Church Retreat, English Classes, and Orphans

The weekend before last we had an all church retreat at a place out in the country about an hour away. About 60 people came. The place was beautiful, and it was a great time of fellowshipping with everyone. The theme of the weekend was “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.” I was in charge of the kids classes and we did “The Armor of God.” Along with the lesson, the kids got to dress up like soldiers, make swords and shields out of cardboard, and even have a real battle- dodgeball style. Alba and Laura, who are both in our university group, helped teach and they did an amazing job! In the afternoons we had free time to relax and just spend time with everyone. All the kids swam, all the guys played soccer, and al the women sat around on blankets talking under the trees (typical I know). Also, we did spiritual skits one night, which were fun to participate in, even though I didn’t exactly understand them all. We also had a bonfire and got to roast marshmallows. They don’t have marshmallows in Paraguay, but luckily every missionary brings back suitcases of food when they travel to the states. Enoch and Perry supplied the marshmallows, which were quite a treat for the Paraguayans. It was without a doubt a great weekend, and everyone left recharged and encouraged. Here's some pictures:

This is Bruno with his armor on :)


Boys working on their shields


Pati, Luana, and Gabby

Emma, one of the missionary kids. She's adorable- I know :)


The Lord's Army (it's a video)

Eating yay!

This is Nora, my Paraguayan mom :) She's wonderful!!

Anyone who has ever roasted marshmallows knows that the only way to roast marshmallows is to catch them on fire and blow them out. Here Gina and I are demonstrating.


Singing (and fighting off mosquitoes) :)

In other news, my English classes, which is where I spend the majority of my time, are going great! I have loved getting to know all my students. Getting to talk with them, teach them English, and learn about their lives while sharing the Bible with them is an awesome experience. One of my students is named Maria, and she works at the federal bank here in Asuncion. She is about 45 and extremely excited about English. She always says “thank you teacher” after everything she says. I love it. Last week she told me she was telling all her co-workers about how lucky she was that she got to learn English and learn about the Bible at the same time. It was really encouraging to hear her say that. So if you are wondering what you can pray about for me…it’s for my students- that they will develop a genuine interest in the Bible, and that what they learn goes beyond the English language. My other students are named Celia, Jazmin, Daniel, Sergio, Monica, Zarita, and Nohemy. Also, every Thursday night at the church we get together with whoever of the students can come, and we have food, play games, hang out, and they are able to practice their English with us and other students. Here’s some pictures from last Thursday:


My student Celia

Lastly, the orphans are doing good, and are still as precious as ever. Here’s some pictures from this past Thursday’s visit. I’ve also included a couple of videos. You might have to watch the video twice where I spin the little girl around. It’s hilarious.








Helicopter Video :)


HOLA Video ("Yo quiero sacar" = "I want to take a picture!!")

I love you all, and I continue to thank you for all your prayers and support!!