Visiting Paraguay and Brazil:

What We Did: In Ascunción we attended high school and lived in host homes. One night one of the students invited our entire group to his house for a barbeque. It was so much fun eating, listening to music, and conversing with other high school students who had similar interests to us. We enjoyed being together and bonding. Since classes didn't start until 1 p.m., most mornings our group toured the city or surrounding area. We visited museums, Catholic churches, an Indian reservation, and the offices and meeting chambers of national politicians.We then spent a weekend in the Chaco, a desert-like area with Mennonite colonies. We stayed with host families, visited an Indian reservation, and went horseback riding.Other highlights of the trip included spending a weekend on an island, where we relaxed-watching the ocean, playing cards, and enjoying freshly-squeezed fruit juices. We also visited a children's home and daycare center. The trip was an amazing experience. I hope to return someday and see all the friends I made. --Nicole Yoder ('08)

Lasting Connections: "We all enjoyed staying with our host families and getting to know them. My family did not know any English. I would stay up until midnight or 1 a.m. talking with my sister. Leaving was very hard. I still talk to her via email." --Gwen Kelly ('08)

Making a Difference: "One day we stopped at an orphanage on our way back from visiting a soap factory.There were 170 orphans who were taken care of by one woman and any volunteers she could find. She had started this on her own, praying every day. It was amazing to see her faith in God and how God returned her favor. The soap factory had given each of us a big box of soap, so we all decided to share our gifts with the orphanage. They were very grateful. The woman gave each of us a Bible verse to take with us as a blessing from them." --Andrea Hochstetler ('08)