a refreshing few days

I got back yesterday from a lovely time visiting my friend Arantxa in Salamanca, Spain. It was the first time in three years that I'd been back there and I loved every minute! Arantxa and I spent many hours talking about life, God and the universe and it was almost like it had been back when we were living together all those years ago. We walked the streets of Salamanca at my request every day. I really enjoyed the bright, crisp winter weather, feeling my face to be very cold while the rest of me was wrapped up warm, and enjoying the blue, blue skies. We passed through the Plaza Mayor as many times as I could persuade Arantxa it was necessary (a lot!) and ate roasted chestnuts as we wandered in the evening, with the Christmas lights brightening the streets. All in all, a very lovely time. ¡Que se repita!

If you want to see photos I took, go to my Picasa album:

Salamanca December 07

a busy couple of months

It's been a while, I know. There has been a lot going on at work but nothing new or unusual enough for me to feel the urge to write about it. I did workshops with the 1st and 2nd year teacher trainees on how to teach English to young children. The second year group are a lovely bunch of girls; we are blessed to have them at FEISA, and they were very enthusiastic from the beginning. The first years are a much more difficult group and, while doing the workshops I got the feeling that they were thinking it was a bit of a waste of time, so I was very surprised and gratified that my perceptions in fact had been wrong, when they wrote out their evaluation of the workshops. There were only one or two negative comments and almost all of them gave me 5 out of 5!

My parents came for their second visit in as many years! They had a fabulous time watching birds in the Chaco with a British bloke called Paul. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of birdwatching so I was pleased to leave them in the safe and capable hands of Paul while I got on with work at FEISA for a week! We visited the Iguazú falls again and the Jesuit ruins, in the south of Paraguay. I got to see a different part of the country with them, which was lovely. We stayed together at the SIM guest house in Asunción, so I had to get used to my mum's snoring quickly! And that meant Mum and Dad met (albeit briefly!) a number of the other missionaries I work alongside.

It was a very dry winter here, which meant drought for those living in the harsh western region called the Chaco, and it also provided fuel for thousands of forest fires to break out. Fortunately, there has been some rain in the past month or so, which has helped, though not enough to solve the water shortage yet.

I did my first solo visits to girls on teaching practice in October. A bit scary at first but I found I enjoyed being able to input into their training in a direct way. I saw some fantastic teaching and some decidedly underwhelming teaching too! Fortunately, there was a lot more that was positive than negative!

This photo shows one of our students as she supervises kids painting their playground wall

And here the children are painting themselves!


Other things I've been involved in include the design for a website we're putting together. There will be a Spanish part for prospective students and an English part for prospective donors/praying people. The Spanish part is with the website design company now and should be up and running within the next few weeks. The English part will take longer, but we're all quite excited about it, as you can imagine!

We have also taken the mobile play scheme to many, many schools over the past month. Our third year students have taken advantage of this service to enhance their teaching practices in schools in very poor areas. Some of the kids have been so overwhelmed they just didn't know what to do when faced with so many toys! I was playing in the home corner with one little girl, going along with the story she was making up and she was so delighted that I was responding to her play that she gave me a kiss on the cheek!



It's now near the end of the academic year so exams are coming up, which make the students quite stressed, as you can imagine. Everybody is exhausted and it's getting hotter, which makes everything that much more tiring, so we're all looking forward to the end of term!

At the end of October, I went away to a lovely hotel in the trees near a lake about an hour from Asunción, for a women's retreat with 6 others from the SIM team in Paraguay. It was a really wonderful weekend. We were the only guests at the hotel for most of the weekend, so it felt completely luxurious, swimming in the pool by ourselves, having the waiters at our beck and call...! It was fantastic to get to know everyone a bit better and to spend time with each other focusing on God and how to make Jesus our treasure. It really touched my heart and made me reassess my commitment to my Lord. If I really want to experience the joy of the Lord, I have realised this will entail discipline and sacrifice as well as suffering along the way. A hard thing to come to terms with but I am now convinced that the price is worth paying. If you want to pray for me, please pray that I will find fullness of joy in my relationship with my Saviour.

These are some of the women on the retreat; clockwise from left: Kelly, Alyssa, Vonnie, Lissy with Timmy


the extra ones in this picture are Sarah (front left) and Cherlynn (back right) oh, and me, as you can see!

Cynthia's Story

In order to give you a view of how FEISA is impacting lives, here's the story of one student, who was in my English class last year:

(photo of Cynthia at a play scheme this year)

"The love of God called me in 2006 when I was lost in the world, in religiosity, empty and with serious problems in my marriage. That January, I saw an advert in the newspaper for the Early Years Teacher Training course at FEISA. Teaching had been my dream for a long time but I had never had the opportunity or the finances to study. I found out that FEISA offers scholarships so I applied and a few days later I was accepted on the course. The scholarship was a real blessing because I was in a difficult situation; my husband was the only wage earner in the family and studying was difficult because I had 3 children who were also going to school. In this way, God was preparing the way for me towards an encounter with him.

"When I arrived at FEISA, I encountered the love of God through the people there and, in the Christian Worldview classes I discovered that salvation comes through faith and not by works, as I had believed.

"By July 2006, my relationship with my husband was deteriorating to the point that I wanted to leave him, even though I loved him a lot. I couldn't take the jealousy or the physical and verbal abuse any longer. The following month, my sister Liliana invited me to meetings where they talked about God and in September, I met him, God the Father, (Abba, Daddy!) at church. I continued to grow and that very month I started going to a Bible study where the Lord began shaping my life. In April 2007 I was baptised by full immersion, also known as water baptism.

"My brothers and sisters at FEISA were the fertile soil which welcomed this little seed.

"Nowadays my parents are studying the Bible, as is my husband. That monster changed into a wonderful and handsome prince, but, unlike the story of Beauty and the Beast, where everything ends when Beauty kisses the Beast and he changes and becomes handsome and they fall in love, in this story, it was God who showed us his love and this love changed us both.

"I thank the people at FEISA for their prayers and their support because the Word tells us that faith without works is dead and I feel the love of God through them, my brothers and sisters in Christ. I thank them because they are instruments in God's hands and thanks to this, God can change the lives of his children."

giving blood

I was sitting on my sofa at 11pm one evening last week. I'd just watched the latest episode of my favourite Brazilian soap opera (dubbed into Spanish, I particularly enjoy the fact that these stories differ from Eastenders and Coronation Street by having an end; they last a few months, are on every night for an hour each, and you watch the story with all its subplots developing, knowing that there's going to be a happy ending at some point!). I was surprised to notice that the late film this evening was one I was interested in so I decided to stay up and watch it for a change.

As the film got underway, a notice rolled across the bottom of the screen, asking help for someone who was ill in the public hospital and needed blood type A+. It gave the name and room number of the person and asked for donors to go to the hospital to give blood.

(I wondered whether it was the done thing to go and visit the person you were giving blood for...?)

I'd seen a similar notice on the telly once last year but the blood type needed was not mine. This time it was my blood type, so I decided to help. I've given blood several times in the UK and I thought it was a very practical and tangible thing I could do to help someone in need. So the next morning, I made my way to the public hospital not at all sure what to expect. I'd heard terrible stories about corridors full of patients and rude staff. I realised the experience was going to be different from what happens in the UK at a blood donating session, but I didn't know how different or in what ways. When I arrived at the hospital I made my way through the stalls selling all kinds of snacks, drinks and useful items like tissues and shoes (!) and headed for the main door. There was a sign outside the main entrance telling me the blood bank was in area "C" so once inside, I followed the signs down a corridor which got narrower and found myself facing a brick wall with no exit! I realised I'd have to ask a member of staff where to go. I was glad not to have to look far before I found someone in a white coat and she was quite helpful, giving me clear directions to a new building where the blood bank had obviously recently moved.

I entered the waiting room, lined up at a door with others and was given a form to fill in. I was reassured by the comprehensive nature of the questions on the form; very similar to the forms at home. However, the first question was "Have you read and understood the information leaflet in the waiting room?" I diligently looked around the room for said leaflet but had to conclude that either there was no leaflet or it was invisible! I left that question unanswered and moved on to the next. Within about 20 minutes, my number was called and I followed a technician into an office, where she skimmed through the questionnaire and asked a few of the questions again and completely ignored the question on whether I'd ever had my blood rejected at a donation session before. I'd answered yes because there have been a couple of times my haemoglobin has been low. I silently prayed that it wasn't going to be a problem this time, especially once I realised they weren't going to test my haemoglobin here!

She asked me who I was donating for so I said, "the woman whose name came up on the telly last night" It hadn't occurred to me that I'd need to give them her name. She said not to worry, the blood would be used and she noted me down as a volunteer instead.

The next part of the procedure was very similar to what happens at home; they stuck a needle in my arm as I was lying on a reclining chair and told me to open and close my hand to keep the blood pumping out. What happened once the bag was full was very different however! In the UK, you're made to lie still for another 15 minutes or so and then you sit with a cup of tea and a biscuit for another little while before they'll let you leave. Here, the moment the blood had started clotting to heal the wound on my arm, they said, "you can go now!" I stood up and the room started to sway gently! I decided to take it easy and had a sit down in the waiting room for a few minutes before making my way slowly out of the hospital to get the bus home. Fortunately I didn't have to go to work for another few hours so I lay down on the sofa for a bit to recover!

They are obviously not inundated with blood donations so I'm considering going back once in a while to give blood and do my bit to help.

Hillsong Disappointment

I arrived at the stadium hot and sweaty after the 15 minute walk from work with my friend and colleague, Noemí. We had made our excuses and left work early for the concert that was due to start in 2 hours' time and I had misjudged the weather yet again in this Paraguayan winter, wearing warm clothes on an afternoon that turned out to be warm and muggy. Hillsong, the Australian worship team, were due to perform for the Paraguayan youth (and assorted taggers-on, like myself! Although I was there as part of the leadership of the youth group at church, so perhaps my presence was justified!). At youth group, I'd become familiar with two of the songs from the latest Hillsong album "United" (recorded in Spanish) and was looking forward to singing them with the 20,000 others in the stadium that night.

We met Noemí's husband at the gate where he was waiting for the youth who were yet to arrive and we bought "chipa," the ubiquitous bread-like snack made with corn flour and cheese, baked into rings. Noemí and I headed into the stadium to find the rest of the youth, laden with chipa and Coke. We had bought our tickets at the last minute because the youth were late in handing over the money they had raised through the sale of Bibles, which had been donated for the purpose. This meant the tickets had gone up from 30,000 to 35,000 Guaraníes (£3.50), a significant amount of money in a country where the official minimum wage is £100 a month but most live on £50 or less. Noemí had given me our tickets to look after earlier in the day and I enthusiastically held onto them, handing them over as we entered the stadium. I was most disappointed when my beautifully designed ticket was thrown mercilessly into the bin on entering our assigned section of the stands! There went the souvenir!

We found the youth group sitting in a great spot, with a good view of the stage and the screens either side. Noemí saw friends of hers in the crowd who came and talked to her, I saw a student from the college and went to say hello... we chatted about this and that and the atmosphere was very expectant. The group had been in Brazil for a few dates of their tour and then had come to Paraguay for one night only. We were looking forward to the blessing of worshipping with this international group and all these thousands of Paraguayans. As we waited, the sun went down (the stadium lights took a while to catch up and we were left in the murk for a little longer than was comfortable!) and the temperature started to drop; I was glad of my jumper after all! The stadium gradually filled and finally (half an hour late!) the music started. Hooray! Oh, what? They were singing in English! Well, I'm sure you'll be thinking; of course they were; they are Australian, after all! But, with them having brought out a cd in Spanish, then coming to a Spanish-speaking country where few people speak English, I had expected them to sing in Spanish. As had everyone else I talked to about it.

What a disappointment! They were singing the English versions of songs from the United album. The words were on the screens in Engish and Spanish and every now and then, the singer would do the chorus in Spanish, but mainly the songs were sung in English. What a shame. They proclamed that it wasn't a concert, it wasn't a show, but that they wanted it first and foremost to be an act of praise to God. How can God's people praise him if they don't understand the language being used? Some of the Paraguayans were singing along in Spanish to the songs they knew but there was a definite change in atmosphere whenever the folk on stage sang in Spanish; the volume of singing from the crowd rose noticeably. At one point late on, a Paraguayan worship leader took over in Spanish the leading of one of the well-known songs from the Australians and the crowd's reaction was electric; suddenly the stadium was alive with praises to God. At another moment, the crowd was encouraged to sing a repeated phrase in English from one of the songs, in praise to God; "Let's praise him together!" said the leader. The people may have sung along willingly, and it was clear that the folk on stage were worshipping but whether the crowd were is debatable.

Many, many people were mightily blessed by the concert and I don't want to belittle their experience but for me, the team from Hillsong came to Paraguay with far too little knowledge of the realities of the country. At one point before the show started, they showed a film (in English, without subtitles) about a project they support in Africa, working with children. The film was about our responsibility, as people who "have" to give to those who have nothing and ended with a plea for money. I was offended by their showing the film here, where there are far too many needy children right in front of our eyes without having to look abroad for them. Late on in the concert, they talked about the Bible school Hillsong runs in Australia and said, "we want you to come!" WHAT? Did they have NO idea of the impossibility of a Paraguayan getting together the funds for a flight to Australia, never mind the cost of studying and living there? It showed a complete lack of interest on their part in knowing something about the people they were ministering to.

There was a message, half way through the show, by a youth pastor who was part of the Australian team. It was translated, phrase by phrase, into Spanish and was about Peter and John healing the cripple; nothing is impossible for God. A fine message, but it smelt to me as though it was the same message they had been giving at all their concerts. Why didn't they ask a Paraguayan pastor to speak? It could have been so much more meaningful to the Paraguayan youth. It's as though Hillsong have discovered that they have a gift in their own country (and, probably around the English-speaking world) and now have this wonderful idea about dropping it like an aid package from an aeroplane in all these different countries to bless the unfortunate people there... It has no long-term benefits and it smacks of colonialism in the worst way when they don't take any account of the unique circumstances of each country they visit.

If you're coming to minister to people in a different country, you have a responsibility to find out something about the country and try to make your minsitry relevant. I think their purpose could have been served much better if they had taken the time to discover what Paraguay was like and what needs the youth in this country have. At the very least, they should have had singers who could perform in Spanish. In my opinion, it was an opportunity lost and I hope they have learnt from the experience. However, I wonder whether they stayed long enough to realise their faults or did they rush onto the next date in Argentina or wherever, without giving it a second thought?