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!

What did Jesus do for us?

We finally came to the real meaning of the Cross this morning. The staff and children gathered in the cathedral, where we began by praising God.

The readings led into a short act from the third grade to explain the old testament reading.

Pastor Ronnie had been working with them. They certainly helped him with the explanation of Aaron "standing in the gap" for the people of Israel.

Later the sixth form performed an emotional, dramatic dance to modern music, showing how Jesus can rescue us from "darkness" and forgive us when we take the wrong pathway, into sin, if we call on him in repentence.

There are many things to corrupt us in our lives:- lies, alchohol, drugs, lust, etc. etc. 

Satan tries to ensnare us into his power when we are tempted.

Jesus will fight for us if we let him come into our lives.

He will rescue us and forgive us.

Jesus is conqueror over sin and darkness and he brings us into the Light and gives us liberty from Satan´s power. Jesus has the Victory.

Everybody came away from the service having received the very strong message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This afternoon the children went home and the staff had some in-service training.

Now we have a week of much-needed holiday!!!

English history

The last few days have been something of a nightmare for the English teachers in the Primary department as they tried to pull together a history project ready for a whole school presentation. The rehearsals yesterday were a disaster, but as the saying goes, "It will be alright on the night," and with some prayer it all went reasonably well today.

The Pre-school department presented a funny film about cavemen and the stone age, to the accompaniment of the Flintstones music.

4th, 5th and sixth grades presented some information about the Anglos-Saxons.

Then came the 3rd grade Vikings.....

 1st grade talked about them,

Second grade sailed in a longship,

The secondary department also contributed with a presentation about the Romans.

The sixth form ended the presentations with a well constructed film about British monarchy through the ages.

All in all, it was a lot of hard work but a worthwhile exercise, with more such events to come this year.