Short but sweet visit

I managed to squeeze in a brief visit to El Puente Home while I was in Paraguay. Totally worth it.

The Home now has a fresh coat of paint all throughout. Looks brand new.

We arrived just in time for their Sunday service. We all learned new songs. The worship set was led by Stephen and Jessica.

Stephen and Jessica have moved from North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, to live in Quyquyho for 2 years! Looking forward to seeing more of them when we come visit.

That same weekend, Sascha, Ximena and Fernando worked tirelessly to set up ten desktop computers that had been donated earlier this year. 

They loaded the machines with Linux Mint, LibreOffice and made sure they're all up and running. 

 Needless to say, the girls are ecstatic about their new computer lab. Finally, the Learning Center can offer computer classes free of charge to the girls and the students in the community. Now we need volunteers that want to come and help with that =)

There have been lots of other repairs and upgrades at the Home.  The girls proudly show their new showers:

 Their new laundry area:

And new shelves for their clothes:

On Monday morning, the younger girls got ready for their last day of school. They turned in their last assignment for their Arts and Crafts class:

Some finished painting the wooden boxes they made in Justin's carpentry class, last April:

The older girls go to school in the afternoon. When the academic year is over, most girls will leave the Home to spend the holidays with their extended family, after which they will return.  

Our friend Donna has been at the Home since late September, teaching at the Learning Center and helping out in countless other ways. It was a treat to see her in Asuncion! Here we are with Belén, who is currently taking personalized violin classes, an instrument in which she has shown great proficiency.

It was a short but very profitable visit. I'm always hugely blessed to see the girls grow and thrive in their own gifts and interests. I'm exceedingly excited to see how the Home continues to evolve into something much more than just a place for shelter, but a place where these young girls can prosper in all areas of their lives.