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From Our Team in Conception, Paraguay |
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Dear Friends, Thank you for your prayers. They are needed and the Lord is blessing us in many ways. Today is a holiday so we worked this morning but very little this afternoon. Laura Z. has been ill, but for a week and a half most of us have enjoyed good health. Lately, that has changed and team members are coming down with colds and diarrhea. I just spoke to a guy who was for years involved in the Anglican Church where we are working. A year ago he turned away from it all and now he is an atheist. Death metal rock music is his reason for living, and he rattled off about six or seven groups he enjoyed. Such tastes are rare in a country where most people have less than a grade school education and live a hand to mouth existence, but I was able to challenge him a bit about where such a lifestyle was leading him. Octavio promised me he will stay in contact. On Monday we had a day off. My sons and I, along with Scott Kester, went with the Bishop's son, Saul, on a fishing trip up the Paraguay River. We were out most of the day and only caught one fish with whiskers longer than the fish itself. Nevertheless we delighted in God's creation. This is a bird watching paradise and the bird watching was rich. Also we pulled ashore the motor boat and canoe on several islands to rest and look around. At the end of the day as we came back to the city of Concepcion the sun was setting over the river that was as calm as the glassy sea before the Throne. Work is done at a different pace here. Throughout the day, the Paraguayan men we work with take many breaks for terere, a green tea they drink out of a cow horn and suck through a metal straw. Conversation is constant in Guarani. For Paraguayans it is much more important to have a good time with the guys you are working with than to get the job done; relationships over accomplishments. The armadillo I mentioned in the last email was tender and delicious. It would take a long time to describe the different foods the Paraguayan cooks are preparing for us every lunch and dinner. We are having culinary adventures on a daily basis. The children's ministry is an exhausting schedule for the missionary Irish lady named Claire who leads it, and for the other people who help her. Beth is involved. Day after day, she is cooking chocolate cakes for the kids. I think Claire told me she has seven different places where she goes to hold meetings with the neighborhood children. She is amazing. Every place she goes at least one hundred children flock around. Today she held a meeting in the place where we are working on. The roof is up but the walls are only up to about six or more feet. Scaffolding is all around. While the kids sat on the ground and sang songs led by Bishop Andres on guitar, and played games, and watched a puppet show, and heard a Bible story, and ate chocolate cake, the Paraguayan masons were laying bricks above them. The possibility that that might be a dangerous situation didn't enter anyone's mind. The open markets here are an experience in themselves. Colorful, chaotic, and full of life. As for the work we are doing, it is necessary and helpful; the friendships we are cultivating, the worship, the teaching and preaching, the children's ministry, the young people's programs. Besides all that the multi use building will serve as a second church in Concepcion as well as a place for children's stuff. In back of the church there is a place for impoverished indigenous peoples to stay while their ill family members receive hospital care. There is a room for a shortwave radio as well. The Chaco Indians are so isolated that there is no cell phone coverage, so they depend upon this kind of communication for emergencies and any kind of news. Several of our group are in the Chaco working to build another church. Presently the Chaco is experiencing a terrible drought and the water is brown and brackish. Fortunately, the team is having fresh drinking water shipped into them, but they must use the brown stuff to bathe and wash clothes. They are suffering. Scott and Malachi were planning to go there, but David Orritt decided that it would put too much strain on the water supply to bring in more people. Pastor Paul Howden August 11, 2007 Dear Friends, Greetings from this wonderful city of about 42,000 people. The streets are busy with motorcycles mixed with horse and oxen drawn carts, cows and chickens roaming around too. Charming. Forgive the lack of communication. We are very busy with work, and the computer service is unreliable and slow. I just sent a long email message that got erased before I could save it or send it. This will be shorter. Everyone on the team seems to be doing well. We are practicing our Spanish and Guarani, eating well, and staying healthy. The work projects are coming along faster than expected. We are painting, doing masonry, a lot of wheelbarrow work, and much more. A couple days ago, Bishop Andres Rodriguez´s mother passed away unexpectedly. There was a vigil that night, and two services the next day. They asked me to preach at the first. Yesterday we travelled in the back of vehicles to a small village called Ybapobo. On the way we saw parrots, many exotic birds, and even a herd (flock?) of ostriches. The meeting included instrumental music, songs, preaching, puppets, clowns, chocolate cake, and games. This has been the coldest winter in memory for the Paraguayans and last night it was frigid with the wind blowing. Yet over 200 stood for two hours in terrible weather in a field of weeds with only a few light bulbs strung up from poles. With better weather we could have seen many more. The people came close and watched our every movement and asked many questions. Malachi and Mark had to hold up the curtain for the puppet show, and the kids kept trying to pull it down and see what was going on in the back. One man was so appreciative of us coming he shot an armadillo and gave to us. Bishop put it in the back of the truck where our instruments were stored. The blood from the animal got over Timothy's music. No big deal. We are supposed to eat armadillo for lunch today. Please pray for us. There are children's VBS sort of things going on constantly. We have a youth meeting tonight. Sunday we have a special part in the Communion service. The people love us and we love them and we are eating well. It seems that the Lord is blessing us, and we sense your prayers. In Christ, Pastor Paul Howden |
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