Passion for Paraguay

We arrived in Anderson after a thousand mile road trip with the family. We left Orlando after last weeks  Sunday morning service. In Orlando, we had a chance to connect with many friends. A highlight of the trip was the MVI (Missionary Ventures) conference. The theme of the conference was Renewal . Representatives from various countries made the conference a very international experience. Check out www.mvi.org For the next month we will be connecting with friends and family in the Midwest. Anderson has a special place in my life. My grandparents David and Lilian Meier went to Anderson College and felt their call into missions here. My mother, and some other relatives studied here and have gone into the world to do great missionary work. As we look ahead in the coming weeks, the kids are longing for some snow; this will be the first time Mark, Nicole, Nancy and Anahi see snow. We arrived with temperatures in the 50 s. We are told this is very warm for this time of the year....

Traveling We are on the road. Nicole and Mark took their first flight, and we are now settled in Orlando for a few weeks before driving up to Anderson, Indiana, in January. Taken during our visit to our beloved grandparents this week We have been planning for this trip almost all year, and it is finally here. Learning English and connecting with family and friends are two of the priorities during these months of traveling. The kids passed all of their classes and are excited for their break. They have been saving their money over the past few months. Nicole would like to buy a drone, and Mark wants a new cell phone. This week I introduced Nicole and Anahi to the Dollar Tree store. They each got something and are now planning their next visit. Both lamented the fact that we cannot have a store like this in Paraguay. I am setting up a closed FB group to keep everyone posted with more details as to our whereabouts during our trip.

I want to thank you for hanging out with us this past month. Every day was different. Sometimes I wish I had more of a routine. But in my missionary role, routine is not something I experience very often. Here are a few September highlights. We traveled to Asuncion, to get some paperwork done. The trip to Asuncion generally takes six hours on a two lane road, with crazy traffic. We avoid these trips as much as possible.  I was part of a Baptism ceremony in the Parana River. 28 people made a public commitment. The Parana Rive is the second one in size after the Amazon River. I had a chance to continue my bible teaching at our local church on Tuesday evenings. I fill in various classes and find teaching very rewarding. We celebrated Anahi’s 6th birthday with our immediate family. Anahi is finishing her preschool and will start first great next year We celebrated Dominick’s 4th month. He also got his shots last week. Dominick has occupied the cen...

This afternoon Nicole and I went on a walk around our city plaza. On the way Nicole noticed a lady selling wrist bracelets, made of goat leader, crocodile teeth and some other interesting products. We stopped and entered into a conversation with a woman who was waiting for her husband and baby to arrive. They have left Venezuela a few years ago, and have been traveling thru South America. Why did you leave Venezuela, we asked? The lady said, things are not going well in our home country she said. And they found Paraguay to be a quiet and peaceful place. She did not want to go into detail. As we got home, Nicole asked why are things not going well in Venezuela? This question overruled all other subjects this evening at the dinner table. Mark gave his opinion, then Nancy, while Anahi listened in, trying to catch a little of what must have sounded like a foreign topic to her six year old mind. When we were done, Nancy and I looked at each other and realized how our kids got enga...

I drove for about an hour to a location where I met with some pastors. Most people in ministry that I work with in Paraguay, have their support networks, but that is often not enough. From the outside everything seems ok, but underneath challenges and difficulties are always present. Whom to share this challenges is often the question? As a neutral person in some of my circles, I have had the chance to connect with many of these leaders. They just open up when they get the chance. Caring for those that are caring is such a huge need. i learned that again today. During our conversation, some tears where shed, and questions were raised about ministry in the local church. I was glad to be there and just listen in to hear them speak. I learned again today, how important it is to care for each other as pastors and missionaries. Many of you do that for me and my family.

This week, Nancy taught me how to make lasagna. We took Sunday off to rest and make a meal together. In the afternoon we went on a walk and spent time with the kids. I am trying to keep the Sabbath clear and benefit from this day. We enjoyed the time together. I learned a lot about Nancys style and abilities. She can cut the onions evenly at a high speed, probably 10 times faster than me. She also uses very few dishes. On the contrary I make a mess when I cook. I also learned that I get very distracted and have a hard time staying focused when I cook. Nancy on the other hand is very focused.  What about you, whats a meal you like preparing?

September is a wonderful month for our family. Anahi was born on a day like today. Nancy and I started dating on a September day. It’s the beginning of spring in South America. The weather has been incredible over the past days. As you live a little longer on this earth you learn to treasure the season you are in. You realized nothing will last forever and how important it is to flavor the moment. Today we are enjoying the birthday of Anahi. Nancy is making something so we will share this evening as a family. I look forward to dinner tonight as I finish my work in the office today. Over this past year, Anahi has learned to write, read and roller blade, among many other new skills. Every day I wake up I take a moment to thank God for the gift of my little girl. I love you Anahi. Happy Birthday!