Getting to know our neighborhood

I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy for rain! The past few days have been much cooler and bearable thanks to the downpour Tuesday and a little bit today. And while I’ll admit that I used to complain about rain because it screwed up my perfectly straightened/curled hair, now that I’ve accepted that my last good hair day was  in Albuquerque  and I’m embracing the “air dried” look, it doesn’t get much better than a rainy day in 100 degree weather. 

We've also had some very eye-opening experiences too as we’ve gone to visit families and people that we’ll be ministering to. Like most countries, in Paraguay there are the haves and have nots, but when you hear about poverty and even see pictures nothing can really prepare you for what it’s like when you’re there in person. Being so close to it and seeing, breathing and feeling the things even for a short moment that these people experience everyday definitely makes you thankful for what you have. One family we visited was a mother, father and six boys ages 3 to 14 who lived in a tiny wooden house and had for the past 16 years. (I hope that I get to meet the littlest boy more in our kindergarten because he and all of his brothers are adorable!) Their entire house was smaller than my bedroom back home. Right now, the owner of the land is trying kick the family off of the land and the sisters are trying to help the family. 

We also visited a neighborhood that’s situated beneath the bridge that connects Encarnacion, Paraguay and Posadas, Argentina to let parents know about the kindergarten. When the bridge was built many families that lived in the area and near the river were displaced and moved to our barrio, Fatima, and others; however, some families didn’t want to/couldn’t leave and still remain. Ester, a girl that volunteers with the sisters and lives in our neighborhood, said the police are starting to force them out though. Although there are some adobe/brick houses for the most part they are small wooden houses. I tried to get a few pictures.

Makes me really excited for the jardin to start!

A great example of my air dried look. Ehhh...

Only 30 days old!

Making bread with dulce de leche inside.

Since the kindergarten (jardín) classes don’t start until March 5, we’ve been preparing the classrooms, cleaning house, and cleaning at the Centro de Salud. Caitlin has also learned how to work the reception, which hopefully once I can speak and understand better I’ll be able to do as well. In addition to health services, the sisters offer literacy classes and manicure and pedicure classes at the center, which we’ll probably be helping some with, too. Hopefully they can practice on me!

El Centro de Salud (Health Center)

 

Classroom in the health center.

One of the classrooms for the jardin.

Caitlin and Hna. Graciela varnishing chairs for kindergarten.

 

For Ash Wednesday I tried to wake up early and go to the morning Mass with the sisters (they leave at 6:10 a.m.) I was all ready to go at 6:05 but decided I should braid my hair. Bad choice! While trying to make my hair look presentable I heard the truck start in the garage downstairs. Even though I ran down and tried to catch up , I wasn’t quick enough. No bueno! After, I decided to read the readings for the day, which happened to touch on not focusing on appearances—guess God decided to teach me a lesson with the braid . Luckily, the morning Mass wasn’t my only option, and we went to the little chapel in our neighborhood later that night. It was crowded with young people, and it seems like here too (just as in Albuquerque at San José) the sisters are developing a strong faith group of young adults in the community.

Another one of our ministries will be to visit the sick. This morning we stopped by four homes to talk to and check-in on the sick in our barrio—one older woman, an older man, an older couple and a 35 year old woman who is physically and mentally disabled. Seeing her reminded me of our time at Casa Angelica and really made me miss the “angels” there, but it was definitely a drastically different environment that she lives in with her mother and sister than we experienced in Albuquerque. I can’t wait to get to know all these people and the others we’ll be meeting through our ministries.