My Work

Last week was my first full week of work. I am working in the projects department at MEDA Paraguay (Mennonite Economic Development Associates). Basically, MEDA provides microloans to small business's and famers that need a small loan. Because it is not viewed as profitable the banks here do not provide these loans to the people that need it to help boost their business.

From what I have read MEDA has a very rich history here in Paraguay and has been here for over fifty years. During this time MEDA has brought thousands of people jobs and greatly helped the Paraguain economy. Each day I learn a little more about MEDA and the many projects have they going on all through out Paraguay.

Although the hours are long (7 am to 6 pm) I am really glad to be working here. I feel as if I actually helping the organization and in effect giving people the opportunity to escape poverty. Much of my time here (at least so far) has been working with data bases. More recently I have begun translating spanish to english. MEDA North America and MEDA Paraguay often have dificulties in their communication because no one that works here is fluent in English. So I have been taking project ideas and outlines that were written in spanish, using Google Translate to get a rough idea of what the project is about and then rewriting it so that it is coherient in English. This way MEDA North America, will have a better understanding as to what MEDA PY is doing.

I feel as if doing this really is a big help and everyone here appreciates me for assisting in this communication process. I am learning spanish quickly by being here and also learning a lot of business and ethics.

Learning to count

I know I touched on this a little in my last entry but... it is incredible how my presence in society has changed so drastically since arriving in Paraguay. Qualities and talents that I had in America, especially high school, I no longer possess. I am doing a lot of relearning in a sense.

I think most of my friends and peers in high school would have called me a leader. I was active and ¨successful¨ as president of two school clubs and active in many others. A lot of time was spent organizing events for myself and other students that would take place some time in the future. I also spent time every day tutoring other kids and explaining things that I had previously learned. Throughout the year I gave several speaches in front of the student body and parents.

My new world is a little different....

Instead of running two clubs for school, I have two friends (besides my paraguay team and family here) that I can kind of communicate with. I no longer organize events for other people and very rarely do I know what I am going to be doing in ten minutes. Teaching, would be very difficult right now as I am constantly listening to people talk to me, which is very exhausting and strenuous (although I do occasionally help my little sister with her math). Speaches in front of an audience have now turned into a phrase here or there that is often corrected by an 8 year old.

To say the least this is a great experience.

I am learning so much more than I ever did in high school.. well at least different. Instead of trying to be a good leader, I am trying to be a good follower. I am more dependent on other people that I have been in many years. I am learning an entirely new culture and way of life.

What I love most is how humbling living here has been. I am like a two year old in my ways. My speach is ¨no so good¨ and I am learning a new culture full of different ¨do´s¨and ¨dont´s¨. My best teacher here is probably my little eight year old sister named Tamara. I spend a lot of time following her around as she shows me how to do things. She always laughs at how I talk and then corrects me over and over. She loves helping me with whatever I am doing. She always seems to be giving to me. Even though she may think that she is just being helpful, Tamara genuinely cares about me and has been an amazing example of how radiant serving with love can look.

Yes, I am learning Spanish but it´s the little things God teaches me everyday that makes me love getting up in the morning.