January 2012

Linn’s News January 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Points:-

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

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

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

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

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

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