Halftime

Joe here. Our stay in Paraguay has reached the halfway point. We are currently on our winter break and we will have to leave the country for a day to renew our visa. We will be going to Clorinda, Argentina with Carlos Flores, who along with his family also works and lives in the mission center with us. Clorinda is a city where many Paraguayans go to purchase goods because it is so much cheaper due to the weakening of the Argentine Peso. There are people that even take the 2 hour trip to buy gasoline.

Paraguay is going through a period of tremendous economic growth and development. According to reports, Paraguay’s economy expanded 14.8% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, and the central bank forecasts overall growth this year at 13%, making the country the fastest growing economy in Latin America. The expansion is driven predominately by the growing demand for its agricultural products, especially soy. According to some prognosticators, Paraguay will experience a renaissance of sorts for the next 20 years or so. Wow.  

Sadly, Paraguay’s soccer team has nearly been eliminated from World Cup qualifications. However, the nation, or at least most of it, is celebrating one of its own club teams (Olimpia) making it into the Copa Libertadores Finals against a Brazilian club team (Atletico Mineiro). Aside from the actual World Cup, it is considered to be one of the biggest tournaments in South America. In Paraguay, either you are a fan of Olimpia or a fan of Cerro Porteño. There are other soccer teams in the country, but by and large, people fall into either one of the two main camps. When asked by my students which club I root for, I usually say LA Galaxy, so that I don’t alienate anybody. Anyways, hardcore Cerro fans couldn’t care less about Olimpia making the finals, but because the national team failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup, Olimpia has become a rallying cry of sorts for the nation. The first leg of the finals will take place in Paraguay this Wednesday. I expect sheer pandemonium and fireworks to go off. 

In retrospect, the past 5 and a half months have gone by very quickly. I still remember saying good-bye to friends and family at the airport in February. Pretty soon, I'll be having to say good-bye to many new friends that I have made here. One thing that I have learned has been the importance of making the most of the opportunities God has given me. I hope that I can be faithful with what I have been entrusted with for the remaining 5 months or so. We have already locked down a return date with the purchase of our airlines tickets, so we know that the clock is ticking for us to redeem our time here for the glory of Christ our Savior and King. Please continue to pray for us!