Passion for Paraguay

Nila is my youngest sister. I am the oldest son, followed by Mark, then Priscila, and finally Nila. One day after the accident, Nila said to me, "Norberto, if you need me, I am here." My mind was foggy; I could not make rational decisions. I must have said, "Come and stay with me for a while." That same week she moved out of her apartment and into my house, where she lives to this day. During her time with us, Nila has become an important role model for Anahi. We all cried together that first year, almost every day. She has cared for Anahi when I needed to go on trips or attend meetings. She has done grocery shopping, cooked meals, and cleaned up after Anahi. While others have given financially, prayed, and loved on us, Nila has given almost three years of her life to serve her brother and niece. I thank God for the loving family he has given me, and especially for Nila. This year, she met Ricardo, a wonderful young man, in Asuncion, Paraguay. They hav...

After several years of service, Michael and his wife Viviana are leaving Paraguay. Michael came as a single missionary to help Paraguayans learn about beekeeping and thus improve their income. Not only did Michael serve with bees, but he taught at ICCI, our bible training school in 2011 and 2012. During that time he spotted a wonderful Christian girl, whom he fell in love, later married. They are both on their way to the U.S., to pursue God's next in their lives. We worked together for a season, before and after the accident in 2012. Michael has worked closely with different families and groups. Among his works are the peanut sheller, which allowed locals to shell 50 times more peanuts per hour than doing it by hand. This peanut sheller was also duplicated in Puerto Barra, Naranjal, another location, where the Ache tribal group lives.  Thank you, Michael. For more on Michael and his journey visit…Facebook at Projectwhynot Norberto

Last Saturday, October 18th, marked two years and six months since the accident. I believe I have come a long way since those first months when all I wanted is not to be around anybody and just cry and cry. I am experiencing healing as the months and years pass me by.  Taking a break while in Asuncion and having fun Somewhere in Colorado in 2006 Timothy helping with baking in our second home This month, Timothy would almost be 9, while Julie would have turned 38 past July. My prayer lately has been: God, now what? How will you be using my story for a higher purpose?  Here are some pictures that I treasure when I celebrate the life of the wonderful wife and son God allowed me to share for over a decade. Christmas 2002. Just arrived in Paraguay Julie with my Priscila and Nila Extended family vacation in 2003 Trip to Arizona, Texas, furlough 2006. Having fun I treasure the memories with Julie and Timothy and keep them tucked in my heart, k...

If you are a missionary or someone that has lived outside the northern hemisphere, you can probably relate to the inconvenience of power and internet outages. As I traveled over the past months in the USA and a few places in Europe, I never faced a power outage, and rarely even an internet shortage. Now I am back in Paraguay, and just this weekend I had to postpone one of my emails seven times. Internet comes and goes. With the rain and strong winds, we have had at least 10 power outages in the last two weeks. Getting used to this new routine that’s so disruptive is taking me a little longer this time around. To maximize my time, I am starting a list of assignments for the phases of a typical day that includes power failures, internet outages, water shortages, knocks (many of them) at the front door, and unexpected services (speaking at funerals, filling in as a translator without notice). Here is the list so far (Julie would be very proud of me): ·    ...