January 2012

Linn’s News January 2012

Thank you everybody for your prayers and support throughout 2011. This has been a good year for me personally and for both of our schools. The Lord has been with us every step of the way.

The Church......   The English church held Advent services through December, during which time we said a sad farewell to our co-ordinator, Babs Owen. 

       On Christmas Day lovely services were held in the English church in the morning and in the cathedral in the evening.

Now the pastors are taking a well-earned break through January.

Our friends, Beryl Baker, Tim Curtis and Ed and Marie Brice spent Christmas in the Chaco with their churches there.

The country........ December saw the Annual pilgrimage of Catholics to Caacupe to pay homage to the Virgin of Caacupe. Almost a million people attended.

Not much changes in the country. There is still unrest. This past week the doctors in the state hospitals have been on strike.  The strike finally ended last night. (30^th December).

The Chaco Indians have been camped out in Asuncion, demanding their rights to land in the Chaco. The mayor of Asuncion is tired of them camping in the Plaza Uruguaya in the centre of Asuncion, as they present a health hazard. He has therefore ordered metal railings to be installed around the square. The work has begun and should be finished by March.

The Schools....... The staff of both schools celebrated the end of the year on 14^th December.  We all enjoyed a barbecue lunch in the main college where we said a sad farewell to Babs Owen, (now returned to UK) and to Diego Caceres (who is off to South Africa next month to train and work as a missionary for OM).

As soon as we broke up work started down at the Annexe School to redevelop the second floor where the library was. A new computer room is being built on there, thanks to the generosity of a UK church.

Holidays....  Now we are enjoying our summer holidays. I shot off almost as soon as school finished, for a few days away with my Irish neighbours, the Hickmott family. We had a wonderful time, staying  in a small hotel in a Paraguayan village, Santa Maria de Fe, in Misiones, followed by a visit to the Jesuit ruins of San Cosme and San Damian and finally ending up in a super hotel with a swimming pool, from where we visited the ruins of Trinidad and saw the Sound and light show at night. It was fantastic.

I was back in time for Christmas. 20 of us congregated at Mags Southern’s and Gwen Carlisle’s house to have a shared traditional Christmas lunch, seated round three tables in their breakfast room. It was great fun. We had traditional turkey and other meats and even had Christmas puddings.

Now I am busy Spring-cleaning my flat and clearing out rubbish, doing a little each morning before the heat of the day causes me to rest. It reached 47C one day and looks as if it could do so again as I write. The electricity failed one day for several hours, leaving us with no fans and air-conditioning.  I drank gallons of water that day!

I am not sure that I will go away again as I am saving to visit my family in South Africa in 2013.

New Year ....... I wish you all a very happy New Year, pray that you will enjoy good health and trust that 2012 will be a good year for you all, in spite of the doom and gloom that the media reports.  May God go before you and be with you in all that you do.

Prayer Points:-

1.       Please pray for the President and government of Paraguay to have discernment and wisdom in 2012 as they deal with problems in the country.

2.       Pray for the poor and the indigenous of Paraguay, that they may receive justice, that their lives may improve in 2012 and that their daily needs will be met.

3.       Please pray for Bishop Peter and his wife, Sally, all our teachers, missionaries and pastors who are now on holiday. Pray for safety in travel and for refreshment and renewal ready for the coming year.

4.       Pray that 2012 will see more people in Paraguay and more of our students touched by the Holy Spirit and that they will come into a deeper personal relationship with Jesus.

Linn Tedman working for the Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

You can read more detail and see more photos on my blog:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com

December 2011

  Linn’s News December 2011

Thank you all for your support this month. We have felt really carried by your prayers as the “mad,” end-of-year season came upon us.

The Country

Each year the commercial trappings of Christmas become more apparent. When I first arrived out here one hardly noticed that Christmas was coming. Now the shops are full of lights, decorations and “hard sell.”

The Churches

Last Sunday the Paraguayan Anglican churches had an away day out in the country, with a joint service at Emboscada. It was a very hot day, but everybody enjoyed the time together.

Meanwhile, back in the English church we began our Christmas campaign to “Give Christmas away”. We are collecting toiletries for the patients in the hospice in Asuncion.

The schools

The pupils finally broke for the summer on Wednesday. The staff will continue until 14^th December.

All our concert events were a great success, in both schools. In the main college the Pre-school department and the Primary department gave concerts for the parents. The Pre-school gave a performance telling the Christmas story. It was beautiful and it was delivered with such enthusiasm.

The Primary English department spent approximately six hours with the children, between exams, putting together a production, showing that although Paraguay has problems, there are problems the World over. The finale showed that our children are the future of Paraguay and together with the Lord, they can make a difference. They finished with Patriotic songs and dances.

Our end of term graduations and services all went very well and the Lord’s presence was felt in a special way. 

The exams are mostly over now but there is still an external Cambridge exam for my sixth graders on 3^rd December.

We are all very sad to see the departure of two popular teachers, Babs Owen and Profe Diego, but we wish them well in the future.

Fermina

About three weeks ago I received an unexpected call from Beryl Baker to say that Fermina, my indigenous friend, for whom you have prayed before, had been admitted to the Catholic hospice in Asuncion. She was dying of cancer and she had asked to see me.

This has probably been the most moving three weeks of my entire time in Asuncion. I visited Fermina most days and accompanied her on her final journey to be with Jesus. The Lord had placed her in the most beautiful place to end her days, where she was cared for by wonderful staff, after a life of hardship. The hospice is a very special place, where there is a tangible presence of the Lord. The staff see Jesus in every patient’s face.

Our time together was precious. We prayed together and shared passages and psalms from the Bible. Fermina asked me to read to her from her New Testament in Enxtet, her native language. I did not understand what I read and I am sure that my accent was terrible but Fermina loved those times and she always smiled.

I also had opportunities to share with some of the other patients and their families, reading psalms, praying together and providing a hug and a shoulder for tears, when it was needed.

The final phone call came last Wednesday, when Fermina’s battle ended and I was happy to hear that she had gone to be with the Lord, surrounded by people who loved her.

Prayer points:-

1.       Give thanks for the Lord’s mercy and for the way in which he cares for his loved ones. I give personal thanks for knowing Fermina and for being so touched by her humility and courage.

2.       Please continue to pray for President Lugo and the government of Paraguay to work towards creating a better Paraguay, where there can be more equality.

3.       Please pray for everybody here as we begin our summer break and celebrate Christmas together. Pray for safety in travel. Pray for our refreshment.

4.       Pray blessings on Babs Owen and Profe Diego Caceres, as they begin the next part of their journey with the Lord. Diego has put himself forward for mission, possibly with OM. Babs does not yet know what the Lord has for her, whether it will be in teaching, sport or the church. Pray for them both to have peace and to know that their future is secure in Christ.

Linn Tedman working for the Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ                                                                                                                 email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

      blog:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com for more details of news in Paraguay