Time to Travel

As missionaries we're never in one place for too long before it's time to travel again.  This is one of the harder parts of life as transitions have never been easy for us.. even after ten years of moving between continents.  That said, there is something refreshing about traveling.  We get to see new places, meet new people and do new things.  For our 'Third Culture Kids', we have learned, travel is part of their identity and is shaping how they live.  For example, we're letting our kids start to write a short section in our Ministry Update entitled 'How's Life as a Missionary Kid?'  Of all he could have picked, Eli chose to write about how much he loves to travel.

And so, after visits from our Moms and multiple trips across southern Paraguay in October and November, it was time to travel again come early December.  This trip was going to take us to the camp, two friend's houses for birthday celebrations and our mission's annual Team Training before finally going back up to the city.  The first stop was at the camp which, if you've read our newsletters, you know has become a very exciting ministry for us.  Over the past year our Paraguayan committee members have been moving forward with major building projects including installation of electricity, water and a large multi-purpose facility.  For the past three months our committee members, Artemio and Remberto have been living at the camp along with the other workers: sleeping under a tarp and weathering many rain storms far from their wives.  They have really had to rough it but it's incredible to see the results of their hard work.  In January the church members will be building a house for the camp Care Takers, cleaning up the swimming hole, leveling a soccer field and volleyball court before the camp's inauguration and then our first ever youth camp on the property!

After checking in on the camp we continued on our way for a two night stay with our South African teammates who are beginning a church plant in an unreached community.  That evening we celebrated their oldest son's birthday who is also a good friend to Eli and Toby.  Then the next morning we all made our way over to our Guarani instructor's house to celebrate his birthday.  Andy's home and the Guarani-Jopara Institute for Missionaries sets atop a high hill. To get there a hair-raising drive is required but the destination is well worth the trip as their house is set back in a tropical paradise with hiking trails and beautiful views.  Missionaries from all across Paraguay who had studied Guarani with Andy came out for the occasion.  Americans, Bolivians, Europeans and South Africans enjoyed Andy's customary Ethiopian meal for lunch.  The homemade cake was out of this world. Before we left Sarah and I took some of the missionary kids hiking on the 2 miles of trails surrounding the property.  It was a special opportunity for us since there are so few hiking trails here in Paraguay.

On the last day with our South African friends we all had to pack and get ready to travel to our Team Training.  It's not always easy to pack and keep the kids out of trouble so the adults came up with a brilliant plan: the dads would take the kids to one of their favorite swimming holes while the wives packed.  The wives were actually glad to get some quiet and so Greg and I piled into his truck with nine kids and navigated down a narrow dirt road until it dead-ended at a sandy shore along a cascading stream.  After layering the kids in sunscreen they ran into the water and started to splash!

While life guarding with my friend, Greg, I also got some pictures of the local wildlife... namely bugs. To capture the fly in mid flight I had to put the camera on manual focus.  It was fun to look for some of the things in nature that usually go by unnoticed!

When it came time to leave the river, however, we ran into trouble.  In spite of Greg's effort to avoid a deep puddle in the road we slid sideways into the ditch.  We had been given strict instructions to be back by noon.  The wives had been preparing for weeks to help set up an elaborate 'quinseanera' birthday party for two of our missionary girls.  The party would be at the location of our Team Training and being late was NOT an option.  The dad's were not worried though as we sat at a 45 degree angle.  We engaged the 4 wheel drive confident we would climb out of our predicament- getting stuck in mud is a regular part of traveling as a missionary in Paraguay.  The truck moved a bit then settled back down into the wet hole.  I looked down at Greg from the passenger seat, who was 45 degrees below me.  'We should try the winch!', he said with an eager look in his eye.

I helped the kids unload while Greg looped the cable around some saplings.  We were amazed when even the all mighty winch couldn't unearth the truck.  Now we were starting to get concerned.  The axles were on the ground and mud seemed to suction around the tires.  We realized we would have to call our wives to come rescue us but didn't have a phone signal.  I hiked down the road until I could make the dreaded call.  Not long after, our wives arrived in our truck- anxious and annoyed.  After making a 15 point turn on the narrow road I backed up to the other vehicle.  To our surprise I couldn't pull it out!  As a last resort we connected the winch to my truck and instead of pulling Greg's truck out, I found myself being dragged toward him- we had run out of options and time!  Greg stayed to search for a tractor while I sped twelve people to prepare for two last birthday celebrations.

Paraguay has helped me to learn the value of Philippians 4:6- 'do not be anxious about anything'.  Everything worked out.  The birthday celebration for our two 15 year old missionary girls was beautiful.  A little before the party began, Greg arrived in his green truck.  It turns out the harmless looking puddle was three feet deep being fed by an underground spring!  Even the tractor barely got the truck out breaking it's hitch in the process.  Afterward Greg himself got into the 'puddle' which went up to his waist.  After changing his pants he joined us for amazing deserts and a beautiful evening.  The following day our training began.  The topic was very appropriate we thought: Third Culture Kids.  It helped us better understand our kids and how to help them thrive in this crazy adventurous life.