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
Friday, February 26, 2010
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
Monday, November 16, 2009
Pizza Hut
So since before coming here to Paraguay, and since getting here, there hasn´t been a day that I haven´t wondered or asked God why he brought me to this country, and I think I may finally have an answer.
A friend and I were sitting in Pizza Hut on Saturday afternoon talking about everything under the sun. She is a teacher here, but is from Whales, so she understands what I am going through, and all the cultural differences and struggles I have encountered. She once told me that a friend told her that God only brings the stong to Paraguay because it is a hard country to live in - which is so true. She also told me that he brings the independent and strong willed to show them that we really do need to rely on God everyday. I am a very strong willed and independent person, and I have to admit that when I was living at home I didn´t really need to rely on anyone for much. I could basically go where I wanted, when I wanted, do what I wanted and not have to worry about much. I could communicate with everyone around me with ease, and never thought about how others might feel coming new into my town, church or school. I went to church every Sunday, said my prayers before eating, and was baptized at 16, but never truly lived out my faith to the fullest. You could almost have called me a hypocrite Christian. Well apparently God decided it was time for me to get a reality check, and decided it was time I began relying on him.
Since coming here I have relied on God every minute of everyday. Some mornings its a struggle for me to get out of bed because I know I am going to have to speak spanish - all day, when that happens I just ask for the courage and wisdom to get through it. On the days when I have so much homesickness I just want to get on the next plane home I ask for a hug from God and I always get one. The other day I was going to work with a friend and had to walk up a fairly large hill, and it was quite warm out already. I was in an area that buses don´t go through very often and figured my chances of getting one was slim. I started walking and said a quick prayer asking for a bus. After I said it I turned around and there was the bus I wanted. In Canada I would have thought I got lucky. Here in Paraguay I thanked God so much for answering my prayer. It´s little things like that, that are bringing me back to God. Even seeing a firefly the other night and thinking how great is our God that he created something so cool as a glowing bug.
I hope that all made a little bit of sense!!
A friend and I were sitting in Pizza Hut on Saturday afternoon talking about everything under the sun. She is a teacher here, but is from Whales, so she understands what I am going through, and all the cultural differences and struggles I have encountered. She once told me that a friend told her that God only brings the stong to Paraguay because it is a hard country to live in - which is so true. She also told me that he brings the independent and strong willed to show them that we really do need to rely on God everyday. I am a very strong willed and independent person, and I have to admit that when I was living at home I didn´t really need to rely on anyone for much. I could basically go where I wanted, when I wanted, do what I wanted and not have to worry about much. I could communicate with everyone around me with ease, and never thought about how others might feel coming new into my town, church or school. I went to church every Sunday, said my prayers before eating, and was baptized at 16, but never truly lived out my faith to the fullest. You could almost have called me a hypocrite Christian. Well apparently God decided it was time for me to get a reality check, and decided it was time I began relying on him.
Since coming here I have relied on God every minute of everyday. Some mornings its a struggle for me to get out of bed because I know I am going to have to speak spanish - all day, when that happens I just ask for the courage and wisdom to get through it. On the days when I have so much homesickness I just want to get on the next plane home I ask for a hug from God and I always get one. The other day I was going to work with a friend and had to walk up a fairly large hill, and it was quite warm out already. I was in an area that buses don´t go through very often and figured my chances of getting one was slim. I started walking and said a quick prayer asking for a bus. After I said it I turned around and there was the bus I wanted. In Canada I would have thought I got lucky. Here in Paraguay I thanked God so much for answering my prayer. It´s little things like that, that are bringing me back to God. Even seeing a firefly the other night and thinking how great is our God that he created something so cool as a glowing bug.
I hope that all made a little bit of sense!!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Heat
Since coming here everyone´s favourite question to ask me is ¨are you hot?¨ because they automatically know the answer is going to be yes, and it always is. I think that they assume that since I´m from Canada, I have never expierenced heat before, which I haven´t or atleast not heat like this. This morning I went out, and at 930am it was already 35ºC. My spare time is filled with sitting under a fan, with my feet in a pail of coolish water and drinking terrerre. I am actually enjoying it though. As much as I want it to cool down, and to stop sweating for longer than the 10 min in a cold shower, I know that at the end of this I will be able to say I survived Paraguay. God has placed me here for a reason, and even though everyday I ask why me and why here, I know that there is a reason.
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