Paraguay

We made it! The bus ride only lasted four hours longer than it was supposed to. We broke down in the middle of the night. Other than that it was a fairly nice trip. The bus seats were practically beds, so sleeping was no problem.

I am staying with Francisco and Mercedes Diaz. They are very nice, and they have three other kids living with them right now. I believe they are all older than me. I think I will be sharing a bedroom with Daniel, (probably not the correct spelling,) but I'm not sure because he slept on the couch last night! I also have two sisters. The younger one is named Laura, (what a coincidence!) and the older one is named Janette. I also have a third sister, Celeste, who is living in the U.S. currently.

My bedroom opens onto the patio. It's not huge, but it has it's own bathroom with a shower. Mercedes has done her best to make me feel at home, telling me that I can use or eat anything in the kitchen and that, "Mi casa es su casa." Tonight I began to test my independence a bit. I got home a little late and hadn't had supper yet, but soon after I sat down in front of the tv Laura came in and handed me and Dani (Daniel) each an egg sandwich. I was still hungry, but I didn't want to ask Laura to make me another, so I took things into my own hands. I asked Dani to show me where the ingredients were. The only complicated part was the egg. Laura had made it over-easy, which I've only done successfully once. It wasn't quite as runny as it could have been, but I'll count it as a success. The sandwich was delicious!

Paraguay is pretty sweet. So far the people have been fairly easy to understand. I think they've been purposely talking slower and clearer to make it easier for us. Today we went into the center of Asuncion to do some sight-seeing as well as get our monthly allowance in Guarani, the local currency. We also got to experience the bus system of Asuncion. It's loads of fun. ;) Two of the buses we rode had absolutely no room, but still managed to let on just a couple more people at each stop.

I don't know what my job will be yet. I've heard two options. One option would be to work at Alto Refugio. Alto Refugio is an organization that cares for people with HIV/AIDS. (Their website: http://www.eng.altorefugio.org/ ) I believe that my Dad's cousin and his wife, David and Judy Schmidt, work with Alto Refugio. Another option would be a local school that is run through the Mennonite church. The school would not require the use of public transportation as it is within walking distance of my house. I think the current plan is to work for a bit of time at both of them and see which is the better fit.

I guess that's all for now. I'll try to get some pictures up soon. If you're friends with me on facebook there are a bunch of pictures up from our week in Argentina. Adios for now!