Passion for Paraguay

A Legacy of Faith: The Story of Sergio and Margarita Sergio and Margarita are my in-laws. They are easy to love and be with; both are down-to-earth, hardworking, and fully devoted to God and family. Sergio works as a blacksmith during the week and serves as a pastor on weekends. As a couple, they have begun several churches and served the poor with true intent. Their story is truly special. After getting married, they struggled with infertility and prayed for years until, finally, it happened. First came one, then two (Nancy, my wife), and then three girls. They decided to try for a boy, but guess what? Another girl arrived. In their continued search for a son, they went for another round, and finally, the boy came—fifth in line. You would think they might stop there, but they decided to pray for one more boy. That is when twin sisters said, "Hello, we are here!" Almost like Jacob in his old age, they reached out for "one more" until the seventh girl appeared. All a...

My brother Marcos, who lives about an hour from our town, invited me and Mark, to go and see early movie this afternoon. He came with his son Matthew. Since there is only place to see a movie in our whole state, he drove my way to get some father son time. We had a blast. After the movie, we had some tea at our apartment and then had a bite of Nancys cookies. Mark, Matthew and a friend played their video games. Mondays are days I try to take off whenever possible. Since weekends can be pretty packed with trips and ministry activities, Mondays are a chance to sleep in a bit and catch up with running errands, hanging out with the kids and some home activities.   Mark loved it, so did Matthew my nephew. In my 30s I would not have considered taking a Monday afternoon off, just to be, and hang out with a family member. I was very, very focused in getting the next thing crossed off my list. But today, I am in the process of changing those patterns. I think the first miss...

Nancy and I love to travel. I believe you can learn so much about each other on trips. I grew up traveling a lot, and I desire to pass on that legacy to Mark, Nicole, and Anahi. This month we took a week off to visit family in Buenos Aires—aunts and uncles whom I rarely get to see because of the great distance—and get away while the kids are out of school. As we merge two families into one, we are all learning new skills and sharing our preferences on everything from the music we listen to on the radio, how money is spent, where to sleep, what to eat, and what activities to do. It's an adventure—and often a challenge—to reach a consensus. Trips are great triggers to bring out our best and our worst. At the beginning of our trip, I took a retreat to look back and look ahead. It’s something I have enjoyed doing f or a number of years at the beginning of each year. I can’t tell you how good these retreats have been for my soul, for my emotions, and for ministry decisions....

I spent last week with my Aunt Gisela in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is one of my favorite aunts.  She has the gift of hospitality. Staying at Gisela's house is like being on a retreat, and it’s very easy to be spoiled by Gisela. She serves you tea in the morning and takes lunch orders at 9 a.m. She makes everything from scratch. She serves you by not only opening her home and making things for you, but also by giving you the gift of her time, which is a lost trait in many homes. She sits down and asks questions and is honestly interested in you as a person. I believe that good hosting includes an ingredient of personal involvement. I have become aware again of how often I overlooked this aspect as Julie and I hosted people in our home over the years. I think that the gift of personal time exceeds all possessions and services. I asked Gisela about her years of caring for my grandmother, Emily. Emily lived with Gisela from age 84 to 101. We agreed that my grandma's gr...