Jocky in Paraguay

Monday, 14 May 2012

Sales, Food, Leaving, & Babies (pictures)

21:24 Jocky No comments

It's the 14th of May marking the 201 year anniversary of Paraguay's independence from Spain (also the anniversary of Israel's rebirth -that is the day the first world leader, Harry Truman, recognised the reborn nation).

Here are some pictures from the last week or so in Asuncion...

Asuncion Christian Academy has a once-a-year sale that has become a big event.

People set up stalls of second-hand stuff in the basketball court.

The McKissick stall.

The Stout stall.

The Reich stall.

Since coming to Paraguay I haven't had a decent self-made meal save for egg fried rice I made a fortnight ago, and this home-made pizza yesterday. Two bites and I took a picture because it was so good. Ready-made pizzas here are astonishingly expensive (like £5 quid!)

The Camerons building their car reminded us of pioneers using stagecoaches in Western movies.

Tyler McKissick smiling at the food needed for a family of 8 to last a couple of days.

New Arrival, Anna Reich, at the dinner table.

The two Reich kids are now 3.

Ginny and Anna.

Paraguay's "Mountains"

23:52 Jocky 1 comment

I've written a few times about how flat Paraguay is. For a time the biggest 'hill' I experienced was hiking the 5 meter rise from the local supermarket back to SIM HQ. By God's grace I've been able to see a large amount of Paraguay (North, West, South and East!) and I have finally seen some hills. Interestingly the missionaries refer to them as 'mountains' despite them being nowhere near mountain height, but travelling 200km over flat terrain, a rare hill does seem a lot like a mountain!

This first picture is from the summit of a man-made hill (the bridge West of Concepcion that heads into the flat Gran Chaco region). Very few places offer views of the landscape like this.

These couple of hills were the first major hills I saw in Paraguay somewhere between Villarica and Caazapa, although there were a few smaller ones on the way, notably beside Paraguari further West (if memory serves me well

The same hills as Dan drives by.

Driving up a hill with a hill on the horizon! Rare!

Small hills compared to the others, but so far the most scenic place I have seen in the whole of Paraguay. My image was complimented by a fly hitting the bottom-right of the lens.

A Farewell to a Faithful Family

13:29 Jocky 1 comment

The Dreiling family from the United States of America have served God in Paraguay for 20 years. Their 3 kids grew up here as MKs before returning to the US for university. Paul and Becky Dreiling are now returning to America to take up positions in the SIM office there.

Only about a month ago one of their US-based kids thought it would be good to fly out to Paraguay to spend their last week there with their folks and importantly leave with them. Within days all the kids were wanting to come out alongside their spouses and the Dreiling's first grandchild. As you need a visa to enter Paraguay from the US it was a race against time to get everybody there in time, but God is faithful and with about 2 days to go before they flew down here all the visas came in.

They all spent a week in Caazapa where they had lived and then for the final 2 days they stayed at HQ in Asuncion. Their departure from this field brought out everybody (except Hannes as he was teaching the next morning) to Asuncion to bid them farewell. The night before they left we all went to a traditional Paraguayan eatery where the Christian family who ran it -all musicians- played Paraguayan harps and guitars, danced and sang as we ate. The Reich kids, similarly gifted in music, were allowed to use their equipment and play for us all too.

The next evening, hours before the flights, there was a party at HQ with a great comedy written by Dan Hough telling the 20 year story of the Dreilings in Paraguay which included an encounter with the local Fuzz who pulled over their car to check their fire extinguisher (all cars here must carry one), and having found fault with it, Paul proved that it worked by spraying the Plod with it! There was also a time of praise and then prayer.

From there we all headed out to the airport with them near midnight and had some fun. To see the Dreilings leave all together, all by God's grace on the very same flight, we thanked God for ending this chapter of their life in such a remarkable way. I'll miss them.

Traditional music.

These guys could play several different instruments flawlessly.

The Reich boys.

The youngest Reich looks like a Beckham kid.

The first Dreiling grandchild.

Heather's family.

The youngest Dreiling.

There were many pictures on the walls of former students at the harp place, and one looked just like my good friend Lulu.

Baby Dreiling turned one year old during his stay at HQ, and also took his first steps the same day!

The MKs gathered with party poppers...

...for when the Dreilings appeared.

Ben putting fake dog ears on Shadow the guard dog.

Dan in the comedy dousing the Fuzz (Denny).

Paul and Becky looking over a gift made by Vonni.

Jeff wore a hat that had him mistaken as Waldo from Where's Waldo. I told him he's a Wally to me as a Brit.

Tony finds Wally.

The Dreiling kids singing.

Jean sharing some thoughts about the Dreilings.

Arriving at the airport with a trailer filled with luggage.

David is straitjacketed at the airport.

MKs.

There was one of those large sponsor boards sports-people and the like stand in front of for photographs at the airport so we made use of it. Luke's interesting socks made the image disturbing.

Daniel messes up Denny's moment.

David striking a footballer pose.

Background: SIM people. Foreground: Luke getting hit in the face by a hurled backpack.

Drinking mate (the hot version of terere) before departure.

Angoninguíteguesáque or Pangoninguíteparitigáde

23:21 Jocky 1 comment

With New Tribes Mission I got to go to the Gran Chaco last week whilst it was in full bloom, its arid flatlands brought to life and various shades of green thanks to God's giving them an abundance of rain recently. For some it was a blessing as it watered the crops, whilst for others they were flooded. When seeing such a difference in the results I remember Elihu's words to Job (Elihu was the only friend of Job's whom wasn't rebuked by God for speaking falsehood about Him) when he said, He brings clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show His love. (Job 37:13). This shows me how God uses things usually used as a blessing to often speak to people by causing it to not be a blessing. Elihu also said earlier, 'He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour." So that all men He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor.' (37:6-7) God communicates to people through many ways, although they don't hear it. Earlier still Elihu said as much, 'For God does speak -now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision in the night... He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep from pride... or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain... God does all these things to a man -twice, even three times- to turn back his soul from the grave. (33:14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 29, 30).

God speaks to us through difficult events, through illness, through creation, though we don't often understand it, and we remain in our rebellion and even get angry at God for brining calamity when He is actually bringing it to get their attention, 'For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me.' (Isaiah 66:4)

While in the Chaco we visited the Ayoré tribe who are having the complete Holy Bible translated into their language, and as I looked over a book of their Bible, I saw a very long word which caught my eye, Angoninguíteguesáque, and I asked what it meant so I could learn a Ayoré word. The Bible translator said it meant open-eardness, and its antonym is Pangoninguíteparitigáde which is closed-eardness. Who has their ears open to God's voice I wonder in the Ayoré tribe, in the Gran Chaco amidst its recent difficulties, and around the rest of the world I wonder?

Here are some other pictures from the tribe and other places I saw last week.