Ear defenders needed!

Today the Primary students were having a ball at their annual music extravaganza.

The music teacher encourages the students to form bands from as young as third grade. We now have some very good musicians and a few drum bangers! Music of every kind is a very important part of the culture here.

Other children performed their folklore dances.

It all made a good break from the pressure of examinations, which continue for another 2 weeks after this.

Off to the Chaco

This morning the fifth form secondary students were up bright and early ready to go to the Chaco to see how the other half live and to have a character building experience. They will be digging wells and latrines.

The group is being led by Mags Southern and by Tim Curtis, a Bible translator, whose translation centre is in Rio Verde.

Avid readers

This year we have been encouraging the children to read more books in English. I have just been checking all the reading ability of the children in the Primary department. The majority have made a tremendous improvement, especially those who have books in English at home and those who regularly use our library for borrowing books.Today the children were rewarded for completing their reading cards. I quickly popped into the second grade to snap their delight at receiving new bookmarks and reading certificates.

Trinity exams

At the moment we have a visitor from Trinity College in London university. She is examining the students' spoken English. Here you can see some of the secondary students waiting to go in to be examined. There has been some panic today as some had forgotten to prepare over the weekend, so they were cramming and testing each other whislt waiting to enter.

Mayoral elections

Today has been a glorious sunny day. As I walked to church this morning I was aware that there were more people on the streets than usual for a Sunday morning. As I passed the school I remembered that it was election day. The school looked busy as people entered to vote in the local municipal elections. There has been a steady turn out of voters all day after an intense week of electioneering by the various political parties, who are all promising the earth.

Predictions are that in some areas the ballot is unexpectedly very close. The polls closed at 5.00 p.m. so now the television is totally focussed on the awaited results. (Time to watch a DVD.)

We love you Marcos!

This morning there was great excitement when we arrived at school. The fifth and sixth grades and several secondary grades had recieved an invitation for a special treat. Marcos Witt, the famous singer/evangelist was on a visit from the United States. He is loved by young and old alike here in Paraguay. He graciously offered to do a free concert for the Youth of Asuncion. Our school received tickets. I love to listen to Marcos and I have several of his CDs, so I went along "to help out."

The concert was held in the new Pentecostal temple in Asuncion. It currently seats 12,000. It was almost full of young people (and one much older!) this morning, There are plans to increase the capacity of the church to 20,000, God willing.

I have seen Marcos Witt a couple of times before when he has visited Paraguay. This was a little different as it was specifically geared towards reaching the young people. Marcos is middle-aged but he has tremendous energy and he soon had us all praising and dancing for the Lord. The children and students loved the songs. Marcos always gives a good message.

Today he shared his personal testimony. He then invited the children to ask Jesus to come into their lives, to ask forgiveness and to move forward with Jesus. For many this was a first time experience. It was lovely to see the children, heads bowed as the Holy Spirit came among them.

All in all it was a great way to begin a week.

Totally engrossed

This is a sight which really encouraged me the other day. I caught one of our third graders in the library during a play break. He was totally absorbed in a book. Which book? It was his Bible! I had to tear him away from it when the bell sounded for the return to lessons.