Life in Paraguay

The other day I said in very broken spanish to my host mom, ¨muchos cosas para mi escribir¨.

What I was trying to say was there are so many events for me to discribe that I don´t know where to start. How can I manage to discribe what I have seen and learned so far.

Well- first of all it is improtant to know how loving and beautiful the people of Paraguay are. Their unconditional love and hospitality has made me feel very welcomed. The past couple days I have gotten to know people in my neighborhood, host family, and members of numberous Mennonite churches in Asuncion. I have felt especially welcomed by my host family as they have made many sacrifices to have me in their home such as taking time to explain the spanish language, providing dairy free food and inviting me so freely into their lives.

For the next three weeks, me and my Radical Journey teammates will be taking the time to work on our Spanish-which can be quite humerous at times- and becoming familiar with Asuncion. This time of orientation has been very helpful as we begin to get situated in our homes.

Some days I look around me and wonder why I am here. Why is it that God called me to Paraguay. Throughout these next 10 months I want to be open to whatever God has instore for me. I have no clue where that may take me, but I am ready for a ´radical journey´.


Disclaimer: I am still getting use to the key boards down here so sorry if I do not use all the correct grammer hehe

Dirty Rotten Day

Bad days are no fun.

It all started when I discovered I needed to have the yellow fever shot... which I did not have. I cannot get into Paraguay without this shot. And I am leaving on Sunday. This resulted in two hours of being put on hold trying to find an office that could give me the shot before I leave.

Next thing, my debit card was not working. Try as I might, it would not work when trying to make a small purchase at Walgreen's. How am I going to get by in Paraguay without money? Yet again phone calls were made and more annoying hold music filled my ears.

Oh and yes. The washing machine decided to attack my clothing, resulting in gross detergent everywhere. It was a mess. And terrible timing.

All of this plus preparing to leave for Paraguay on Sunday.

It was a bad, terrible, no good, dirty rotten day filled with a roller coaster of emotions. But God was present. I saw God through friends who cleaned my laundry for me. Friends who gave me hugs, notes and prayers of encouragement. Friends who took me to the clinic so I would not get lost. I saw God in all of them. Looking back on the day, I can see that this was God's way of reminding me of his constant support.

I need not fear, for he will be there to take my hand and guide me along the way.

One Baby Step Forward

I would not consider myself an athletic person.

Due to my athletic past (which includes many balls hitting me in the head :), I was quite surprised when I agreed to run with a group of girls in the morning. At first we took our mornings very slowly. As we continued, each morning got relatively easier. Yes, there were some days that I hardly had enough motivation to pull myself away from my warm bed. And yes, I am by far not the worlds greatest jogger after all my "hard work". But I keep getting up. Each morning is a new opportunity. A chance to go a bit farther or jog a bit faster than the day before.

I am trying to look at the next 10 months with the same attitude. Yes we do not know what we will be doing. And yes we might not be the most qualified for the job. But with God's strength we can look at each day as a new chance to take a step forward. An opportunity to connect to our host families in a new way. Or a chance to learn some more Spanish.

With each baby step, I hope to learn how to "live a life worthy of the calling we have received" (Ephesians 4:1).

A Lesson in Hospitality

It all started with a bag of popcorn.

On Monday we were given the whole day to practice the gift of hospitality. With no guidelines or regulations, we were free to be creative with our time. Nothing in particular came to mind for me, so I decided to keep the day open for God do his thing. All I knew was I wanted some of Chicago's very own Garret's popcorn (www.garrettpopcorn.com). They have some of the best caramel corn ever! :) So off I went to find me some popcorn. On the way downtown, I was praying and observing the people I passed. The closer I got to Garret's the more homeless I saw. And this is where it all begins.

A young couple stopped me asking for some spare change. I felt a tug at my heart and went for it. They just lost their jobs and have been living on the streets for a couple months. After getting them a meal, we talked for awhile about their current struggles. I gave them my best wishes and continued on my way to the popcorn.

Once I found my beloved popcorn, I thought it would be awesome to continue talking to people and hearing their stories over this beautiful snack . One young woman I shared popcorn with told me how in the last week she had given birth to a still born from all the stress of being homeless. Another man I met gave me a big smile at the end of our encounter and said I was 'such a sweet girl'.

I must have looked quite silly sharing my big bag of caramel popcorn in downtown Chicago, most likely smiling from ear to ear. Not only was I feeling excited about my special treat, but the joy of sharing and listening to others share their stories. Everyone has struggles. Each of us have times of pain. It is through those stories that we can look back and see where God has been holding us close.

Asking the Hard Questions

The other day we got into our country groups and tried to explain what we have learned over the past two weeks and where we are spiritually. But I couldn't seem to do it. I wasn't able to express my spiritual walk, my questions or believes. I was stumped.

Part of the reason for this 'spiritual standstill' might have been caused by the whirlwind of new information I have received thus far. From talking to JPUSA residents about their faith walks to hearing about the issue of male prostitution in Chicago (http://www.streets.org/). Or maybe it is the new faith insights I have received from our Radical Journey discussions. And quite possibly it could also be this new sense of responsibility to make my faith my own in this new found adulthood. All of these opportunities sparked an investigation of my current spiritual foundation. What exactly does my hope lie in? Am I truly surrendering my life to Christ?

But amidst all these questions I feel a sense of calm. Because even as my questions begin to pile up, I am reassured that I want Christ to be the center. God's powerful and mighty love has reshaped peoples lives and is at work in Chicago. Questioning my current truths does not leave me feeling weak, but finally alive to God's call.

An Adventure for the Sences

Let me tell you what- I love the cultural diversity of Chicago. There is nothing quite like it.

This weekend I had the opportunity to get a piece of both Greek and Latin culture right in the heart of Chicago. On Friday night we ventured out to the Greek festival. Walking down the blocked off street, a variety of smells and sounds were every which direction. Tempting aromas drifted through the air from the open grills on each side street. The authentic Greek music being played gave an exciting energy to the party.

Saturday we ventured off to the Latino Festival. After taking the "scenic route" to the park we were excited to hear the inviting sounds of the Latino band. All around us both young and old were dancing to the music. Some were doing traditional salsa while others were break dancing. Even us Mennonites were moving along- now that's impressive! :)

Looking back on the eventful weekend, I find so much power in different cultural backgrounds celebrating together. By learning more about cultures that differ from our own, we can learn to love each other that much more!