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| Agustina, a long-time "Walker Texas Ranger" fan, found her favorite actor's name at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. |
Dear Friends and Family:
Many
rural Paraguayan women tragically accept domestic violence as a part of life,
but Margarita’s mother, Agustina, didn’t.
One day Agustina decided that she and her children would no longer tolerate Margarita’s
father’s aggressive behavior. She loaded
everything in the back of a truck, gathered her five children and left for the capital
city. She wanted them--her daughters
especially--to have opportunities that had been denied to her. For one, Agustina wasn’t allowed to finish third grade
due to childhood employment. After
leaving Margarita’s father, Agustina
made sure all of her children finished high school, with one daughter,
Margarita, becoming the first in the family to earn a college degree. A vacation for Agustina’s hard work was long
overdue, so last month she boarded a plane for the first time and traveled to
the United States with us.
A friend in Los Angeles commented, “Your mother-in-law visits the U.S. for the first time, and you bring her to Amarillo, Texas for a month?” Regardless of Amarillo’s
lack of variety of tourist attractions, Agustina, Margarita, and I very much
enjoyed our time there. We were invited
to Christmas parties, Sunday school classes and almost daily meals out. We are very thankful for the great hospitality
shown to us by many friendly people there.
While in Amarillo, we took Agustina to Palo
Duro Canyon, about whose size and beauty she remarked. Margarita told her of a much larger canyon a few
hours away. Last
week Agustina saw the Grand Canyon. Soon
after, she saw Hollywood, the Pacific Ocean, downtown San Francisco, and snowy
passes in the Cascade Mountains. She visited places that she had only seen in movies, but never thought she would see
in person. Now we’re in the Pacific Northwest with a whole new set of sights and experiences awaiting
her.
Despite the years of struggle that Agustina endured, she is quick to acknowledge
that God has done great things for her. God’s
mercy flows in wave after wave on not only Agustina and her family, but also
on anyone who acknowledges him and sees and trusts in Jesus—the central
character of this and all seasons.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tim,
Margarita, Agustina, Ana and Antoine
