Iglesia Anglicana Paraguaya,  Casilla de Correo 1124,  Asunción, Paraguay.          

Email: jyj@pla.net.py     Fax:  595 21 214328

                                                                                                                                      March 11^th 2005

Dear Friends,

We arrived safely last Friday and have exchanged hot water bottles for fans and shivers for prickly heat.    Temperatures of -3ºC at Heathrow gave way to over 40ºC (105ºF) in Paraguay.  It’s been a very hot summer here with unusually little rain, but we thank God that the Chaco has received some of the rain that has fallen .

It was so good to make contact with many of you during the last two months and we do thank you for your hospitality.  We regret, as always, that many visits didn’t get made.  The UK may not look so big on the map but we found travelling very time consuming and stressful!  We’re proud to say though, that so far no ticket for speeding or other road transgression has been applied.  Now we’re back to the right hand side of the road!  

It seems to get harder to say farewell to our family in England, especially as Liz and Hugh await the birth of their third child in a weeks time. They, together with Richard, were able to accompany us to the airport and “help us repack our luggage”, in accordance with Swiss airline regulations!   At least it meant less time for the emotions to take over!   We are very fortunate though to also have family here in Asuncion and notice a big difference in Johnny, who will be 1 year old on the 21^st, as he runs around and climbs everything he can.  The inflamed gut which troubled him so much last year seems to have subsided and he eats with more enthusiasm, although his sleep pattern at night has not yet improved!

Luke is having to rest as he was on the brink of pneumonia, but thankfully the antibiotics are now taking effect.  Jess is fine and brings joy and fun into our lives.

We are catching up with the news here – encouragement and joy alongside disappointment and difficulty.

The local congregations are preparing for Easter week as well as for the  “Festival of Hope” in May when Franklin Graham will be leading a three day event in Asunción.

St. Andrew’s and the Annexe Schools are well into their new term which commenced in mid February with a spiritual retreat for the staff and then an opening service for all the pupils.  Gloria Morel, the Domestic Science teacher who was so badly burned in the supermarket fire gave a moving testimony to the pupils of how the Lord had sustained her in the tragedy and during the difficult months afterwards. Her lungs are miraculously clear again but she cannot yet return to work at school because of the risk of infection.  She still has to wear pressure bandages on all her body to prevent the skin grafts from growing more than her natural skin.

In Zeballos Cue the building work for fire victims continues well and a very special supper took place at the end of the year when 38 of the families joined with pastor Alberto and the volunteers from the church who had done so much to bring help and encouragement.  For many it was their first experience of a Christian environment as the young people sang and played their guitars.  Pastor Alberto presented each family with a copy of the “The Good Seed” – devotional readings- and a mounted poster with a biblical text.   Shattered lives are slowly being rebuilt.

There are many students, both younger and older, who need help if they are to study this year.  It is one of the few ways to help underprivileged people climb out of the poverty trap, begin to support their own families and help provide better leadership for the church.  By British standards the courses are not very expensive – 20 to 30 pounds a month would cover many of the tuition costs.  In some cases we would need to help with local bus fares.  Courses range from business administration, computer studies, teacher training, electricity, plumbing , secretarial training, market research, architecture, nutritional studies, languages and biblical studies.  We wonder if some of you would be  interested in giving a regular 10 pounds a month so that we could support  would-be students who come from homes with few resources.  If you are interested,  please write to us and we will send through the account number in England for the Bishops Discretionary Fund.  The courses all start in March, so it would be really helpful to have a quick response.

At Easter we are reminded that the cross speaks to us of forgiveness, transformation and deliverance.  “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ...stand firm, let nothing move you, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Cor. 15: 57-58)

With our love, greetings and prayers,                 

 John and Judie.