Ellen in Paraguay

Wow, just two seconds ago I put the finishing touches on the grade sheets for report cards, and now I have really completed a whole year of teaching. I remember the days when I couldn’t ever imagine making it this far, the days when I said to myself “I’m staying until Easter break and then I’m leaving” or “I just have to make it to winter vacations.” It’s a good thing I have this joy of accomplishment to even out the dread of having to leave my friends here in less than a month. Thankfully there are many things going on to celebrate and use as an excuse to spend lots of time together. Last Friday was Larissa’s birthday as well as our friend David’s, and only two days earlier David’s brother Ricardo turned 31 on the 31^st. So we had a triple birthday party and I employed my neighbour lady to make us a HUGE cake with lots of whip cream and dulce de leche inside. It was extra fun because some of Ricardo’s family came from Formosa to be at his baptism on Sunday, his brother and cousin whom I came to know when we travelled there in July during winter break. On Saturday my sister and brother-in-law arrived and I got to spend a few hours just hanging out with Karen and Edson in the airport (Anytime I get to spend with Karen now seems so precious). Ben and Vivi made us a wonderful welcome lunch, make-your-own tacos. Emi is living with them for these two weeks so my whole family can be together in my cosy little house. Like I said, there was a baptism on Sunday, with four people baptised and two new people becoming members. I was very happy to see all these young energetic people wanting to commit themselves to serving God as part of the church. All the hugs and pictures after the service, as well as being able to spend all afternoon being with everyone, just drinking térere and playing volleyball, made me feel like I am really going to miss the community here.

On Monday we had our final “Monday Missionary meeting” in which everyone said nice things about me and made me feel that I can be happy with the work I’ve done here. Then Oscar took me and my guests to the downtown. We tried to do a little bit of tourist shopping and buy a birthday present for Gaby, but we couldn’t even find an American football and Lord of the Rings III apparently hasn’t come out yet in Paraguay. We went to a mall I had not yet been to, and there was a store that had clothes from Old Navy which were from about three years ago, but still cost the same original price in American dollars. Annette said now she knows why I haven’t sent back that many souvenirs; food is cheap here, but I have always though that buying things like clothes and cars must be almost crippling when the average income is taken into account. In the end we got Gaby a soccer ball and some other little things and then made him a treasure hunt for his birthday on Tuesday. That night we ate another HUGE cake that Karen made and slept outside in the tents.

I suppose I have convinced everyone to be a missionary now, sounds pretty fun huh? I am looking forward to dinner at Dario and Marlene’s house tonight, going to the country with Oscar and Karen on Saturday, and other invitations in the coming week. Everyone here is letting me know how much they will miss me and I know they are doing some special things because I’m leaving soon, but I have to say that all year long they have been so good to me. My hope is that I am overflowing with this love and I can carry some of it back home with me.

# posted by Ellen @ 4:47 PM