I'm here!

After almost 20 hours of travel time, I have made it to Paraguay. And with such a warm welcoming.

The Lord is so quick to remind me that I am not alone. While my community here in Paraguay is not going to look the same as it has for the past couple of years, these new friendships will point me to the Jesus and remind me that He is always with me.

I am so thankful to the Gonzalez family for opening up their home, for allowing me to live with them for almost a year and a half, for feeding me, for being patient with my Spanish, for guiding me, and for supporting me. I was able to talk with Alcides today about what my time here will look like. While plans are never quite set, in Paraguay, it was nice to get some sort of idea what I’ll be doing. On Mondays – Wednesdays, I’ll be working at Heaven’s Kingdom Christian School in the English classes. On Thursdays and Fridays, I’ll be working with three high school boys who want to do an exchange program in the United States and need to work on their English. On Friday nights will be the small group with the college age girls. He also mentioned working with Charlotte at Su Refugio to start up an English program. Let’s just say, I am going to be taking full advantage of siestas.

At church this morning, I shared why I was in Paraguay and how I felt the Lord calling me to be here. A few of the elders prayed over me. What a blessing it is to have such a prayerful support system in the United States, and here in Paraguay. Prayer is going to be my anchor in an ocean of uncertainty and new experiences. Thank you all for praying for me. Some specific prayer requests:

a)    Pray that I would be bold to try new things, that I wouldn’t shy away from things that are new and uncomfortable (including speaking Spanish!).

b)   Pray for my health. While I am adjusting to a new diet and routine, pray that I would remain healthy.

c)    Pray for the children of Heaven’s, the boys I’m going to be tutoring, and the girls in my small group. Pray for harmony, openness, and the desire to learn.

Your prayers are the best support. They truly mean so much. If you would like to support me financially, please visit surefugio.org or email Scott at sckvandal@aol.com.

Here’s to a year and a half of throwing toilet paper in the trashcan!

Abide in Christ.

Nicole :)