Passion for Paraguay

Happy 12th Anniversary, Jewls I still remember it like it was yesterday, that hot August 12th in 2000, when you walked with your mom and dad down the stairs of the open auditorium of In Pursuit Camps in Seymour, Indiana. It was the day we said "yes" to a lifetime together. Your face, your dress, your eyes said everything. You were radiant, pure, beautiful, gentle, and ready to begin the journey of a lifetime. That day was the culmination of more than three years of dating after meeting in college. It was a big step that we did not take lightly. We knew that the journey of two lives becoming one, bridging two cultures, and merging two languages would have its challenges. You wrestled for a while, and so did I. For a time, you played hard to get, and I think I even got you back once—just for a moment. Above all, we both wanted to follow God's path for us and not be an obstacle in each other’s life. In time, God answered our prayers and confirmed our "yes...

Julie was the blogger in the family. Occasionally I would post a story or share my thoughts, but this blog was a personal way for Julie to communicate.  Since the accident, I have been debating whether I should continue posting here, where Julie so passionately and regularly shared her thoughts, her struggles, and our adventures in Paraguay. For three months, I've put it off, but today is a special day, and I strongly feel the need to honor her. I think that Julie would encourage me to continue her work and maybe even smile from heaven as I post this blog entry on what would have been her 36th birthday. I am told that time d oes not exist in heaven, so whatever age we are when we leave this world does not really matter in eternity. Does that mean that Julie won’t have a party to celebrate? Well, from what I understand, heaven is so very special that the party never ends. And that's good because Julie loved to celebrate. We would celebrate getting documents, or clear...

Just wanted to share the good news that the judge signed the paper we needed yesterday and we will be heading to Asuncion today to obtain Esther Anahi's birth certificate and passport.  It was very interesting how the whole situation played out.  I decided I had to speak with her personally, so I dressed up Anahi in her cutest outfit and I drove one hour to her office.  My heart was pounding so hard as I walked right upstairs to her office.  I felt like Queen Esther before the King without prior consent.  I asked the judge's secretary if I could show her Anahi.  This judge cared for our daughter for a few nights after she was brought in by the police for transfer to Asuncion.  She also was the one who named her. When I went to the office, our lawyer told me that she might not even see us.  However, Anahi just kinda walked into her office.  When she saw how beautiful Anahi was she began to cry.  We talked for a few minutes and Anahi gav...

Have you read this story of the baby alive in the morgue in northeast Argentina?  It's an absolute miracle!  While it didn't happen here in Paraguay, it was pretty close. 

After having our power off Thursday, Friday, part of Saturday and part of this morning, we have had a VERY quiet Holy Week!! Here are some pics we took right before the service...thanks to our wonderful photographer Nila.  There were many people at church last night and we believe the Holy Spirit was stirring hearts. It rained again this morning and after the rain let up, we were able to hide some Easter eggs for the children this afternoon to enjoy an American tradition.   The eggs are typically Paraguayan and they are beautiful.  You use a real egg shell and splatter paint it.  Then hollow it out and put in a sugary peanut mixture.  After it's full, cut out a piece of tissue paper and adhere it to the egg using egg white as a glue.      The eggs and family time are fun, but we are grateful that we celebrate the true significance of Easter, RISEN KING today and on every day of the year!

On Thursday we had a fierce tropical storm.  We thought the winds were hurricane speed and they took down two trees in our yard. We were out of power for ten hour on Thursday and all day on Friday.  I guess it's kinda fitting to be in silence on Good Friday! There are some positive things to storms.  One, we got some much-needed rain.  Two, we got to rest.  Three, we took advantage of the fierce winds and picked up a wheelbarrow of avocados that had fallen from our trees!  We'll be sharing with the whole neighborhood and making lots of guacamole!     We also got a bunch of fallen banana bunches. Norberto will be preaching tonight on the Good Shepherd at church.  So, keep him in your prayers. We wish you a very Blessed Easter!!

 These past two weeks the students have been working hard to fill an order for 220 lbs of shelled peanuts for our large cooperative.  The extra value of a shelled peanut is worth twice as much as an unshelled nut.  At Easter time, people make a sugary peanut mix and fill eggs with it.  (I will try and get a picture of them for you).  So, this is definitely the time to sell peanuts! Here is one of the students carrying a 40 lb bag of peanuts from dry storage to the nut sheller.  The students are grinding the peanuts in our Universal Nut Sheller. Here they are separating the peanuts from their shells. This is another way of separating the fine shell from the peanuts, with a fan!  This is a very exciting and busy time for our students.  It is giving them a real glimpse at running a micro-enterprise and it is giving them a challenge to reach.  We are grateful for everyone who helped us purchase the nut sheller. Once we get the peanuts shell...