It Was Only Two Weeks???

(Continued)

We wake up Thursday morning, and head to the mechanic.  Mechanics in Paraguay do not have parts, you have to stop by the shop periodically and get a supply shopping list.  Knowing the mechanic couldn't repair anything till we get there to buy parts, we headed out early.  However, the Toyota has NO acceleration.  We discover that the fuel we purchased the night before had a lot of water in it.  We only use diesel, so this is a problem having water in a diesel motor.  We limp along, and finally get to the mechanic.  We replace the fuel filter in the Toyota; buy a new clutch, epoxy to patch the hole in the transmission case and oil for Mission Calvario; and we are finally on our way to Colonia Guaraní by mid afternoon, both trucks running.  However, the water in the fuel destroyed the fuel injectors in the Toyota, so the Toyota has very little power, but we do okay.

Our next stop is only 5 hours away in Ciudad del Este.  We arrive there and spend Thursday night with Ben and Jenny Reyes, other missionaries with the Mission Society.  Friday, we decide we need a day of R&R, so we relax and take Harry to see Falls de Iguazú.  We have a good and restful Friday.

Saturday we continue up to Colonia Guaraní, which is supposed to be only a 3 hour drive.  Again, the last part of the trip is on a dirt road, and again we've had rain.  This road doesn't have the same problems as the Yrybucua road; it is a very hard clay - which when wet is like ice.  Mission Calvario is not in 4-wheel drive.  We encounter a long downhill slope.  Ben's SUV is in the lead, and makes it okay, slipping along the way.  The Toyota is behind Ben, and as Ben slows down for his slides, the Toyota has to slow down too.  However, the trailer doesn't get the message to slow down, so Harry and Linda end up coming down the slop jack knifed, turning a 180° and ending up in the ditch.  Harry did a superb job in keeping the Toyota and trailer upright.  No damage was done to the Toyota or trailer, just shaken nerves.  Harry is able to drive out of the ditch without problems.

Watching all this, Ed decides to put the 4-wheel drive shaft back on Mission Calvario.  Another wait of 1 1/2 hours, this time lying under the truck on top of wet, slippery clay in the rain.  Mission Calvario makes it down the slope without problems - again, Gracias a Dios!

We finally slip and slide our way into Colonia Guaraní.  We unload our stuff and set up camp.  Here, we sleep in tents.  There is no running water, but the next door neighbor has a well, which we are able to use.  "Baths" are taken with buckets of water in the future bathroom of the pastor's house.  It's interesting to get water from the neighbors.  Their well has a very healthy crop of ferns, with all sorts of insects dropping in the water as you bring up the bucket.  We use this for our bathing only.  However, the family uses this for everything - bathing, drinking, washing dishes, washing clothes.  We have access to another, cleaner well we use for drinking.  We also have a portable water filtration system we pour the well water through before drinking.  This was a good thing as we noticed little round worms in the water before it was filtered.

Luckily, none of us North Americans got sick.  This is a true blessing, because with no water there is no bathroom, so we only have a pit latrine.  With the heat we've been having, the latrine is not your favorite place to be, but the flies seem to enjoy it.

By the following Tuesday (February 18, 2003), we complete the well.  We were only able to drill to 72', due to hitting basalt rock.  We set the PVC pipe, and had to leave while the family continued to clean the drilling mud from the well.

We return to Asuncion on Wednesday.  It was a full 9 hour drive from Colonia Guaraní directly to Asuncion, but thank the Lord without rain or problems.  We get in tired, but satisfied with our journey.  Thursday, we take Harry shopping for native stuff, and he heads back to Texas.

All this in just 2 weeks?  Incredible!  If in the reading of this story any of you have used that 3 letter word w-h-y; your penance is to go to the Bible and read Romans 10:14-15.

Follow up - We have made it back to Yrybucua, and replaced the pump.  At last report, it is working great.

We will leave soon to install the pump and finish the plumbing at Colonia Guaraní.  Hopefully, we will have a real bathroom for the family as well as for our use.