Un Desafío/ A Challenge (I hope that's the right Spanish word!)

Yesterday I went with Tim, an English teacher at the school and another missionary, into downtown Asuncion. He goes most Thursdays and I'm trying to learn as much as I can, so he graciously allowed me to tag along. We went to a couple of artisan stores and I bought some gorgeous cards, hit up the post office for some stamps, and he showed me some historic buildings around town. It's tragic because most of the old buildings were destroyed over the years as the city was torn apart through wars. But the ones that are left are beautiful. We went to Plaza Independencia, which is along the river and close to where their declaration of independence was signed.

The picture to the left is the President's Palace. He doesn't live there, but that is where he works. behind it is his landing pad (ha!) and a view of the river. Below you'll see a picture of the very modern and shiny Legislative building. It's a pretty impressive building and stands out among the typically rundown buildings throughout Asuncion. The thing that really got to me, though, was you see both of these beautiful buildings, and you walk through the plaza- all within a few blocks- but then 150 feet behind it all is a shanty town (see last picture). Literally. An entire town, with hundreds of "homes" made from tin and wood, trash scattererd everywhere and people's clothes hanging on lines to dry. And behind that is the river. I was amazed! It was probably one of the most bizarre setups I've ever seen. But what made me pause even more is that this has apparently been this way for quite some time, and this is the view that the President, Legislature, and staff have when they look out their windows- poverty-stricken Paraguayans struggling to make it, 150 feet away from designer suits, plush offices and air conditioning. I don't know how I could sit there and just do nothing. Do they simply close their blinds? Immune to the "typicality" of this style of living? I'm sure there are good-hearted people who help out when they can, but I honestly wasn't sure what to think.

But then I felt convicted. How many times do I pass a homeless person on the street and think, "well, I'm sure that was their choice. They'll probably just use any money for alcohol". What horrible stereotypes we've attached to certain groups of people, and with those stereotypes comes a lack of compassion. And even more everyday, I'll see someone who might be having a rough day or struggling with something, but somehow I have better things to do, or I just can't take the time to see how they are. One thing I HATE is when people come up and ask how you are, but don't really want an answer. Sorry, I know I'm kind of running off on a tangent now...

But ok, challenge for the week: invest in someone. Whether it's helping a little old lady with her groceries or donating money to a battered women's shelter or calling a friend who's having a rough time and buying them dinner. Take that money you were going to use on music or computer upgrade and use it for something that can benefit people's lives, not just our own wants. I know I can definitely use a kick in the pants over that, I do that all the time...

Too often we sit back and do nothing. Find a passion for people- do something!