Happenings in Gral. Morinigo

  Well, the week and a half of winter in Paraguay has ended.  School has finally started back up and life goes on.

For about a week and a half I had the joy of waking up to the sound of chain saws and hammers every morning.  Behind my house, only about 50ft, was another house.  It was pretty old and partially falling down.  The owner of my house, with a little encouragement from my neighbor, decided to tear it down and salvage some of the wood that was still good and build a new house in the same spot.  Eventually, the idea is to rent it out.  At first I was a little nervous that I would have some really close neighbors, but I don't think I will have to worry about that for a while.  The house still needs a floor, doors and a bathroom but construction has been put on hold because the owner doesn't have money right now. Construction has been suspended for a month, but I wouldn't be surprised it turns into two or three.  

Taking off the roof of the old house.

Loading the roof onto the cart.

Demolition complete.

Constrction.

The new house.

Although the chain saw and hammers were pretty unpleasant for a while, a few good things did come out of it.  Now I have a nicer house to look out of my back door and I made some new friends and Guaraní tutors.  They are two eight year old girls and a three year old boy.  The two girls, Karin and Yanina, speak more spanish with me, but occasionally they slip back into Guaraní.  The little boy, Nico, only speaks Guaraní, although I think he understands some spanish.  It is great to talk to him because he will keep repeating things in Guaraní until I figure out what he is saying.  Most people, if I don't understand the first time they say it in Guaraní just say it in Spanish.  The three kids are all cousins and their uncle was one of the guys working on the new house.  They came over to watch him build and being curious kids they poked their heads into my house.  I offered them paper and markers to color.  After that they started coming over almost every day.  I borrowed some books from the library to read to them.  We also made newspaper paper boats.  Two other neighbor girls, Noelia and Ana, came over as well.  They had a blast playing with the boats in the little creek by my house.  It was really great to see them having so much fun with something so simple and free.

Karin, me and Yanina

Nico and me

The clan

Nico, Ana and Noelia playing with the boats in a mud puddle

Ana, Nico, Karin and Noelia with their boats in the creek

Before winter vacation ended I decided to go back to Tacuruty, the community where I lived during training, and visit my first host family.  They had been asking when I was coming so I though it would be a good time before school started up again.   I only spent two nights there but it was nice to see them again and relax a bit before I get busy with school.  I helped milk the cows, they now have four cows they milk, and for the first liter I was able to keep up with my host sister.  After that I slowed down because my hands got tired and also it is harder to milk when they udders are less full.  They also now have a goat and 10 days before I arrived it had two kids.  They are very cute.  They don't milk the mom goat yet, but when the kids get a little bit older they will.  They let me try to milk her just for fun.

Typical goat...eating my clothes

Trying to milk the goat

I was recently invited to the ordination ceremony of a new priest.  It was interesting to see.  About 10 priests from surrounding areas came as well as about 10 men who have been studying with he priest to be ordained. They have to study for 8 years.  After the ceremony there was a big lunch to which I was also invited.

All of the priests touched his head and gave him their blessing

The new priest receiving his new robes

The new priest

This week was my first time at the school in about a month.  I wasn't sure what the garden would look like, but I was very pleased to see that the plants are looking great and many of them are ready for harvest.  My host mom still wants to continue with recycled art in her class which is good because it is something I really enjoy.  My book club is still going well although it has morphed a little into a literacy club.  I have been doing some spelling relay races and working with the alphabet.