An Ode to Friends

Mine, not the TV show.

Friends run into your kitchen to search for a mouse.
Friends want to trade "our" car in for that Jeep on the side of the road.
Friends attack 2" cockroaches so you don't have to.
Friends walk in and do your dishes.
Friends mop your floor saying, "I want to show you that I love you."
Friends go to a doctor's appointment with you, just so you don't have to go alone. 
Friends encourage you when you've got nothing left.
Friends correct the same word you've pronounced wrong...for the fifth time...today.
Friends try to Skype you in to long-distance weddings.
Friends answer the phone at 4:30 in the morning.
Friends lend their washing machine for an unspecified amount of time.
Friends share their families.
Friends know they can say "I need a place to sleep tonight."
Friends travel alongside you and see you at your worst--and sometimes your best.
Friends bring you thoughtful gifts--like SoftLips.
Friends run around your house hanging curtains and frames while you run around town shopping.
Friends proof-read things you mail out from 5,000+ miles away.

I was going to say that God's not the only one taking care of me here, but the longer I thought about it, the more I realized--He's the One doing the caring, He's just being creative in how He manifests that.  He's been faithful to provide friends who've taken care of me in the past (some are mentioned here), He's being faithful to provide friends who are currently taking care of me, and I have no doubt He'll continue to provide friends in the future to take care of me.

Praising God today for a myriad of friends!

Rebecca

The benefit of hearing a sermon which is being translated live, is that I get to hear the English version and with a split-second delay hear the Spanish version.  The benefit--I hear the same sermon twice.  Double-edification?  I think so.  Last night our youth & singles group went to a rally, and got to hear a great preacher and--praise God--a great translator.  (This task is not nearly as easy as you would think, it's not as easy as just changing the word.)  So last night, I got to hear Rebecca's Story twice, once in English and again in Spanish.  Here's a summarized English version with a little Carrie-flare to it:

       Imagine that you are at the wedding feast of Christ.  We've all arrived--every person who has ever trusted Christ, from all time, from every place.  Imagine all the sounds and languages.  Languages which have been extinct for hundreds of years, you're understanding languages from all over the world, from all time (Disclaimer: We really don't know what "language" will be spoken in heaven.  Why not be speaking each in our own heart language, with everyone understanding?  It could happen.  Or maybe we won't be bound anymore by languages created as a result of sin on earth!  One could only hope!)  So you're sitting there at the table, and the angels are starting to serve up all the food--think of your favorite meal, multiply the flavors by infinity, and you've got some pretty tasty stuff.  You look down the table and think..."Is that ABRAHAM?  THE Abraham?  I think it is...and he's talking to PAUL.  The apostle."  Then you look across the table from you, and see a girl.  

       "Hi, I'm (insert your name here.)  So...how did you get here?"  

       "Well, I really don't have a great story."

       "Tell me anyway, I'd like to hear it."

       "Well, my parents worked for Caesar..."

       "CAESAR??  As in, you're from the time of the Romans?"

       "Yes, they worked for Caesar.  One day they came back to the house and said they had heard a man named Paul teaching."  (Your eyes wander down the table at the man you recognized as Paul.)  "When they came home from hearing him, they told us everything they had heard.  They had become Christians, and my brother and I did, too.  Things got a lot better after that.  My dad used to beat us when he drank, and things were hard.  But he never beat us after that, and things were good.  Then one morning, the soldiers came to the house and dragged my parents away.   I woke up my brother and said, 'They've taken our parents, we must follow them!'  So we followed them to the Colosseum.  When we got inside, we saw our parents standing in the middle of the stadium, and Caesar told them that if they would deny Christ, then they would live.  They said they would never deny Christ, and Caesar raised his hand, and pointed his thumb down.  Immediately, gates were opened and animals we had never seen before ran towards my parents, and tore them apart.  My brother and I ran back to the house, and tried to hide.  The next day the soldiers returned, and said they knew that we had been at the Colosseum.  They told us the same thing that Caesar had told our parents.  That if we denied Christ, we would live.  My brother and I were both taken to the Colosseum that day.  That's how I got here.

        "What about you?  How did you get here?"  she asked me.

How will you answer Rebecca?

Easter Rest: He is Risen!

 Over Easter weekend, I was able to take a lot of time to rest--which is exactly what I needed.  On Good Friday some friends and I went to a neighborhood nearby and observed a "walking theater" of sorts put on by the local Catholic church.  I was really impressed at how well it followed scripture, and through 14 different stations, or stops, would present a short part of the story and read or quote scripture.  As the walked from station to station, they would recite or sing prayers.  It was a really great opportunity to see a traditional neighborhood event for Easter. 

Jesus before Pilate

This is just a portion of the group

In a small plaza in the middle of the neighborhood, there was an area set up to mimic the crucifixion.

I hope you had a good Easter weekend and had the opportunity to reflect on what the Lord has done for us!

Silence Isn't Always Golden

This morning I woke up. 
I've been waking up for quite a few mornings now, but recently, it just hasn't felt like enough.  The past few months it has seriously felt like the gravity of the earth increased and no one told me that I would require extra effort to get out of bed.  I had a good laugh when I found this, and realized it was just how I've felt:

Don't worry, I still got out of bed, and got things done--but definitely not at 100% of my normal energy nor 100% quality.  Over the weekend and Semana Santa (Holy Week), I rested a lot, and decided that Monday morning I was starting over.  New records, new attitude, new desire to study, new everything.  And would you believe--I woke up, and even had energy.  So I used it all up, and I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow with energy, but first, I must go to bed. :-)

Please take a few moments to pray for your missionary friends, that they would have energy through the day to accomplish all they need to do,  and that they would be able to rest in the Lord during all the busy-ness of cross-cultural communication.

Top 10 List

After my last post, a friend asked me, "What exactly is your Top 10 List of Reasons to Live in Paraguay?"  At first, I just laughed, then I realized--that was a pretty good question.  Many people over the past five years have asked why Paraguay, and I generally recount how I heard about missions in Paraguay and how I ended up here.  But now, finally, here it is.....

Top 10 List of Reasons to Live in Paraguay

10. Painting Classes: for only $18.60 per month (for 8 hours of classes.)  

This painting isn't finished yet.

 9. Ground Beef: See all the grease and fat in that pan?  

Exactly--this ground beef taste like ground-up steak.  And, it tastes amazing!

8.  Mangoes:  My neighbors brought this mango back from their house in the country. 

 It is sitting on a standard dinner plate--huge and tasty!

7.  Packages: It's always fun to get a package from home!

 6. Welcoming Group: A group from my church met me at the airport.  

I discovered later that some of them wanted to sing "Carrie" by Europe, but were told not to. :-)

5. Jovenes: The youth from church love getting together and hanging out--usually around food!

4. Small Groups: The ladies from church get together each Tuesday night, and the 20-something girls get together on Saturday afternoons.  These are great opportunities to learn what the ladies are thinking and how they are doing in their walk with the Lord.

 3.  Friends, or Family?: In a mere 7 months, God has given me some great friendships.  They include me in family get-togethers, holidays, moving houses, and celebrations.  

Sergio, Hilda, and Ale working in the Chaco at their grandma's farm

I spend about 4-6 hours each week with Grachi, a lady from church.  She taught me how to sew curves a couple of weeks ago, and let me use her machine to sew my curtains.  I mentioned to her once that my birthday meal is Brasilian rice & beans--and last week she invited me over for lunch for just that meal!  It was a fantastic surprise.

2. Tribal Missions: There are six tribes in Paraguay that need evangelical missionaries.  

I'm hoping to be a part of a team to one of those tribes. 

1. LIVING WATER: Okay, so this picture doesn't quite represent the Living Water of Christ--but He is the number one reason I am here.  Whether or not I am a part of a tribal church planting team, whether or not the friendships I have been gifted here remain, whether or not Paraguay continues to have steak-like ground beef or mangoes the size of my head--the love of Christ compels me, to study Spanish better, to love my friends and new family more each day with His love and in His strength, and to walk in His word daily.  Thank you for your prayers as I celebrate 7 months here in Paraguay!

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.