Monday, November 11, 2013

Paraguay 2000-2001

Experiencing... We arrived in Paraguay after an overnight flight from Panama, excited to see what God would do in this new country. This was a furlough replacement, and we were eager to begin flying. We adjusted to this very hot, but sometimes cold, southern country. We learned to love life among the Mennonites in the Chaco. Our missionary teams were a privilege to serve and we made many friends as well as gained new mentors. It was a year of practicing what we’d learned in Panama and experiencing God for ourselves in a new way. 

Our first months in the Chaco were spent asking, “Why would anybody choose to live here?” Over our year there the question became, “Why do we have to leave?” The Mennonite community was similar to Garry’s roots, and he enjoyed being able to speak low german and relate to the local culture. This was our first experience south of the equator, where a south wind was cold and northern winds brought extreme heat. 

The Paraguayan field leadership was a blessing as we faced many challenges during our year there. Co-workers became great friends, and we look back to Paraguay as a “school on intentional discipleship and relationship building”. We flew in support of four works in Paraguay. There were growing churches amongst all these people groups when we were in Paraguay and they continue to grow and reach out.



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