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
