FIRST SUNDAY IN THE APARTMENT

Asuncion from my Balcony

Thank You, Jesus for a good place to live and safety in a strange land. I appreciate all the prayers from each of you for a place to live and my safety. It sure is nice to have my personal space, a place to cook, and able to do my own laundry.  It would be even better if I could have family here. 
I have an unfurnished two bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of a new building.  Memories of college flooded back when I first moved in.  How to make furniture out of boxes, etc... 
It's getting better. I have a stove, fridge, washer, microwave, bed, small dining table and chairs now.  It was tough before I got the table and chairs.  The bed didn't make a good couch.
The internet is better than what we have at home.  
The view from my balcony is nice.  It overlooks the tile roofs of the neighbors and you can see the skyline of the city a couple of miles away.
The city is relatively safe as long as you stay away from the river and away from the outlying areas of town. We get around by taxi and they are not very expensive. It costs 15,000 Guarani ($3.35) to get to work with no traffic.  The center of downtown costs about $5. I usually share taxis with a coworker.  He doesn't speak Spanish and we usually go out together. 
Most Paraguayans are friendly and many of the younger people speak English.  I met a man yesterday who was an exchange student in Atlanta when he was a senior in high school.  He said it changed his whole life.
Most people speak Guarani and Spanish.  I have to ask them to slow down when speaking Spanish because the Guarani accent is rapid fire and somewhat slurred. 
Apparently, my Spanish accent is fairly decent and people don't know that I'm an American from the States.  One fellow asked me if I was from Germany.  Many Germans and a few Italians moved here after World War II.

The food is good. It is almost always fresh. Beef, chicken, and pork are less expensive than the States.  They like tortillas, corn, onions, bell pepper, regular foods.  The breads and pastries are similar to Mexico, but, they do have whole wheat products also.
They like cafe con leche (expresso with milk), but, I haven't seen anything resembling Community Dark Roast or Starbucks coffee.  I brought some ground coffee with me and about four pounds of Starbucks French Roast whole bean coffee.  I found one 220V coffee grinder that I can order.  They don't do whole bean coffee here and there's not a Starbucks. There are coffee shops in the malls and on the street. 
There are some missionaries that I contacted here, but, they are located in Lambare which is a $75 round trip by taxi on Sundays. We are highly discouraged from taking the buses and I'm looking for a less expensive way to get there.
Lord willing, this stay in Asunción will be a good adventure. I'll keep you posted.