Merry Christmas from Paraguay

It is wonderful to be writing this as we are sitting here together as a family (minus Andrew) in our home in Paraguay!  The last update we sent was during the time that Barry was here and the rest of us were in the states.  Being apart for 6 weeks definitely reminded us how easy it is to take each other for granted and realize how fortunate we are to be together every day.  We really wish Andrew could be here with us, but are excited for him that he has finished out his first semester at MNU very well.  He is enjoying his holiday break with family and friends and embracing the adult life working at his new job. 

We have felt many answers to prayers since we have come down south.  One thing that we have asked so many of you to pray with us for was open hearts of the people here in Paraguay.  The welcome and love that we have experienced since our arrival has been overwhelming.  The Vargas’ (Nazarene missionaries living here with us), the churches, and people that we have crossed paths with have opened their doors and their lives to us and helped us feel at home.  Alex and Alyssa are adjusting very well and have had a wonderful attitude about embracing this new time in their lives.  The youth group at Fernando de La Mora Church of the Nazarene has taken the kids under their wing and claimed them as their own.  They play charades to replace all the missing Spanish words to complete each other’s thoughts and sentences and if that doesn’t work, they just play soccer.  God is always faithful and takes such good care of us!

There are some things that we do not enjoy being welcomed by…that would be the scorpions that have greeted us at our door several times. 

One was more than enough, but 4 in two weeks!!  Way more than enough!  Alyssa just loves it when they show up in her bathroom and she really loves the lizards on the wall of her bedroom.   Now…these little ladies are always fun to greet. 

They are the newest additions to our family, Betsy, the fluffy one, and Lucky.   After leaving our precious dogs behind in Hot Springs, we have filled the void.  They always make us smile.

We have definitely kept ourselves busy since we arrived.  Besides all the details of getting settled, getting involved with the different churches and trying to get to know the pastors and people of the churches has been exciting.  Just after Barry arrived he was a part of the district assemblies here in Paraguay. 

He has also spoken in several churches, at a youth retreat, and held a year end celebration for all of the pastors and leaders.  Charlie even preached once for a Saturday night youth gathering.  Barry speaking in Spanish and Charlie cooking for whoever wants a cake or something to eat is the better plan.  It has actually been a wonderful experience for both of us and the parts we lack just add a little entertainment value to the communication.  We have also had some fun having new friends to the house to share in the local gourmet.  Barry is glad to have his parilla back and so is everyone that eats from it!

Despite the 100 degree plus weather and heavy humidity that confuses us and makes us think it’s July or August, we have done a few things around the house to make it feel a little more Christmassy.  A bright, fun Christmas tree makes us feel merry and most importantly, we have the nativity scene.  The fireplace is pretty much worthless at this time, and pretty much any time, in Paraguay so it has been transformed into a stable.  Per our family tradition, Baby Jesus is missing because He will not arrive until Christmas Eve.

We have not been very quick at getting news your way as we have been settling in (partly because, until last week, we had to sit in the front, right, one square foot corner of the house to get internet) mostly because it has been a little crazy. However, it is most definitely not been because we have not thought of you and prayed for you often.  I wish that we could somehow express to each one of you individually how much we love you, appreciate you, and treasure your prayers and support.  Your prayers and support make an incredible difference in our ministry.  Because of all that you have given, we have been able to purchase two vehicles (a car for our family and ministry needs and a truck for Barry’s work on the field).    Praise the Lord and thank you, thank you, thank you!! 

We have a tremendous amount of peace and joy and excitement in our hearts being here, serving Christ, but there is always a piece missing having you all so far away.  We continue to thank the Lord for each one of you and will pray constantly for you.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers and thank you again for all that you have done to help us get on the field and support us through this transition in our lives.  We love you and hope that you have a very, very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!! 

Barry, Charlie, Andrew, Alex, and Alyssa…Betsy and Lucky

To support our ministry go to http://web.nazarene.org/goto/carney.missions

Breathtaking Bolivia

Breathtaking. Literally… at over 13,600ft every breath is precious.  We landed in El Alto, Bolivia and began our journey down the mountain to La Paz.  At over 12,000ft, La Paz is the world’s highest capital.  We had a very productive meeting with the church leadership in Bolivia at the Nazarene Seminary.  What a beautiful campus surrounded by majestic peaks.  Rev. Macedonio, director of the Seminary, told of the “campamento” he went to this past weekend.  He left La Paz in the back of a dump truck on top of a load of gravel and traveled all night long to get to Yungas, where the youth retreat was to be held.  30 young adults committed their lives to Christ this past weekend during the campamento!  I wonder if I would be willing to travel all night long in the back of a dump truck to preach the gospel???  I’m glad Rev. Macedonio was willing.

Please pray for the work in Bolivia.  There is great need here and there are many projects that could really benefit from some willing, radical followers of Christ to sacrifice their own comfort so that others can come to the realization of Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  Hope to see you soon in Bolivia…

Headed to Paraguay

After traveling 23,490 miles, switching beds 31 times, and spending time with a lot of wonderful people, we are at the end of our home assignment.  God has been faithful and each of you has been a tremendous blessing to us!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you that have opened your home, your church, and your lives to us throughout these last few months!!  

We are excited about the days ahead.  Charlie will be speaking in Alaska for our final two services and Barry has headed to Paraguay to get things started and set up for our new ministry.  Charlie, Alex, and Alyssa stayed behind for a few weeks so that we would all be able to attend Chris’ (Barry’s brother) wedding in November.  On November 15^th we will all travel to Paraguay (except Andrew). He loves college and his new adventure into adulthood.  Mom is surviving because he loves her enough to text back and keep in touch.    Alex and Alyssa are really beginning to embrace this new chapter in our lives.  Please pray for them to find great friends as we settle in to our new home.  It has been fun for them to be with their cousins in Alaska for a few days before we leave.

We cannot express to you how grateful we are for each one of you.  We have asked for your prayers as we go to Paraguay, to find favor with the people there, and God has already proven faithful and prepared the hearts of many that Barry has already met and begun to build relationships with.  We also asked for prayers that we would be able to raise enough funds to purchase two vehicles, one of which we have already been blessed with.  It is so much fun to experience God’s answered prayer!!  Thank you again for your prayers and support.

We look forward to all that God has in store as we move forward.  We will be posting lots of new pictures and stories in the weeks to come so that you can travel through this time with us.  We love you all and ask for your continued prayer and support.  We will keep you in our prayers!!

Barry and Charlie 

On the Road Again

….the wheels on the car go round and round, round and round, round and round….We are rolling down the road again, headed back to hot Oklahoma for week number two.  It has been an incredible few weeks!  Boys and Girls camp in Michigan was definitely a highlight.  A great place and great people that we would love to spend two more weeks with.  I think everyone would agree that girls definitely smell better than boys!  WOW.  There is so much to be said about taking showers and changing your socks.  Water day at girl’s camp and the mud pit at boy’s camp topped the list of craziness.  It was exciting to see so many young girls and boys getting their hearts all stirred up and drawing closer to the Lord. 

We also went to Nashville and Clarksville, TN and Kings Mountain and Jacksonville, NC.  Tennessee is always a treat!  It feels like home when we get to go back and catch up with our old friends.  None of us are getting younger, are we?!  North Carolina was a wonderful new experience, but I will say that we are glad that was scheduled the week before Irene decided to pass through.  We know that there have been a great deal of people that have been affected by the hurricane and for the next few weeks and months, so many people will be picking up the pieces from the destruction that it has caused and trying to put things back together.  We will be keeping all of them in our prayers every day.

A milestone for mom and dad this morning…. we dropped Andrew off at Mid America Nazarene University.  Like we mentioned earlier, we are not getting any younger.  It just seems impossible that we are old enough to have a child in college.  It was not easy for mom. (Everyone keeps trying to tell me that he is not going to miss his momma, but I know they are wrong!  Big college boy or not, he’s gonna miss his momma! J) We drove away with a tremendous sense of peace knowing that he is where God wants him and in a place with people that we trust to guide him through this new journey in his life.  We are excited to see what God has in store for him! 

 As we were driving through the peaceful, rolling hills of the plains today, we were mesmerized by an absolutely beautiful sunset.  It never ceases to amaze us how we can feel the presence of the Lord through all the different pieces of His creation.  It’s like pieces of a puzzle that all fit together and so perfectly express the attributes of His character.  Today, the sunset reminded me of His faithfulness, His constancy every day in every detail.  We have experienced it day after day through answered prayer, through the sale of our home, through the support that has been given through churches, family, and friends, through the safety of our travels, through college provisions for Andrew, and the list goes on and on.  We are so grateful!  Even in the midst of the organized chaos of transition, spending hours in the car, and sleeping in different beds every few nights, we have JOY and an undeniable, unending, unexplainable peace.  We wouldn’t trade anything for being in the center of God’s will!  Thank you for your prayers and support and encouragement!  We love you all!!

To support us in our ministry go to http://web.nazarene.org/goto/carney.missions