Thank you so
much for your prayers and support this month. It has been a very busy time for
the Primary department in the school. In answer to prayer, after some
torrential rain this week, we are now enjoying much lower temperatures. Mind
you, a couple who arrived on a visit from Ireland yesterday are finding it hot
at around 25C.
The country
Surprisingly, glancing through the
headlines this morning, the journalists are having to manufacture news, principally
about health issues. Dengue fever is at epidemic levels once again, mainly in
the metropolitan area. Our Primary head of department is just recovering after
being kept in hospital for a few days with it.
The BIG news is that Paul
McCartney is coming to give a concert on 17th April. I am
disappointed as I may be in hospital then so I decided not to buy a ticket. I
was eighteen years old the last time that I saw him in concert..... many moons
ago.
Apart from that the country still
plods on in the same vein with the same old problems.
The churches.
The churches are now preparing
for Semana Santa (Holy Week). It is a busy time. There is a shared “Last
Supper” planned for Thursday evening, a time of reflection in the English
Church on Good Friday and then the Easter celebrations.
The beginning of the month saw
the team captain elections, all “above board”, even down to the finger
printing.
With the run up to the
Easter break the schools have been very busy. The Annexe School held it Easter service
yesterday afternoon.
On Wednesday there was the annual
Easter egg hunt. This year it was held in school as torrential rain had made
the Sports Ground inaccessible.
On Thursday we held the Easter
hat parade in Primary. Last year the theme was Paraguay because of the
bicentenary celebrations. This year with the Queens’ Jubilee and the Olympics
in London, the theme is “Great Britain.” The children came in hats in various
categories, such as “The Queen,” “The guards,” “Afternoon tea,” “The Beatles,”
etc. etc. They were spectacular. There is never a lack of imagination.
Friday was hectic. Early
in the morning the whole school took part in a presentation of the history of
England. The Pre-School produced an amusing film of themselves as cavemen, with
the Flintstones music as backing. The upper Primary gave us information about
the Anglo-Saxons and the lower primary told us about the Vikings. The secondary
department brought on Julius Caesar and the Sixth form produced an excellent
film about the kings and queens of England. The entire thing was a lot of hard
work but in the end it was all worthwhile.
The end of the term came with the
final service. This was focussed on the Cross this year and what Jesus did for
us. The third grade gave us a “dramatic” explanation of the Old Testament reading
of Aaron standing in the gap for the Israelites. Pastor Ronnie helped that
along.
The most moving part of
the service was a dance drama by the sixth form about Jesus breaking our chains
of sin to rescue us, and his forgiveness, through his suffering on the cross. It
was a wonderful production and the children were all touched by it. Many of the
secondary pupils had been reluctant participants in the service to begin with
but by the end they were all moved by the gospel message. They were still
talking about it later, after the service.
Prayer points:-
1.
Please continue to pray for Paraguay. There is
still so much work to be done to relieve the plight of the poor. Pray for
guidance and wisdom for the government and pray for those who struggle daily to
get a meal on the table.
2.
Give thanks that we have reached the end of the
first term this year. Pray for the teachers to get some rest in the week of
holiday. Pray for safety for those travelling, especially the Hickmott family
and Hannah Taylor and her parents. Pray for healing for Profe Mati, after a
second heart operation and for Profe Eva, recovering from dengue fever. Pray
for everybody’s health to improve. Many have flu and chest infections,
including our school director, Gwen Carlisle.
3.
Pray for our churches here in the run up to
Easter. Pray that it will be a time of reflection and of celebration that will
extend into the local community to bring others to know the truth that Jesus is
alive and with us today.
4.
Please can I ask for personal prayer. I am due
to go to the hospital on Monday 9th April for a colonoscopy.
Depending on the results of this the surgeon may operate on me the following
week. Please pray for me to have confidence and to take one step at a time. (My
confidence is running thin at the moment.)
I wish you all a Blessed and
Happy Easter as you celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection. 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
