Testimonies from Virginia team, July 30-August 11, 2010
            Snapfish       Kean (with pictures!)       John          Drew           Lizzie       Albert      John Evert    Jen
--From Albert:
According to P.J. O’Rourke, Paraguay is NOWHERE and famous for nothing. I’d beg to differ.
Once you “get” the Paraguay “bug” which infects human hearts to varying degrees (from obsession to admiration), there is no turning back. Paraguay has certainly wrought a great change in the life of my daughter, and has certainly affected my son, John-Evert, and also my life. Everyone on our team was to some degree positively affected as a result of building God’s Kingdom in that enchanted land.
Paraguay is the enchanted land of succulent beef, matte, terere, Guarani, and amazing natural resources like Iguazu Falls. Unfortunately, it is at the crossroads of Brazil and Argentina—countries that have taken credit for resources that rightfully belong to Paraguay (anyway, that’s the Paraguayan perspective thoroughly imbibed). If Paraguay is not famous, it ought to be! (As an aside, matte and terere have been shown to lessen obesity, lower cholesterol, and fight cancer—the perfect drink for health conscious Americans. I bought half a suitcase load of the stuff—enough to last me for another six years.)
It was six years ago that I discovered Paraguay. I was last there in 2004 with my daughter, Jennifer, and a team from Gainesville Presbyterian Church. Upon touching down again on July 30th with a multi-church team of 19 including Jennifer and my son, John-Evert, to the familiar surroundings of Silvio Pettirossi Airport, I felt I had only been gone for a short time and had just come back to a familiar home.
Paraguay is enchanting as it hearkens back to a simpler time--when goods and real estate were cheap (you can build a solid and comfortable house for $15,000 there), when time was more elastic, when relationships mattered, and when we were not as addicted to “stuff”--“stuff” like good roads, efficient cars, speed limits, seatbelts, air conditioning, heating, supermarkets, high-speed internet, and all the other “comforts” and “benefits” of “civilized” life that we, in the industrialized West, now take for granted. Many of these mentioned items are in short supply in Paraguay. I remember the “simpler life” of my youth in Morocco, Lebanon, and even the U.S. circa early 1970s, when, as kids, we would roam free in our neighborhoods, develop deep friendships, and when parents were more carefree and not afraid of everything under the sun. Paraguay reminded me of my youth in many ways.
Paraguayans are proud of their country--almost every house has a Paraguayan flag hanging somewhere. I found this remarkable. Despite the many societal problems, there is much to love there. I love the friendliness of the people and especially the important work of the church there in improving lives, changing attitudes, and presenting the Gospel of the Savior. We went there to help in this mission.
Our trip consisted of physical labor, building relationships, and some fun. We stuccoed and painted walls, put down tile, fixed doors, mixed concrete, and performed other duties as assigned. However, the most meaningful part of the trip was building relationships. I got to know my host family and others quite well, and in the process made friends and significantly improved my Spanish. I was actually quite amazed at how much I understood, and I was pleased with the solid biblical teaching in Church and the vibrant worship. I was impressed with the church members’ commitment to ministry and evangelism. Every Sunday was a day dedicated to bringing the message of Christ to those who hadn’t heard—therefore, after the Church service, they would organize events in various locations and invite both children and adults for Christian entertainment and a Gospel message. We’d take the opportunity to distribute Spanish language tracts at these events and also at other places.
By contributing our work and the significant resources we brought down (funds, medicines, Bibles, literature, computer equipment, sound equipment, projector, school supplies, etc. . .), we truly blessed the people by making their work easier and more productive. However, in return, they truly blessed us with their example, hospitality, and true commitment to the work of the Church. It is often said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. However, I often feel that, by helping the people of Paraguay, we received a much greater spiritual windfall blessing in return. My son, JE, for one, has a totally different attitude towards church work and learning Spanish. I was convicted by my lack of spiritual discipline as a result of what I saw around me. Others were impacted by the many needs, and their hearts softened, leading them to want to serve again in the future in Paraguay.
Paraguay was also a lot of fun. We had the opportunity to play football (“soccer” for you gringos), see the majestic Iguazu Falls (makes Niagara look puny in comparison), and do some brief shopping. Through it all, we were able to build solid friendships among our team and with our Paraguayan hosts.
Your contributions made possible the donation of building materials, bibles, literature, and everything else that we bought and brought down with us. You have blessed the church in Paraguay, but you have immeasurably blessed our family and the members of the Project Paraguay Team. For this, I am truly grateful.
For Christ’s Crown and Kingdom,
Albert Veldhuyzen
Habakkuk 2:14: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.