Happy Birthday Caleb!

This week we celebrated Caleb's 3rd birthday. We enjoyed a McDonald's lunch and a cook-out dinner. We invited a number of families to help celebrate and Lisa made a very yummy Lemon Frosted Angel Food Cake!

Little Caleb is growing up so quickly. He is starting to really ask intelligent questions and has become very expressive in his love. Many of the Paraguayans will greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. Caleb runs right up to people and throws his arms around them and gives wet, sloppy kisses. He is well appreciated by all!

Below is a quick video that we took early on his birthday. He just woke up and was clearly not in the mood to be serenaded so early in the morning...

Peace!

Baptizing Juana...

On Sunday (March 7) we had the privilege to see Juana be baptized. Juana accepted Jesus as her Savior and her Lord and has decided to take her step public in Baptism. This is a wonderful way to declare to everyone that you are following Jesus. The old you is buried with Jesus (symbolized by the going under the water) and the new you is now alive triumphantly with Jesus (symbolized by the coming back out of the water).

What a moving experience it was to see the tears of joy wash down Juana's face as she shared her testimony (someone else read her story because she knew she would never be able to get through it) and then was baptized.

My friends, God is building his church in Paraguay. This past Sunday, while we baptized Juana, the Alliance church in Asuncion baptized two young men and the church in San Lorenzo baptized 12. Please keep praying. Specifically for Juana and her family, but also for what God is doing in and through us all!!!

Peace!

BTW - due to recent health problems, Juana was not able to plunge underneath the water, instead the water was poured over her. The system was different, but the symbol was the same. :)

Here is a short video of Sunday's Baptism at the Mi Esperanza Church.

I once was blind...

Last fall we received the great news that the students from Nyack College were beginning to raise funds to help with the work in Paraguay. Spurred on with this information we began to dream of practical ways that we could help touch lives and share the gospel. One of the events that we have done is a vision clinic. We are working with a local foundation, whose goal is to make quality eye care affordable to everyone. In November, we held a clinic in Mi Esperanza, then once again February in both the churches in Lambare and in San Antonio and coming soon another clinic in April in the church in Downtown Asuncion. To date, we have seen almost 200 people go through the clinics, each receiving excellent eye care and the good news of Jesus Christ.

One great success story is Alejandra. Alejandra's family could never afford to pay for eye exams and was unaware that her increasing blindness was due to her defective corneas. Since, age 13 she has been led around and has been unable to cross major streets alone for fear of not seeing the cars. Thanks to the generous donation of some excellent supporters Alejandra visited the clinic in Mi Esperanza, her condition was diagnosed and was operated on last month to replace one of her two corneas. The Doctor flew in from the United States with the replacement corneas and did her operation along with 13 others during the week that he was here. Alejandra is recuperating, but doing very well. She has told us that she can now see better out of "that eye" than she has been able for the past 15 years! After she is completely healed, the doctor will return to replace the other cornea. By the way, each operation cost $500.00. So, we are very grateful for Your support!

Here is a video that we made with Alejandra on the day of her surgery (in January). I will soon return to her house and make a follow-up video... Until then, I'd like you to meet Alejandra:

Where have you been?!?

Every time I send out an email there is a signature line that says to check out blog because we are updating it. Although, that is put their automatically for me - I have been thinking about those words and realized, "man that just isn't happening."

Unfortunately, due to some network problems and some very, very busy weeks, we have not updated our blog in a few months. I am sorry about that - I will try to do better.

Thank you for you continued prayers and support - in the next couple of days I will put on some more pictures and blogs to let you know how things have been going here in Paraguay.

Appreciate your prayers and support!

peace!