Nazarene Theological Seminary

            Perhaps you are wondering why I am in Paraguay, a small landlocked country in the middle of South America where few people travel for exotic trips.  Well, at the beginning of the last school year my husband and I started to look at Mission Corps and how we could incorporate (though not officially) this experience into my time at NTS.  So, after going through the application process, training, interviewing, and much more we were given the choice to go to Paraguay and work with Christian and Flavia Ventura.  Christian and Flavia are the Field Strategy Coordinators for Paraguay and are missionaries themselves from Argentina. 

            The reason that we wanted to go to another country is because we feel that the Church today is becoming more and more diverse; therefore, it is important for there to be diversity in our own lives as well.  We cannot simply be Americans who only speak English and expect to be able to reach out to many of the people one finds on the streets of the city.  This is not to say that by spending almost six months in a South American country that we will be experts or that we will have it all figured out.  However, in the 6 days that I have been here in Paraguay, I have learned much about what it feels like to be an outsider.  In college I took some Spanish, but much of what we are learning is in simple conversation with people who are patient enough to talk slowly and repeat often.  Therefore, my husband (Ted) and I are beginning these next six months with great hope that we will learn much from the people of the Church in Paraguay. 

            Within the first few days that I was in the Ventura household, I discovered that the most important place in the house is the dining room table.  Almost every night that we have been here, different people have come by the house and stayed for dinner.  To me, Christian and Flavia show what it means to be hospitable people.  Not only have they opened up their home and their family to us (Ted and I are staying in a “guest house” that is in their backyard), but they have done that and continue to do that with others as well.  They make everyone feel as though they are a part of the family, even when some of these people do not speak their language very well.  We have had the opportunity to interact with many different people, although there has not been a lot of speaking.  One night one of the pastors from Asunción ate with us, the next night the wife of one of the other pastors, the next night two missionaries and a pastor from Argentina. I am continually amazed at their willingness to open their home and their table. They are an example to me, and to their children, about what it means to follow Christ.  It cannot be easy having two American, English speaking, young folk who are desperately trying to learn Spanish living near you, eating with you, and following you around.  But, they never seem upset and are always willing to help us.  I am hopeful that we will be able to learn more and more as we spend time getting to know the people of Paraguay. 

Dios te bendiga!

God bless you!