Linn's News from Paraguay

January 2012

2012-01-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

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

November 2011

2011-11-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Linn’s News November 2011

Thank you for all your prayers and support this month. Our staff retreat was wonderful, with perfect weather. So far, we are surviving the run-up to the end of the year. The weather has been glorious, with cool mornings and Spring temperatures, but we have been warned that the Summer is about to arrive, with high temperatures as from Saturday.

The Church
I am now participating in the English church here and I am enjoying it very much. This week I led the prayers. (I don’t know if they will ever ask me again. Ha! Ha!)

Some of our other congregations are making headway towards being ´healthy churches`. I have heard good reports from Roque Alonso and Zeballos Cue, where communities are working together.

The Country

In the north of the country a search, organized by the Minister for the Interior and involving the Police and the Army, is on for the leaders of the People’s army. The region has become very insecure.

There is not much other news of interest this month. Life rumbles on.

The schools
We began this half of the term with a staff retreat at our school Sports Centre, out in the countryside. The weather was absolutely perfect. Bishop Greg Venables came to teach us. He was so inspiring and extremely relaxed. That rubbed off onto us all. We enjoyed a good barbecued lunch too. We came away spiritually refreshed and challenged, ready for the weeks ahead.

The Annexe School pupils have been busy writing poetry this year. Last week they launched a book of their work. The supervisor for the local school in the area was so impressed that she told the school headmaster to apply for free school meals for all the children. Next year they are planning to write a book of stories.

The children from our fourth grade celebrated their first communion this month. Mags Southern, Gwen Carlisle and I went along to our local Catholic Church show our love and support. It was a lovely family occasion.

Last week the sixth form spent their last day in school. They now only come in for exams. They had fun on their last day, in keeping with tradition.

Prayer Points:-

We give thanks for the lovely weather and the beautiful blossom that has created a sea of colour in the city.
Please continue to pray for the government and for the security situation in the north of the country to stabilize.
Please pray for all the staff and children during this exam season, that they can remain calm. Pray also for the parents who become extremely nervous at this time.
Please pray for us all as we prepare for the shows and Christmas and Farewell services in all the different departments, at the end of the term. Pray for the Lord to give us stamina and to go ahead of us so that each event will be very special.

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

Linn's news October 2011

2011-10-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your encouragement, prayers and support this past month. Last week the sixth graders took their mock Cambridge Key English test. I had expected eight to pass, but to my delight thirteen passed well. They will move on to take the real exam in December and I will continue to coach them.

Now we are all enjoying a week of holiday. The weather has been glorious so far, praise the Lord.
The Church
The Cathedral continues to work on the course for building a healthy church.
Meanwhile I continue to attend the English church. Babs has had a rest from preaching for a few weeks as she has been busy with exams etc in school. We have therefore had a variety of preachers from the congregation, which has been interesting.
The country
Problems within the country still show no signs of resolution. We have a few glimmers of hope occasionally but generally the news is full of doom and gloom.

There has been a serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Chaco and over 1000 cattle have had to be killed to try to contain the outbreak. Cattle here are inoculated against the disease so there is speculation about what went wrong. It has led to suspension of meat exports, which will affect the country’s economy.

School has been through another busy time this month in the run-up to a Folklore evening. This was a wonderful evening. The parents set up stalls around the basketball pitch and the children performed Paraguayan dances in the central arena. They told the story of dance through the ages. They were all dressed up and very excited. The parents were out in force with video cameras at the ready. The evening was barmy and warm and there was a lovely. family atmosphere. Ben and Sam, my Irish neighbours, were very proud of their new Paragauayan national costume and they both danced very well.

We are now on holiday. Pat Chapman, a former missionary here has been back on a visit, so a group of us went to Aregua on Monday. The weather was glorious and we enjoyed being out in the countryside, away from the city.

On Tuesday Caroline and I went to Clorinda shopping. Over lunch we decided to move on to Formosa and to spend a night there. It was such a relaxing trip. I loved Formosa. The pace was slower, the skyline was lower and the people were very friendly. The city was clean, green and had lovely wide avenues and interesting streets. We spent some time by the river relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze.

On a personal level I am so enjoying having the Hickmott boys nextdoor. They are determined to water bomb me. We have a lot of fun. It is like having grandchildren around. They are full of mischief.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me and don’t prevent them. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matt 19:14

Prayer Points:-

1. We give thanks for a time of rest and relaxation. And we thank Jesus for keeping us safe.

2. Please continue to pray for President Lugo and the government. There are many issues to deal with at the moment. God’s wisdom is needed to run the country fairly so that the poor and needy do not continue to suffer.

3. Pray for us on Monday (3^rd Oct). This will be a staff retreat day at our Sports Centre. Please pray for good weather, which is not too hot. Pray that we will all be touched by the Lord and that we will feel renewed by the Holy Spirit.

4. Please pray for the coming term with the run-up to Christmas and for the preparation for the final exams of the year in November and December.

5. Please pray for our safety around the city, especially for the Lord to protect young Hannah as she returns from friends at night in taxis.

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

blog:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com

Linn's news September 2011

2011-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your prayers and support this past month. All of our new teachers are settling in well to life in St. Andrew’s. The Hickmott family have been busy setting up their home in the house behind my flat and they are proving to be lovely neighbours. They have a car and we have enjoyed some good outings to the nurseries for plants for our patio gardens. There has been excitement this week as my pineapple plant is producing a baby pineapple.

The boys are a bit confused about my being a friend at home and “Mrs. Tedman the teacher” at work, but we are getting the boundaries defined. Ha! Ha! On Sunday they all came round for “Panchos on the parilla” (a hot-dog barbecue).

The Church
In the cathedral the congregation is continuing to work in groups on developing a healthy church.
Many of you will know that I am partially deaf. My hearing aid has given up the ghost and I have not been able to cope with the group sessions. Consequently I have moved across to the English-speaking church next door
for a while. It is very refreshing and great to see many old friends and to make new ones. The congregation there changes from week to week as it attracts people, from English-speaking countries around the World, who are visiting Paraguay.

The Country
The weather has been a main talking point this month. Last week we went from 2 Celsius on Tuesday to 40 Celsius on Saturday. Now we are experiencing pleasant Spring like days in the twenties.

The weather has helped to create a sea of colour in the city as the trees have burst into blossom. My walk to school is wonderful at the moment as I pass through an Avenue of both pink and white Orchidilia trees covered in orchid-like flowers.
Political rumbles continue. The campesinos have been on the march again. Money was promised for the purchase of land for the campesinos to settle on, but this has not materialized so their battle for their rights continues.
This week President Lugo appointed a new Minister for the Interior to work on making outlying areas safer against the Peoples Army and land invasion etc.
In fact most of the news this week focuses on International problems like the USA hurricane.
School
This has been the month with the second set of exams so life has been full of pressure for the students and for the teachers who are marking.

We had some light relief on Childrens Day when the Primary children all went out to our Sports centre for a morning of fun and games.
Meanwhile the Pre-School department entertained the pre-school children from our Annexe School for a morning of fun.
Today the Primary children are back at the Sports Centre to begin the first round of competitions prior to their main Sports Day when the parents will come to cheer on their children.
Three classes had an English Grammar exam for the first hour. That is their final exam, so they can relax and have fun after that.
Some of the secondary pupils have been busy with business enterprises. On Monday afternoon they set up stalls to sell their goods. There was some good sales patter going on as they tried to promote their wares.
In the library we have been promoting bilingual reading. The children are now reading well in both Spanish and English. They come into the library regularly to change books and work towards gaining certificates.
Prayer points:-
1. We give thanks to God that we are enjoying the beauty of his creation here with all the blossom brightening up the city. We also give thanks for our new teachers.
2. Please continue to pray for President Lugo and the government. There are many issues of insecurity in some areas that need to be brought under control.
3. Please pray for the health of our staff in the school. Pray especially for the Primary Music teacher who had a minor stroke recently, that he will return to full health and come back to school soon.
4. Please pray for the sixth grade as Babs and I prepare them for a mock Cambridge KET exam at the end of this month. Please pray that they will learn and apply the knowledge that we have taught them ready for the real exam in December.
Linn Tedman working for the Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford,
OX4 6BZ
email:- ltedman@hotmail.com
blog:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com

Linn's News August 2011

2011-08-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matt 11:28-29

Dear Friends,

Greetings in the name of the Lord. I hope all is well with you. This is the month when we celebrate Friendship Day, so Happy Friendship Day to all of you. It has also been our holiday, a time for rest and recuperation in mind, body and spirit.
Thank you all for your prayers. The Lord is busy answering.

The last three months have been very busy with all the Bicentenary celebrations. This was a time of encouragement and hope for the future of the nation. The celebrations brought a long weekend of respite from the reality of day to day struggle for most people. We are told constantly that our economy is strong but the reality is that prices are continually rising and it becomes more difficult for the average family to put food on the table. The problems here continue. The news is so depressing and there is very little good news in the media.

At school life is more cheerful. The Bicentenary celebrations were swiftly followed by the first exams of the year. Students were very busy, studying and working hard. They still found time for fundraising. Each class supports a project to help others. They have been fund raising by selling cakes, crisps and barbecued hotdogs.

During this time the children invited their fathers to come in for breakfast to celebrate Father’s Day. They entertained their dads with poems and songs.

Exams were followed by meetings with parents and handing out reports. This is always potentially a difficult time, but this time around it seems to have gone smoothly with mainly happy parents.

Finally the winter holidays arrived (2 weeks of bliss), and just before, we were delighted to have a visit from Murray Metcalfe. (Murray and Penny worked as SAMS missionaries here for several years and they set up a home for children awaiting adoption.). Murray came out here to redecorate and review the Esperanza home.

Many children left school early for the holidays to fly after some sunshine in places like Miami and Santa Catarina in Brazil. The rest of us have stayed home for a quiet break, in the rain and cold weather. I have been quite busy, visiting friends and entertaining others to meals in my little flat.

I recently received a family from school for homemade Cornish pasties and an English cream tea. They had taken me out for a meal a few weeks ago and had asked for my “story”. This was an ideal situation in which to evangelize and to speak about Jesus. Now the mother wants to attend a Bible Study. I am not a natural evangelist so I have been very encouraged by this one to one encounter.

Last week a group of us went to Clorinda, in Argentina (one and a half hours away) to shop in the local supermarkets and to try and make our salary stretch, as the exchange rate is currently in our favour. The market there was very colourful in the sunshine. We bought as much as we could carry. Many things were much cheaper there. I returned with a huge bag of heavy washing powder, toothpaste for three months and lots of cheese to put in the freezer.

We loved the trip and saw some lovely rustic sights along the way. It was so liberating to be out across the other side of the river Paraguay and in the countryside.

Just out of town the big Agricultural Exhibition is taking place. Several of our children’s families are involved , with their ranching businesses. There is a big show of animals , rodeo, motor cycle displays etc. all day to keep families entertained.

Yesterday I spent most of the day gathering all my information together to fill in my UK tax form. The job hangs over my head ever year. It is a task that I hate doing. This year I prayed for the Lord’s help and eventually it all slotted into place. Now I just need to find somebody reliable to take it back to UK for me. My online link failed.

A lovely, new family has arrived from Ireland, Matthew, Kim, Sam and Ben. Matthew has come to teach science in the school. We are also hoping that he will become part of the leadership team in the church here. Matthew was here 20 years ago as a Gap year student. Yesterday I took them to Aregua and for a walk along the beach by lake Ypacari.

In our church we have started a month long course on building a Healthy church. Looking in, as a foreigner, I see quite an insular church. Hopefully the course will enable us to reach out more, which will enable growth.
As funding is down, mainly due to exchange rates dropping drastically, the Bishop is trying to persuade the Paraguayans to be more resourceful and less dependent on help from outside. They have some successful sewing groups but they need to look at marketing.

We have all been watching the football Copa de America. Paraguay has not yet actually won a match but they reached the finals on penalties. As I write they have arrived in Buenos Aires for the final against Uruguay. By the time this goes to press we will know the worst or the best. Either way it will be a just result, I am sure.

God bless you,
Linn
Prayer Points:-

1. Pray for the Paraguayan government. There is an air of unrest. In some areas the poor have set up camps on private land, so ranchers are not happy. In the city indigenous people have been camped out in some of the squares, in the very cold weather. They want better living conditions and work and help from the government. Pray for President Lugo and the government to address the needs of the people.

2. Pray for the staff and children of St. Andrew’s as we return for the next term. Pray for health and strength to see us through. Pray particularly for Matthew and his family as they settle in and learn Spanish. Pray for Joyce, a local teacher, who will be joining us part time in the primary English department, that she will settle quickly.

3. Pray for the churches here as they learn to depend more on Christ and to become more self sufficient. Pray that they will all become healthy churches, reaching out and growing, bringing more people to know the Lord and His love for them.

Email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

Blog:- http://linninpy.blogspot.com

Linn's News July 2011

2011-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News July 2011

Thank you for all your support this month. It has been a busy month for staff in school, but exams are now done, the reports are finished and they were given out to parents last Friday.

The country

Switching on the news these days is so depressing, rather like in Britain, so I do not want to dwell on it. Suffice to say that nothing much has changed and the government still comes under fire for not doing enough about law and order.

We are currently experiencing very cold temperatures. It was one degree Celsius this morning, with a ground frost. Many children are living on the streets and the television news was distressing tonight, seeing them trying to survive in flimsy clothes and bare feet or flip-flops.

The Church

This coming month will see the arrival of a Mission Paraguay team, who will be coming to work on projects in various communities in the Diocese. Claire Holmes and Murray Metcalfe are returning here with them. Claire will go to Concepcion with a group.

The School

This month the children celebrated Father’s Day. Their dads were invited in for breakfast and then each grade gave a presentation of poems, songs and things that they had written about their dads. There were a few tear-jerkers among them.

Now that the main Independence celebrations are over, our school assemblies are about Heroes of the Faith from the Bible. Staff are leading these and they are all proving to be lively and interesting. We are focussing on the character values that can be an example for us. It was my turn this week, with the story of Ruth.

The Primary staffroom was a manic hive of industry last week as reports were being finished and printed. Parents came to collect them on Friday morning.

On Wednesday there was a school dance competition. This was held in a Japanese cultural centre, in a lovely theatre, in another part of the city. It was a good evening, full of colour and great competition. Dance is considered to be a very important part of the curriculum in Paraguay and everything is choreographed and quite professional. They take it all very seriously.

On Thursday there was a Parents evening meeting to launch a new drive for the children to read more books. We need parental encouragement. It was interesting to hear that the average household in Paraguay reads . 25 books per year. Books here are very expensive and most families simply cannot afford books, so they do not read. There is no reading culture. Our school library is steadily increasing the number of new books available, because we want the children to read more. It is also interesting that they read better in English than in Spanish. We are now pushing them to read more books in Spanish.

In the library the children are being travel agents, selling trips to European countries.. They are having a competition to see if they can persuade me to visit “their country” (the one that they are studying.) They are very competitive. It is interesting to see what they think will attract me to go there. (and it is very amusing at times.)

As the term ends we are saying farewell to our volunteers, Jo Miller and Zoe Eves. They will be returning to UK to take up places in university. Jo will be studying education to become a teacher so her time here has been good experience for her.

Beth Bridgewater who came to teach with us has also decided to move on. She is staying in Paraguay and she will be working with another organization that works with street kids, not an easy move.

Prayer points:-

1. Please continue to pray for President Lugo and his government to have wisdom as to how to deal with the problems here.

2. Pray for the poor children and families who are trying to survive in the intense cold that we are experiencing. Pray that the Lord will meet their needs for warm clothing and a roof over their heads.

3. Please pray for all the staff and children of St. Andrew’s as we take our two week winter break. Everybody is very tired after a busy term. Pray for rest and refreshment for us all. Pray for safety for those who will be travelling.

Pray for Jo, Zoe and Beth who will be leaving us, that their futures will be secure in Christ.

Pray for the new science teacher and his family who will be joining us later this month from Ireland, that they will arrive safely and settle in quickly. They have two boys aged five and eight years. Pray that they will learn Spanish quickly and that they will be welcomed into school.

4. Please pray for my health as the holiday comes. (no more broken arms or legs, Ha! Ha! and a chance to rest.) At the moment I feel too tired to go travelling in the cold weather.

Linn Tedman working for the Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ

email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

blog:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com

Linn's News June 2011

2011-06-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you once again for all your support over the past month, both through prayer and in other ways. In answer to prayer, Angela has settled into her role very well. She and Santi are working really hard as a team, cataloguing books. We discovered that many of the Spanish books had been classified incorrectly in the dim and distant past, so they have a major task on their hands checking all the books in the library.... a few thousand! I help when I can. There is only one computer with the catalogue programme so we cannot double the speed. It will take a few months or so to do the job.
The dengue epidemic is still with us but not quite so bad. My doctor said that they are seeing less cases at the hospital. I am still using repellent on exposed areas, but when I saw it take the polish off my shoes, I became rather worried about what it is doing to my body. There has been an explosion of mosquitoes around our property and today there were a lot in school. There has been very cold weather and now it is suddenly warmer again, so out they all come.

The Church
Since I last wrote we had the joy of a visit from Revd Andy Lines, director of Crosslinks. Andy was the pastor of the English church when I first arrived here. He and Mandy, his wife were the first people to invite me round for a meal. For once I attended the English church to listen to Andy preach once again. It was a lovely service, quite like old times. It was also good to hear something in English again.

The Country
This month has seen the official celebration of the Bicentenary of the Independence of Paraguay. We had a four day weekend off school so we could attend things. It has been a spectacle of colour and there was a real sense of unity over the offical long weekend when the main celebrations occurred. I went into town one evening with Mags and Gwen. It was wonderful to wander around and to see the sights all floodlit. There were huge crowds in the street outside the Pantheon de los Heroes, which had been lit with a continuous sequence of colours, red, then white, then blue. It was quite beautiful.
I also walked around Asuncion for nearly three hours on the Saturday, enjoying feeling safe for once as the place was swarming with police and it had been closed to traffic.
There was a mega programme of events all over the city, ranging from marches, carnival parade, concerts (including one with 250 young harpists), markets, light projections on buildings, military parades, theatre and spectacle, and a massive fifteen minute firework display on the Saturday at midnight. The calendar of events has extended well beyond just the weekend.
Last Saturday I went to the Municipal theatre to watch the Ballet company in a Bicentenary production of "Madame Lynch." Fortunately we have been overdosed with the history of Paraguay this year so I knew the story. It was a simple but magnificent production in the refurbished theatre. The costumes were wonderful and the orchestra played the specially written, expressive music superbly.

The school
We have been excited in the school library. Our school adviser took a trip to Buenos Aires to purchase books in a book fair. A few hundred new books were purchased in Spanish to cover all the departments, in an attempt to get the children reading in their own language. They read better in English than in their first language. We needed to classify and catalogue the books before the children could norrow them. In the meantime we put them out on a table and allowed the children to look at them in the library. The response has been fantastic in the Primary department. The children were all crowding in at lunchtime, squashed onto the sofas and even sitting on the cold floor, reading and enjoying the new books. Now that many have been put on the shelves they are borrowing them to take home. Some bookworms are coming for books twice a day.
Just before the long weekend break we held a beautiful bicentenary service in the Cathedral. It was packed to standing room only. It had been prepared very thoughtfully and it was a serious occasion. The theme was about God being the carer of the nation. The reading were given in Enxtet, Spanish and English. Bishop Andres from Concepcion gave the address and he began in Guarani.

Afterwards we all moved out into the grounds to witness children, staff and parents placing their hopes and dreams for Paraguay into a time capsule. This has been interred in a special plinth, upon which an ex-pupil has placed a sculpture of doves of peace. Bishop Andres, Bishop Peter and the head of the school,unveiled a plaque explaining what the plinth is.

A group of secondary children has just returned from a wonderful trip to enjoy sport with Brazilian schools at a centre in Brazil. It was a time when friendship meant as much as taking part in the sports. They came back full of stories of the good time that they had experienced.

Prayer Points:

1. Give thanks for the sense of unity that there was during the Bicentenary celebrations. Pray that the hopes and dreams of people for a better Paraguay will be fulfilled.

2. At the moment there is a huge drugs problem here, with all the associated problems of robbery and violence. The average person is tired of it and they want to see the country change. They are looking to the police and government to take control and to bring change. Pray for those in authority in the country to take up the challenge and for God to guide them.

3. The school exam season is with us followed by a Parents' Day and reports. Please pray for everybody in the school at this time. It is a stressful period.

Linn's News May 2011

2011-05-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your prayers this month. Although lots of children and some staff have had dengue fever, all of them have recovered. It has taken a while for some to get all their strength back.

The church

At the beginning of the month our church held a successful Bring and Buy lunch again. Also, some of the ladies set up stalls to sell some of the goods that they have been making in the ladies sewing group.

Both St. Andrew's churches were busy over Easter. On Good Friday Mags and Gwen led a reflection on the Cross, in the English chapel. It was a beautiful service. It was followed by Mags' delicious homemade hot cross buns. On Easter Sunday there was a full congregation, with many newcomers in the English-speaking church. In the cathedral we had a lovely service, focussing on the resurrection.

The Country

The economy is said to be on the rise here but so are the prices. Every week we have new surprises as inflation continues to be felt in the shops and the local market. Some families are struggling so hard to feed everybody. Now there is pressure to increase bus fares. That will affect a lot of the people who have to use buses to get to work, Some can barely afford the current fares.

The government announced a rise in the minimum salary. People are so desperate for work that they will work for whatever they can get. More and more children can be seen working on the streets.

On the television there have been some sad reports of old people living in subhuman conditions and of the children being exploited. There is also an increase in violence in many areas, especially among schoolchildren. It is a worrying trend. These children need to know Jesus and to feel His love.

Funigation continues against dengue-carrying mosquitoes. Along with it there has been an increase in people with respiraotory problems, which are allergy-related. The hospitals have been working flat out to meet everybody's needs. My doctor was exhausted last week when I saw him.

The school

I am delighted to have a new librarian, Angela. She is a breath of fresh air and a wonderful Christian, with an amazing testimony. She is Chilean. It is good to have somebody who really knows the job. We have started reorganizing everything.

School has been very busy this month, so it was a relief to have a week off for Holy week.

Two groups from the secondary department went to the Chaco helping in the indigenous communities, but when a child returned with dengue the third group's trip was cancelled.

Those who went gained so much and came back with changed attitudes, having experienced working with poor, humble, marginalised Paraguayans for the first time.

The first term ended with a fun day on the Thursday as the Primary department held their annual hat parade. This year the theme was the Bicentenary of Independence so all hats were very patriotic, the majority being red, white and blue. Of course everybody received a prize of an Easter egg.

On the final day we all congregated in the cathedral for an Easter service. The focus was "Jesus is alive!" It was a beautiful service with a fun spot when Babs Owen cut up the second grade teacher's tie and then fed him dog food. There was a good message with it, which the Bishop followed up in his talk. The sixth form gave a moving presentation of God creating, ending up with a jig-saw picture of Christ.

The history presentations continue, with each grade taking a turn. This week the second grade gave a very interesting presentaion of the Chaco Wars. They brought in artefacts and family photos of grandparents, to talk about. Afterwards their teacher talked about the importance of forgiveness aftyer the war and also when we fallout with friends and family. The Biblical base was there again.

Today the Brits were up early to catch the Royal Wedding on television before the day began. we then went in to a celebration for Teacher's Day and Workers' Day. The children entertained us and presented each teacher with a certificate. (Mine was for being the teacher famous for her special stickers). It was all great fun with many laughs.

Later the parents came to give us a "merienda" (snacks) and we were presented with gifts.

I was stacked high with presents, much to my surprise. The children were wild with excitement.

Finally the staff had a wonderful lunch together before leaving early, with yet another gift, of a new shirt/blouse each. It was a lovely day and we felt well appreciated.

Prayer Points

1. Please give thanks for the Lord's provision of Anglea in the library. Pray for her as she setlles into the school. She has a few health problems at the moment so please pray for the Lord to deal with these. Pray for young Santi as he helps us both.

2. Please continue to pray for the continuing battle against the dengue epidemic.

3. Please pray for the poor and infirm here. Pray that their needs will be met. Pray also for the children who have to work to help their families or to merely survive themselves. Many are so young (about five or six) and they have no childhood as we know it.

4. Pray for the churches as they struggle to help those in need. it is not easy, when poverty is all around. Pray for those with the means to have generous hearts to help those less fortunate, so that God's love can be shared and felt.

5. Continue to pray for President Lugo and his government as they work against corruption and to improve the economy. Pray that they will fulfil promises made to the poor here, to improve their lot.

email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

blog:- http://www.lininpy.blogspot.com

Linn's News April 2011

2011-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your prayers. Life is extremely busy in school this year so we appreciate your help through your prayers for us.

The Country

The big news at the moment is the dengue epidemic which is raging all around us. This year has seen a huge increase in dengue-carrying mosquitoes. We really need your prayers at the moment, that the Lord will keep us freee from dengue to carry on His work. We are all plastering on repellent at the moment and praying.

Large numbers of people have been going down with dengue everyday and the public hospitals are full of the worst cases. It is called "Break bone disease". Haemorrhagic dengue can also be a killer. Several people have died already.

On Thursday the public hospitals stopped all surgery as all the beds were full of dengue patients.

The wife of our head of the school maintenance team had a very bad case of haemorrhagic dengue. It was the worst case that the Baptist hospital had seen and they documented the case with photographs. With lots of prayers she pulled through and she was able to attend her daughter's wedding last Saturday.

The Church

In our church we are having a Bring and Buy lunch tomorrow to raise funds to help those in need in our church. Last week there was a terrific sermon on How to be responsible with finances. It was basic but Biblical. Many here find it difficult to budget on their small incomes. It was a helpful sermon.

Bishop Peter and his wife Sally arrived back from UK this week.

The School

The school has been really gearing up for the Bicentenary of Paraguayan Independence. In the Primary department classes are leading assemblies, informing us about different periods of history. This has been so interesting for us foreigners to learn about. The children have been wonderful as they have acted and performed dances from the various periods of history.

The first graders gave us a presentation about the indigenous people here. Some indigenous ladies came to give demonstraions of how they make their wares to sell. There is so much work that goes into their handicrafts. The children listened, spellbound.

The sixth grade informed us about the Colonial settlers and they performed some typical dances from that era.

This month sixth grade team captain candidates were busy campaigning for a week, which ended with elections, all run as the national elections are run. The children enjoyed participating in the secret ballot.

In their Bible classes the children have been looking at the characteristics of heroes of the Faith, but in the library we have been making books telling the stories of Biblical Heroes of the Faith.

Last week there was a prize giving for the winners of a competition to photograph and paint pictures of famous buildings in Paraguay.

My classes have now moved into a room near to the library. We will continue my programme from there but the children will still have access to the books in the library. The idea is for the library to be used more throughout the school. It is an important resource and I will be happy to see it develop and grow. A new school librarian will be starting on Monday. Santi, my helper, will continue to assist and to prepare the new catalogue of books. Our old catalogue was full and the computer jammed up, so we have received a new computer and programme to start again. It will probably take a year to complete the catalogue. It took almost a year the last time that we did it.

Prayer points

1. Please pray for the people in the country who have dengue fever. There are many areas where there have been floods and there is now stagnant water, a haven for mosquito reproduction. Pray for the weather to become drier. We have had a lot of rain this year. Pray for the local councils and the government as they try to inform about cleanliness and as they fumigate areas. Pray for more people to seek God's help and wisdom in dealing with the situation.

2. Please pray for the staff and children in the school. Several have dengue and one boy was in hospital with it this week. There are several types, some more serious than others, but all are very debilitating and painful.

Please pray for the older secondary students. A trip to the Chaco is planned for next week to help the local communities by digging wells etc. Pray safety over them. Pray also for the staff who will accompany them.

3. Pray for the poor. The economy of this country is generally on the rise but that has brought inflation, which is hitting poor families really hard. I met an ex-Annexe school pupil this week who has had to drop out of university to work and help to support his family. It is sad to see such problems around us. He is desperate and he is talking about leaving the country to find better work. He ahs no idea of the reality of life in other countries, where there is high unemployment. These people clutch at straws.

4. Please pray for the Bishop Peter as he settles back into his role in the Diocese after furlough. There is much work ahead so pray for good health, for energy and for wisdom for him. Pray also for Sally, his wife, as she visits various groups in the communities in and around Asuncion.

email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

blogsite:- www.linninpy.blogspot.com

Linn's News March 2011

2011-03-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers. My hip healed well and I can now walk to school with no problems. The healing in my arm seemed to have reached a plateau, but a visit to the surgeon a fortnight ago gave me the go ahead for physiotherapy. This has helped, but the physiotherapist said that I have to be more patient and not expect too much too soon. After two and a half months, my patience has been wearing thin. However, I have seen some progress in the last two weeks and I have a bit more strength back.
The churchesThe pastors are now back from their holidays and the churches are getting back to having services again. The congregations are happy to be back to fellowshipping and worshipping together.
The countryThis has been an extremely wet month with some flooding in places.
Everywhere we look there are notices announcing things to do with the bicentenary celebrations. Many of the billboard adverts are displaying the bicentenary logo along with their persuasion to buy whatever.
President Lugo has been out and about and he is looking much better as his hair is now growing back after his chemotherapy.
The local news is depressing, with so much violence reported that I have given up watching for a while. There does not seem to be much reported in the papers at the moment other than news from other South American countries.
SchoolThe staff started back quite early this year, at the beginning of February. Our first day was spent at a retreat centre in the countryside. It was a beautiful place and a truly wonderful spiritual start to the year.
Back in school there was a lot to prepare ready for the Bicentenary celebrations in May. This is all reflected in the decor of the school this year. Our art teachers are having a wonderful time. Profe Ceci has painted a huge mural on the Primary patio area. It depicts the history and culture of Paraguay. There is also an exhibition of local artisan work, pottery, carvings of animals and weaving feature at the moment. We all worked very hard over two weeks and the school looks lovely.
We also had some in-service training and we have been planning our work for the year.
In assemblies we are all learning patriotic Paraguayan songs, a bit of a challenge for we English-speaking teachers. This week we celebrate the day of the Heroes of Paraguay, so the children in sixth grade gave us a presentation about the wars. The boys loved coming in with ragged t-shirts after they were torn in battle!
The sixth form came in style on the first day. This year they came on the back of an old army truck, with as much noise as possible to announce their arrival. There was a small band blasting and several fireworks added to their grand entrance, leaving us in no doubt that they were back with us and that this is their last year in school.
In the library I arrived back to discover that my librarian assistant had left. I was desperate for a replacement as I could do very little without help. The Lord responded to prayer and a pupil who left last year has come to help me. He needed a job and I needed a librarian. He was a tremendous help moving books around. The library was moved in December so a new floor could be laid. In moving it back all the books were in the wrong order or on wrong shelves so Santiago’s help has been invaluable. We now have things back in their Dewey order.
Fermina. Many of you have asked how Fermina is. She had a blood analysis two weeks ago and it was positive. She has one more chemotherapy session booked. Her hair has already started to grow back and she has been without her headscarf for the first time in several months. Please continue to uphold her in prayer.
Prayer points:-1. Give thanks for the Lord’s healing. Give thanks also for the provision of Santiago to help me in the library. Please pray for Santi to cope with the quietness of the library. He is naturally gregarious and he likes to have people around him.
2. Please continue to pray for Paraguay. There is still a huge problem here with drugs. The drug squad has been finding and destroying huge hauls of marijuana, but there is also a lot of cocaine becoming easily available. Pray for the government and police to gain good control over this. So many young lives are being destroyed by it.
3. Pray for the churches here as we get back to worshipping and praying together. Pray for more outreach so that lives may be changed by the Good News of Christ.
4. Pray for the school as we all get into the rythmn of work and study. Pray for good health and for stamina for the staff. Please pray for the Christian camps that start this week with the fifth and sixth grades. Pray that the camps will bring a time of bonding between staff and pupils, but most of all pray that each child will receive a spiritual awakening as they have Bible studies and learn more about heroes of the Faith. Pray for protection and safety for everybody. Pray for new arrivals from UK, Beth (for 2 years teaching), Jo and Zoe (volunteer helpers for a few months). Pray for them to be very happy here in Paraguay. Pray for their protection.

News January 2011

2011-01-30T10:03:00.001-08:00

Linn’s News January 2011
Thanks to everybody who has been praying for me. God has been wonderful to me with His answers. This has been one of my most testing times since I have been here, but my Heavenly Father has been with me all the way.
For those who do not know, I fell on the first day of our school holidays and I broke my right arm badly enough to require surgery. (I am right-handed.) I also damaged muscles around my left hip and leg. This put paid to all my plans for a much-needed holiday away from Asuncion.
All my British colleagues went back to England on deputation. As I live alone I was totally dependent on the Lord to provide all that I needed by way of help. The Lord is full of surprises! Paraguayan colleagues, whom I hardly knew, came to my assistance and are now good friends. Nurse Beryl Baker, who normally works in the Chaco, was around to help me soon after I came out of hospital. My American friend, Sharon, who lives opposite has been around almost every day to keep me laughing. Lorenzo, one of the school maintenance team has sneaked in when I have not been looking and he has kept an eye on my garden for me. I have wanted for nothing and I have felt so humbled and so loved.
Four weeks later, I am now making good progress and I should be able to return to school on time. I was extremely tired at the end of last year, but I have had enforced rest. God knows best. Although I have felt frustrated, doing my normal travelling and hiking would probably have exhausted me physically.
I had a different kind of Christmas and New Year, quiet but good. I also had a lovely time celebrating my birthday, with lunch in a nice restaurant with Sharon. To my delight one of my pupils even came over and sang to me.
Normally I spend part of my holiday preparing for the year ahead. I also Spring clean the flat. This time I had planned all my school work before the term ended. I could not clean the flat so the Lord sent a lovely lady to clean and iron for me. I have been able to really relax (to the point of boredom). The weather has been very hot and humid so I have been stuck indoors in the air-conditioning, but I am not complaining.
Having time on my hands has meant that I have been able to become a little more involved with Sharon’s ministry. She has a house down the road that was a drug rehabilition centre for men. Now the ministry has changed and the house is a home for teenage girls sent by the courts. They are there for a variety of reasons but they are all damaged and suffering emotional pain. I spent New Year with some of them. They have found it difficult settling into our church, but hopefully I can be a bridge to help them to get to know people.
Some of the recovering drug addicts have also been visiting Sharon. I already knew some, whom I had spoken to in church on occasions and for whom I prayed. I have also had the opportunity to meet and pray with others recently. Two shared their sad stories. They are “damaged” lads, who are struggling with their habits. They are desperate for Jesus to help them to fight their way out of the trap into which they have fallen. At Sharon’s they experience the Lord’s love and compassion. Many tears are shed as they come to know Him more through Bible studies.

The churches
The church pastors have been taking a holiday through January so the English chapel has been closed. However, there has been a morning service in the cathedral each week.
The country
Over the Christmas period there has been a dramatic increase in drug related crime.
The recession is biting hard in Paraguay as poor people are losing jobs. Prices are constantly rising at an alarming rate. Some people have been desperate. I have met people I know, cleaning car windscreens at traffic lights in order to put food on the table for their families. Also, there seem to be more children working on the streets. In contrast, some export businesses are booming as Paraguayan prices are lower than Brazil.
This year the country celebrates the 200th year of Paraguayan independence from Spain. It started with a wonderful show in the square next to the Congress building, depicting the history and culture of Paraguay.
Prayer points
Give thanks to Jesus, for his faithfulness, love and care of each of us wherever we are.
Pray for President Lugo and his government in this 200th year of celebrations. Pray for the economy to be boosted as more tourists visit to shop in Paraguay. Pray for wisdom for the government. Pray for the needs of the poor to be met each day.
Pray for all the Anglican churches as we work together in unity to bring the Good news to others. Pray that we can reach out and that there will be growth as more people come to know the Lord’s love in their lives. Pray that more will trust the Lord for their daily needs. Pray for wisdom and encouragement for Bishop Peter and his wife Sally as they lead the churches here.
Pray for the children and staff of St. Andrew’s school as the holidays end and a new academic year begins. Pray for everybody to return refreshed and pray for stamina and good health as we face the coming year. We will be busy with 200th anniversary celebrations as well as the normal curriculum.
Finally, please pray for my health and strength this coming year. Each year I seem to struggle more with the difficult climate. Pray for my hip to be healed sufficiently for me to cope with walking to and from school and managing the stairs round school.
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:3,4
More detailed news of my exploits can be found on my blogsite:- http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com/
Email:- ltedman@hotmail.com

Linn's Christmas Newsletter

2010-12-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas Letter 2010
Dear Friends,
Here I am at the end of yet another school year in Paraguay, with time for reflection as we move into the Advent season. It has not been the easiest of years. We faced some changes as SAMS became a branch of CMS. That was an unsettling time.
I faced personal challenges when I lost one librarian assistant and had to wait for the Lord to send another. I also had the added challenge of teaching English to some sixth graders as well as my normal classes across the Primary.
The Lord promises never to give us more than we can cope with and He has been faithful to that promise.
Paraguay has been generally quieter this year, apart from when Paraguay played in the World Cup! For a while that brought a renewed spirit of hope to the nation. Then we heard the news that President Lugo has cancer. We thank the Lord that his prognosis is now better.
The Anglican Church here is experiencing change as the Holy Spirit moves among us. We thank the Lord for answered prayer. This year’s Synod saw an opportunity for “Growing Together”. This is the vision for the future. Spiritual barriers within churches are gradually being broken down and the future is looking much better, as we come closer together as God’s family.
There have been challenges in the church I attend. We are working far more to help each other through difficult times. This has involved more “giving” in a variety of ways. The Lord is blessing us.
This year I have learnt so much about giving and I have been blessed in my friendship with Fermina, my indigenous friend from the Chaco, as I help her. I have learnt a lot from Fermina about having confidence and trust in God. I have been amazed how the Lord has provided for her. I truly love and value her as a Christian sister.
Life in school has been difficult. We are all overstretched. My extra classes meant a lot more preparation and marking. With the Lord’s help we have all survived together and had fun along the way. I still managed all the other work. The Holy Spirit has guided each day and I have been given wisdom and strength. I have also received so much joy and love from the children. A week ago Giovanni and I packed up the library. It is now under refurbishment.
The Christmas season started early in the school. The year finished at the end of November. We have had lovely services and concerts to remind us as teachers of what we are about, preparing future leaders who are grounded in the Gospel and who have the opportunity to know Jesus personally from a young age.
We started the end of year celebrations with presentations from the pre-school departments in both the main school and our Annexe school. The little ones have a simple faith and we could all learn from them as they danced and sang, praising the Lord.
There were mixed emotions from both students and parents, as the 6th form leavers held their service and were sent out to shine the light of Jesus in their future lives. Many tears of happiness were shed as prayers were said for each student.
Finally there were the graduation services for the sixth grade, moving into lower secondary and for the ninth grade finishing their basic education and moving into upper secondary.
This year one of the secondary students wrote, “I am a fortunate girl for being in this school. Since I’ve been here I know God a lot better. The teachers always talk about God and the importance of keeping Him near us. It doesn’t matter if we can´t see Him, we have to believe and have faith. I really don’t know yet what I’m going to do in the future but I am sure that God has already planned my life. If I’m stuck in life I am convinced that I can talk to God and He’ll listen to me. He is like a friend for me, my best friend. God will never leave me alone. That is what ************ School gives us day by day.”
Seeing and hearing the children’s response to the gospel message makes every day special.
As we approach Christmas, I thank our Father God for all his love and faithfulness over the past year. He has upheld us and has responded to your prayers for us. As I celebrate His birth and look forward to him coming again in Glory, I will be thinking of you all. I give thanks for you who enable us to have the privilege of being here on the Mission field.
Thank you so much for your amazing prayers and support.
Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and may the next year bring you good health and happiness.
For your prayers:
Give thanks for good things that are happening, as the Holy Spirit moves and inspires us.
Pray for the people here to turn from corruption and to really seek God’s Will for the future. Pray for President Lugo’s health to improve and for his government to have wisdom. Pray for healing in the nation.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to work within our churches to bring unity and love as we support each other and reach out with the Gospel message of salvation.
Pray for the school, for the Lord to send more Christian teachers for the English departments. Pray for new English teaching staff who will be joining us, for the Lord to equip them well. Pray for the children to be protected in their walk with the Lord. Pray for safety for everybody as we take our annual break for the summer.
Please pray for my health and ask the Lord to give me more energy for the year ahead.
You can read in more detail, see photos and comment on some of the things that we have been up to this month, on my other blog site at

http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com/

My email address is ltedman@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from you and to pray for you.

Linn's News November 2010

2010-12-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Linn’s news November 2010

Thank you for your prayers. Thankfully my chesty cough has all but disappeared now.
We are all thanking the Lord for Judith Duddy’s visit here. She worked hard with all the 80+ children who will be taking the Trinity exam next week, putting them through their paces with some English conversation practice. It is now up to the students to perform well on the day.
Fermina is grateful for your prayers.
President Lugo continues in his duties, and he is still smiling.

The Church

This month we had a visit from the CMS Latin America head of department, Bishop Henry Scrivens. The mission partners had an opportunity to meet up with him, which was appreciated.
Bishop Peter has been very busy. First there was the Diocesan Synod. Next came a meeting here with various clergy from neighbouring countries. They came for a meeting about “Growing together”, prior to a meeting of bishops in Buenos Aires this week.

The Country

There is little fresh news to report. Life rumbles on as usual in Paraguay. The President flew to Buenos Aires this week for the funeral of the former Argentinean president, Kichner.

The School
This has been another busy month with lots of things going on.
The Primary children had a lot of fun taking part in the Annual Dance competition. As well as individual dance there was also a chance for teams to show off their talent. It was a close fought competition but the Green Team finally came out on top.
A week or so ago we had a wonderful surprise one afternoon. Some Swiss students, on a visit to Argentina and Paraguay, came to share some Big band Swing Jazz with us. They were wonderful, as good as many professional bands that I have heard. We all swung along with them and the children did not want the concert to end.
One morning whilst we were having our Primary assembly we all nearly jumped out of our skins as there were loud explosions coming from the secondary patio.
It was the Upper sixth form’s last full day at school, prior to final exams. They were celebrating and going out with a Bang! In fact they were well-behaved compared to some former students. They were given a celebration breakfast, something special to store in their memories.
It was great having Judith, a visitor from my home church in UK, here. The children really warmed to her and they have been missing her since she returned to UK.
Whilst she was here we visited the Annexe School together. We were taken to all the classes. The sixth grade were having a music lesson. They sang “I will give you my heart” for us. It was lovely.
This is the season for school trips. Some classes have already been out on visits. Others hope to go next week. This weekend the parents and members of the sixth grade have gone away for a long weekend to celebrate the end of their time in the Primary department.
As I write our second day for parents to meet staff and discuss their offspring’s progress has just ended. Once again it was a day valued by all those concerned.

Fermina.
Last Sunday Fermina came to lunch with me again. We had a lovely time, sharing some terere, chatting and praying together. She is having trouble with appointments being postponed at the local hospital.
Her doctor did not turn up for her appointment last week. This is upsetting for Fermina. It is an effort for her to get a bus to the hospital. It was obvious as we walked the ten minute route home from church that she is very weak. The Lord obviously knew this as Fermina later received a gift to help her to take a taxi next time. She is due for another session of chemotherapy on Wednesday. She has three more to go after that, followed by another operation.

Prayer points:-
Please continue to pray for President Lugo as he battles with cancer.
As the term draws to a close our workload in school this month seems to get harder. There are exams to be written and then marked, reports to be written, a show to be rehearsed, final services and leavers dinner etc., to be organized. Please pray for the staff to have sufficient times for rest amidst all the mayhem. Pray especially for those who will face deputation in England after the end of an exhausting year, Mags Southern, Gwen Carlisle and Babs Owen. Pray for good health and strength for them.
Please continue to pray for Fermina. She said that she can feel your prayers. I know that feeling. God really responds to our requests for help for others.
Pray for Bishop Peter and his wife, Sally. They have had a very busy time recently. Pray for our Anglican churches here as we move forward, growing together and reaching out to others.

You can read in more detail, see photos and comment on some of the things that we have been up to this month, on my blogsite at http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com Thank you, from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News October 2010

2010-10-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your prayers this month. Judith Duddy, from my home church, arrived after a long but smooth journey. She is settling in well and seems to be enjoying the work that has been set for her. (English conversation).
The Church
Bishop Peter and his team in the Diocesan office, Pastors and leaders have all been busy preparing for the “working” General Synod which was held last weekend. I spoke to some of those who attended and they were very positive in their reflections.
In the Cathedral we had another successful “Bring and Buy” lunch to raise funds for those who need help to buy much needed medication.
I visited the English church for a change of scenery. The key to the church was not available so for once we moved into the Diocesan library where Mags and Gwen led a lovely service with Babs Owen preaching a good sermon about the Lost Sheep.
The country
The main news seems to be focussed on President Lugo. He was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. He has been receiving treatment and chemotherapy in Brazil. Mercifully tumours which were found have been shrinking. The President is continuing in his duties between treatments. He maintains a smile everywhere that he goes.
The school
September was a very busy month. The eighth grade ran a very successful inter-schools football tournament for pre-schoolers, over several days after school hours. The little ones enjoyed playing and they were well supported by their parents, family and friends.
Earlier in the month the Annexe School held a Folklore Day on a Saturday. This meant that I could attend. The children performed Paraguayan dances, sang songs and read poems. Some staff also participated, their offering being an amusing sketch about a Paraguayan wedding. It was well appreciated by the parents and the locals who live near the school.
Whilst there I met up with Gloria Morales, the teacher who nearly lost her life in the supermarket fire some years ago. She looked radiant. She is now married and she is very happy. She is a walking testimony to God’s miraculous, healing power.
In the main college we held a science fair based on projects about water. Every department in the school took part. It was a wonderful exhibition of what the children have learned. Each class gave presentations to parents in both English and Spanish.
The secondary students celebrated National Youth Day by going out to clean the streets in the barrio around the school. They had fun doing this in the morning and were then given the afternoon off, much to their delight.
At the end of the month some special visitors arrived. Former Principal, Miss Eileen Murphy and Miss Molly Cooper returned for a week as part of a visit to Argentina and Paraguay. Everybody was pleased to see them. They had quite a hectic schedule accepting invitations and visiting many people. In school we held a special tea for them with parents, ex-pupils and friends from the past.
Holidays
The school broke up for a few days break last Wednesday. I managed to get away to Iguazu Falls for two days, with visitor Judith Duddy. We had a wonderful time braving storms and cold weather followed by a day of warm sunshine. I never tire of seeing the power and wonder of God’s creation there.
Prayer Points:-
1. Please give thanks for all the lovely things that have been happening this month in the main school and in the Annexe School. We have had a busy but fruitful time. Give thanks for the safe arrival of Judith Duddy and pray for the Lord to bless her in her work with the children.
2. Give thanks that the Diocesan Synod went well. Pray for the pastors returning to their flocks. Pray that the outcome of the Synod will be to bring renewal to the spiritual lives of people in the various communities. Pray for the leaders and members of the Anglican church in Paraguay to work together as members of the Body of Christ, so the Glory of God and His love will be revealed more and more to people in Paraguay.
3. Pray for President Lugo as he continues with chemotherapy treatment. Pray for the Lord to strengthen him so that he will be able to continue in his duties. Pray for the government as they support him. Today he said that he can feel their love and the love of the people. He is drawing strength and encouragement from that. Pray for the media to step back. They are pressing in on him at every opportunity, causing hype that is not needed.
4. Please continue to pray for Fermina. I have not seen her lately. Pray for her to feel the Lord’s love and strength through her cancer treatment.
5. Please pray for the Lord to help me fight my current chest infection. High humidity levels are not helping me.

You can read in more detail, see photos and comment on some of the things that we have been up to this month, on my blogsite at http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com

Thank you, from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

September News

2010-09-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

September News
Linn’s News September 2010
Thank you everybody for your prayers. This has been a good month generally. The weather is becoming warmer and Spring seems to have arrived. At the moment the predominant colour in gardens and parks is pink, with pink lapacho trees, pink bougainvillaea and pink azaleas all in bloom. The colours seem to take turns at putting on displays at this time of the year.
The Church.We are now in the run-up to the General Synod.This week in the cathedral we held our AGM after the morning service.As I walked into church on Sunday I spotted Fermina, from Maxawaya. I rushed over to talk to her. She is down here again for hospital treatment. She is going to begin chemotherapy. She looks very frail, but she is placing her confidence in Jesus. I was able to introduce her to a few people. She is not sure how long she will be in Asuncion, so I thought that it would be good if she felt a bit more at home and welcome at church. I invited her back for lunch but she did not want to wait until after the AGM.
The country
President Lugo is in the spotlight once again as another young lady claims that he is the father of her child. Also, President Lugo’s niece was involved in a car crash at the weekend in which two people died. She has been charged with manslaughter.Whilst Spring is arriving in the country, so are dirty skies. Fields are being burned off in the Chaco and all the smoke associated with that seems to be hanging over the city of Asuncion as smog. Lots of people are becoming sick with allergies to the pollution. Also smoke is blowing over the north of the country, drifting from wildfires which are raging in Bolivia.The schoolThe new term started with a very cold week. The children spent each day bundled up in coats, even in the classrooms and several had colds and coughs.During the holidays Profesora Pabla went to visit a school in the Chaco. She came back with a report for the children and a request for help for Children’s’ day, in the form of cartons of chocolate milk. The children responded well and they raised funds for this by selling tuck.This month has seen the birth of a little girl to “Auntie Rita” our Primary department secretary.We celebrated the Day of the Flag and the Primary children heard about the history of the flag. They then raised their hands and swore allegiance to the flag of Paraguay in true patriotic fashion.As we come up to the 200th anniversary of the founding of Asuncion, the children are receiving an input of Paraguayan culture. Last week they were treated to a presentation about a famous Paraguayan composer followed by a guitar recital of his music. It was beautiful and the children all listened attentively. Many of them are learning to play the guitar (Paraguay is the land of the harp and the guitar) so the recital was inspirational.All the children in Pre-school and Primary pupils celebrated Children’s’ Day with fun and games at our sports ground.In secondary the ninth grade held a presentation of their small business projects. They had great fun designing, producing, marketing and finally selling their products, working in teams.
Prayer Points.
Please pray for the government and President Lugo.
Please pray for the health of the students and staff at St. Andrew’s school. Many are suffering with allergies to all the air pollution.
Please remember Fermina in your prayers as she begins her chemotherapy treatment. Pray that she will receive all the support that she needs.
Please pray for Judith Duddy, from my home church in Warminster, who will be joining us at school for a few weeks. She is due to arrive on 28th September. Pray for her as she prepares to come and pray for a safe journey for her.
You can read in more detail some of the things that we have been up to this month on my blogsite at http://www.linninpy.blogspot.comThank you, from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

August News

2010-08-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News August 2010
Thank you all for your prayers. It has been an “interesting” month, especially with regards to our winter holidays.
The Church.
This month we have seen some new faces around in both the Cathedral and in the English-speaking chapel, which is encouraging. We have also had some visitors passing through.
In the cathedral I met Fermina, an indigenous lady from the Chaco. She had hitched a lift to Asuncion for a medical appointment. She is very poor and she came home for lunch with me. We had a very special time together sharing a meal and then the Bible. Her Bible was a New testament in Enxtet (Indian language), mine was in English and we conversed in Spanish! The Holy Spirit brought us together in an amazing way. It was an afternoon that will remain wedged in my memory.
We have also had some young men from La Puerta (our drug rehab centre) who have joined us.
One weekend we had a visit from Dr. John Forde from the USA. He preached to us about God’s Grace and he and his wife were well-received. That Sunday we had a “Bring and Buy” lunch to raise funds for medicines for sick members of the congregation. It was a glorious day and it was a very successful lunch.
The English church enjoyed two weekends of music led by the Trew family. They were on a return visit from Northern Ireland, on holiday. It was so good to see them again and they thoroughly enjoyed renewing old friendships.
Babs Owen has now taken over as the co-ordinator of the English chapel. She is also preaching there and occasionally in Roque Alonso, where she lives. She is very happy to be using her theological gifts.
This month the first of two Mission Paraguay teams is with us, running sewing workshops. The number of enthusiastic locals attending is growing.
The school
Before the break we acquired two new additions to the school. The ninth grade went to visit a university to see how to breed fish. They want to start breeding fish in a pond at our sports ground. In fact they came back with two baby rabbits. They made a pen for them on the secondary patio and we are now waiting to find out if there will be more baby rabbits.
The ninth grade also ran a very successful Inter-schools football tournament, giving up precious time after school on four days. They are trying to raise enough cash to buy a sofa for a children’s home.
July saw the Winter break from school. This year, once again, the government extended the holiday due to the cold weather. Initially this caused some confusion but in the end we had three days extra holiday. It means that our September break will be shorter, but we are happy with the outcome.
During the holiday Mags Southern and I enjoyed an afternoon trip to Clorinda in Argentina for some shopping. It was quite an experience, standing on a very crowded, ramshackle bus, with no shock absorbers for one and a half hours, passing along a bumpy track. However, we made it pay and came back with full rucksacks.
Today we celebrated Friendship Day with a staff barbecue at Marcela’s house. It was hot and sunny and a great way to end the holidays.
Prayer points:- 1. We give thanks for holidays. It has been so good to come into the Lord’s presence, rest and catch up on ourselves.
2. Please pray for Fermina, (the indigenous lady). She returned to Maxawaya, with a story to share about the Lord’s provision. Pray for the group of ladies with whom she shares Bible studies.
Also, please pray for Mauricio, Bieto, Diego and Rodrigo, recovering addicts. Pray that they will gain strength through the Lord and His Word to remain free of their habits. Pray for them to tangibly feel the Lord’s love.
Pray for Babs Owen as she co-ordinates the running of the English church services on top of her already heavy workload in the school. Pray for her to have stamina and wisdom. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide her well. Pray for good support from those around her.
3. Please pray for the children and staff of St. Andrew’s as we return to school. Pray for good health and for stamina to see us through a busy term.
You can read in more detail some of the things that we have been up to this month on my blog at http://www.linninpy.blogspot.com
Thank you, from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News July 2010

2010-07-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your prayers.
In response we give thanks that Pastor Nicky and family appear to be fine, with Nicky coping with her workload and staying well.
One is never sure about newspaper reports but today one newspaper reported a growth in the economy and more people in employment, which is encouraging.
I give thanks that Giovanni has arrived to work in the school library. He is very young, (not long out of school himself). He is not a trained librarian but he has initiative and he is learning rapidly. I think that he will be a good support for me. He is a lovely Christian lad. His father was a maths teacher at St. Andrew’s many years ago.
I am developing a great relationship with the 6th grade students whom I am teaching and preparing for a Cambridge exam at the end of the year. They are now motivated to work and do well at English. I am working hard at making the lessons fun, especially with the World Cup as a focus at the moment. It taxes my brain for ideas.
The Church
The VIVE youth group from the evening Cathedral congregation held its first retreat. They had a wonderful time with the Lord. Around 20 young people attended. It was held out at our school sports ground.
This week Pastor Agustine, from the cathedral has been in the Chaco helping with a pastors course there. It has been good to see Pastor Agustine and his wife back with us after a short break. Please continue to pray for them as a family.
In the “Golden Oldies” congregation in the cathedral we continue to enjoy the presence of young people to help lead the music worship. It has been good to learn some new worship songs.
The country
The political scene continues to rumble on with very little actually seen to be happening. President Lugo is still down as far as popularity goes.
There has been a break from the ongoing “doom and gloom” attitudes with the participation of Paraguay in the World Cup. The city of Asuncion has been awash with the Albirroja red, white and blue as flags are flown and people are dressed in their Albirroja t-shirts. After the demise of England we Brits have all become avid Paraguay supporters. I even swapped my England flag outside the house for a Paraguayan flag, which the neighbours loved.

The school
The World Cup has taken the school by storm this month. It has rather overshadowed other events.
For the first time we held a day for parents to come and talk to staff. There was no appointment system as in England. It was just first come, first served. In fact it was a very valuable day and everybody was positive about it afterwards. A week later school reports were sent out.
Last week the Pre-school celebrated Family Day with a show for their parents. As usual it was excellent and the parents loved it.
Since then the main focus has been on the World Cup, with lots of prayer going up for the National team and praise for their success so far. As Paraguay has progressed so school attendance has dwindled so far for the matches.
Everything stops for the Paraguay football team playing and St. Andrew’s School is no exception. We used our facilities to set up a Big Screen in the hall and matches have been shown there for the whole school. The first round match was fun but nothing compared to the second round, which took place this morning, as I write. For the match to run into extra time was a bonus, but to face a penalty shootout had everybody on the edge of their seats and then jumping in the air as each goal was scored. (Amazingly there was virtual silence as Japan scored their goals). When Paraguay finally won we all went mad.
In fact the whole of Asuncion resounded to car horns and shouting in the streets. Thousands gathered in the centre of Asuncion to celebrate.... and this is just the second round! I hope that we fair as well against Spain.
Prayer Points:-
1. Give thanks for encouraging news of the reported rise in employment figures and pray that the trend will continue.
2. Give thanks for the young people in the VIVE group and pray for their spiritual growth. Pray for the leadership of that group, that the Holy Spirit will empower them to be inspirational.
3. Pray for the staff and pupils of St. Andrew’s who will be taking the 2 week Winter break at the end of the week. Pray for rest and recuperation and for safety in travel.
Thank you from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ
You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
You can follow my blog on www.linninpy.blogspot.com (mostly full of the World Cup at the moment).

Linn's News June 2010

2010-05-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News June 2010
Thanks for all your prayers. Thankfully the Primary exams are now over, apart from a few for children who were off sick. The children have generally done well and passed. Staff are now busy preparing reports. The staff have coped in spite of colds and flu doing the rounds as the weather has been very wet and temperatures have dropped.
The church
We praise the Lord for good news from the Chaco. There had been difficulties in one area due to alchohol. The elders have now banned its use. The people have been encouraged. They were engaged in prayer when a deaf mute Indian was suddenly healed and he began speaking. We hope that the Lord will continue to encourage the Indians there to stay focussed on Him.
In the Cathedral we had a lovely service last Sunday. Pastor Agustine and his wife Teresa returned to the congregation after a month of rest. They have had a stressful time recently.
The service included the baptism of a young girl, Yanina. It was very special. Pastor Ronnie officiated and the worship group led us in some beautiful songs, asking the Lord to renew us and fill us with the Holy Spirit. It was beautiful. There were signs of growth in the congregation. Pastor Ronnie challenged us as usual, to get out and evangelise and bring the poor in to get to know Jesus.
The country
There is a great deal of discontent among the people as the recession bites harder and prices continue to rise. This week there was a bus drivers’ strike for more pay and better working hours. Organized gangs attacked the few buses that were running and some people were injured. Those which were running were packed to overflowing with people desperate to get to work.
Our maintenance team and Babs Owen had to get up at 4.00 to go round collecting people in the school van. Poor Babs was so tired by the end of the day of teaching. Thankfully they had two vans on Friday so they could rise a little later.
The political back-biting continues and President Lugo still receives bad press. He is now advocating job cuts in the Public sector. This has led to anger and accusations that too much money has been spent on President Lugo travelling around the World on unsuccessful trade trips. People are desperate to keep their jobs.
The school
Colds and flu have been doing the rounds as torrential rain coming in from the south has brought winter temperatures with it. It has been out with the fleece jackets on with winter duvets and off with the air conditioners.
Exams are now over until August, much to everybody’s relief and most of the children have done well.
This month the children celebrated Independence Day and Mothers’ Day in Primary. They invited their mothers in and produced a show of patriotic songs and dances for them. As usual it was all delightful.
Last weekend most of the Primary staff attended a Christian conference for teachers run by the ACSI institute. The rest of us stayed as a skeleton staff to teach the children.
Last Saturday Mags Southern and the PE staff took a group of 7th to 9th graders off to Brazil for an International Sports week. They are due back as I write. They had a wonderful time. They all looked extremely smart in their new special sports uniforms for the event.
Prayer Points:-
Give thanks and praise for what is happening in the Chaco. Pray that the Indian population there will continue to stay focussed on Jesus. Pray for Jesus to continue to encourage them.
Please pray for Pastor Agustine and his family, that they will be protected and that they can recover fully from a very stressful time. Pray for the Lord to bless them in a special way.
Pray for protection and guidance for Yanin as she moves forward on her walk with Jesus.
Pray for Pastor Ronnie and his family. Pray particularly for Nicky as she has returned to work in school and by the end of the week she is very tired. Pray for the Lord to provide her with plenty of rest and for His protection over her and her baby.
Pray for Bishop Peter and Sally that they can have divine wisdom, strength and encouragement as they guide the Diocese through change.
Pray for President Lugo and the government as they try to lead the country through the economic crisis. Unpopular decisions have to be taken. Pray that people will be able to survive any necessary job cuts. Pray for more people to turn and seek the Lord as their helper through these difficult times. Pray for spiritual renewal in Christ throughout the country..
Please pray for all the staff and children in St. Andrew’s. Pray for strength and good health.
Please pray for more English teaching staff to be called to us.
I ask for personal prayer. I have now been asked to teach English to half of sixth grade on top of my other duties. Please pray for my health to improve (I am getting over another chest infection) and for the Lord to guide my planning so that I can prioritise well what is important and unimportant as I try to juggle all the balls in the air. Pray particularly for a librarian. As yet there have been no suitable applicants for the post. A trustworthy librarian assistant would take a huge weight off my shoulders.
Thank you from Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ
You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News May 2010

2010-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News May 2010
Thanks
Thank you for your prayers for us here. We all enjoyed our Easter break but that now seems ages ago as the term is now well under way and at school exams have already begun in secondary.
The Church
There has been a change in the cathedral morning services as some of the young musicians from the evening congregation have joined us each week to help to lead the music worship. It has been a refreshing change to see young faces helping us out. Each week is a surprise as different youths join us.
Another “temporary” change was seeing Revd. Ronnie Irene preaching in the English chapel last week. He spoke very well, challenged us and was well received by the congregation. He will be asked to preach there on an occasional basis.
This weekend Babs Owen will be preaching in San Juan church in Roque Alonso. She is very excited. Babs has a gift and she is trained in this area. It is lovely to see her being able to use the skill that the Lord has given her.
The Anglican Church oversees the running of the Esperanza children’s home and the Saturday children’s club. Due to a huge drop in exchange rates and the recession, the home is passing through difficult times. The Paraguayan ladies in the church have now started to try to raise funds by making handicrafts and by recycling second hand clothes to sell. It is not easy but their last sale was extremely encouraging and the Lord seems to be blessing this initiative.
A visit to Maxawaya in the Chaco last weekend by Bishop Peter and a team was fruitful. There are now plans to help the local population to properly repair their church roof.
Last weekend there was another EJE youth weekend held in the school. Many of our students and ex-students and our current volunteer, Lara-Clare Bordeaux attended. They all came away full of the joy of the Lord. What happened during the weekend is a closely-guarded secret so that it is not spoilt for others who attend in the future.
The school
Easter seems such a long time ago because we have been busy at school. There have been more school camps. At one, all the children were left in tears of emotion as the staff delivered the gospel to them and challenged them to walk with the Lord because of what He did for them.
We have had a Book Week in the Primary department. In the library I chose a different book for each class and read to them. In the classrooms they were encouraged to make books. There was a final presentation in assembly on Friday. There was also a visit from a national author.
There was a bush fire out on our Sports Ground at Surubii. Fortunately the wind turned it away before it reached the buildings. In fact it probably helped to rid the place of any snakes and already new grass is springing up.
On Thursday we celebrated Teacher’s Day. We had a staff breakfast, followed by entertainment given by the children, parties, with more food in the classrooms and after the children went off for a half-day holiday the staff were treated to a wonderful lunch. The government had cancelled the day off for teachers but the school decided not to change their plans, so we had a relaxing Friday at home. Oh, for more long weekends, but that is now it until the July break.
My assistant in the library left a couple of weeks ago. This has left me struggling at times to teach and run the library, exchanging books etc. It seems to be “all” or “nothing” in there as students and staff come in and out. There is now an advertisement out for a new librarian to help. I hope that the Lord will send us somebody quickly.
The Country
The news here has been so boring that I have not really been watching it closely. People are still concerned about security. There are all the usual political rumblings but nothing much happening. The English news has been more interesting with the run-up to the elections. The Paraguayan newspapers have been reporting more international news than usual, to fill the news slots.
Prayer Points:-
1. Please pray for Paraguay. There are many more people struggling to exist without jobs. There is no welfare state here to help them. Pray for their everyday needs to be met. Pray also for their own creativeness and resourcefulness to develop.
2. Pray for the school as exams really get underway. Primary exams start next week. Pray for the staff as they have all the marking to do and reports to write, especially for the English staff who have a double load each. Pray for their stamina and for good health.
3. Please pray for a librarian to be found to help me.
Our much-loved school nurse, Mariella, has just left to have a baby. Please pray for her. She has looked after me very well. Also pray for secondary English teacher Nicky Irene who has been off school with a few pregnancy problems. She has been resting. Pray for Ronnie and the family all helping Nicky and each other.
4. Pray for our churches as changes begin to happen. Pray for the Lord to guide each congregation and for him to open their hearts and minds to move forward with the Lord. Please pray for the young people as they help out us “Golden Oldies” on Sunday mornings. Also, pray for Babs Owen as she begins to preach.
Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ
You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News May 2010

2010-05-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News May 2010
Thanks
Thank you for your prayers for us here. We all enjoyed our Easter break but that now seems ages ago as the term is now well under way and at school exams have already begun in secondary.
The Church
There has been a change in the cathedral morning services as some of the young musicians from the evening congregation have joined us each week to help to lead the music worship. It has been a refreshing change to see young faces helping us out. Each week is a surprise as different youths join us.
Another “temporary” change was seeing Revd. Ronnie Irene preaching in the English chapel last week. He spoke very well, challenged us and was well received by the congregation. He will be asked to preach there on an occasional basis.
This weekend Babs Owen will be preaching in San Juan church in Remansito. She is very excited. Babs has a gift and she is trained in this area. It is lovely to see her being able to use the skill that the Lord has given her.
The Anglican Church oversees the running of the Esperanza children’s home and the Saturday children’s club. Due to a huge drop in exchange rates and the recession, the home is passing through difficult times. The Paraguayan ladies in the church have now started to try to raise funds by making handicrafts and by recycling second hand clothes to sell. It is not easy but their last sale was extremely encouraging and the Lord seems to be blessing this initiative.
A visit to Maxawaya in the Chaco last weekend by Bishop Peter and a team was fruitful. There are now plans to help the local population to properly repair their church roof.
Last weekend there was another EJE youth weekend held in the school. Many of our students and ex-students and our current volunteer, Lara-Clare Bordeaux attended. They all came away full of the joy of the Lord. What happened during the weekend is a closely-guarded secret so that it is not spoilt for others who attend in the future.
The school
Easter seems such a long time ago because we have been busy at school. There have been more school camps. At one, all the children were left in tears of emotion as the staff delivered the gospel to them and challenged them to walk with the Lord because of what He did for them.
We have had a Book Week in the Primary department. In the library I chose a different book for each class and read to them. In the classrooms they were encouraged to make books. There was a final presentation in assembly on Friday. There was also a visit from a national author.
There was a bush fire out on our Sports Ground at Surubii. Fortunately the wind turned it away before it reached the buildings. In fact it probably helped to rid the place of any snakes and already new grass is springing up.
On Thursday we celebrated Teacher’s Day. We had a staff breakfast, followed by entertainment given by the children, parties, with more food in the classrooms and after the children went off for a half-day holiday the staff were treated to a wonderful lunch. The government had cancelled the day off for teachers but the school decided not to change their plans, so we had a relaxing Friday at home. Oh, for more long weekends, but that is now it until the July break.
My assistant in the library left a couple of weeks ago. This has left me struggling at times to teach and run the library, exchanging books etc. It seems to be “all” or “nothing” in there as students and staff come in and out. There is now an advertisement out for a new librarian to help. I hope that the Lord will send us somebody quickly.
The Country
The news here has been so boring that I have not really been watching it closely. People are still concerned about security. There are all the usual political rumblings but nothing much happening. The English news has been more interesting with the run-up to the elections. The Paraguayan newspapers have been reporting more international news than usual, to fill the news slots.
Prayer Points:-
1. Please pray for Paraguay. There are many more people struggling to exist without jobs. There is no welfare state here to help them. Pray for their everyday needs to be met. Pray also for their own creativeness and resourcefulness to develop.
2. Pray for the school as exams really get underway. Primary exams start next week. Pray for the staff as they have all the marking to do and reports to write, especially for the English staff who have a double load each. Pray for their stamina and for good health.
3. Please pray for a librarian to be found to help me.
Our much-loved school nurse, Mariella, has just left to have a baby. Please pray for her. She has looked after me very well. Also pray for secondary English teacher Nicky Irene who has been off school with a few pregnancy problems. She has been resting. Pray for Ronnie and the family all helping Nicky and each other.
4. Pray for our churches as changes begin to happen. Pray for the Lord to guide each congregation and for him to open their hearts and minds to move forward with the Lord. Please pray for the young people as they help out us “Golden Oldies” on Sunday mornings. Also, pray for Babs Owen as she begins to preach.
Linn Tedman –My work can be supported through The Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ
You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News April 2010

2010-03-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News April 2010
Thanks for all your prayers. The secondary department camps which have been held this month were a great success and everybody had a safe and wonderful time.
The Church
Life with the morning Cathedral congregation is moving forward. Pastor Agustine and Pastor Ronnie are now working as a leadership team together. This appears to be working well as they each have different strengths. We have had some very challenging sermons recently.
All the churches are busy preparing for the Easter services.
The Country
Nothing much changes here politically. I think that the newspapers are bored with the political scene because not much is being reported. There is more focus on football at the moment, with the World Cup coming up. (I bought a special World Cup t-shirt when I was in South Africa and I can’t wait to wear it.)
On the economic front we are all noticing and feeling the sting of rising prices as the recession bites. I shop in the local market and even there the fruit and vegetable prices are increasing quickly.
The temperatures have dropped a little. Most days are still hot but we have had a fair amount of rain to cool things down enough for the flowers to start blooming again. I was out only this morning and saw a stunning garden full of bougainvillae of various colours, and a Morning Glory, all in full bloom. My garden is only just coming into bloom again. The strange thing is that we are going into Autumn, not Spring.
The schools.
Earlier this month there were elections in Primary. It was time to choose the Team Captains and Vice-captains. The candidates each presented their campaigns in a series of speeches. Later all the children voted in a secret ballot. Last week the Captains were officially appointed and they received their special badges.
In the main college we spent a week working on a whole school project on “Responsibility for the environment”. The Primary children gave their grade presentations on Friday. There was a wide range of work in both Spanish and English ranging from recycling, to looking after animals, to the greenhouse effect and global warming. It gave them an opportunity to learn from each other. Each month there is a now week long, special project built into the curriculum.
The Annexe school had their Easter play and service this week. They started in the shade and ended up in blazing sunshine as it was held outside on their patio area.
On Thursday afternoon there was great excitement in the Primary department as the children participated in the annual egg hunt followed by The Easter hat parade. As usual there was an amazing array of creations. They all received an Easter egg for their efforts.
The serious message of Easter came on Friday morning. The entire school attended our Easter service in the cathedral. It was a wonderful time of praise, worship, teaching and reflection. Babs Owen took a spot, involving the Primary children and Bishop Peter preached the Easter message. The main focus of the service was on the resurrection and the fact that Jesus is alive.
In the afternoon the children began their Easter holiday while the staff all attended an in-service training session.
Prayer Points:-
1. Give thanks for the wonder of the resurrection as you celebrate this Easter and please pray that the message of Jesus being alive will become real for the children in St. Andrew’s school as they develop their personal relationship with him.
2. Please continue to pray for the people of Paraguay. The news is constantly full of crime reports as people try to supplement their income or escape from reality through the drug route. Pray for those in authority to stand firm and for the government to have wisdom as they tackle crime and the recession.
3. Please pray for the staff of St. Andrew’s as we take our Easter break before the long run through to July. Pray for each of us to be refreshed and ready to work together in every area as teachers, administrators and maintenance and kitchen teams next term. Pray particularly for Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern at the helm. Pray for real rest and refreshment from their heavy load and for wisdom for next term as they lead us.
Linn Tedman, working for the Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ
You can find more information about me, on the CMS website at http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/519/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Linn's News March 2010

2010-03-01T13:08:00.001-08:00

Linn’s News March 2010
Thanks
Thank you everybody who has been praying for me over the past three months. The Lord has been amazing in his answers.
I am now fully recovered from the chest infection that I had over Christmas and the New Year. I managed to visit most of my supporting link churches, even if I was not able to give a Sunday presentation. A big “sorry” to those I could not reach because of the snow. I believe that the Lord was ensuring that I took some rest. I was exhausted at the end of last year. Teachers among you will know how busy a year can be. Our time in UK is so short and it did not help when I fell sick.
Church
It was good to get back into the church here. It was great to see Pastor Ronnie Irene in our congregation and his preaching has been good.
Bishop Peter and his wife, Sally have arrived back safely from their holiday in the UK.
The Country
Very little has changed politically since I arrived back. President Lugo continues to receive bad press. He was at the Mexican Summit last week and is supporting Argentina in their Malvinas dispute with the British. There is still some fear from many people in the aftermath of the kidnapping of Fidel Zavala. It was wonderful that he was released. There have been reports of other attempted kidnappings, but so far people have been OK. The army continues to search out insurgents.
The worst part of the last month was the heat. It had been extremely hot (40+C) for so long that nothing seemed to cool down, even at night. The electricity Company could not provide enough electricity to keep all the air-conditioners in the country going so we suffered power cuts. Also, artesian water could not be pumped so some went without water. Life has improved this week (so far!). Thankfully we had some rain at the end of last week, which cooled things a little.
Today is a public holiday!
The Schools
The staff returned to school ten days before the students, in order to prepare for the year ahead. We began with a lovely service in the school hall. Revd Ronnie Irene preached from John 15. He was like a breath of fresh air.
The students arrived back safely from their holidays. Some were very tanned after visits to the beach in Brazil and Uruguay.
The sixth form arrived by “train” this year, with lots of shouting and noise but no fireworks, for a change.
The whole school attended a service in the Cathedral to begin the year. It was a great time of praise and worship, with good teaching from Pastor Ronnie, Babs Owen and Mags Southern.
The children are taking time to settle down but that is par for the course.
I have been busy checking reading ages. It has been quite surprising. Considering that English is their second language, they are pretty much ‘up to scratch’. It has been encouraging for us and they have been challenged to improve by the end of the year.
This week the fifth and sixth grades attended their annual Christian camp out in the countryside. The rain which arrived on Wednesday did not put them off and they had a great time of fun and Bible input.
There are more Christian camps coming up in the secondary department.
We have some new staff in the English department in secondary. The Lord never lets us down! They all seem to be settling in well. We also have Lara-Clare, a young volunteer from the UK for six months.
SAMS/CMS merger
I am now no longer a SAMS missionary. As of 1st February SAMS became the Latin America branch of CMS under a new joint entity. I have therefore become a CMS mission partner. You can find all my details on the CMS website at:- http://www.cms-uk.org/latinamerica. You just click on South America on the map and then click on my name. There is lots of information on the site and the Share magazine will still be available.
Many have asked about donations. Giving will now go through CMS. We have been assured that it will still reach us in South America.
Prayer Points:-
Please continue to pray for peace and stability in Paraguay. Pray for the armed forces as they search out members of the Paraguayan people’s Army. Pray for President Lugo and his government to have wisdom.
Pray for all the Anglican churches here as the new year gets underway everywhere. Pray especially for the Lent groups. Pray for Pastor Ronnie and his family as they settle in and for Nicky his wife, teaching in our secondary department.
Pray for all the children and staff in both St. Andrew’s schools. Please pray for good health and for safety as the annual camps take place.
Linn Tedman, working for the Church Mission Society/LatinAmerica, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ

From SAMS to CMS

2010-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

The South American Mission Society and The Church Mission Society merged under CMS. My work can now be supported online at www.cms-uk.org/latinamerica. If you wish to support me in this way click on the map of South America on the site and go to my profile for a link.

Answer to prayers

2010-02-02T12:29:00.001-08:00

We give thanks for answered prayer. Fidel Zavala was released after 94 days in captivity. He had been tied to a tree in a forest on his own land but he was not found by the police.
Please pray that his kidnappers will be caught and brought to justice.

Linn's News November 2009

2010-02-02T04:12:00.000-08:00

Linn’s News November 2009

Thank you all for your prayers this month. As yet there is no news as to the whereabouts of Fidel Zivala, (the kidnapped rancher) so please keep praying.
The children finished their term last Thursday. We had some very emotional services in each department. Now the staff are working in the heat until next week (11th December). It has been extremely hot!!

The Country
After a month of the government and the police leaving the Zivala family to try to sort out a ransom, the people in the Concepción and San Pedro areas were worried about the lack of security. Therefore the government sent in a special army team and lots of police to try to secure the area. This has prevented further kidnappings so far, but it is a vast area to police. The police presence has made the position of the Zavala family very difficult.
White ribbons are on display everywhere now as people try to support each other and demand peace for the country. There have been demonstrations of solidarity in Concepción.
President Lugo continues to be criticized at all levels. He has a difficult task to convince the people that he is a competent President.

The Church
Next weekend the young people from Zeballos Cue and from Roque Alonso churches are going on a retreat to Emboscada for the weekend. This is a new initiative with these groups. They have been involved in away days there with other groups but not in a whole weekend just for them.

In the Cathedral we have been thinking about how to reach out to the groups of teenagers who are involved in the current trend of going around in groups such as Goths, Floggers and whatever else they call themselves and how to bring them into the family of the church.

The Schools
The school term has now closed for the children. Each department in each school has had end-of-term services and there have been graduation ceremonies. It has been a busy time but there have been many blessings on each occasion.
The most moving service for me was the ninth grade graduation. I have been teaching them and they are a lovely class. They have been supporting some HIV positive children this year in a children’s home. Everybody was very emotional when the children put in a surprise appearance at the graduation service to sing for the ninth graders. There was a feeling of the real intensity of God´s love.
One pupil, Paul, gave a moving testimony, which really sums up what Colegio San Andres is all about. He has been with us for just five months, having been sent here by his parents, who are living in Germany. He is a quiet, sensitive lad. He told us that in Germany he had received a basic religious education and had heard about God. The difference here is that he has come to know and love Jesus through Bible studies in class. Now he does not want to return to Germany.
Prayer Points:-
1. Please continue to pray for peace and security in Paraguay. Pray for the President and the government.
2. Please continue to pray for the Zivala family. Nothing is impossible with God. Pray that the police will be able to track down and rescue Fidel.
The leader of the Paraguayan people´s army was seen on television this weekend. He seems to be a hard man leading a fight for his cause. There are other ways to do things.
3. Please pray for the young people going on retreat. Pray that this will be a time of unity with each other through Jesus. Pray for the weather to be cooler and pray that they have fun.
3. Pray for all the staff and children of St. Andrew’s as we finish the term and go on holiday. Pray that people will have good times of rest and pray that the Lord will protect everybody as they travel so that we can all return safely and refreshed for 2010.
4. Please pray for me, personally as I travel back to UK on deputation, visiting churches and prayer groups. Please pray that the Lord will keep me safe and that he will give me the right words to say to my supporting churches so that you are all well-informed as how best to pray and to help us here in Paraguay.

This will be my last newsletter this year. It will probably be the beginning of March when my next one appears. In between times I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous and healthy New Year.
I look forward to seeing many of you on my travels.

With blessings,
Linn

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you’d like to support my work through SAMS, please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU email: finsec@samsgb.org Tel: 01892 538647. www.samsgb.org

Linn's News October 2009

2009-10-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News October 2009

Thanks
As always, thank you for your prayers. You will see from my newsletter that we still need plenty of prayer for better weather.
.
The country
On Saturday and Sunday morning the sun shone down on us and people donned summer clothes, praising that the summer had finally arrived in Paraguay. Some individuals even sunbathed.
After lunch on Sunday the temperature suddenly dropped from 38 degrees to 12 degrees in just a few hours. It has remained cold (now Wednesday) and we have been wearing two fleeces again.
Nothing changes much in the political arena. This is the time of year for preparing government budgets for next year. It is also the season for protests and demonstrations based on rumour and speculation of what the budget will be. This year is no exception.
The school
In school, the secondary department celebrated Youth Day with an amusing staff production and a variety of fun events followed by an afternoon off.
Some Primary pupils attended an annual science fair with other schools. They presented a project about bird migration. It was very slick and very interesting.
We also held our first Talent Show. The children and parents amazed us with their musical skills. We have a superb, young, third grade rock band.

A follow-up music festival was held last week. The children were so excited. They love to show off.
On Friday the pre-school sports day was held. It ran very smoothly and the children took part in some superb activities, which were watched with gasps at their dare-devil balancing and jumping skills.
We are now in the run-up to the Primary and Secondary department sports days.
We are currently without our Primary head of department. Poor Profesora Eva had a small stroke last week and this has left her with problems on one side of her face. She has been told to rest.

The Church
This weekend another Youth EJE was held in the school. Several of our students took part and also an ex-Annexe school student whom I have known for many years now, as well as our current young volunteer from UK. It was reported as being a very special weekend when the young people experienced the depth of Jesus’ love through a variety of surprises.

In the Cathedral we had an unusually informal service last Sunday, working in groups on Bible-based activities which were fun. The children gave a presentation on books in the Bible. It was followed by a lovely family communion.

Prayer points:-
1. Please pray for the country and for wisdom for President Lugo and his government as they try to juggle the country’s books. It is impossible to keep everybody happy, with limited resources.
2. Please pray for the health of everybody in St. Andrew’s school and the Annexe School in the ever-changing temperatures.
Pray especially for Profesora Eva to make a complete recovery so that she can return to work.
Pray for the P.E. staff and students preparing for Sports days. Pray for safety.
3. Pray for all the young people who attended the EJE weekend. Pray for their faith to continue to grow and develop. Pray for protection over them.
4. This is budget planning season. Please pray for Miriam Greco and Mags Southern as they prepare the proposed school budget for next year, in view of the current difficult economic climate.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you’d like to support my work through SAMS, please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU email: finsec@samsgb.org Tel: 01892 538647. www.samsgb.org

Linn's News September 2009

2009-08-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News September 2009

Thank you for your prayers. I am greeting you from a warm and sunny Paraguay as the temperatures are climbing and Spring appears to have arrived. The whole city is covered in a spectacular burst of blossoms.
In response to prayer Childrens’ Day was a great success. Also I finally received my new ID card at the third attempt to get it.

The Church

The second Mission Paraguay team arrived and we spent a lovely evening with them before they split up, with some going into the Chaco and some going to Concepcion. The Chaco group completed the walls of a church that was started last year. The Concepcion group ran some very successful children’s clubs and they reached around one thousand children with the gospel this year.
Ideas for tasks for next years Mission Paraguay teams are already taking shape.

The Children’s Saturday club from St. Andrew’s Cathedral spent a very successful Children’s Day out at Emboscada in the countryside. The sun shone and a good day was had by all concerned, especially the children! They are from the Chacarita shanty town so going out of the city on a bus was a huge adventure for them. Some were quite over-awed.

The School

This has been a month of doing battle health-wise against the Yo-yo temperatures as the wind has changed every two or three days bringing cold air one day and hot air another. Several staff have succumbed to chesty colds which have warranted a day or two in bed. I have been battling an allergy to the mango blossom again and have a cough. The children are still going down with colds and coughs.
The second exam season is currently upon us. However, the children have had plenty of time for fun. Childrens’ Day became Childrens’ Week as we had a week packed with activities, beginning on the Tuesday of that week with a visit from an Olympic standard swimmer who gave the children a demonstration of good swimming.
Wednesday saw fun and games at our Sports ground.
On the Thursday I showed a twenty minute Powerpoint of staff and children not quite as they see themselves ranging from Baby monkeys to Superman and well known film characters. They laughed all the way through as they recognized people. We also had the annual dance competition that day. Although it is just an event for the children, each year we find more and more parents turning up uninvited. They put so much effort into helping the teams that they want to see the children in the competition. This year the hall was packed out.
On the Friday we celebrated the National Day of the flag. Two of our staff had put together a very professional video of our city and the flag. Unfortunately it is in Spanish or I would have purchased a copy to show in my link churches.
Just before lunch the Primary children were treated to a staff pantomime. It had been written based on the Three Little Pigs, involving swine-flu of course. The children loved it and the staff had fun over-acting it.
Both the Pre-primary children and the Primary children enjoyed two bouncy castle activities and they also appreciated hamburgers and Coca-Cola (Coke is normally banned in school).
In the secondary department some students went out for a ‘survival’ style night camp out on “The hill”, which they enjoyed and they all arrived back in one piece.
Also the secondary department has had a visiting maths teacher from UK, Simon Dowland. He had sacrificed a couple of weeks of his UK summer teacher’s vacation to come over and he found himself flung in at the deep end, taking maths classes. It was great to have him around and we hope that he will visit us again, maybe for longer.
This month Sophie Hirst, a volunteer, arrived to help out in Pre-school and secondary until the end of term.

The country

There is still much discontent in the country as the economic crisis deepens. President Lugo is very unpopular with the opposition parties.
The campesinos and the Indigenous peoples have had more demonstrations about their rights to land and housing, but with nothing happening to meet their demands.
The Swine-flu is still with us but people seem resigned to its effect and masks are rarely visible on the streets now. There have been a number of deaths as with the constantly changing weather people have developed severe respiratory problems. Intensive care units have been full to overflowing at times.

Prayer points:-
1. Give thanks for all the good things that have happened here over the past month.

2. Please pray for President Lugo. Pray for wisdom for the government and for the population to be more patient and to accept the reality of the economic crisis. Pray for the Lord to meet their daily needs.

3. Please pray for the staff and pupils of St. Andrew’s School. Pray for better health for everybody. We are all beginning to feel tired due to being ‘under-the weather’.

4. Please pray for Mags Southern and Bishop Peter as they work together on areas of finance. (Mags is Diocesan treasurer). Please pray for wisdom and encouragement for them both.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email:- finsec@samsgb.org).

Linn's News August 2009

2009-08-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News August 2009
Thank you for all your prayers. It was with great relief that the school holiday arrived, (but it already seems a long time ago).
Several of us travelled and so far there are no signs of swine-flu among us, even those who went to the UK and travelled on buses. I went to Curitiba in Brazil with Mags Southern and Gwen Carlisle. We stayed in a lovely hotel for two nights and walked miles trawling the shopping malls. Everything was very expensive compared to Paraguay so our purchases were carefully selected. It was very cold but sunny and we had a wonderful break.
The pre-school show was a great success.
I have not yet obtained my new identity card, mainly because I have been avoiding the crowds in the records office.

The church
It was with great sadness that we said farewell to the Butler family this month. They have all contributed so much to the church and school here and they will be sorely missed. The airport was packed with well wishers to see them off.
This month has seen the first team arrive for Mission Paraguay 2009. They have been running sewing workshops in Roque Alonso and Remansito. Most of the team have had coughs and colds as the weather has been extremely cold and wet. They had hailstones through the roof one night and some suffered very wet beds. However, their presence and help has been well appreciated by the locals.
One of our congregation in the cathedral has been in intensive-care with swine-flu. Last weekend we heard that she would be able to move into a main ward this week. Several of our congregation are sick with flu, coughs and colds of various kinds. In Paraguay it is polite to greet people with a kiss on each cheek and they are still kissing in spite of warnings. They also share a metal straw when drinking their herbal tea.

The schools
Both schools have had pupils absent through winter flu. It was good to get away and have a break from the germs.
The government extended the school holiday for a week for the pupils but staff returned last week to prepare work for students. We also have to make up lost time by working through most of our September break.
A teacher at the Annexe school is very sick with pneumonia but the rest of us have been OK through the holidays.
The prolonged holiday and the extreme cold have meant yet another postponement of a trip to the Chaco for secondary pupils.
Staff had some in-service training last week when a doctor came to give us a lecture on swine-flu and taking precautions, as far as possible. The emphasis was on hand-washing with soap and water or cleansing with alchohol gel. Each room has been issued with some gel for students to use.
The students started back to school this week. They have come in bundled up in layers of warm clothes but many have been very cold. The temperature hit freezing point on Saturday and we do not have central heating in Paraguay! In the library we decided not to put on heaters as they dry the air too much and spread bugs. In fact we are situated above a swimming pool so we get some heat from that.
On Thursday we celebrate Friendship Day. The staff have a breakfast together. We also give our “secret friends” presents. It is a tradition here to draw a name from a hat and to send notes to that ‘secret friend’ who then receives a small gift on Friendship day.

The Country
This has been the longest, coldest winter for 34 years in Paraguay. The poor who are living on the streets (many are children) have really suffered. It is so sad to see children in freezing temperatures with no shoes on their feet. One or two temporary shelters were opened up and other people went to sit in the bus terminal out of the cold south wind. Hopefully the temperature will rise a little as August begins.
There has been the usual barracking between political parties and poor President Lugo has taken more ‘stick’ this month.
Last week there was a Mercosur summit with all the presidents present. President Lugo was busy working with the President of Brazil to get Brazil to pay more for its electricity from the Itaipu dam. He has signed a deal with the Brazilian president whereby Brazil will pay 200% more for its electricity. They have been underpaying for years. However, politicians are now saying that this all needs to be put before Congress. The income would mean a lot to Paraguay and hopefully it would be used wisely to fulfil promises made to the people.

Prayer Points:-
1. Give thanks that we all had a good break and have come back feeling refreshed. Please pray that we will be able to stay well to teach the children. Pray for the health of the children. There are quite a few still absent this week due to sickness.
Please pray that there will soon be an opportunity for the secondary students to go well-digging in the Chaco.
Childrens’ Day will be celebrated in August in the Pre-primary and Primary departments so please pray for this to be a lovely day with lots of fun.
2. Please continue to pray for President Lugo and the government. Pray that the wheeling and dealing will be in the Paraguayan people’s favour.
3. Please give thanks for the ministry of Patrick Butler in both the school and the churches here. Pray that the Lord will really bless him and his family as they settle back into UK life and Patrick takes up a curacy in Guilford in October.
4. Pray that the temperatures here will steadily increase a little, but that bugs will stay at a minimum. (No doubt it will not be long before we are complaining about the heat).

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email:- finsec@samsgb.org)

Linn's News July 2009

2009-06-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News July 2009
Thanks for your prayers. There has been more rain in the Chaco. It came in heavy bursts last Monday and Tuesday.
The Annexe school family is recovering slowly from their trauma and they are staying at Sharon’s house temporarily. Pray for their healing to continue.
The school This has been a month of cold, damp weather and sickness. There are many strains of influenza about, including the Swine-fever, of which the number of cases is growing rapidly. There is also a dengue-fever (bone-shaker) epidemic. This is carried by certain mosquitoes.
Some of the staff have had ‘flu’ and heavy colds but most have kept going at work. Meanwhile the children have been hit hard. Some classes have had more than 50% absence some days, due to ‘flu’. It caused a few problems with exam schedules for some students, but thankfully the exams are now finished.
Earlier this month the Primary children celebrated Father’s Day and they produced a show for their dads. The Nursery department did a small production on Friday for the families there.
Some secondary pupils were disappointed this week. A planned trip to dig wells in the Chaco was postponed for a second time, this time due to heavy rain. It is now hopefully rescheduled for August. Please pray that it goes ahead as planned.
This has also been a month of indecision by the Education department. It took them a fortnight to decide to bring the school holiday forward a week due to the cold weather and sickness. People had already booked flights and holidays.
This week fourth graders celebrated their first communion.
The churches

Pastor Jorge retired in May so the church in Luque now has an inter-regnum.
In Roque Alonso there was a special service last Sunday when Pastor Sefe celebrated 25 years as a pastor. He will be retiring soon.
Elaine Black and Rachel Rudman have started a new Bible Study group for members of the English-speaking church here in Asuncion.
In the Cathedral we had our Annual meeting with reports,..... encouraging but needing prayer.
The country
Very little changes. There have been more demonstrations. I was in town getting documents the other day and there was a demonstration near to the central police station, lots of loud thunderflashes but few demonstrators.
The campesinos have been blocking main arterial roads intermittently.
There is turmoil in the political parties. It is hard to follow who is in league with who as various members of parties want an alliance and others do not.
On an ‘up note’, the city of Asuncion has been a beautiful sea of pink as the Pink Lapacho trees come into blossom.
Prayer points:-
1. Please continue to pray for President Lugo. There is a lot of pressure on him and the government.
2. Please pray for the health of the people of Paraguay. Pray for those who are sick, that they will make a quick full recovery. Pray for protection from mossies.
3. Pray for the pre-school Family show scheduled for July 2nd to be a success.
4. Pray for staff and students in the St. Andrew’s Schools as we start our two week winter break on 3rd July. Pray that it will be a time of rest and recuperation. Pray that we can all stay well through the holiday. Often people get sick as they relax. Several of us have travel plans so please pray for good health and safety for us all.
5. Pray for the Lord to be calling people to be trained to pastor the churches here.
Pray for the young people to have a heart for the Lord’s work.
6. I give thanks that I managed to get all the necessary documentation together to renew my identification card here. The documentation process can be frustrating at times but mine all ran smoothly this time around. Please pray that I will receive my new ID card before the old one runs out in August.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf

If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email

Linn's News June 2009

2009-05-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News June 2009

Thanks for your prayers over the past month. In response there has been a lot of rain here in Asuncion and in the Chaco this past week, (some very heavy), which has put water in the cisterns and has wet the land, creating very muddy roads. The Indians are very happy with what they have now. They should be OK for a while now, so praise be to God. It will also mean that a planned trip by students from school to the Chaco may now take place in June.

The Church
A couple of weeks ago a special evening service was held in the Cathedral for the young people’s congregation. Twenty seven people publicly declared their faith and became confirmed into the Anglican church. Bishop Peter confirmed them. In effect this was the planting of a new church, which is exciting news.

Also there has been a visit from John Wigfield who came over from UK to talk about our relationship with God, the planet and the poor. It made a great impact on everyone, especially the young people.

The Schools
The children have been very busy with exams this month and the staff has been busy preparing and marking. They then have reports to write.
One group of students (a mix from grades six, seven and eight) has been very fortunate to be selected to attend a Friendship Sports Festival in Brazil. They had a thirty hour bus journey to get there.

The news is that they have done well, having lots of fun and they were an example of good behaviour to the other schools there. We are very proud of them. They are due back this weekend.

A family at the Annexe School has suffered terribly as a result of thunderstorms last Saturday night. The rain was so heavy that it washed away the ground where their house stood. It was a brick built house and it collapsed. Also a gas bottle exploded. The family of five, from the poor Chacarita area, is in hospital, some with horrible burns and other injuries. They lost just about everything so we put out an appeal among our school families in order to help them.
This Friday some of our Primary children set up a cake stall to raise money and the Primary staff invited parents to a breakfast of coffee and Mbeyu to raise funds. The family needs to buy medicines as the hospital has run out of many medicines which are needed. Their eighteen year old son is not insured so there will be probably be medical bills to pay.

The Country
There have been ongoing problems for President Lugo. He is receiving so much criticism for not delivering on the promises that he made in his manifesto. In fact he and the government have been working hard for the poor but some people consider that it is not enough.
Lino Oviedo has been extremely critical of Lugo. In return Lino Oviedo has been branded as a liar and his list of crimes was listed on the news by a politician…… So the political mud-slinging continues.

Prayer Points:-
1. We give thanks and praise to the Lord for his provision of rain in the Chaco during this “dry season”. Please pray for regular steady rainfall now so that crops will grow. They do not need more ‘heavy’ rainfall or they will be facing floods like they had ten years ago.
2. Give thanks for the people who have made a commitment to the Lord and the church. Pray for the Sunday evening young people’s congregation to go from strength to strength. Pray for suitable books and educational material to be found to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Pray for wisdom for the Leadership team as Patrick Butler will be leaving soon.
3. Give thanks that our young students have set a good example on their travels to Brazil. Please pray for other students here to feel proud of them and for them to learn from that example.
4. Caroline Gilmour-White has begun the task of trying to sort out the Diocesan library. She is in need of fresh, new books and materials. Please pray for the Lord to provide resources. The material needs to be in Spanish.
5. Please pray for President Lugo and his government as they move forward to help the poor. Pray that the funds necessary to fulfil promises will be found. Pray for wisdom for the government.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email finsec@samsgb.org).

Linn's News May 2009

2009-04-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News May 2009

Thanks
Thank you all for you prayers this month. The weather has cooled down considerably but the pollution is still terrible some days. A thunderstorm earlier this month brought lots of black muck to our streets and patios from Argentina where the campesinos had been burning off the fields.
Added to smoke problems we are now having trucks coming round pumping anti-mosquito gunge into the air. Many people have chronic sinus problems as a result, but we are thankful that so far it has kept down the number of cases of dengue-fever in Asuncion.
Sue Nagaitis, our new teacher, is settling well and she has started language lessons.
The School
We celebrated Easter a little early in school with a lovely service in the Cathedral at the end of term. This was followed by a welcome break during Holy Week.

We have a young gap year student, (Andy Poole) working with us for six months as a teacher volunteer. He has been an asset to the school, teaching in both secondary and primary departments. It was his birthday last week, so of course we all celebrated with him.
On 29th April we celebrated Teacher´s and Worker´s Day in school. The children entertained us well and then went home, leaving the staff to enjoy a wonderful barbecued lunch together, followed by a long weekend.
The Church
All the churches celebrated Easter. I attended a lovely, reflective Good Friday Service in the English Church followed by an Easter Sunday service in San Andres Cathedral.
Last weekend a very successful EJE (Youth Encounter) event was held in the school. It was a time when some of our youth could have the opportunity of a real encounter with Christ. Andy Poole also attended, a bit nervously, but his reaction afterwards was that it was a great weekend, full of surprises. The people who attend are all sworn to secrecy afterwards so that the surprises are unspoiled for future attenders.
The Country
Nothing really changes…., demonstrations and more demonstrations.
We also had the revelation that President Lugo (ex-Catholic bishop) has fathered at least two children and there is a total of six paternity claims pending. Lugo’s pre-election campaign was based on ‘honesty’. He has asked forgiveness from everybody publicly, in a very matter of fact manner. It was then business as usual.
There has been a very mixed reaction, but the news is already ‘Old Hat’. Most people say that it is natural for a man to father illegitimate children in Paraguay (there are lots of illegitimate children everywhere). They do not seem concerned about the fact that Lugo is a priest. (Once a priest always a priest, according to the Vatican). Others have condemned him because he has set a bad example as both a President and a male role model. His political party members have said that it is an attempt to destabilize the government. Not many Catholic priests have spoken out against him. Meanwhile Lugo now carries on in his presidential role, leading the government and saying that they will not be destabilized due to what he has done. He intends to remain in power until 2013.
Drought in the Chaco
The drought in the Chaco is very acute this year. Apart from one or two thunderstorms there has been no rain since last August. Water holes in the Central and Northern Chaco are now dry. Ranchers are having to sell off stock before the animals die. There is hardship and sickness as people struggle to exist there. Our own water tanker trailer is now out of commission because the water holes within transporting distance are dry.
Tim Curtis said that he may have to stop the Bible translation for the time being and send his team home as there is no water for them in Rio Verde.
Last week Pastor Elvio, one of the Chaco Indian pastors, came down to Asuncion and came into school to try to launch an appeal for water among the students and their families. You may remember that a few years ago we helped out.
The government has been sending in tankers but the water is not clean drinking water so it all needs to be sterilized. Indians are not good at heeding the need to boil water.
The tankers have started early this year so we do not know how long they will keep going into the Chaco. Even now the tankers cannot reach some communities. Some Indians in completely dry areas are locking up their shacks and moving to places that have a little water, which then uses more water in those communities.

Prayer points:-
1. We give thanks that your prayers for us are being answered.
2. Bishop Peter and his wife Sally have now begun their ministry. Pray for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance for them both as they work with the pastors in the Diocese.
3. Please pray for the nation of Paraguay. Pray for better role models to emerge so that the future generation will grow up to be more responsible people with a proper sense of Christian values and morals.
4. Please pray for the Indians at this time of extreme drought. Pray for the Lord to meet their needs and to sustain them. This drought could go on until at least September. Pray for the Lord to show us how best we can help them. Pray for them to have a heart to help themselves wherever possible and not to wait for others to come to their aid. Pray for rain to fall.
5. Please pray for all in St. Andrew’s school as we start the first set of exams this year. Pray for good health and for calm among the students, staff and parents.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf
If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email finsec@samsgb.org).

Linn's News April 2009

2009-04-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News April 2009
Thanks for all your prayers over the past few weeks. The Lord has been busy answering them.
Bishop Peter Bartlett and Sally have arrived safely and in time for his consecration, which took place this morning.
Sue Hagaitis has also arrived safely and is settling in.
Raquel Greco has found accommodation nearby where she will be able to hold Bible studies for the youth here.
There has been a little rain in the Chaco from one or two thunderstorms, but they need very much more. At the moment the Indians are repairing water cisterns in the hope that there will be rain.
The School
This has been the month for school camps. The fifth and sixth graders went off on a Primary camp, where the Biblical theme was Samson. They had a very special time together with their teachers.
Secondary students have also been away on Christian camps and they all came back filled with enthusiasm. (The teachers came back shattered!)
Sue Hagaitis, our new secondary teacher, arrived last weekend and was thrown in at the deep end on Monday. The Lord is upholding her. She is a lovely person, who seems to be fitting in well.
I spent yesterday trying to orientate her a little with a visit to town and the market. Everybody is so busy that it is difficult for people to find time to show her around and she has felt the frustration. She does not yet speak Spanish.
The Country
There has been a lot of unrest in the country as the recession is biting hard. Of course Lugo’s government is being blamed for all the problems.
The campesinos have been marching and demonstrating in front of the congress building in town most of the past week. I was there yesterday and the riot police were too, on standby. The sesame producers have been up in arms about poor prices for their seed and they have been demanding subsidies from the government.
Last week there was an official visit by the President of Ecuador. The newspapers were quite scathing about him, saying that he expects to be treated like a king. In a speech he said that Lugo’s government is very left, but we already know that.
There seems to be all sorts of ‘wheeling and dealing’ going on between various Presidents in South America at the moment and it is hard to see the wood from the trees.
The past week saw the tenth anniversary of the assassination of vice-president Argana and the attempted coup by Lino Oviedo. Needless to say there have been more accusations that he orchestrated the assassination, but he just responds with “There is no proof.”
The Church
I bumped into Raquel Greco this week. She told me that she has found accommodation just two blocks from where I am living and about five minutes walk from the Cathedral where she is involved in the youth ministry. This has been such an answer to prayer for her.
The main news has been the consecration of Bishop Peter Bartlett,
which took place this morning. It was a beautiful morning. People came from all over Paraguay, the Southern cone of South America and from the UK, with Phil Tadman and his wife representing SAMS. The Southern cone bishops had decided to have their annual meeting here last week, so everything was very timely. Unfortunately the Bishop of Peru was taken ill and he had to be hospitalized. Another bishop went to be with him. Bishop Greg Venables came from Buenos Aires to consecrate Peter.
It was a colourful affair as the bishops stood before us wearing their various south American stoles.
During the service Rosie Butler read out a greeting from her father, Bishop John Ellison. It was a special moment. The worship was wonderful and there was a strong sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence. It was lovely to celebrate communion as such a large family.
Afterwards we all gathered for refreshments and chat. The bishops were very approachable and there was a real warmth of feeling extended to Peter and Sally.
Prayer Points.
1. Praise the Lord for all the answered prayer this month.
2. Please pray for Bishop Peter and for Sally as they begin their ministry here. Pray for their documentation process to run smoothly. Pray for them to become orientated quickly and pray for Peter as he starts to drive here. (Driving can be a nightmare in Paraguay). Pray for safety for him. Pray for all practicalities to fall into place with no problems, as they settle into their new home. Pray for them to have good health in the heat. Pray for the pastors to be supportive of them both.
3. Pray for the Bishop of Peru, that he will have a swift recovery from illness.
4. Give thanks for Racquel’s new accommodation. Pray that the contract signing will be OK and that she will be able to move in next week. Pray for her ministry as she begins to take more responsibility.
5. Pray for the staff and children of St. Andrew’s schools. There has been a lot of sickness, in the extreme heat and pollution that we have experienced recently. (I have had an adverse reaction to the atmosphere and have had another chest infection.) Pray that the break we have in Holy week will be a time of real rest and recouperation for everybody.
Pray for Sue Hagaitis as she settles. She is a mature lady and it is not always easy to learn a new language later in life. (It has taken me years!). Pray that the Holy Spirit will give her the gift of Spanish quickly.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email finsec@samsgb.org).

Linn´s News March 2009

2009-04-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Linn’s News March 2009
Dear Friends,
It seems a long time since I last wrote a newsletter. Suffice to say that I had a wonderful time with my family in South Africa during December and January.
My sister was very ill when I arrived but thanks to prayers and an excellent neurologist, she improved rapidly and by Christmas we were all able to celebrate Christ’s birth and to have a lovely family time together. The Lord is so faithful. We even managed to get away for some “South African experiences.”
My great niece and great nephew are a real delight to me. We had so much fun together.
I came back tired after the long journey but refreshed ready for this year in school. I was at peace saying farewell to my family, knowing that the Lord has them firmly in His hands.
THE SCHOOLS
When I returned I rushed down to look at the Annexe school. There a classroom had been demolished and rebuilt during the holidays. It has transformed the place and everybody is happy with the new classroom.
The main college had had some work done on it too, new air conditioner units in Primary and everything had been redecorated. The maintenance teams had worked very hard. Their leader, Alberto, has yet to take a break. He is so dedicated to the work in the school. Please pray blessings upon him.
The staff started the term with a spiritual retreat in beautiful surroundings.
It was a lovely time of being together as a “family” and there was a very relaxed atmosphere.
The children came back ten days later. We began with a beautiful service in the Cathedral.
We are now back into full swing. In Primary there has been a very quiet start and the students have valued the daily input during our assemblies together.
The Lord has been ever faithful in answering our prayers for another teacher. At the eleventh hour Gwen Carlisle was approached by somebody, whilst she was on deputation. As a result Sue Nagaist will hopefully be joining the secondary department in mid March. She had a real call from God and everything has fallen into place for her to come.
THE CHURCHES
The church pastors all took a much-needed holiday through January.
It was good to get back to church. Exciting news is that Raquel Greco has now finished her studies at Bible college in Chile and she has returned to work with the youth here, helping Patrick Butler in the Evening Youth services at the Cathedral. It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm that she is radiating. She has a clear vision for the future.
The churches are now preparing for the arrival of our new bishop and for his consecration in the Cathedral.
THE COUNTRY
There is not much to report that is new. President Lugo is still being heavily criticized by opposition politicians. He has also caused problems in the judiciary after a clandestine meeting with some of the Supreme Court judges.
Demonstrations by campesinos continue, but the government shows virtually no signs of meeting their demands.
Hospital workers have also been demonstrating over the poor state of the health services. Some hospitals have no drugs, equipment is broken, unnecessary deaths have occurred and only skeleton staff are on duty as there is no money for salaries. It makes the British National Health service look luxurious.
Teachers have also been demonstrating. Help promised for students has not been forthcoming and headteachers are struggling as promised books and technological equipment has not arrived in the state schools. Buildings and basics like desks and chairs are in a terrible state.
All in all the media paints a picture of doom and gloom to match the World recession.
Prayer points
1. Thank the Lord that we all had a good break and that everybody has returned safely from their travels. Pray that everybody will have good health this year and that it will be a special year for the schools and the churches.
2. Please pray for Raquel who is looking for a house to rent nearby, where she can host Bible Studies for the youth here.
Pray also for her family. Her grandfather is gravely ill. Pray for the Lord to be merciful and to minister his healing power. Pray especially for her grandmother at this difficult time.
3. Please pray for Peter and Sally Barrett as they prepare to join us. Pray for their documents to come through, for a good flight out here and for them to settle quickly into their new home. Pray for discernment and wisdom for both of them.
4. Pray for rain in the Chaco. Farmers and indigenous leaders have been calling for a national emergency to be declared as nothing can be cultivated at the moment.

Linn Tedman, Colegio San Andres, Casilla 1124, Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Information on http://www.samsgb.org/people/documents/tedman.pdf If you wish to support my work through SAMS please contact Philip Tadman (Financial Secretary), Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Kent TN2 3QU (email finsec@samsgb.org).