December 2005 Adventures

December began with us wrapping up a drilling project and handing off a construction project.  We finished the water well project at the Methodist Church at Ybú Porã and celebrated with a worship service where Ed preached.  This project was our only water well drilled in 2005 due to our many other responsibilities. 

The Susannah Wesley School construction project continues and was entrusted into the capable hands of Alberto Parada, a new missionary who arrived on the Paraguay field in 2005.  Before we left for the US, the walls were almost at full height – the next step will be placement of the roof rafters.

We spent much of the first two weeks of December waiting for the release of the shipping container which held some of the drilling equipment we purchased in June; as well as many boxes of goods donated by churches, schools, and individuals.  Praise the Lord, the container was FINALLY released the day we flew back to the states!  The paperwork and bureaucracy required to import materials into Paraguay is amazing – but with God’s help we were able to get all the import taxes and demurrage fees waived.  Just to let you know just how mighty the hand of God is, the demurrage charges were $75 a day, and the container was in port for over 48 days!!!  The container contents were stored at the New Horizons Methodist School near Asuncion.  We will have to transport the drilling equipment and supplies to Santaní when we return to Paraguay in January.  It was very nice leaving Paraguay knowing that everything was safe and securely stored.

Our time in the US has been a blessed time with family and friends.  Our daughters spent Christmas here in Atlanta with us.  We were able to spend New Year’s Eve with Ed’s father, Jim Baker, in Fernandina Beach, Florida.  We always look forward to “beach time” while we are in the states.

January has continued to be a time for visiting and sharing.  We always love to tell the stories of our lives in Paraguay.  We will be returning to Paraguay to 100+ temperatures the end of January!  We will let you know in our next month’s report how our internal thermometers adjusted!