Passion for Paraguay

I want to thank everyone for their well-wishes and kind words during my recuperation after surgery. I am doing well; I can pick up Timmy again and only have 2 more days 'til I can drive again! Although going through a pregnancy loss (ectopic, in our case) is a painful experience, physically and emotionally, I have seen God use this situation for good. I have been able to share with others who have experienced losses (prior and subsequent to ours). I have sensed a real closeness with the Lord that doesn't occur on a normal, day-to-day basis. It's almost as if God has been carrying me. I know that each trial I face defines and refines my faith. In fact, God allows those he loves to suffer so we can be more like him. Peter says it clearly, "Pure gold put in the fire comes out proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of ...

"You shall not pollute the land in which you live.... You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the Israelites." (Numbers 35:33-34) "Thank you God for this precious earth that you have created. Thank you for the amazing diversity of topographies, birds, animals and temperatures. Thank you that we have delicious food to eat because the ground is fertile and the sun shines and the rain provides the moisture we need. God, forgive us for not caring for this land that you have asked us to administrate. Help us to be better stewards of this awesome resource. Amen" We planted 10 trees (mostly eucalyptus) in celebration of the beautiful earth God has entrusted to us! We are hoping to plant a few eucalyptus trees today or tomorrow. We chose this species becuase of the medicinal benefits of its oil, its flowers provide food for birds and insects and it grows at a fast rate. Let's all celebrate earth! If you...

Three historic "firsts" occurred yesterday in the heart of South America: * After 61 years in power, the longest run of a single party in a Latin American nation, the Colorado (ANR) party has been dethroned! * It is the first time in world history that an ex-bishop has been elected president of any nation * This is the first time in Paraguay’s history that there has been a pacific transfer of power. Blanca Ovelar, the ANR candidate, conceded her loss in a very diplomatic and respectful speech last night at around 9:00 p.m. Yesterday, the nation went to the polls and decided it’s time for a change. Lugo took 41% of the vote, which is significant for a four+ candidate election. He is a Liberation theologian who desires to lift Paraguay out of poverty and put an end to corruption. Paraguay, a country of 6.5 million people, is among the poorest countries in South America. The current president, President Nicanor Duarte Frutos, has been in office since 2003. T...

While the US is buzzing about who will take the Democratic nomination ticket, Paraguay is also buzzing about Politics. We are six days (April 20) away from the presidential elections in There are four persons running. 1. Fernado Lugo, an ex-bishop who gave up his vows two years ago to enter into politics. 2. Blanca Ovelar, the first woman to ever run, representing the red party (currently in power) 3. Lino Oviedo, the man that was involved in the 1989 coup that overthrew a 35 year dictator 4. Pedro Fadul, a business man who appeared in the political scene four years ago, after leaving his business. CNN recently held a debate where the four candidates presented their platforms. This week at the radio station we presented the four candidates and their platforms. While none of the candidates is evangelical, We pray that God would guide Paraguayans to vote for the candidate that is most honest, who loves Paraguay to the core and who truly wants to help lead the nation out of poverty ...

So, we're excited that we got to see Machu Pichu, we had a great conference and we're ready to go home, right. We decide that we're going to squeeze 5 days into 3 and return by a "safer, more secure" route, through Argentina. Day 1- We start our return trip and continue getting stopped by Peruvian policemen. It's getting really annoying by now. Whatever. We're on our way out and focus on La Paz as our Day 1 goal. We arrive after crossing only one river to La Paz and stay with our dear friends, the Quispes, once again and talk until way too late. Since we only see each other like every 7 years, it's worth the lack of sleep to catch up! Day 2-We head out toward Potosi. We made great time to Oruro and THEN the mountain portion of the journey started. We're getting good at passing semi trucks in the mountains now. We got to Potosi at 7:00 p.m. and we didn't find a hotel until 9 p.m. Ugh. Prices were high and standards were low. Our favori...

Thanks everyone for your prayers. I'm home (as of Sat.) and I'm feeling more vigor every day. I still have all my organs intact too, which is exciting! However, I still can't keep up with our active 2 year old yet! Any suggestions :)

I (Julie) need to go in for surgery this afternoon. I have an ectopic pregnancy, which means the baby is growing outside the uterus (in my case, either in the ovary or the Fallopian tube it's hard to tell) and the embryo cannot live. So that my organs don't rupture and cause internal bleeding, I need to have the embryo removed immediately. We were 7 weeks 5 days along. We sought a second opinion today with the same results. We are of course very saddened by this news, but we trust in God's plan for our lives and His great love for us. Thank you for your prayers for the following: That the doctor will be able to use the most minimally invasive surgery That she will be able to preserve my ovary/tube That she will clean up any endometriosis hanging around That in the near future we will be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. We love and appreciate you, Julie, Norberto and Timmy