May News 2007

Family Holiday around South America
In April Sam's brother and sister in law came out to visit us. (Photo 1 Rup, Sam, Margaret and Paul) We had a fantastic time from Tango shows in Buenos Aires, to visiting indigenous communities in Paraguay to experiencing the spectacular Iguacu Falls from a helicopter in Brazil. (Photo 2) It was their first visit and a wonderful opportunity for them to meet our friends and experience something of our very different world here. We hope it won't be their last! (Photos of holiday on side bar)



Rup's 5 minutes of fame
It has been a rollercoaster ride for Analu in the competition "Singing for a Dream" but the public keep voting for her to stay! She was finally beaten last week by Paraguay's most popular footballer but she is back again this week with another opportunity to be voted back into the show! (Photo 3, Sam, Analu, Ana (her mum) and Rup.) It has been great fun going to the show to support her and Rup was delighted when he actually got on national TV with his Hola Madre (Hello Mum) poster and was beamed all over Paraguay! (Photo 4)



FEISA News
Many thanks to all who have been praying for us. Sam's laptop was returned within the week, we now have 19 students in the first year and the dengue epidemic has calmed down, helped by the sudden drop in temperature in May. We have also made the decision to delay the start of the degree course until March 2008, giving us plenty of time to prepare it well and publicise it widely.

We now have 53 students in FEISA and had a great day on 14th May at the student and staff integration camp. Rup found a new vocation as panel judge taking his lead from the outrageous comments made on "Singing for a Dream." He was nicknamed "Ruperto Rubin" which is Paraguay's equivalent of Simon Cowell! (Photo 5 Rup with his Admin team)


Sam has been invited to the USA in July with Ana (photo 3), a Paraguayan friend and colleague, to attend a Masters summer course in Christian Education at Dordt College in Iowa. As we have both been very involved in the developing of FEISA's Christian curriculum then the trip would greatly enrich our work. Please pray for the financing of this trip and Ana's entry visa which is not easy to obtain from Paraguay.

We are very pleased with the progress of the indigenous projects but have seen the need to translate the educational resources we are producing into the Indian language, Enxet. Please pray for the right translator to be found and also for the funding application which was sent off this month to cover the cost of the projects.