December 2008

Oops, sorry I forgot to upload this earlier in the month.

Give thanks for a wonderful end of year show on 21st November, put on by the FEISA students for their families. It was lovely to see the dancing, singing and acting that they put so much effort into (see photos above). There was also an opportunity to see the variety of arts and crafts the students have learnt to do this year.

Praise God for a lovely visit with the play scheme ministry to Quyquyho, 3 hours’ drive from Asunción. We held the play session on 22nd November at a home for abused and abandoned girls and they invited all the children from the town. In the end about 120 came. We told them a Bible story, played with them and gave them juice and biscuits. They were all impeccably well-behaved and thoroughly enjoyed their time with us (see photos below).



Please pray for the academic and administration departments as they do all the paperwork which goes with the end of the year. Pray for good time management for everyone involved as well as peace and grace.

In December, the English Department will go through a consultation process with an outside expert, in order to improve the provision of English to the students. This subject is one of the main attractions of FEISA for students. We hope that there will be a restructuring of the way it is taught as well as a new curriculum. Please pray for a strong vision, fresh ideas and wisdom as we meet with the consultant and work out something new.

Please pray for a restful summer break for all staff and students. The admin staff finish on the 18th December and come back to work on the 15th January.

This year, the third years are not graduating in December because they are participating in the pilot programme introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2006, which does not end until the middle of 2009. Praise the Lord for our third year girls, who accepted this news earlier this year with a lot of grace and please pray that they, particularly, will be refreshed during the holidays, ready to start the final leg of their course.

In January, Samantha Parsons and David Orritt, our UK Volunteer Co-ordinator, will meet with one of our major donors of the past 5 years, to find out whether they would be willing to continue to support FEISA in 2009. Please pray for a positive and honest atmosphere in the meeting and for God´s will to be done in terms of their decision.

Please pray for the necessary funds to be raised in January to enable the Chaco project of training indigenous teachers and mothers in El Estribo to continue in February.

Praise the Lord Almighty for the amazing way He has sustained FEISA over the past 9 years, both spiritually and financially. Please pray with us for His will to continue to be done in FEISA; for clear guidance for the leadership and for the necessary financial provision during this global economic crisis and for as long as FEISA needs it.

November 2008

photos: 3rd year students' trip to the Chaco

Praise God because all the donations we were promised this year have now come through. Please continue to pray for more people and organisations to become interested in supporting FEISA’s work. Due to the severe fall in the value of the pound and Paraguay’s high rate of inflation over the past year, the same work costs a lot more money to carry out. Our bank reserves, which we rely on each year before the donations come in, have diminished greatly during 2008 and, even if the exchange rate stays as it is, will only see us through to July. However, most of the donations we receive come through in the September of each year, so we need to build up our reserves so that we have the funds we need to get to the end of September. We rely on your prayers!

Give thanks for a successful time of teaching practice for the majority of our students. We were most encouraged to hear positive feedback from teachers at the schools about how well-prepared the students were and how creative their lessons were.

The third years went to the Chaco as part of their teaching practice experience (see photos). They saw a variety of different education projects in indigenous and Mennonite communities. In one indigenous school in El Estribo they painted a mural and organised games and a snack for the children. Praise the Lord for safety on the trip and the positive impact it had on the students.

Praise God for a very successful workshop with indigenous teachers in El Estribo on how to use FEISA’s Christian education resources in Enxet with children. The project co-ordinator, Sam Parsons said, “It was very exciting to watch the teachers have a go themselves and see them be creative with the resources.”

Please pray for wisdom for Estela and Gloria, the head and academic co-ordinator of FEISA, as they make modifications to the teacher training curriculum in order to make it even more effective and cost-efficient.

Pray for the 1st and 2nd year students and teachers this month as lessons finish and exams start. Pray for wisdom for the teachers in planning the final weeks of teaching and for good time-management for the students so that they can revise well. Exams start on the 17th November and last 3 weeks.

Finally, praise the Lord because the drought in the Chaco this year provoked a quick response from the authorities, who instituted a state of emergency in the area and provided water and other necessities to the indigenous communities there. Give thanks also because of the recent rain which has alleviated the situation significantly.