Passion for Paraguay

We're leaving today for the Land of the Incas!  We will be near Lima this week for the South American Missionary Ventures conference and are really excited about.  Unlike the last conference in Peru 2008, we will not be driving ( a 9 day adventure and four part blog post !).  We will both be sharing this week at some point on accountability (J) and serving cross-culturally (N).  We're looking forward to some great fellowship, worship and growth!  There's just one bummer....  our camera broke this week so hopefully we can snag a pic or two from someone else. This is the first time we'll be away from our little guy for more than one night, so pray for him.  He is in wonderful hands, with abuela/abuelo and his sweet tia , thank you for your love and care.  Also, pray for spiritual and emotional renewal and for safe travels. The day we return we receive international guests who will travel up north with Norberto to plan out all the details f...

Yesterday we heard our 1988 Surburban purr into the driveway for the last time.  It was a nostalgic moment as Norberto took us for one final spin around town.  We took some time to reminisce and thank God for the numerous ways he has blessed us with this practically, problem-free ministry vehicle .  It got us safely here, and ever since hitting the soil, it's helped so many pastors, children and of course, set records carting around youth!  We give God all the glory that even though it was almost stolen from us last year, that wasn't God's plan.  This was.   Blue will now be serving Hogar Ganar , a long-term Christian home for abandoned and at-risk children, in Itaugua, Paraguay.  The cool thing is that Julie's cousins, Jayne and Joe , arrived in Paraguay to serve as new missionaries with the children there just over a month ago!  We're so happy to have more family serving with us in the heart of South America and we ask that you would pr...

Yesterday I had just taken Timmy to preschool and I look up and the sky was full of black smoke.  I told my sister-in-law as we were driving home that the smoke looked like it was really close to our house.  As we approached our road my heart started to beat really fast....the smoke seemed like it was in our back yard!  Our neighbor's field was on fire!   I pulled in the drive to find Norberto and our international guest were in the front yard and going next door to check it out.  On the way, he called the firemen to alert them of the situation.  Thankfully, they were already on the scene. Here are the firefighters in action.  At one point in the video, Norberto is telling them where to go to get more water because they ran out!   Also, look closely at the hose; this is Paraguay people!  Remind me to lend them some duct tape. I stayed at home and watered our straw hut because the roaring sound of the fire was getting awfully close....

Timmy's corn is starting to come up (photo credit:  Timmy) We fixed up our chicken house (thank you David!) and just got a new batch of chicks!  Timmy is the best caretaker and even asked us if he could sleep in there to keep the chicks safe. Norberto's sister, Nila, is teaching us how to make our own organic peanut butter using a meat grinder!  We hope to incorporate peanuts in one of our micro enterprise products. We continue to work on our geo-thermal heating/cooling system.  This will allow us to dramatically reduce our heating bill this fast-approaching winter and conserve the environment as well!  We are having a huge problem with pests these days.  If it's not rats, it's ants.  Then there's the fleas and the piques (sand fleas) which are our mortal enemy!  We've been fumigating and trying every remedy possible against these ugly nuisances.  Every night we have to check our feet for the little critters.  They burrow their...

These pastors serving in Paraguay are revving up their new motorcycle engines.  As promised ,(a wee while ago) we wanted to show you the other five motorcycles, of nine total that we were honored to distribute in 2009!  Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) to our friends and partners in ministry, CMA .  Because of your love and commitment, the word of God is being shared faster and farther in Paraguay! Pastor Adriano serving a church and children's feeding center in Itapaso Pastor Cristian in Obligado Pastor Marisa in Santa Rita Pastor associate Ramon in Santa Clara Pastor Xavier in Asuncion Run for the Son , the annual CMA fundraiser to send bikes around the world, is coming up right around the corner on May 1st this year.  It is our total privilege for us to partner with our biker brothers and sisters.  We love you CMA and we hope that the 2010 season is full of safe rides and blessings for you!

We always enjoy getting out in nature and exploring new places.  Yesterday we went with some friends to the district of Alto Vera.  However, arriving was quite a challenge!  There were no signs and the locals didn't even know how to direct us.  So, we would stop and ask 3 different people for clarification! We finally arrived around lunchtime, when the heat was so intense!  We had been warned about snakes, but we only saw one snake on the trail. We had lunch at this beautiful rock quarry.  Thank goodness for shade! We had a hard time making it up the hill because we were all attacked by ants.  We had to run on the trail to keep them from clinging to our shoes!  This is the view from the top of "Cerro Pero" It was so hot, that we had to stop and swim in the river on the way back down!  Ahhh, that's much better! Norberto is preaching tonight's Easter service.  Thanks for keeping him and all the visitors in your prayers.  H...