Hello Friends and Family,
This post is not an easy one for me to write, but I know I need to write something because I am in need of so much prayer.
Thanksgiving weekend is normally a time where you go around the table and share what you are thankful for, eat stuffing and pumpkin pie, and be with those who you love the most. This Thanksgiving I lost the person who I have loved the most. After going through 6 months of long distance Carl and I broke up. For me this was and still is quite hard with the end in sight. It’s been difficult for me to be here in Paraguay as I have missed him a lot and during the first half of my time here I did not have any really close friends or responsibilities so my mind was not fully here but in Canada. Many times the only thing keeping me here was the fact that I couldn’t graduate and get my degree without staying until January. Now, it’s hard for me to be thankful as it’s because I’m here that I lost one of the most important people in my life.
Even though I’m at a low point right now I do have things I can be thankful for and I need to remember them. A couple weeks ago I was really struggling with liking the culture and being happy in Paraguay so I asked if my friend and mentor Kelly could come down for a visit from Asuncion and she did within a few days of my call. We were able to talk and babysit the missionary kids so that Greg and Renee could take off for their 15th Anniversary (it was the second time they as a couple have been able to get away for a night in their marriage.) That same week Pilar also asked me to go to the gym with her so we got a gym membership that cost me only $12.50 a month for 5 aerobic classes a week. That has been really good for me to practice my language, learn the culture from their side, and stay physically fit. It is also something I love and always have loved so it’s another way to get involved in something I enjoy
Another positive thing is that Greg took the grade 7’s back. This was a constant battle for me as many of them do not understand a word of English. It’s difficult as some kids have been taking English since kindergarden and some have just came to the school now and are just starting to learn English. They also have no desire to learn so it was tough to get them to concentrate and try to pass their exams. They are more scared of Greg so he took them back in hopes of getting them motivated. He also has Spanish so he is better at explaining things to them. I still have my grade 5’s and 6’s and I have been having a blast with them. My grade 6’s are quite chatty but some of the kids are just so funny that it wears off any frustration (for the most part haha). My grade 5 class is a zoo but I have always loved rowdy kids because at least they have energy and are happy to learn. They give me something to feed off of. Today I got them to say what they were most thankful for and one of the girls said “this class” and that is exactly what I think everyday I walk in.
Also, this past weekend (minus Sunday) was one of my best weekends in Paraguay as my friend Hannes came down. If you can remember, Hannes is the guy from Switzerland, he is the same age, and came to Paraguay at the same time as me. We were able to take the first month and a half of Spanish together so it is always exciting to see him and hear his Spanish and how good it is! I am quite jealous as he has learned past tense in school and I am still trying to figure it out on my own. So far that has been my task when I can’t sleep, learning the conjugations for past tense (woot woot!). When Hannes was here we were able to do a lot of firsts. We got to explore Villarrica, go to a kids club and youth group, hang out with some friends I had never hung out with before, and go to the river to swim. Since my visit with Kelly and especially when Hannes came I was able to walk around here and think “I love it here” and feel a sense of pride in my new city and the people here. Of course lately I am really fighting my hardest to keep that attitude that took me so long to build. The pictures posted above are from a park in Villarrica with Capybara's, which are the world's largest rodent, a trip to the river, and Pilar's birthday.
Prayer Requests:
1. Attitude: As with all breakups it just sucks. For me there’s a lot of “what if’s” and it is easy to look at the reasons why I am not needed here and how I threw out a great relationship in coming. Please pray that I would have peace and a heart of gratitude; that I would be able to live without regrets or bitterness towards South America and enjoy my last few months in this culture and fully invest in the people who I have come to know and care about.
2. Sleep/Strength: It is very hard to step into a classroom and teach when you only get a few hours of sleep a night and need to force yourself to eat in order to have energy. Please pray that I would be able to rest and that during the day I would be able to hold it together, keep my sanity, and walk with my head held high.
3. Language/Friends: Please pray that I would be able to communicate better and more clearly to my new friends. I am so thankful that I have been able to make friends this past month, especially Pilar and Miguel who took me around town last night to keep me busy. Paraguayans really care about how you’re doing and want to help. I am thankful for my friends at home but they aren’t physically here to talk to or hang out and that’s what I need right now.
4. Faith: Please pray that I would have a desire to grow deeper in my love for Christ and that I would focus on what he has placed before me. Please pray that his purpose for sending me here would be fulfilled and that this would be a good learning experience that will build character and mold me into his likeness.
Thank-you so much for everything. I feel so blessed to have such a supportive group of people who have been praying for me every step of the way. It gives me great joy to have you there by my side, emailing me, and picking me up when I feel knocked down. Paraguay has definitely been a trial of perseverance and staying focused on the goal and you have all played such a role in encouraging me to do that.
I love everyone of you,
Daneille
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