Helping Hands

The other day I was walking through the neighborhood with one of our family friends and my host mom. We got to a point where the path led to a bridge over a creek. The bridge consisted of two long logs stretched across the gap with a few tattered and broken boards loosely nailed to the supporting logs. As I watched our neighbor expertly cross the bridge, I could hear the wood creeking and saw the bridge wobble and sag with each step.

This is when I began to realize that I too would be crossing that bridge. You have got to be kidding me, I thought. There is no way I can cross that thing. I took one step on to the mess of a bridge and the very first thing I do is look down. The only object in the way of me falling 8 feet to the rocky creek bottom was a worn out board.

I could´t do it. Each time I put my food ahead of me to test the bridge, the board would alert me that it was not capable to carry my weight with an awful creeking sound. At this point, I started looking back trying to see if I could possibly take another route. There was no other choice but to go forward. It was then that my friend came back across the bridge. She took my hand and guided me to the secure and safe points on the bridge. Slowly she held my hand until we safely reached the other side.

In the same way I have been experiencing God in Paraguay. Last week was not easy for me. I had been feeling sick and thinking of home a lot. But God heard my cries and he took me into his firm embrace. I am so blessed to have helping hands from my Radical Journey teammates, my host family, and the friends of my host church. They reached out to me when the bridge a head seemed quite impossible to pass alone. It is with God´s love through others that I have begun walking forward.

Christ Be Our Light

Over the past three weeks in Paraguay, I have seen the bible, Jesus and the church in a different context. In my neighborhood, the church and what it believes is very different from the surrounding community. People of the church naturally stand out because of the choices they make.

For example- when people fill the bars on the weekend, the youth of the church worship together. As my neighbor comes home drunk, my host mom prays for the safety of his wife and children. When there is too much free time for the kids of the neighborhood, the women of the church create Saturday morning activities for them to learn about Christ. As problems of the world are ever present, the people of the church respond in Christ like ways.

What does this mean for me. In what ways can I stand out from the world in order to be a shining light for Christ. How can we as a church stand out in the world.

Mi Familia

One of the highlights of living in Paraguay living in a host family. I can remember from the first time I met them thinking, ¨Now this is a neat family.¨

My host father, Alfred, is the lead pastor of our church, La Amistad. He has a great sence of humor (at least from the phrases I understand) and seems to always be laughing at something or other. Edulia, my host mom, is a mother figure for the surrounding neighborhood. Daily she visits people who are sick or going through a rough time. Edulia is also very involved in our church by planning childrens activities, decorating for fiestas or by welcoming others with her warm smile.

Now- the explaination of my family would not be complete if I left out my new brothers and sister! Jeremias (11), Noemi (9), and Josias (7) are three full of life kids that I have enjoyed getting to know the past two weeks. The first time I met Jeremias he came running to give me a big hug (what a great way to be welcomed into the family!). He seems to be the inquisitive and observant one. When I was first unpacking, Jeremias took interest in each of my posessions, intently asking ¿Que es eso? or ´what is that?´.

Noemi is a charming girl. She enjoys singing and dancing weather or not their is music on. Noemi has also had a lot of patience with me, as she helps me learn the spanish language. Josias is a hyper kid who loves to fool around. He loves playing soccer and makes many funny faces in a day.

Even from the few days I have lived with the Klassens, it has been a gift to see how Christ like they act towards people in their community. From simply exchanging a friendly ´buen dia´to having friends and family over for savory meals. Their home is filled with love. I think that is partly because they so freely give love to others. In Dorothy Day´s autobiography ¨The Long Loneliness¨, she states that

¨Most of our life is unimportant, filled with trivial things from
morning till night. But when it is transformed by love it is
of interest even to the angels.¨

The Klassens have fully embraced this idea and have discovered the gift of love with no boundaries.