months - 7
weeks - 35
days - 245
mintutes - 352,800
seconds - 21,168,000
since I left home. (approx)
So it is a slow Monday morning here at Alto Refugio, and so I spent some time with my cellphone calculator figuring out how much time I have actually been away from home. I started thinking about it this morning as I was walking my 1km walk to the highway, and a song from the musical Rent was going through my mind. It sings about there being five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes in a year, and so I wanted to know how many minutes I have been gone. After I figured that out, I did not go back and try to figure out how many minutes I have left. If it was yesterday afternoon I would have, but then I talked to my parents. The thoughts about what I will do when I get home have been running through my mind non stop for the last couple of months - and honestly it has been driving my crazy!! But as I was talking to my parents, I think it was my dad who told me not worry because I can figure it out later - we´re just going to hang out and have fun when I get back. That got me thinking. It´s so true that I need to stop worrying about my future, because what can I do about it from Paraguay? I can´t go for job interviews, I can´t know what positions will be open where in 4 months, and only God truly knows what is in store for me! Instead I need to focus on living here in Paraguay, and enjoying every moment - which I have been!! I have had a couple of interesting experiences, including my most recent involving a group of hippies, a drunk, a rose, and now a dreadlock in my hair (ask me later for more details if you so choose) - but I have always felt safe, and know that God is watching over me.
Mom asked me yesterday how the sappos (giant toads) are doing lately, and I informed her that sappo season is over, and now we are into tarantula season. Yepp I have seen 3 dead ones in my travels, but no live ones yet (although I´m hoping to!) We are now into autumn here, and so the weather has started its up and down thing again - last week was super hot, this week has been cool and rainy, and who knows what tomorrow will be! My host mom and I like to hang out in the evenings, and if it´s cool and overcast (like last night) and my host dad isn´t around, then we like to sit, eat popcorn (that I am getting good at making now) and talk. I think I have said this before, but I am certain that I have learned most of my spanish from Lida and our numerous conversations.
And I think that is about the summary of my latest news. If you would like to see me I am skyping into the LMC service on Sunday, May 2nd!! Come prepared to ask me some sweet questions, and hopefully get some sweet answers!!
Chau!!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
time - goes - by - so - quickly
It is the end of March already, and I can´t believe how fast it got here. It feels like yesterday that I was bording the last plane from Brazil into Paraguay, not really knowing what I was getting myself into, and now I´m into my last 3.5 months here. Part of feels like I am ready to get on the plane home, but more of me knows that my time here is not quite done yet and so I have to be content in knowing that this is where I am supposed to be right now. Today is my first day back to my volunteer placement after having a week off for vacation. This morning it was super hard for me to get out of bed - I was so ready to stay on vacation and never come back. When I got to work though, I had plesent surprises - no kids to look after until 11am, and tomorrow with them we are going to be making chipa (cheesy type bread) and having an easter egg hunt - this should be fun! God places things in our lives to brighten our days when we need them the most, and these both brightened my day!
So I mentioned vacation earlier - we spent the last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was beautiful!!! Very North American, but I totally didn´t mind - it was such a beautiful experience. I can´t wait to go back sometime. We took a 4 hour bike trip around the city, went to see a tango show (and even took lessons before hand), took a short bus/boat/train tour of a neighbouring city, walked ALOT, and even ended up going over to Uruguay for a day (one hour by boat). We took a first class bus home (my birthday present from the team) which had nearly fully reclining seats, good food and even blankets!! This was a super nice change from the bus we took down. The seats were much wider and better for getting comfortable for sleeping. The other buses are fine for the shorter 10 hour trips we´ve taken, but for the 18 hours it takes to get to and from BA, this was a nice treat. We ran into no problems this trip (other than missing the bike tour because we were at the worng park, but we took it the next day instead) and only being slightly late for a couple other things we had planned - but it all worked out in the end. We stayed in an apartment associated with a mennonite church in BA. It was in a house that the church rents out to students studying in BA. Our part consisted of a room with two sets of bunk beds with about 4ft in between that we squeezed a mattress into for me to sleep on. We also had another super small room attached to it with a small table, couple of chairs and a window - needless to say we spent the least amount of time possible there, and it had a slightly weird smell to it by the end of day two (we blamed that on the guys). All in all it was a great trip - a nice opportunity to have a slight taste of home away from home - totally different than Paraguay. But like the title of this post, the time went by super fast.
Our team has been so blessed with the opportunity to leave the country every 90days to renew our visas and see abit more of South America. We aren´t sure where we will go for the next one, but I think we hoping to head to Bolivia!
So I mentioned vacation earlier - we spent the last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was beautiful!!! Very North American, but I totally didn´t mind - it was such a beautiful experience. I can´t wait to go back sometime. We took a 4 hour bike trip around the city, went to see a tango show (and even took lessons before hand), took a short bus/boat/train tour of a neighbouring city, walked ALOT, and even ended up going over to Uruguay for a day (one hour by boat). We took a first class bus home (my birthday present from the team) which had nearly fully reclining seats, good food and even blankets!! This was a super nice change from the bus we took down. The seats were much wider and better for getting comfortable for sleeping. The other buses are fine for the shorter 10 hour trips we´ve taken, but for the 18 hours it takes to get to and from BA, this was a nice treat. We ran into no problems this trip (other than missing the bike tour because we were at the worng park, but we took it the next day instead) and only being slightly late for a couple other things we had planned - but it all worked out in the end. We stayed in an apartment associated with a mennonite church in BA. It was in a house that the church rents out to students studying in BA. Our part consisted of a room with two sets of bunk beds with about 4ft in between that we squeezed a mattress into for me to sleep on. We also had another super small room attached to it with a small table, couple of chairs and a window - needless to say we spent the least amount of time possible there, and it had a slightly weird smell to it by the end of day two (we blamed that on the guys). All in all it was a great trip - a nice opportunity to have a slight taste of home away from home - totally different than Paraguay. But like the title of this post, the time went by super fast.
Our team has been so blessed with the opportunity to leave the country every 90days to renew our visas and see abit more of South America. We aren´t sure where we will go for the next one, but I think we hoping to head to Bolivia!
Friday, February 26, 2010
What Do You Do When You Live In A Shoe?
This title has no relevent meaning to my blog post at all, but I liked it and it has been going through my mind the past couple of days so I thought I would use it.
I really have no plan for this blog post either, and feel as though it will be a bunch of random thoughts put down so I hope you enjoy them!
This morning on the way into work on a very crowded bus I had my purse slashed open, but thankfully nothing was stolen. I was carrying my cellphone, mp3 player, visa card and passport with me. I didn´t realize what had happened until I got to work, and looking back I could have prevented it. I guess it´s a life lesson!
Lent season is here, and even though I got started a week late (things usually are abit delayed here I find! actually I counted the days wrong or something) I am focusing on prayer, and setting a time aside every day for purposefull prayer, and a bible study.
Our team is heading to Argentina again in a couple of weeks, after a visit from our director in the states. We are all really looking forward to a week spent in Buenes Aires.
Time here is flying by SO fast, and hopefully it will start to cool down soon. The past 2 days have been beautiful - cool (27ºC-30ºC) and slightly overcast.
I got a chance to help out with a special day for the kids at Alto Refugio. They have just started back into school, and so we had a day where we handed out backpacks and school kits to the ones who can´t afford things like this. It was beautiful to see their smiling faces and new things.
Other than that, I am sick of the city life, and ready for the peace and quiet of the country again, without the sound of latin music or dogs barking - but I am sure it will come soon enough!
God Bless
I really have no plan for this blog post either, and feel as though it will be a bunch of random thoughts put down so I hope you enjoy them!
This morning on the way into work on a very crowded bus I had my purse slashed open, but thankfully nothing was stolen. I was carrying my cellphone, mp3 player, visa card and passport with me. I didn´t realize what had happened until I got to work, and looking back I could have prevented it. I guess it´s a life lesson!
Lent season is here, and even though I got started a week late (things usually are abit delayed here I find! actually I counted the days wrong or something) I am focusing on prayer, and setting a time aside every day for purposefull prayer, and a bible study.
Our team is heading to Argentina again in a couple of weeks, after a visit from our director in the states. We are all really looking forward to a week spent in Buenes Aires.
Time here is flying by SO fast, and hopefully it will start to cool down soon. The past 2 days have been beautiful - cool (27ºC-30ºC) and slightly overcast.
I got a chance to help out with a special day for the kids at Alto Refugio. They have just started back into school, and so we had a day where we handed out backpacks and school kits to the ones who can´t afford things like this. It was beautiful to see their smiling faces and new things.
Other than that, I am sick of the city life, and ready for the peace and quiet of the country again, without the sound of latin music or dogs barking - but I am sure it will come soon enough!
God Bless
Saturday, January 30, 2010
High Refuge
So I have started yet another volunteer placement here in Paraguay, and hopefully I will be here until the end of my time now. I am helping at a place called Alto Refugio - High Refuge in english. This is a place that helps out adults and children who are infected, or affected by HIV/AIDS. It was started by a couple who are originally from Manitoba, but have grown up here in Paraguay.
What do I do there? Basically the question is what don´t I do there. I help out around the office, in the kitchen, with the cleaning staff, with a clothing sale they put on every Wed, go on hospital visits, and help with a program called Dulce Refugio (Sweet Refuge) which works with the children who come in.
It is a beautiful ministry, and I am enjoying my time there immensly. I have made so many new friends, and everyone who works or volunteers there are so warm and welcoming.
There are about 5 people in Alto Refugio who can speak fluently about 4 or 5 languages, and to hear them come in and out of different languages is so cool! Lately I have been feeling that my spanish is ok, but I´m not really sure it´s where it should be after 4 months of being here. Listening to these people though has been giving me incentive to keep up my spanish studying, instead of being content with where it is now.
What do I do there? Basically the question is what don´t I do there. I help out around the office, in the kitchen, with the cleaning staff, with a clothing sale they put on every Wed, go on hospital visits, and help with a program called Dulce Refugio (Sweet Refuge) which works with the children who come in.
It is a beautiful ministry, and I am enjoying my time there immensly. I have made so many new friends, and everyone who works or volunteers there are so warm and welcoming.
There are about 5 people in Alto Refugio who can speak fluently about 4 or 5 languages, and to hear them come in and out of different languages is so cool! Lately I have been feeling that my spanish is ok, but I´m not really sure it´s where it should be after 4 months of being here. Listening to these people though has been giving me incentive to keep up my spanish studying, instead of being content with where it is now.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Campemento
So this past weekend I had the chance to go to a youth retreat, with my church and abunch of other mennonite churchs from around Paraguay. It was alot of fun. Every morning I woke up and found a new muscle that had not been used in awhile, aching from the games played the day before. There were 2 sessions a day, both of which I got basically nothing out of, but it gave me alot of time to think about some things going on in my life right now.
Lately I have been asked quite afew times if I know what I might like to do when I get home. I don´t know if people are asking because it is now 2010 and I will be home in 6 months or what, but honestly no I have no idea what I want to do when I get home. Some days it frusterates me not knowing, because I have always been a person who knew what I was doing the next year - the answere was always school. Now I have a world of opportunities, but don´t know where to start. I know God will reveal his plans for me when he is ready, and until then I try to stay patient (very hard for me to do sometimes). I ask for your prayers during this time!!
Other than that I am really enjoying my time here in Paraguay. I have made many wonderful friends and relationships with those who live around me, and within my church family.
Lately I have been asked quite afew times if I know what I might like to do when I get home. I don´t know if people are asking because it is now 2010 and I will be home in 6 months or what, but honestly no I have no idea what I want to do when I get home. Some days it frusterates me not knowing, because I have always been a person who knew what I was doing the next year - the answere was always school. Now I have a world of opportunities, but don´t know where to start. I know God will reveal his plans for me when he is ready, and until then I try to stay patient (very hard for me to do sometimes). I ask for your prayers during this time!!
Other than that I am really enjoying my time here in Paraguay. I have made many wonderful friends and relationships with those who live around me, and within my church family.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas
We spent 3 days in Argentina right before Christmas, and what a time we had. I am sure that all of my other teammates have written up about it on their blogs, so feel free to check them out as I do not feel like writing it all out.
Christmas here was very different then in Canada. We had a big meal on the 24th at about 10:30pm, and after that alot of people came over and we all hung out until about 3am. Christmas morning I slept in until noon, and that was Christmas!! It was very hot on both the 24th and the 25th, and in the afternoon of the 25th my family and a couple of friends spent the afternoon swimming in a river. This was a first for me, as well as recieveing a pair of shorts and a tank top for a present.
People kept asking me if I was sad, whether I cried alot, and how my first Christmas away from home went. And I told them all that this is not Christmas for me. I didn´t cry, didn´t really miss my family (sorry guys :) ) and basically felt that it was just another normal, hot day in Paraguay with another late night meal. I am actually quite glad it turned out like this, as I had visions of it being the crappiest day of the year and such, but it turned out quite well.
Time is passing very quickly in Paraguay, as we are past the 3 month mark already!! Some days I am still wondering why I am here, but then I just remember God put me here for a reason and that helps me be content with the situation!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!
(ps Darrell I hope you are happy this is my second blog this month - just for you :) )
Christmas here was very different then in Canada. We had a big meal on the 24th at about 10:30pm, and after that alot of people came over and we all hung out until about 3am. Christmas morning I slept in until noon, and that was Christmas!! It was very hot on both the 24th and the 25th, and in the afternoon of the 25th my family and a couple of friends spent the afternoon swimming in a river. This was a first for me, as well as recieveing a pair of shorts and a tank top for a present.
People kept asking me if I was sad, whether I cried alot, and how my first Christmas away from home went. And I told them all that this is not Christmas for me. I didn´t cry, didn´t really miss my family (sorry guys :) ) and basically felt that it was just another normal, hot day in Paraguay with another late night meal. I am actually quite glad it turned out like this, as I had visions of it being the crappiest day of the year and such, but it turned out quite well.
Time is passing very quickly in Paraguay, as we are past the 3 month mark already!! Some days I am still wondering why I am here, but then I just remember God put me here for a reason and that helps me be content with the situation!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!
(ps Darrell I hope you are happy this is my second blog this month - just for you :) )
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December
So I know it´s been awhile since I have last blogged, my mom finally emailed me and told me I should probably do one since people keep asking her what I am doing here. What am I doing here? That question rolls through my head on numerous occasions when I hear from all my friends at home, and what they are doing. Then the question springs to mind ´why the heck am I living in Paraguay and not at home in my cozy home living my normal life?` I guess it´s because God had other plans for my life. He has been stretching my in so many ways since I got here, and I know he will continue stretching me until I come home.
So I have started working at Chacomer - a large factory that makes motorcycles. Actually I´m working right behind it at a place that feeds street people breakfast and lunch everyday. I only have to go in for lunch though. Everyday there is probably 70 people that come - mostly children, but there are adults too. These are the people that I see everyday on the buses selling Coke, cookies, or singing trying to make a couple dollars. They are all wonderful people. The children call me `tia´ (aunt in spanish) and always come running for a hug when I get there. When I first started there, I wondered why they needed me because I don´t really do a whole lot, but then I realized I come to love the children and adults that may not get a hug anywhere else. Yes the bus ride is an hour long both ways, and yes it is over the hottest part of the day, but I am doing alright so far.
My team is preparing to go to Argentina for 3 days right before Christmas to renue our visas, and then the Christmas festivities start for me on Christmas Eve. The latino people celebrate Christmas on the 24th at midnight, by having a huge meal, and then sleeping most of the day on the 25th. I think this is going to be a tough time for me being away from my friends and family at this time, but the way I look at it is, in two weeks it will be all over - then I just have to get through my 19th birthday alone!
I have missed the snow a little bit - I know it´s hard to believe, but I think anyone would miss it just a little bit if they were living here. Especially the mornings you wake up after a snow fall and the sun is glistening on the snowflakes - all you at home enjoy it for me!!
Merry Christmas
So I have started working at Chacomer - a large factory that makes motorcycles. Actually I´m working right behind it at a place that feeds street people breakfast and lunch everyday. I only have to go in for lunch though. Everyday there is probably 70 people that come - mostly children, but there are adults too. These are the people that I see everyday on the buses selling Coke, cookies, or singing trying to make a couple dollars. They are all wonderful people. The children call me `tia´ (aunt in spanish) and always come running for a hug when I get there. When I first started there, I wondered why they needed me because I don´t really do a whole lot, but then I realized I come to love the children and adults that may not get a hug anywhere else. Yes the bus ride is an hour long both ways, and yes it is over the hottest part of the day, but I am doing alright so far.
My team is preparing to go to Argentina for 3 days right before Christmas to renue our visas, and then the Christmas festivities start for me on Christmas Eve. The latino people celebrate Christmas on the 24th at midnight, by having a huge meal, and then sleeping most of the day on the 25th. I think this is going to be a tough time for me being away from my friends and family at this time, but the way I look at it is, in two weeks it will be all over - then I just have to get through my 19th birthday alone!
I have missed the snow a little bit - I know it´s hard to believe, but I think anyone would miss it just a little bit if they were living here. Especially the mornings you wake up after a snow fall and the sun is glistening on the snowflakes - all you at home enjoy it for me!!
Merry Christmas
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
