicious juice!

The Paraguayan lemon is bit larger, not quite as big as lemons in the US though, has seeds, and is green on the outside and a yellow-orange color on the inside. These we cut in half and use a juicer with a strainer to make sure the seeds get separated from the juice. From there we add water and sweetener to the juice, and voila, another delicious lemonade!

Limones Paraguayos

The two types of lemons have a slightly different flavor, but they are both really good! And a little different from the lemonade we are used to at home. The flavor is closer to the limes I've had in Florida, which is why I was confused for a while why they used the word "limón." I heard that there are "limas" here that are very small and green, but they're not as common. Both types of lemons I've seen are very round and don't have that classic tapered lemon shape, another reason for confusion.
But whatever you call them, limes or lemons, they are tan rico - so good! :)

Tereré

If you ever plan on coming to Paraguay, you need to know about tereré.
Some of you may be familiar with the concept of yerba mate, a traditional tea drink in South America typically shared among friends. Here in Paraguay they use the Guarani word tereré to refer to the type severed with cold water.
Tereré is composed of loose mate leaves served in a cup (guampa) with a straw (bombilla) with a strainer at the end to keep the leaves from going up the straw. Water is poured from a thermos into the guampa to soak down into the leaves.

The process of drinking tereré goes like this... One person is typically the designated water pourer (the youngest in the group) and is in charge of filling the guampa with water and passing it to whoever wants a drink of tereré. The water pourer will fill the guampa and pass it to the first person, who drinks the tereré until the water is gone and then they'll pass it back to the filler who refills the guampa and passes it to the next person who wants to drink. When you do not want to drink anymore, you say "gracias" when you pass it back to the filler to indicate that you are finished. This process typically continues until the thermos runs out of water or some other unwritten rule that Natalie and I have yet to figure out.

Paraguayans carry their tereré EVERYWHERE with them, which I found funny the last time I visited Paraguay and now that I'm here in the hot summer heat, it makes a whole lot more sense! It is definitely refreshing to drink some cold tereré when it gets this hot! Though it's still kind of funny to me to see people carrying their thermos everywhere they go.

Practicing being Paraguayan

Many people were surprised that Natalie and I like tereré and that we drink it so often. Apparently people from the US are usually afraid to drink it and don't like the taste so they don't usually participate or it takes a while for them to get accustomed to drinking it. It didn't take Natalie or I very long! We really enjoy it!

A couple weeks ago Natalie and I went with Andy and Vicente, our host sister and her friend, to the big mercado in Asunción to buy our own termo and guampa set. We went to a store that had a HUGE selection and got them for less than usual. Typically they sell for around 100 mil, but we got ours for only 85 mil! (About $18) 

One side of the termo store

View of part of the other side of the termo store

Our termos! :)

Now we are officially Paraguayan! ;)

On My Way

January 21st.

For over a YEAR I had been anticipating the event that happened that day.

And for MONTHS I had been waiting for that specific date.

January 21st, the day that I, at 22 years old,
would MOVE all the way to Paraguay.

Finally that day had come.

On January 19th and 20th, I spent most of the day frantically packing up my whole life, sending some things to my storage unit and the others, the things necessary for a teacher in Paraguay for a year, were thrown haphazardly into two large duffel bags, a small red duffel, and a rolling backpack. 

I stayed up all night on Monday the 20th, and at 4:00am it was time to start heading to the airport. Mom drove us through a thick fog all the way to Tampa as I sat in the passenger seat addressing some envelopes that never got mailed and writing my information on luggage tags, in true procrasinator fashion. ;)

As we arrived, I figured all my stresses would be left at the curb and I would walk confidently to my plane, excited for my adventure... instead more stress tests awaited me, along with a guardian angel.  

After saying goodbye to my mom, I got to the ticket counter to check-in. The lady at the counter asked if I had my return ticket home. I got nervous and told her I didn't... That I hadn't bought it yet, but I plan to later. The airline required that I buy a roundtrip ticket so there was evidence I'd be leaving the country before my visa expires in 90 days. After many silent prayers asking God to work this out because I was not expecting to pay $940 that morning, the ladies came back from talking to a supervisor and were able to offer me a return ticket for just $218.35! They just added it on to my existing ticket and all I had to pay was the difference in price between the one way and the roundtrip, and I can assure you God was the one holding the calculator on that one. ;)

I was so nervous then that Natalie would be asked to do the same when she checked in for her flight, though I later found out that she didn't. Weird, right?

After the ticket fiasco happened, I was told my two checked bags were too heavy... but luckily, the kind lady (Ms. Guardian Angel) who helped me get the $218 ticket instead of the $940 one told me it was okay and that she wouldn't charge me.

THEN she told me my carry on bags were too big for the cabin, even though I had taken a tape measure to WalMart with me along with the baggage regulations to make sure I purchased the correct sizes, and told me I'd have to check one. Again, she said she wouldn't charge me for it! Praise the Lord! I could finally be on my way!

At this point my plane was boarding and I was nervous I wasn't going to make my flight if I had to stand in the long security line. In walks Ms. Guardian Angel on her way to the gate... "Copa Airlines? Anyone flying Copa Airlines?" Me and an elderly couple raised our hands and she escorted us to the front of the security line so we could pass through quickly and make it to our flight on time. 

At this point I was tired, hungry, a little stressed, but overwhelmed with how good God was taking care of me through all of these little problems along the way. I sent my last goodbye text messages and at last I was heading south!

Scriptures and truths that got me through the day!

View on my way to Panama

Breakfast on the flight to Panama

When I finally made it to Panama about four hours later, I was so glad to have all the problems in Tampa behind me. It still felt a little strange knowing I had a ticket home for April 19th since I had mentally prepared to be away until December, but I knew I could go online and pay some fees to change that later. (Natalie and I plan to visit Brazil and Argentina this year to renew our visas, and then return home in December.)

Being at the Panama airport brought back some fun memories of my last trip to Paraguay. Getting to know everyone before we got to Paraguay, sleeping on the benches during our 12 hour layover on the way back, Jenny sharing her Disney Princess coloring book, getting Dunkin Donuts with Rachel and Lauren. It was nice to be in a familiar place, but weird being there all alone. 

Lunch in Panama :)

I was able to get two hours of free wifi after I ate lunch so I could check in with family and friends, but unfortunately it expired right before I could tell them I was getting ready to board the plane to Paraguay and remind them I might not have wifi to contact them once I got to Paraguay. 

In the Panama airport
(Picture I sent to my mom to show her I made it safely to Panama)

Panama City to Asunción!

As it got closer to our boarding time, I realized they started calling people to board a flight to Montevideo... I quickly realized my gate number must have changed because everyone at Gate 32 was holding boarding passes for "Montevideo - Gate 26" I asked a girl next to me and she said to go check and see if my plane was at 26. Once I got there they told me it had actually changed to Gate 16 which was at the complete opposite side of the airport! So I practically ran all the way there (thankful I had checked that second carry-on in Tampa) and luckily made it just in time to board the correct flight. 

FINALLY I was headed straight to Asunción.

After a six hour flight, most of which I was sleeping, I had made it to Paraguay and was greeted by Tim and Margarita Revett, LAM missionaries who I've been in contact with for months. We loaded up my bags and headed to my host family's house. I was so excited to be back in Paraguay and felt like I was right where I belonged. After arriving at my new home, we brought my bags up to my room and I stayed up for a little while talking with my host mom, Felicia. It was a great end to a very crazy day! 

FINALLY in Paraguay! :D
Me in my new room

The next morning my roommate, Natalie, arrived and after finally connecting to wifi, I found out my mom thought I might have gotten kidnapped in Panama or something because I never contacted her... oops. At least I was able to finally contact everyone and let them know I made it safely!

Natalie and I spent our first day unpacking, organizing our room, and getting to know our host family. It was a great first day of our Paraguay Adventure! :)