To kick off our trainings here in Paraguay I invited my youth leaders on a backpacking trip up into the Ybytyrusu Mountains. For three days we took in mountain views, swam under waterfalls and hiked amidst iridescent butterflies. Of the four guys who were able to make it three had never seen this part of their country before. We started our hike at Salto Suizo; a 40 meter high waterfall.
The trail led us through a bamboo forest and opened up into a huge field on the side of a hill where cattle were grazing. Our path took us straight through the pasture. About fifty cattle followed us with the bull close on our heels. Even though we were hiking uphill we quickened our pace until we came to a grove of trees relatively safe from any territorial bovines and the blazing heat of the sun.
At the top of the hill we found a rural farm where a couple children met us at the gate while our guys collapsed in the grass catching their breath. Continuing past the farm we encountered another menacing looking cow on the trail. We chose to go around him rather than asking it to move. A little further on we came upon a grove of mango trees which provide a great snack and great shade: the guys gladly took another break.
We hiked through cultivated fields of corn and sugarcane until our path took us to a dirt road with rural houses tucked away among the hills. Though our way became easier it was a little torturous hiking past picturesque homes with a little table and chairs inexplicably set with ice cold terere. No one was outside... it seemed to be set out just to tease us! At one farm a pig wallowed in a pond. We were inclined to join him and drink the terere... however we resisted the urge and pressed upward to one of Paraguay's highest mountains, Cerro Akati, where we would camp for the night.
Blue Morpho butterflies flitted about us as the sun set. The guys were really tired and admitted that they were a bit out of shape. It was good to be able to laugh at ourselves. With headlamps lighting our way we finally reached our destination. We found a camp site near the edge of Cerro Akati. It was fun to walk to the edge with Antonio, the youngest member in our group, and hear him gasp at the night lights sprawling out below us to the edge of the horizon; he had never seen anything like that before.
After a hot dinner we turned in early, we were all sore and tired. We were so high up a cool breeze blew through our tents all night. Come the next day it was all down hill from there... in a good way! We followed the road back down from the cerro until about lunch time when the guys unilaterally decided that we were going to take a siesta. After lunch they got out their sleeping pads and lay down in the shade with the chickens pecking about them. Only Antonio and I stayed awake making friends with two boys and a cat. I shared a Bible story with them in Guarani before continuing to our final destination; Camping Ybytyrusu.
We were delighted when the owner of Camping Ybytyrusu invited us to sit for some terere! It was so cold and refreshing. We pitched our tents by a cascading stream before plunging in for a swim. We also hiked downstream to Salto Pa'i (Priest Waterfall) where we jumped off of 15 foot ledges into the dark pool below. It was the perfect way to end a great trip.
The guys were pushed to their physical limits and grew spiritually as well. During all three days we studied passages from the four chapters in 2 Timothy. We had some great discussions using our Bible study method- Head Heart Hands. I'm hoping to lead trips like this twice a year so that I can invest in more Paraguayans lives in this unique and powerful way.
If you're interested in seeing a video of another backpacking trip I led with our Missionary Kids look in the right column and click on 'Backpacking Ministry Video'!
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