Category Archives: The Suzanna Wesley School

People Take Notice

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by Christian Dickson

There is a saying in Paraguay for people who drop in uninvited to events. It’s used in the verb form and is called Pirateando (being a Pirate). When we have events at the school or the Agriculture Center, we get lots of people Pirateando-ing. There is not much happening in the interior of Paraguay, and the Paraguayans always jump at the opportunity to get together. We just say, “the more the merrier” and are happy to have them.

Missionary Children's Festival at the Agrimission Center in ParaguaySeveral weeks ago, we had an event at the Agriculture Center with Paraguayan music and dancing. I noticed a boy there who I had never seen before. After the event, Angelica and I were on the front porch as the young boy headed off into the distance on his bike. With tears in her eyes, Angelica told me this young boy had approached her and asked if he could attend the Susanna Wesley School. He said that he wants to be an engineer and knows that he won’t be able to get the education he needs from the school he attends. The boy had attended the Susanna Wesley School several years ago and had moved away, but is willing to travel a good distance to attend again. Unfortunately, he is just finishing up the sixth grade and the Susanna Wesley School only goes up to sixth grade.

There are so few opportunities for children living in rural areas of third world countries. Occasionally, there are kids who have the will to persevere and just need a little luck or help along the way. The ones who really want it will diligently seek out opportunities. Many of these opportunities come from Christian programs. While the Suzanna Wesley School may not be able to help this young man, Angelica and I plan to pay him a visit to see if there is a way we can help.

Jefry’s Story

Sometimes, it is not the kids that take so long to come around. Jefry is a boy in our Sunday school class, who has been either Angelica’s student or my student for over seven years. He had always been very active Sunday School, but has never been able to participate in any extracurricular activities. This has always gotten under Angelica’s skin. We know Jefry’s mom, as she lives right next to the church. In the past, I have told Angelica “some day she will lighten up.”

Jefry had been struggling with school and asked us once if God would help him make good grades if he prayed for it. We told him that he would probably get better results if he prayed for a changed attitude in study habits and paid better attention in class. This last quarter, he got good grades and the best math grade in his class. His mom asked him how he did it and he said, “I prayed that God would help me be a better student, just like Angelica taught me.” The other kids in class also took note that he would pray before tests. Now, Jefry’s mom says that he can go anywhere he wants with us.

Women's Bible Study/Tea Party in Paraguay

In July 2012, a missionary team from Alpharetta, Georgia hosted local women for a traditional American Tea Party, then offered a devotion.

I Always Thought Being Married to Angelica Would Pay Off Someday.

Being a family made up of both Americans and Paraguayans, Angelica and I have been able to benefit from our long relationships with friends from both countries. I have mentioned this before, but it is worth mentioning again. The Christian friends that we have here in Paraguay and in the US are a tremendous part of what we do down here. We have received so much help from so many people that I sometimes feel bad about taking credit for our successes and occasional miss steps.

God has blessed us with a talented group of youth here in Paraguay, who are always available to jump in and help us out. Every once in a while, God will put an idea in my mind and after a few phone calls home, the wheels are set in motion. So much of what we do here is relational, and it strengthens us to have such good relationships with people in Paraguay and the US. Almost nothing that we do here could be done on our own, and we thank God that we have other Christians to call on for assistance.

Paraguayan Fact: Missions is fun!

Mission team member in Paraguay riding on the back of a motorcycle.

Prayer Requests

  • Pray for an event we have planned for August 24-25 at the Centro Agritenico Metodista. We have invited someone from the Ministry of Agriculture to teach.
  • Pray for a baseball clinic that we are hosting in conjunction with a medical team in September. Pray that this will open up new opportunities for us to share Christ.
  • Pray for AnnaBelen in her new class this year in school.
  • Pray for AnnaBelen’s teacher. The teachers at the school are missionaries and sometimes have difficulty in the first months.

Thanks For The Help

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“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

By Christian Dickson

This year, as we get ready to host a few teams from home, Angelica and I are reminded of how important other people are to the ministries in Paraguay. Sure, the ministries seem like ours. We even sometimes call them “our ministries.” But more and more, both Americans and Paraguayans are playing an important role in what we do here. Angelica and I have been blessed with a few skills, but we rely tremendously on the skills and ideas of other Christians around us. As some of y’all that are coming down to visit us will see, many of our Paraguayan friends are assisting us in ministry.

Youth in Missions

For almost 10 years, Angelica and I have served ministries in the capital of Asuncion and in the interior of the country. For almost four years, one or both of us would make the four-hour trip to the interior each week. These days we don’t go as often, but still spend about seven days a month in the interior. Some of the youth that we have been working with for years in Asuncion are now helping us in the interior.  Many of them have skills that Angelica and I don’t have and will make a tremendous difference in the ministries there.

Youth Leaders from AsuncionLast month we took a group of Paraguayan youth from Asuncion to the interior for 5 days. These are kids (youth) that I have known since my first weeks in Paraguay. It is a treat for us to work together with them in missions as well as a treat for them to see the vastly different world of the interior.

Angelica and I have been busy developing the school and agriculture ministries. We know the people in the area where we work, but have always wanted to spend more time in their homes. With help from the youth, we visited all but five of the 137 students of the school. Here are some things we learned.

  • Family from Paraguay InteriorThe average number of children in the home is six.
  • The average income is a little less than $100 a month.
  • Most hardly ever have cash on hand and usually barter.
  • Only two families have bathrooms with toilets and an electric device to heat water — they are both families who work with us. Most have a hole and a A toilet in Paraguy interiorhose. Some don’t even have a hose and get their water from a hand dug well.
  • Most of the kids share a bed and often the boys sleep with their dad and the girls with their mother. Five or six to a bed is not uncommon.
  • All but two families cook over an open fire.
  • Most of the parents went to school until 4th grade and many can’t read even on an elementary level.
  • The majority of the children that start at the school do not have birth records.

Living quarters of an average family in the Paraguay interiorWe want these children and their families to know about Christ, but we also want to help them have opportunities to advance socially. We plan to continue visiting these families in their homes, sharing with them and learning more about their individual lives. As we begin to address some of their problems, we look forward to doing it with help from Christians in the US and Paraguayans from Asuncion.

God Knows Best

Good decisions don’t come easy. Angelica and I have learned that just because we want to do what is best for the ministries that have been entrusted to us; sometimes our hands have to be forced. Due to financial difficulties, we were forced to let a teacher go. We had spoken often about getting rid of this teacher. She had several shortcomings and a few parents had complained about her. But we wanted to give her a chance to improve and we feared legal difficulties. Because of finances, we were given no option but to make a decision. It has been a difficult decision for everyone, but the school is better off because of it.

Paraguay Fact: Paraguayan youth are weird too.

Youth leaders having in fun in Paraguay

Prayer Requests

  • Pray for the teams that are preparing to come down and serve with us — that they will bless people here and be blessed as well.
  • Pray for our first opportunity to use the agriculture center for teaching, as we are having teachers come from the Ministry of Agriculture.
  • Pray for Angelica and I as we think about getting involved with other ministries.

The Start of a New School Year.

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“Para Dios todo es posible.” Mathew 19:26

By Christian Dickson

With the sound of flip-flops on a dusty floor and bad Spanish, another year of learning has The first day of school for students at the Suzanna Wesley School.begun at the Suzanna Wesley School.  For almost 15 years, the children at Quinta Linia in Yrubucua have been coming to this little school to learn about the world and God. The history of the school is tied with the history of the Methodist Church in the area. The school was started because of inadequate schooling in the area, and because the children were beginning to ask questions about their parents’ new faith.

The first facility was a three room building with an out-house. Through the years, with help from the United States and missionaries like the Bakers, we have built the nicest facility in the district — complete with fans and bathrooms with running water.

Students in the classroom at the Suzanna Wesley SchoolToday, the school has 134 students in kindergarten through 6th grade, three teachers, one teacher aid and a chaplain. A local pastor is our chaplain and has Bible class once a week. All the teachers have or are receiving their education through scholarships from our friends at home in the United States. Many of the children walk over a kilometer to attend class. For most of these kids, it is the first time that they are being forced to speak Spanish and not their native language of Guarani. Many of them are also active in the church, but attend without their parents.

Students playing outside the Suzanna Wesley SchoolMany of the parents cannot afford to pay for their children’s education. We have, in the past, charged a small fee of $1 a month but more often got produce or work hours instead of money. We still have parent work days.  Just last week, Angelica was approached by a mother, questioning the school’s policy of limiting the number of children in each class. She was concerned about sending her children to the public school where there is no power, running water and very little learning. In fact, one of the local public schools has closed. One of the teachers told Angelica last week that a parent came by to say that his children would not be attending class anymore because they do not have but one set of clothes to wear.

Here are the financial needs for the school:

  • $3000 for books and materials (in the local public schools they don’t even have books).
  • $600 more a month to increase teachers’ salaries.
  • $240 a month to help continue teachers’ education.

Children at the Suzanna Wesley School.We are thankful to all the people who have helped with the school over the years. Supporting and praying for a group of people who you have never and/or may never meet is a true testament. We don’t take lightly your involvement and feel blessed to be involved with the school.