The city of death, now a place of hope

Pedro Juan Caballero, town, northeastern Paraguay, founded in 1899. It lies in the Amambay Mountains at 2,296 feet (700 m) above sea level, opposite Ponta Pora, Braz. Pedro Juan Caballero is the region’s largest town and principal trade centre. The hinterland is utilized primarily for cattle ranching and coffee growing. (Britannica)

It was a first for us to visit this bustling community. There is much talked about this city and its drug trade and its violence, but we found the city to be really peaceful and the people were very welcoming.

There are a number of churches located in this city. Some are small, some are larger. We were invited by Esdras and Yolanda Gomez to be a part of a women's retreat and a general service. The church has been established four years ago by this couple who left their professional job in well paying company to embrace the task of starting a church with a focus on restoring the families in their community.

There are many universities, among them medical ones. Students from Brazil come and get their education in Pedro Juan for a fraction of what it would cost to study in Brazil. The weather is different in that the altitude plays a role in creating somewhat of a microclimate.

Having lived in Paraguay many years, I am surprised we did not visit this city before. It was also in this city where Francisco Solando Lopez, president of Paraguay, lost his life in 1870 at the end of one of the bloodiest war in the Latin America.

Pedro Juan Caballero is becoming a city of hope and people are moving in and coming to enjoy a new version of the city. Christ brings hope!

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