New blog

For new posts by Fiona, please visit anhelando el cielo

© Fiona L Cooper 2009

The Last Post

As of Friday 3rd July, I no longer work at FEISA.

A number of funding difficulties at FEISA have led the Anglican Church in Paraguay (the body financially responsible for FEISA) to carry out a restructuring of the institution. As part of that restructuring, several jobs have been eliminated and mine was one of them.

I feel privileged to have been part of FEISA for these three and a half years. I have worked with some very inspiring people. In particular, I have been captivated by Ana's dynamic vision, embraced by Noemí's gentle spirit and humbled by Sam's generous heart. Then there's Susi, who has such a great sense of humour, and Esteban, whose faith knows no bounds... I have had so very many meetings which have been peppered with raucous laughter, because of knowing each other well and having a shared joy in life. It has been such a wonderful blessing to be part of such a dynamic team and I am definitely going to miss the working atmosphere.

It has been an honour to be part of FEISA's vision; to hear testimonies of how our graduates have impacted the lives of children, bringing God's love into their classrooms. I have enjoyed pouring my experience into the students' teaching through my observations of them on teaching practice. It has been great to be part of the process of awarding scholarships to the most economically needy students, thereby giving them a helping hand out of the poverty cycle as well as helping them fulfill their vocation. I have been pleased to use my experience to enrich the curriculum for training the students how to teach English to young children. I have derived much joy from watching the students progress in my English classes.

One of my greatest pleasures has been to pass on my knowledge of how to teach English to young children to qualified teachers through my Fun English workshops. I have even had the opportunity to meet with some of these teachers at later dates and they have told me of their delight in using my ideas and materials. "The children love it," one teacher told me. There is no greater accolade in my book!

I am completely amazed by the way God has been leading me through my life. When I was preparing to come to Paraguay and work at FEISA, I could clearly see how the work I was expecting to do here was the culmination of all the work experience I had had up until that point. I could not imagine life after FEISA because I couldn't see how there could be another job that would fit me anywhere near as well, given my background.

Now, however, I can see that even this time at FEISA has been preparing me for something else, something new, something better. I have learned so much during my time in FEISA, and one of the most surprising things is that I enjoy writing and might even have a gift for it. Because of this, I'm not going home just yet. The SIM leadership here in Paraguay have asked me to do some writing projects for the team so even though my work at FEISA is done, I am going to stay here for the next few months. I am looking forward to this new challenge and excited about what the longer-term future may hold.

This is the final post on this blog. If you want to continue to read about what I'm up to, my new blog is anhelando el cielo ("longing for heaven")


© Fiona L Cooper 2009

FEISA Graduates

FEISA's vision is to train early years teachers to the highest standard in order to develop in children their full potential and so generate a transformation of society.  Our graduates are working in many different contexts.  Some of them are at the frontline of the struggle to transform Paraguay by giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds access to high quality education.  Here are some of their stories:

Anabel graduated in 2003 and now works for a government project aiming to tackle the huge numbers of children working on the streets in Asunción and surrounding towns.  The project works with the families to eliminate the need for the children to work by helping the parents generate sufficient income.  It also provides health, nutrition and educational support.  Of the 1,340 children being supported by the project, 96% are no longer working on the streets.  Annabel is completely fulfilled in her work. “I always knew I wanted to reach more than the children in one class. These children are vulnerable and isolated. Nothing was being done for them. To see the success of the project and know that this is possible for more and more children in Paraguay thrills me.”

Lili graduated in 2004 and now works with the indigenous Aché community.  Educational provision amongst indigenous communities is the worst in Paraguay and it is difficult to find teachers for these communities due to the harsh living conditions.  Lili’s dynamic, interactive teaching methods in pre-school made even the youngest children want to attend so she decided to start a nursery class as well! The community is delighted that their children are learning so much. Her teaching about basic hygiene is also ensuring better health for them and their families. Had Lili not received a full scholarship from FEISA, she would not be teaching today.

Silvia graduated in 2004 and now teaches in a day nursery run by a Mennonite charity.  As well as having a class of 25 four-year-olds, she co-ordinates the volunteers who work with all the children, aged from 6 months to 5 years.  The charity’s vision is to offer economic, social and spiritual help to disadvantaged families, most of whom come from shanty towns.  They wash, feed, educate and provide basic medical care for the children and they provide talks and workshops for the parents on parenting and life skills.  Silvia is now studying for the degree at FEISA and she says she’s learning an enormous amount.  She says, “My whole life I have wanted to be a teacher.  FEISA gave me very good training, which prepared me well for the job.  Now my desire is to become the director of a Christian school.  Doing the degree is the first step.  This is my vocation.”

Elisa graduated in 2006 and is now teaching in a charity-run school for children at risk.  She has a class of 23 five-year-olds, all of whom come from families where the parents are either in prison, working on the street or ill, often with AIDS.  She acts as nurse and mother as well as teacher to these very needy children.  Before she came to FEISA she felt called by God to work with young children, but did not have the economic means to pay for teacher training.  By offering her a scholarship, FEISA gave her the opportunity to qualify as a teacher and she says it was a dream come true for her to be able to study, a real gift from God.  She now feels fulfilled in her work; “I feel useful and I’ve got so much to give.  I try to make a difference to the children’s lives, giving them the love and attention they need.”

© Fiona L Cooper/FEISA 2009

Aim Lower, Think Smaller...

"How to Not Mess Up the Great Commission Too Much"

This video was shown to us at the end of the conference in Lima. It really demonstrates the high priority children's ministry should have, the world over:




© Fiona L Cooper 2009

SIM Children's Ministry Conference

We gathered together from different countries in South America, with one purpose; to enrich our ministries amongst the children of our continent. From Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay came national children's workers and missionaries, to learn from the wisdom and experience of Betty and David Constance, our speakers for the week. We met in a lovely old hotel in Lima, under the grey skies of approaching winter, the last week of May 2009. 

Betty and David opened up the Bible to show us more deeply God's passion for children and drew from their vast experience to teach us how better to minister to those who are hurting. We could all identify children who had been through distressing experiences and Betty revealed the importance of not just containing the difficult behaviour that often results, but of finding out its root cause and helping the child come to terms with their pain. It was a real joy to listen to Betty express her passion for children and to hear the way the Lord has equipped her over the years to minister to children who were living difficult circumstances. Her talks were also packed full of practical advice for us, so we came away with ideas for helping children we knew.

I enjoyed hearing from all the participants the different ways God is using his church in South America to give children hope and show them God's love. We had plenty of time to fellowship together outside the formal sessions and the conversations over coffee and at meal times were particularly rewarding, as we discovered the things we had in common and the differences between us. There were tears at times, but there was also much laughter as we began to get to know each other.

I feel very privileged to have participated in this SIM gathering: I learned a lot, but mostly I think it did my soul a lot of good to spend time with these special people, all of whom love God and seek to share that love with children.

See more photos:

Lima - Mayo 2009

Adapted from an article written for the SIM Crucial Moments newsletter

© SIM and Fiona L Cooper 2009