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Woke up at 3:00 AM this morning to see the PY team off at the airport.  It's been a crazy, exhaustive, hilarious, humbling, challenging, and encouraging two weeks.  It was so good to see some familiar faces again, especially with my brother on this year's team :)  Please pray for traveling mercies, as the team is currently flying back to the States and will be arriving Wednesday morning.

Although I'm still reflecting on and processing the events of the past few days, one thing I was deeply reminded of was how rich and precious a solid, Christian community can be.  CPC's vision statement stands upon the Three C's: Christ, Community, and Compassion.  I was definitely blessed to see the way that God sent out my CPC brothers and sisters this summer to live out and share this vision in Paraguay and other parts of the world, through the faithful preaching and teaching of the Gospel. 

Because I was on the receiving end of this year's short-term mission trip, I also experienced for the first time just how encouraging the presence of steadfast believers can be - not only to locals, but also to overseas missionaries and their respective churches.  I've only been here for a year now, so it's not saying much compared to the 15+ years that Pastor Cho and his family and have been living in Paraguay...but more and more, I've been feeling a greater burden for those who are serving in the furthest corners of the world, often without immediate community and/or much persecution.  When I consider where I am and what I've been given, all I can say is that I feel like I've had it so easy.  Seriously, I've been blessed much, much more than I deserve.  If you're reading this, perhaps you can take a minute or two to lift up a quick prayer for our brothers and sisters out in the spiritual battlefields of North Korea, China, Afghanistan, India, Cambodia, USA, Paraguay, Kyrgyzstan, Darfur, Eritrea, Haiti or any other part of the world in need of Christ (basically, everywhere).

The house is much quieter now that I'm the sole occupant once again, but it won't be long before the next group of missionaries visit (the KM medical team is arriving at the end of August).  God is just showering us with fellowship and encouragement from home this month!  Please keep the KM team in your prayers as they prepare to travel and serve the spiritual + physical needs of the Paraguayans.

It's Tuesday night, which means in a few hours it'll be Wednesday!  Which means it's Proyecto Daniel day!  Which means I'm going to bed now instead of uploading the last batch of the team's photos.  So good night, world.  See you at 4:00 AM, (as the Paraguayans say) si Dios quiere!