Laughing gas

I had an interesting finale to my week last week when I was finally admitted to hospital to have a gallstone removed. This was much a much smaller operation that the original plan, for which I have my family doctor here to thank. He even came down to the operating theatre. You would never see that in Britian. I am dreading being back on the NHS cattle train.
It was rather like geriatrics united in the theatre as we were all senior citizens from anaesthetists to doctors to patient. We had a few giggles before I went under. The gas made me light headed.
I came round surprisingly well and was up within three hours and came home the next day. I managed the steps to my flat with no problems and now I have a few days of recuperation. Fortunately some new DVDs arrived just at the right time. I also have about a hundered or so books to read on my Kindle, so hopefully I will not be bored. I hope to get back to school for Teacher's Day on Friday, but we will see. That is followed by a long weekend!
God is good!

McCartney mania

For the first time Paraguay received a music legend. Sir Paul McCartney came to present his show "On the run" last night in Asuncion. Paraguayans loved the Beatles and their music so everybody wanted to see Sir Paul. Today is very quiet in school. I wonder why?!!

Sir Paul played for three hours non-stop, with many sing-along songs that the Paraguayans all love. Of course there were also lots of Brits there, singing loudly!

Well done Sir Paul! What stamina!

 

Torrential rain.

I remember about a year after I arrived in Paraguay, writing long letters about the plight of the Indians in the Chaco, whose lands were under floods. I remember telling the story of  a pastor who had walked miles through chest deep water to get to the main road to try to get to Asuncion to ask for help.

Now the people are suffering the same phenomenon again after years of droughts. It is amazing to see this dry, scrubby land, turned into a massive lake. Many communities are inaccessible other than by helicopter.

This year we have been praising the Lord for the rain which has fallen to allow the growth of food crops. Now the crops are submerged under water and it is not known if they will have a harvest. Please pray for the Indigenous people to receive the help that they need in these conditions.

In Filadelfia in the centre of the Chaco the main road became a river.

Inaccessible communities

A sad Easter

On the day when we should all be celebrating that Jesus is alive, we received some devastating news. One of our pupils, Gabi Duarte, in the lower sixth form, was tragically killed in a motor accident today, along with two other young people.  Gabi was a talented singer.

One is led to ask why such young lives should be ended so soon. Our consolation is that Gabi knew Jesus. She heard about him everyday and read his Word twice a day in our school Bible studies. May she be with Him now in Heaven.

Please pray for her family, who will feel the dreadful pain of her loss, especially her younger sister and two brothers. Pray also for her friends who will miss her and pray for the staff  and pupils in our school, who all feel a sense of loss.

Stations of the Cross

Here in Paragay about 95% of the population are Catholics. Each year they join together to remember Christ's sacrifice for us. Many people join in walking together, following the stations of the cross.

At dusk hundreds of people gathered out in the countryside, by the river at Tanarandy to walk the stations of the cross.

This year the stations were recreations of paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci (The last Supper) and by  Salvador Dali.

In another procession the "Virgin of pain" was carried, illuminated by candle bearers.

Meanwhile back in our little Anglican chapel a few of us gathered for a time of reflection about the people who were there at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified. It was a very moving time.

Afterwards we enjoyed some home made hot cross buns and some special hot cross mince pies (?!). They had been given the sign of the cross!