The trip from Northern Ireland across to Paraguay is loooong... Belfast to Heathrow to Sao Paulo to Asuncion; 36 hours non stop with only poor quality sleep on the main plane Heathrow to Sao Paulo. Things went fairly smoothly all apart from the last leg which was delayed by a few hours. That screwed the plans that had been laid down for us in Asuncion, but not to worry. Last year's experience with a delayed flight early in the itinerary leading to a missed connection was avoided thankfully. We arrived fairly late in the evening in Conception, and after calling into the church briefly to a very warm welcome and a large round of applause we headed for the hotel, dinner and some long overdue sleep. The first night in the hotel was swelteringly hot, and we were all very glad of fans and air conditioning!
Despite the searing temperatures and blinding sun, not a cloud in the sky; still the roads are pretty treacherous and one of the vehicles transporting us to San Juan got stuck in the mud! Thankfully there were two vehicles and the second (which had gone on ahead) returned when the other still hadn't turned up after half an hour. It wasn't that hard to get unstuck and continue on to the site in San Juan.
When we arrived the Paraguayans had made a start with the foundations for the exterior walls, and combined with the metal pillars gave us a good idea of the scope of the project ahead of us.
During the first evening it really poured and for the rest of the time the temperatures held just fine for a group of Irish... although the Paraguayans are out with the woolly hats and fleeces, but we're all comfortable in just a t-shirt. Fortunately the ground dried up quickly after the rains, so work on the site was pleasant and we made great progress. The biggest hold-up has been a lack of half-size bricks for the ends of the walls... but resourceful as ever we improvised and used broken full-bricks.
After being on site for more or less a week we were joined by the second half of the team, all of who have come out for the whole summer and will be staying on after we return home to work on another project in the Chaco.
Of course it's not been all work and no play; each evening there's been good opportunity to meet with the Paraguayans and learn more about their lives and faith. Most evenings we worked our way progressively through a bible study outline given to us in both Spanish and English by Billy Blair from Bleary and the discussions have been enjoyable and enlightening for both sides. It has been a great opportunity to learn not only more about the Paraguayan people, but also to discuss the issues important to Christians worldwide with like minded brothers and sisters.
Tito (who sold SAMS the land we're building on), and Ebony... those who have been out here are probably more interested in photos of her than the buildings! ;-)
Claire at work; a children's club she's holding in San Juan a few times a week now the kids are off on holiday.
Ebony (Tito/Tita's adopted daughter), Elizabeth and son Mattias, and Alyson resident missionary.
Towards the close of the second week we still needed to finish the tops of the walls, but had already laid foundations for the floor in the 3 small functional rooms; and all the internal walls are almost finished too. Of course progress slows as the walls get higher as all the materials have to be passed up the scaffolding, but progress was well on target.
The kids watching a video of Elijah. If only my Sunday School class was so attentive...
Another kids club in the next village Eva pevu (or something like that. Forgot to ask the spelling - I'll get it corrected but those who have been should know where I mean!)
At the end of the second week we all travelled into Conception for a break in a little comfort, and to visit the markets and shops in town. The prices of some things are exceptional; a pair of good quality hand made boots that would cost the best part of £80 back home cost just £7 or £8! Unfortunately Paraguayan feet must be a slightly different shape because I've been unable to find a pair that fit! Never mind...
The children's club held on Saturday mornings in Conception
Most of the team outside Bishop Andreas' church
Unfortunately almost all the girls fell foul of a nasty tummy bug beginning the night before leaving San Juan. Strangely none of the guys were affected, only Phil Granger; the SAMS organiser suffered from an ongoing tummy problem he had had for some time. To be safe we decided not to venture into restaurants in town. Better safe than very-very sorry! We were all just very thankful that we were living in a little comfort while so many fell ill. Fortunately everyone was in fairly good health by the following Monday ready for work as usual.
In December 2004 Pastor Guillermo's motorbike was stolen from outside the hospital while he was visiting the sick. During the service on Sunday morning he was presented by a new replacement bike on behalf of the church in Ireland attended by 3 of the team out this year; Mullabrack.
A mini-us was hired to take some of us back to San Juan after the weekend. Fortunately one of us was able to speak good Spanish, and it turned out that the bus driver was Pastor of a little Church we were to pass on the way back to San Juan. We stopped of to have a nosey; the Church had been built by a team of Americans from Orlando, but the village (Bethlehem) is very into witchcraft and satanism and the Church had come close to closing. That's when the Pastor got involved; he had electric installed and built a toilet block at the rear and since the Church has seen something of a revival. We passed a hat round to make a collection for the driver and his face positively glowed when we presented it to him for the use of his Church.
Back in San Juan progress looked like it was going to be impossible. The materials expected over the weekend had not arrived and by 11am work ground to a halt. A little dispirited we broke for tea, but after a good half hour's break God with excellent timing delivered the materials and we were able to get right back into the swing of things. Progress continued apace and we finished the project with a day to spare.
The kitchen and larder and dispensing areas, with the serving window into the main canteen on the left of the photo
The team supplying the materials for....
The concrete mixing team laying the floor in the final part of the building; the main canteen.
The (all but) completed building. There's a Paraguayan team of builders staying on to complete the finish; plastering, installing electrics, tiling the floors and putting in windows and doors. Another 4 weeks and our building should look just as good as the other parts of the complex completed in previous years.
On the very last evening a pig was slaughtered and everyone who had been involved with the project was invited to a big barbeque. Unfortunately I within hours of completing the building work I was struck down by a really nasty tummy bug and spent more or less the whole day either in bed or to and from the toilet... so I unfortunately had to miss out on the celebrations. Whilst disappointed for having missed the party, again timing could not have been better as the project was complete and I couldn't therefore complain! Of course I would have preferred to not get ill; but then it isn't a complete tropical experience unless you suffer a nasty tummy upset at some time...
Presentation of a framed photo-set of all the people who had built the Church two years ago; mostly from Derryloran so of particular interest here!
On the last morning, just before leaving, the complete UK team outside the complete project. It would have been nice to include the Paraguayan builders too because they have had a very important part to play, but they were up and away long before we stirred.
We're all back now in Conception for a day and a night, then a big farewell service from the Church here before a 5 hour bus trip to Asuncion followed almost immediately with an all night coach trip on down to Yguazu (!?!) Falls on the Brazilian/Argentinian/Paraguayan border. A hard earned holiday after the last three weeks, and we're all very much looking forward to it. I don't expect I'll update the site again before I'm back in Ireland, but then I don't expect the falls will have changed much in the last year or two either; so please by all means visit the pages and pages of photos from previous years and you'll see the wonder of God's creation that is the Falls. It would have been a shame to come all this way and not go to visit them...
Adios :-)