Back in Paraguay

Today we have been back in Paraguay for one month already and we've been doing a whole lot of hurrying up and...waiting. 

First it was hurrying up and trying to get out of our apartment in Texas.  This time was the worst we've had so far.  It just didn't seem possible that we were ever going to get everything done and get out of there.  We wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for wonderful friends and neighbors who started stopping by around 9 pm and helped clean and take things we were getting rid of.  Our original plan was to leave around noon and drive to Austin to have a nice relaxing evening at Dan's "aunt's" house.  We eventually left at 1:00 AM and drove through the night.  Dan let me and the kids sleep in a bed for two hours before we loaded up again and went to the airport.  Once at the airport we had to unload all our baggage plus children plus carseats and we're yelled at for taking too much time.  So Dan dropped me and the kids off with 14 pieces of luggage to return the rental car.  While I was waiting I got yelled at for "being in the way" and not having the passports to get things started (Dan had them).  Then they charged us for every single little thing.  I don't think the woman liked children to be honest because when they called us to board the plane she announced "big family! big family!  sorry I forgot your name but big family please board now."  From Austin we flew to Charlotte, NC and right before the plane pulled to a stop one of the children wet their pants, on the plane, producing the hugest puddle I've seen yet and the kicker, we were sitting right across from the bathroom.  So that is how our trip got started! Oh, and I completely lost my voice.  Barely a whisper.  Not fun when you are trying to rally five little children through various airports and they can't hear a thing you are saying.  Ugh.  But from Charlotte we went to Brazil where they almost didn't even let us stay because we didn't have Brazilian visas.  We had an eight hour layover though!  Eventually that we resolved and we were allowed in but escorted to the transit area so we wouldn't escape :) .From there we went on to Buenos Aires, Argentina, stayed on the plane (resulting in us losing our checked carseat and stroller that we did get back a week later) and finally Asuncion.  We arrived just after midnight. 

Coming back the second time is so much easier.  Arriving with your entire team including over 20 children is a major plus too.  I am feeling much more confident and at peace about being here this time around.  Our first term was pretty rough.  Lots of great things happened but we went back to the States burned out.  Now we feel much stronger and healthier as a family and as a married couple to enter this new stage of ministry the Lord has for us.

So besides three days of in-service on orality right after we arrived, what have we been doing for the past month? A lot of waiting. First Dan had to get a new license. That took a couple of weeks but he has it. I still don't have mine yet but at least one of us can drive! We did have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's here in the city and Toby has learned how to ride a bike w/o training wheels!  Now we are waiting for the insurance for our vehicle. That was supposed to be done last Friday.  Waiting, waiting, waiting. We are thankful we have a decent vehicle though because our teammates have spent the last month looking for a vehicle and still haven't found one that has legal paperwork or in decent condition to drive outside the city.

The "plan" is to leave the city on Saturday to move into a small apartment for another month living much closer to the town we hope to eventually settle in for the rest of this term so we can start "house" hunting too. I use that word loosely because we have no idea what we'll find and how much work will need to be done to make a house livable.

We are thankful for those of you who are praying for us. Psalm 34:1 reminds me to "bless the Lord at all times" and we do, knowing that His timing is perfect. Even if it means a lot of WAITING!!