7?... 7x70?... 490?... or even...

 7,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777,777?

I read that last one in a Bible study a few months ago--that it's possible that in Matthew 18:22 Jesus was saying "7, 70 times."  Really, I don't know Greek or Hebrew, but I do know that Jesus was demanding forgiveness without condition--or limit.

Many times while traveling around the U.S., I was presented with the idea that missionaries are super-human.  No one physically gave me a cape, or made a bronze statue of me (thankfully), but many did put me on a pedestal.  (And I am the last person that belongs up there!)  It was usually inferred by little phrases, meant to be compliments:

"I always wanted to be a missionary, but  _(fill in the blank)_."

"I could never leave my family."

"I don't like bugs and I really  don't like snakes."

"I could never do what you're doing."

"You're so selfless for doing what you're doing."

One side of a missionary scoffs at this--each one of us has a "but" that could have held us back in our home country; I don't enjoy not being a regular part of my family members lives; bugs--yea, if you've been following me a while, you know how I feel about those--and snakes, not currently an issue, but not on my Top 10 List of Reasons to Live in Paraguay; I can't do what I'm doing either; and lastly--here's the kicker--MISSIONARIES ARE NOT SELFLESS.

Not naturally.

Naturally, we are just other humans.  And what drives all of mankind?  Self.  My comfort, my desires, my goals, my dreams.  In every culture around the world, mankind is driven by self-preservation.  When I take a look at the last time I was in an argument, or the last time I was offended--too often it is because I am insisting on my way and want everyone else to do what I want.  Not really Christ's example, is it? 

What sets Christians apart, ought to be the desire to be like a glove.  A glove, laying on the shelf in the garage, is completely useless.  It's just sitting there, collecting dust.  Yet, when put on a hand, it can be an aid to raking leaves, shoveling snow, catching a baseball, or driving a car.  It's nothing without the life that gives it purpose.  Just like that glove, the actions of a Christian are nothing without the Life that flows through us (2 Corinthians 5:14.) 

Since Christmas, I have had the opportunity to go on three weekend trips with friends to visit their family members.  It was so humbling to have friends that I've known for less than five months say, "Come be a part of my family for one of our two most important holidays of the year" and "We're going on vacation, come with us."  And yet, on two of those trips, I made it painfully clear to my friends that I have a natural, fleshy side--that I am not a super-human.  Thankfully, I have been able to go back to those friends, to apologize and explain that I was in the wrong.  

Missionaries and Christians are not super-humans.  But, more importantly, we are "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37) because Jesus Christ has fought the ultimate battle for us.  He has forgiven us of all our sins.

Read that again.

He has forgiven me of ALL my sins.

 This battle we think we're fighting has already been won.  Because of Jesus Christ's death on the cross, mankind has a way back to a whole relationship with God.  The ultimate forgiveness has already occurred.  My task now, is to walk daily in that forgiveness, to continue to forgive others, and to be quick to ask forgiveness as well.  I pray that last one gets a break for a long time.  

All Roads May Lead to Rome...

...but all pipes lead to the sewer.  I'm convinced of it.  Growing up in the '80s & '90s scarred me from things that come out of pipes--think Gremlins & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (though, really, that second option was soo  bad, just a little gross!)  Oh, and then there was Ghostbusters, too!

When we moved to Louisiana (I was 11), I learned a new talent--how to kill cockroaches.  Only six months before on a visit to Florida I met my first cockroach, and I'm still recovering.  Those first 10 1/2 years were fantastic.  Every once in a while, a roach would be crawling around my teenage-clothing-covered room, and I'd have to try to find it ::aka, kill it:: in order to sleep peacefully.  Occasionally my brother and I would run to each others rooms at 2am--"Get up!  Help, I can't find it--and it's BIG this time!"  (They're always bigger when you've just woken up!)  Some of our best teamwork was searching through each others rooms to kill bugs and get back to sleep as soon as possible.

But.  I have been to the other side (no, I didn't go down in a sewer!)  I am now south of the Equator.  I have a two-sink kitchen, which is AWESOME.  But, both drain pipes, and the drain pipe from the washer empty into an uncovered hole in the floor. 

UNTIL TONIGHT.

Some good friends here have had worse issues, and covered a MASSIVE hole in their bathroom with a layer (or five) of duct tape.  I'd thought of this and various other solutions, but always assumed they brought the Magic Tape with them from the US.  Today I discovered that I'd been wrong--they bought it here!  I quickly went to visit the hardware store again, and after describing "really strong tape with fibers that's silver colored" the man said "Do you want to fix a pool?"  "Something like that..."  And he handed me multiple colors of duct tape!!  So, after 19,000 guaranies ($4.22) I headed home with a thin roll of duct tape.

And, since it started to rain some today (I learned in LA that rain means the roaches are coming out sooner!), I decided now was the perfect time to tape up the hole.  

I washed the dishes, poured a ridiculous amount of bleach down the drain, and turned out the lights.  We'll see how the kitchen looks in the morning!  I'm hoping I'm done finding cockroaches on my dishes (clean and dirty), in my sink, and just plain where they don't need to be! :-)

Here's hoping I don't have to call the plumber any time soon!

FAQs #1

F.requently A.sked Q.uestions #1.

What's the weather like?

Answer: Currently, hot.  Like, nearing or passing 100* every day, humid, no rain kind of hot.  In December we began our official summer season, though I'm not sure the weather has been any hotter since November.  So far it appears that there is less rain, since I can't remember the last time it rained (maybe I'll start marking rain on the calendar?)  I think technically we are in "rainy-er" season, but like I said, not sure when it rained last.  (Thinking back, I think it was Christmas Eve...18 days now.) [Well, that was true when I first wrote this.  Thankfully we got rain a week ago.]

Along with the heat, comes the need to drink a lot of water.  But there comes a point where water just doesn't seem to cut it.  You have sweat beading and rolling off your eyebrows, you can feel the greasy sweat coming out of your pores, and sometimes you just wonder, "Will I ever drink enough water?"  The answer is:

Tereré

  I succombed.  Yesterday, on a nearly 100* day, I walked (yea, I didn't take the bus, and walked uphill the whole way, I was pretty proud of myself!) about 8 blocks to the open market.  I mainly walked because I wanted to be able to check prices for kitchen tables & chairs.  I got into the open market and started searching around and finally found leather-covered thermoses like I was look for.  But I found one even prettier than I expected!

 

Don't tell anyone, but my real reason for buying this is ICE COLD WATER.  It's sitting next to me right now, making cold water colder and waiting for me to drink it.  But, on the flip side, it's also a social expectation to have a thermos, or at least the cup and straw for tereré.  So, when I'm out and about on my own, it will probably be ice cold water.  But when I go to church or out with Paraguayan friends, it will become ice cold water for tereré. 

I'm just excited it's pretty!  Off to read in the A/C for an hour to cool off, then back to Spanish!

Numbers...

I've got numbers on the brain--it's tax season again!  While we're all starting to think about numbers for the next few months, here is a video with some equally scary numbers:


Statistics - Think Missions from Grant Wright on Vimeo.

Nature in the Chaco

 The Chaco--low shrub-brush with some trees.

 

Pomelo & grapefruit

An endangered wild pig

Granddaddy Frog

Two goats fighting

 

Five.Fify-one. A.M. Unbelievable...and I was up for the day.  Thank you, Hen.

TURKEY!!

To the Chaco

Over New Year's weekend I had the opportunity to explore a different part of Paraguay--well outside the city!  I couldn't help but think of my dad the entire trip, as it reminded me of the type of land he has always dreamed of.  Not only could we not see the closest neighbors, we couldn't hear them either!
Some of my very good friends from church invited me to go with them to visit their grandma.  I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into--but when each one of them replied "Repellant" to my question of what to bring, I should have gotten a vague idea.  It was a nice change of pace for three days, and while I was happy to see the city again (and clean water), I really enjoyed my time in the Chaco!

I thought Angier, NC was remote--but we were on a dirt road to Grandma's for over 125 km/77m!

Grandma is 75 and runs a farm with the help of one ranch-hand.  She has 80 head of cattle, and here she is feeding an orphaned calf.  (She also scaled the fence to get to where she was like it was just a stepping stone!)  

In 1999, I went to MissionFUGE and ended up on a work crew where I was elected to scrub out a horse trough in a remote field.  Ironically, this weekend, I found myself scrubbing out a very similar water tank!  I kept thinking "My mom is going to laugh so hard when she sees this!"

Each afternoon held a short siesta

The Chaco is known for it's arid-ness--we made our own mud in the process of cleaning the water tanks.

I did better at fishing this time than last year when I went fishing with a friend in Missouri.  This was my sole fish--a little piranha!   Sadly, the other fish just ate my bait, and this one would have been the same.  He was just chewing the meat and when I jerked the line out of the water he went flying behind me.  I had to go look for the flopping piranha!

We climbed trees to collect pomelos--a local citrus.

And we collected...ahem..."fertilizer" to take back to the city.  Here Grandma is showing us how to do it!

This was my room for two nights.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Chaco, and Grandma invited me to come back any time!  (I think she's secretly hoping to get her water tanks cleaned again...)

Check back soon for some non-people pictures of the Chaco.

What do you say?

What do you say when someone gives you a compliment?

What do you say when everyone is telling you Merry Christmas?

What do you say when someone asks if you'll marry a Paraguayan?

What do you say when someone asks when you'll be going to work in a tribe?

What do you say when a man greets you on a street and you don't know him?

What do you say when New Year's comes around?

What do you say when someone is in the hospital?

What do you say when a good friend's mom dies?


     These are some of my current questions--and, unfortunately, some are getting answered more quickly than I would like.  The mother of one of my really good friends passed away this morning after a two-week downturn, including a heart attack and pneumonia.  When I said goodbye to her on Friday, I did not expect to see her again on this side of heaven, but still hoped to see her this week and have another chance to pray with her.  She has an amazing testimony of serving the Lord, and has raised her family to serve Him as well.  Tonight there is a vigil being held in their home, and tomorrow will be the funeral.  It hurts that I will be more of an observer-participant this week than a participant-observer, because I don't know what to say to this family.  I understand their pain, but I don't know how to put that into words culturally, in a manner that it will be received well.  I don't like that this event, the death of a friend, has to be a part of language and culture study.  But I will go and support my friends, observe the actions of those around me, and ask questions another day. 

      I will hug my friend, share in her tears, and let her know how much I love her. 

     Please pray for their family, and for the local church as we encourage them through this.

Ahead of the Game?

Every once in a while, you get a ridiculously true, and sometimes unbelievable recount of my day.

Yesterday, I knew it was going to be hot.  Think 100*, hottest day so far this year (summer) hot.  I'm still waiting on my A/C, which means lots of showers throughout the day and planning ahead to get things done in the slightly cooler (think 85*) parts of the day. 

So yesterday morning at 9:30 (to beat the heat), I headed off to the pharmacy three blocks away, and the supermarket another block farther.  I stopped in at the pharmacy, and the usual pharmacist wasn't there--just a teenager [warning sign] tending the store.  My ears have been bothering me for a few weeks, and after starting with some dizziness Sunday and Monday, I figured I should do something about it.  She gave me three options, two with antibiotics in the drops and one with hydrocortizone.  I chose one with a lesser amount of lidocaine but still having antibiotics and set off for the super market. 

On the way home from the super market, I bought a newspaper to read, and hiked the 3 blocks up the hill to my little house.  I quickly changed clothes to something cooler, put the refrigerated (now lukewarm) grocery items away, and sat down to the internet, only to discover that the girl had sold me eye drops.

So I changed back into street clothes and walked 3 blocks to the pharmacy.  Teenager said she would call the doctor to make sure she was selling me ear drops this time.  She picks up the phone and says, "Tio..."  Tio means uncle in Spanish.  So I left the store with ear drops, after reading the directions inside the box to make sure for myself I had the right thing--it's heating up outside, I'm not feeling amazing, and I reeeeally didn't want to walk three blocks again (when really, the coming and going is 6 blocks.) 

I got home, quickly changed clothes again to something cooler, and pulled out the ear drops to put them in my ears.  I glanced at the bottle and noticed that not only was the seal broken, but the cap itself had been screwed back on so tight the tip popped off.  And you know what I did?  I considered using it.  For about 15 minutes I just sat there staring at this bottle, wondering about the damages of using an open bottle of ear drops with Cipro and Lidocaine, and if something like the Tylenol scare would happen inside my ear.  (After all, this is why we're so seal-savvy in the U.S.)  Since my life pretty much revolves around language learning and hearing, and I need what little hearing I have left...

...I changed back into street clothes and walked 3 blocks to the pharmacy.  Teenager said, "You're not convinced?"  I said, "No, I'd really like these, but the cap is broken."  She had sold me the last one--which of course is why that one happened to be on the shelf!--so she returned my $5 and told me where there was another pharmacy.  A nice, big, shiny, name-brand pharmacy.  At the second pharmacy, I took the bottle out and examined it, checked the expiration date, and made sure the bottle matched the box.

I got home and changed into cooler clothes, and settled down for the horribleness known as putting ear drops in your own ears. 

Start time: 9:30a.m.

Starting temperature: 85*

Final arrival time at home: 11:15a.m.

Temperature upon arriving home: over 90*

City blocks covered: 24.   

Farthest distance from my house: 4 city blocks.

Rest

This week I have the opportunity to take some rest--physical, emotional, and spiritual.  Pray that this will be a productive week spiritually, and that I'll come back refreshed to continue studying language and culture.  I'll leave you with a picture, that shows I have a lot to learn:

The Head Tilt

I love these girls dearly; they are all from my church, and we were on our way to a quince (15th birthday party.)  I guess part of growing up in each culture is learning the appropriate way to pose for a picture.  Personally, I learned through those rough teenage years to not show all 28 teeth in a picture, to try to sit up straight, and to recognize what a "real" smile actually feels like (and the difference between a real smile and a fake smile!)  I guess I should practice The Head Tilt this week during the photo ops. :-)  

I have friends in Asia who had to learn to do the peace sign with their fingers for nearly every picture.  Anything you learned in a different culture about posing for pictures?

Hope you all have a great week!

After "A Day That Will Live in Infamy"...

Today, December 8th, is a national holiday in Paraguay.  It is quiet, with few buses or cars on the street.  Everyone seems quieter today, even inside their houses.
Today, around the world, the Catholic church is celebrating the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which has been celebrated now for over 1500 years.  The idea is that from conception, Mary herself was free from sin.  Scripture teaches us that only One was ever free from sin from conception--Jesus Christ, who is 100% God and 100% man. 

But, here in Paraguay, there is a twist--they are celebrating the "Virgin of Miracles" as well.  Over the past two months, I have heard many local stories relating miracles.  Sadly, each one ends with the worship of a person, place, or thing--not the worship of the one and only God who deserves the worship from all peoples and nations.

(picture from abc.com.py)

This is the story here in Paraguay:
        

         In the sixteenth century (1500s) a converted-to-Catholicism Guaraní indian was out looking for clay for his sculptures.  While he was out in the woods alone, a group of hostile indians from a neighboring tribe came past.  The now-Catholic indian hid behind a tree and prayed to Mary that she would protect him--and he made a promise to her: if she would protect him from the hostile neighbors, he would sculpt a statue of her out of the tree that was hiding him.  He did in fact live, and fulfilled his promise to Mary by carving the statue of her.  He placed her statue in a local church, and it was housed there until 1603.

          In 1603, a lake near the church flooded, and washed away everything in its path--included the statue of Mary.  As the waters receded, the statue miraculously reappeared, and began to be called the "Virgin of Miracles."  A carpenter constructed a building to house the statue, and people soon began to make pilgrimages to the Virgin of Miracles.  The statue is now housed in the Basilica in Caacupe.  For over 400 years, people have been walking to pay homage to the Virgin of Miracles.  Throughout the year people make promises to the statue, and say "If you do this__________, I will walk to Caacupe on December 8th." Caacupe is approximately 35 miles outside of the city of Asuncion.  People walk, bike, drive, and ride horseback from all over the country to fulfill their promises.  I read in a news article that the plaza in front of the Basilica can hold over 300,000 people--and it is always overflowing. 

I am reminded of Isaiah 44, where Isaiah prophesies to Israel about their idolatry.  A carpenter cuts down a tree, and with half of it he carves an idol to worship, and with the other half he warms himself with a fire.  "He makes it into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it.  He prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!'" (verse 17)

Please be in prayer for the people of Paraguay.  Many are in a fight for their souls, and do not know it.  I believe one of the greatest lies of Satan is for someone to believe they are a Christian and saved, when they have never trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ alone to wash away their sins and reunite them with God.


Also today, as I am considering my own life--are there areas of idolatry?  Have I placed something in a greater position than God Himself?  If the statue-worship of over 300,000 people concerns you, take some time in prayer today to consider if you have put the God of all creation in second place.

Thanksgiving Dinner

 Did you know that Thanksgiving is not a holiday recognized around the world?  My friends got up for a normal day at work and school, without once thinking of turkey, stuffing, and pies.  Except for a few--I had asked some friends to come over for dinner at 9pm.  

I started cooking around 4pm, and my neighbor, A came over soon after to help out.  As you can see from the picture, there were chickens (a 10 lb turkey cost 182,000 guaranies--roughly $45!!), stuffing, potatoes, and olives.

A was in charge of cutting the bread from the supermarket.  She was amazed with the bread knife, and said "If I learn how to cook, can we ask your mom to send one of these?!"  Her own mom later told her--we have a knife like that, why don't you use it?!

The chickens almost done cooking, and ready to eat!

 

All six of us anxiously waiting to eat.  By this point it was about 9pm, and everyone was hungry!  The next morning a few people said "My stomach hurts."  Welcome to Thanksgiving! :-)

  

Carrie's Thanksgiving Chicken

In a bowl, mix rosemary, oregano, salt, and enough olive oil to make a little paste.  I would have used sage as well, but didn't find any in time.  Lift the skin off the chicken breast (without removing it), and evenly spread the paste around.  Replace the skin over the paste.  Smear butter over the skin of the chicken on the outside, and flip upside down in the pan.  In the pan and inside the chicken, I cut up 1 orange, 1 lemon, and one onion per chicken.  I squeezed an orange wedge over the chicken.  For liquids in the pan, I used a Schweppe's Citrus soda, which reminds me of Fresca, and one cup of chicken broth.  Bake 15 minutes at 500*, 15 minutes at 425*, and 15 minutes at 400*, before dropping the temperature to 350* for the rest of the time.  It took about an hour to bake until the breast read 165*.  (Note--use your own discretion here, chicken should really be baked until it reads 180* on a thermometer.  The juices were clear at 165*, so we ate it!)

El Clasico

Last Sunday afternoon I went to "El Clasico"--a soccer game between the two biggest teams in Paraguay.  Traditionally, it can become dangerous, because the fans want to badly for their team to win.  So we got the slightly more expensive tickets a little farther away from the danger, and paid close attention to who we were near and when.  We planned to go to the stadium an hour early, but got a text from a friend saying the area where our tickets were for was filling up--fast!  So we practically ran the 10-12 blocks to the stadium, and in the process of searching for two side-by-side seats, a friend of my friend noticed us and had two seats.  (Thank you, Lord!!)  We got to sit right at mid-field, and had a great view of the entire game.

 The fans for Cerro Porteño, all on one half of the field.

 The fans of Olympia, all on the other half of the field.

 I was told the tickets across the field from us don't sell as much because if it's sunny, you're in the sun the entire game.

Cerro getting ready to start the game.  At the bottom of the picture are a few policemen.

The game ended in a tie: 0-0.  That's right.  

The first El Clasico (back in August) ended in a tie as well: 1-1.

The reason they can end in a tie, is that this is a months-long tournament with other teams here in the country.  If the score is different, the winner gets 3 points, and the loser gets 1 point to add to their tally.  If they tie, they each get 1 point to add to their tally.  On the positive side, since each team got 1 point added, and no one won the game, there really wasn't any violence at the end of the game. 

Manifold Evidence

         This week, I have seen a lot of evidence, evidence of many different things: a world without Christ, a mouse in the house, a friend placed in my life by God, and a returning Savior. 
         This week I began to experience a small beginning of what is called "culture shock."  Thankfully, it's not a taser-like sensation.  [There are vendors selling tasers on the street here.  They walk up and down the street triggering the little device...all the while I can't help giggling and thinking "Don't Taze Me, Bro!"]  But nonetheless, culture shock is...well, shocking.
         My pastor here was recently talking about why adolescents struggle--they are in the middle of massive changes: relational, emotional, physical, spiritual, and spreading their wings to leave the house--and I realized THAT is why missionaries struggle when they get to the field!  We're basically teenagers again, in all the awkward ways.  Our friendships and family members are in another country, and we ache for time with them, at the same time God is placing in our lives new friendships and like-family.  We physically are in a new climate; a new house; a new pattern of living; new items in the grocery store (or old items more than twice the cost in the U.S.); and, for some, a new style of dress.  We are recognizing more than ever before the spiritual battle with the enemy that goes on for a soul--for the unsaved to never become followers of Christ, and for the saved to be distracted beyond usefulness.  And sometimes a spiritual battle within ourselves, as we meet all these changes, and wonder "Did God really send me here?  Did I hear Him wrong?"  A dear friend of my grandparents, and now of mine, told me a few years ago,

"Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light." 

--Dun Gordy                       

Oh, how comforting to remember those words of wisdom as the "dark" seems to settle in. [Disclaimer: So you can focus on the heart of this post, I am not doubting my presence in Paraguay--but at times, missionaries do wonder if God really wanted them to leave the comforts they knew for everything they don't know.]
         So this week, and really, I guess going back as far as two weeks, I've begun the culture shock process--and so far, the best way for me to continue through it is to remember that what bothers me is evidence of Christ-less lives.  And that gives me a more motivation.  Motivation to study Spanish more thoroughly, to be able to use it more appropriately.

         On the practical, icky side of culture shock there is evidence ::ahem:: of at least one mouse in my kitchen.
         Where I eat.
                  Where I store my food.
So today, when I got up a little later than normal, I found, waiting to greet me in the kitchen, a little gray mouse.  I gave the neighbors great breakfast entertainment--should've charged tickets!--as I tried to keep the mouse in one room of the house...without going anywhere near it.  I quickly made plans to go get traps and peanut butter.  (I wonder if Eve begged Adam to set the traps for her in their first home?  When was "the best mouse trap" made?  When will the "better mouse trap" be made?!) 
          But I had a God-given friend coming to make cookies.  I started praying a while ago that God would give me a really good friend in Paraguay.  What I meant (or what I thought I meant) was a Paraguayan friend.  I guess what I kept asking for was a good friend in Paraguay.  And God answered, with my new friend whom we shall call G, a fellow American.  G came to PY for two months, and leaves on Monday.  So today was kind of our personal "goodbye" time to visit together, and she wanted to make cookies for her host family.  She got here, and started preparing to make cookies--but I warned her about the mouse, which was last seen near the stove (but I had to go answer the door, so who really knows now???)  Out of her backpack came a bag, with a  brown mouth sticking out of it.  I had told her a few weeks ago that 3 years ago in Monterrey, Mexico I wanted to buy myself a souvenir, but was advised not to because there was no room in my suitcase.  Really, it was wise advice, but in three years, I always have regretted not buying it.

SHE FOUND ONE IN PARAGUAY AND BOUGHT IT FOR ME.

Friendship is manifested in different ways--

That's right, folks, G bought me a cow head.  

And it pretty much made my day. 

Considering I had been out of bed for about 30 minutes and 29 of that had been watching a mouse take a self-tour through my kitchen, I realize that's not saying a whole lot. 

     THEN G superceded my expectations.  She started moving things.  She started looking for the mouse!  If there was any doubt (which I think we would both agree that God totally put our friendship together), this was evidence to me that He loves me: enough to give me mouse-hunting, cow-head-giving friends!  We encountered the mouse, but I'm pretty sure we lost him between the wood paneling and concrete wall in my office.  I like to think that he took a stroll on the wild side and went out the open door while we weren't looking.  But, I'm on the offense now--and I've got traps set in two rooms.

       So, that's a brief snapshot of how I'm doing these days.  Please do pray for me as I enter this initial time of culture shock.  Pray that I'll keep my focus on Christ, and not on myself, or my surroundings.  Pray for G as she returns to the US & prays about returning to PY in the upcoming year. 

When In Rome...

Around the time I was leaving the US, I frequently heard "There's an App for that!"  Well, here I am hearing "There's a yuyo (sounds like jew-joe) for that!"  Paraguayans as a whole seem to really like natural remedies--and I'm willing to try them.  Since it generally just means drinking what we might call weed-water, I'm okay with trying things out.  (I have a friend in Asia who had a friend scrape her back with a coin...she left with 33 stripes!)

Cola de Caballo=Horsetail 

This week I've had a urinary tract infection, and my friend suggested I drink cola de caballo.  She gave me some today to try, and said to boil it in a liter of water for 1-2 minutes.  I can drink it hot or cold (I'm going with cold tomorrow because it's 74* outside...and I did some research--it's a diuretic.  Definitely not drinking it before I go to bed!)

According to Wikipedia, "The plant contains several substances which can be used medicinally. It is rich in the minerals silicon (10%), potassium, and calcium. The buds are eaten as a vegetable in Japan and Korea in spring time."  It also came with some long-term use warnings, so despite the many benefits, looks like this is not a daily thing I'll be drinking.

The list of illnesses it treats were quite diverse:

• Kidney and bladder stones.
• Edema
• Weight loss.
• Hair loss.
• Gout.
• Frostbite--definitely not an issue here
•  Fluid retention.
• Urinary tract infections.
• Incontinence.
• Tuberculosis
• Jaundice
• Hepatitis
• Osteoarthritis and osteoprosis
• Use on the skin for wound healing.
• Strengthen fingernails
• Polish pewter and wood--yikes!
• Other conditions.

 And my favorite use I found:
It was used by Hurdy-Gurdy players to dress the wheels of their instruments by removing resin build up

Everyone hates a resin-chunked Hurdy-Gurdy.

Please pray--

Please pray for me this week, I woke up this morning with a UTI & started taking antibiotics late morning.  Thankfully, it's an easy "fix"--because of my history with UTIs, I know when I have one (ie--don't have to go to the doctor for a test), and the medicine I'm always prescribed is over-the-counter here.

Please pray that my body will respond quickly and completely to the medicine--thanks!  Carrie 

Needless to Say...

...I'm not interested in going anywhere today.  It's been raining for the majority of the past 48 hours, so I think I'll curl up with some reading & grammar.

(Picture from abc.com/py)

The Long-Awaited, Likely-Forgotten Answer

...to this post...

CLICK HERE to know what I'm talking about

 

The question in the post three months ago, was "What that thing used for?!"

I can't say with complete confidence, but I'm pretty sure drinking "térere" is a national past-time, right up there on the list with soccer, appropriately known as "futbol."  This particular cup is hollowed out wood, but there are also silver or cups made out of cow hooves.  I don't mind the wooden or silver ones. :-)  This particular cup is for some friends back in the U.S.

From the picture above, you can see that the "bombilla" or straw has a filtered end.  This is very necessary, as the "yerba" is dried and cut, leaves.  The direct translation to English is "weed, herb, grass."  The yerba is harvested from the South American holly tree.  The flavor is a little bitter, but it grows on you after a while, and I'm getting to where I like it.  This is a staged picture, because there is no ice in the water.  Generally, when drinking térere, the more ice in the water the better.

Drinking térere is a group activity--using one cup, one straw, and one pitcher of ice water (or more depending on how long they'll be drinking!)  It's more of a social activity than anything else, I think.  One person is responsible for serving, so they pour the water into the cup, and pass it to the left. After each person drinks all the water in the cup, they hand it back to the server, only to pass it right along to the next person on the left.  It's very typical to see a group of Paraguayans sitting in a circle drinking térere.

So, what does térere do?  Here's a list I found on line of the benefits (note, this website was trying to sell the yerba, so I'm not sure of the true accuracy!)

•Strengthens the immune system
•Reduces fatigue
•Reduces blood pressure
•Rejuvenation
•Breaks down fat (lipolytic)
•Balances sleep patterns
•Delivers oxygen to the heart and lungs during exercise
•A great diet aid
•Increases focus
•Increases creativity
•Increases strength, energy and endurance
Recent research has shown that Yerba:
•Reduces cholesterol
•Contains antioxidants
•Contains 15 amino acids
•Contains 24 vitamins and minerals
•Is a whole body tonic

The main effect I've noticed in just about everyone, is that soon after drinking a quantity of térere, everyone needs to use the bathroom!  It seems to be a diuretic.  I'm planning to get a termo (thermos), bombilla (straw) and guampa (cup) in the next few months.  I've got my eye out for a really good set!

And the Results are in!

 On September 18th, I had a language evaluation to see how I've progressed (or in this particular case, regressed) in my Spanish.  Two weeks ago I got the results of my evaluation, and I was quite surprised at how much I didn't regress.  Remember, after studying Spanish in Mexico for 11 months, I left at level 6 of 8...but then I spent 18 months in the U.S.  I expected that my language level would have dropped down to level 4, but, it only dropped one level--to 5!

This level is called "Progressing Mid", which basically means that I'm in the middle.  (Down south, they call this "fair to middling.") As far as language, it means that I can communicate fairly well in Spanish with people who are accustomed to how foreigners talk.  I have a fair amount of vocabulary; know quite a few verb tenses, but don't use most of the regularly in their appropriate time frame; I regularly confuse the articles preceding nouns & adjectives (everything here has a gender); and I need to learn how Paraguayans use prepositions instead of translating in my head from English to Spanish.

 The simple explanation: I can frequently understand enough to think I understood but still often misunderstand the meaning behind the words.  

The goal for level 8: To understand almost everything, minus the occasional word in a new topic, and even understand why the Paraguay is saying what they are saying.

Simply put, I have a lot of work ahead of me--but I have to remember that I have a lot of work behind me, too.  The upcoming levels are some of the hardest to work through, because of the more complicated verbs (remember learning what "I would have eaten was called?)  I'm also learning Paraguayan culture, which will take quite a while.

I thank you profusely for your prayers--they are a huge part of what keep me going each day.  My next language evaluation should be in January, so in February we should know how much progress I made in my first six months in Paraguay!

Appliances, check.

 Last week I was able to get my final appliance for the kitchen: the washer!  It's been thoroughly welcomed to the family (I named her Wanda), and I was so excited to wash clothes (never thought I'd say that!)

Some interesting things about washers here:

-most of the top-load washers, the lid actually folds in half.  

-washers are measured by how many kilos of laundry it can do.  Due to the type I wanted, mine is 7.5k (16.5lbs); a friend informed me that my washer is "nearly industrial!"  Which struck me really funny, because of how small it is. :-)

-until further notice, my washer drains into the right side of the kitchen sink.  The plumber was supposed to come at 8am, but for some reason didn't come today.   

-next to the washer is a little Rubbermaid(ish) container holding my laundry detergent.  I'm hoping this deters critters from living inside of it.

-Wanda likes doing laundry so much, she plays a song at the end of the wash cycle.  This makes me happy!

 

 

The landlady is loaning me this table and the chairs until I get my own.  It's been nice to have a place to eat & have grammar class.  The green tray on the table was a necessary purchase.  It's ideal here to serve drinks on a tray, so when I have a group over I empty the items off the tray & use it for juice or water.  Can you see the little spray bottle next to the sink?  It gets used pretty often, because it's 50/50 water/vinegar.  I'm trying to get rid of gnats that have decided to take over the kitchen.  

The stove hasn't been announced here either, but I got it last month.  It's a four burner, but the oven space is a lot smaller than we would normally find in the U.S.  It has a little cover over it, and I really don't know why.  But it comes in handy since the only place to put it is under the chimney that the bugs come down from.  And, yes, that little green bottle peeking around the side is a propane tank...in the house...next to the flaming stove.  It still makes me a little nervous, and I usually turn the gas off each time I'm done using the stove "just in case."  A few weeks ago I was also able to get my water filter put together.  I'm very happy to have this done, and I'm enjoying drinking many liters of rust-free water everyday!

I Wish I Had a Picture...

I've seen a lot of things on the street here in Paraguay.
Some things I wish I'd never seen, and other make me smile.
There are little kids running around barefoot from car to car asking for "monedas" (coins, the most valuable coin is worth a US quarter.)
An old man regularly begs from money at the corner near my house. 
I've seen people dressed up, and people dressed down.
I've learned some of the bus routes while walking, looking to see what buses are passing me.
I've seen taxis cruising for passengers.
I've seen groups in a park, sleeping under plastic tarps while trying to get the government to give them land.
I've seen kids thrilled to ride the bus, and old ladies struggling to get up the steps of the bus.
I've seen four wheelers flying down the road on Sunday afternoons.
I've seen countless motorcycles driven by men in suits.
I've seen motorcycles driven by women in high heels.
I've seen horses with their ribs sticking out pulling carts of trash.
I've seen a person pushing a cart of trash that was twice his height.

But before Friday, I had never, in Paraguay, seen a tractor.

On a busy road.

At rush hour.

I had to laugh a little (inside) when I saw the tractor--and, if you'll remember from a previous post, honking is a way for the guys to acknowledge the presence of a girl on the side of the road.  He honked his tractor horn, which made it even harder to keep a straight face as I waited for my bus.  And ever since Friday, I can't get Kenny Chesney out of my head, because I'm sure, without knowing the song or English--that's what the tractor driver must have thought.  I'm still laughing about the tractor!