Lastly Paraguay

So this is the last country of our journey. In a sense the last stretch home. We have experienced a lot up until now and it is with mixed emotions we approach the finish line. Some of us are sad that our travels are coming to an end mixed with excitement of seeing our homeland again. Some of us are excited at the prospect of wearing new outfits. And then there are those who are excited about the full farmhouse breakfast awaiting us in Johannesburg...eggs sunny side up, no toast, lots of bacon, and a good cup of coffee.

Paraguay is hot and humid. The landscapes are painted with jungles and lakes. Tiny villages are scattered all over, connected by dirt roads that turn into rivers when the heavens open up. It never rains here, it pours. We camped next to the church and we are glad we got to use our tents on the journey seeing we carried them the whole year. Hearing rain on the tent created a sense of nostalgia. Oh and the rooster. He promptly woke us up round about midnight and then again at the break of dawn every day. We also had a team pet. A cat named Esperanza which means hope in Spanish. She was picked up by team members and became part of the family. We lost her at one stage but she found me as I was walking in the jungle and followed me back home. We have found hope again. Pun intended.

We went to schools and performed our dramas for the final time in the nations to promote the youth meetings at the church on Saturdays. We also rehearsed a new drama on our final leg of the race. The main theme is Halloween and the spiritual implications of it. We discovered that the team is quite talented. The camping brought a sense of family as we sat outside drinking coffee and cooking on the braai. When it rains we all flee to the classrooms of the church and just wait it out while chatting about the year. It is also in this time that we say farewell to Daniel. He will fly back to Peru from Paraguay when we get on a bus to Brazil to catch our flight back home. A lot of reflection is happening around camp. A sort of debrief that has started in our own minds. God is restoring joy to hearts and helping us make sense of a lot of things. People who have done previous journeys have told us that debrief and reflection carries on long after the journey is done. In a way this year has been practical lessons which needs to be consolidated in time.

All in all Paraguay has been a good experience. I will miss the rooster, hammocks in a tree, and salad for lunch. But for now it's time to go back home, back to people we missed...

See you soon South Africa!!