Januray has been extremely busy but rewarding. I am involved in typesetting yet another book with LaTeX; this time is a medical manual with lots of outlines.
The real problem is the temperature. Highs reach 38-39 C (about 100F), and that’s real hot; but the real issue are not the highs, but the lows. The lows do not go below 26-27 C (about 76-78 F), and this fact means that there will be high temperatures all along the day, even at 05.00 in the mornings. Home-improvement businesses here report that air conditioner units are selling phenomenally well; 9000 BTU units are totally sold out and impossible to find. This should be telling, because air conditioners are really expensive here, and the lowest price amounts to a two or three months’ salary of an average office worker.
We didn’t purchase an AC unit. Our commitments are at the limit, so we must endure the heat. As an option, we are planning to go on a vacation trip. If the Lord wills, we will leave for the small town of Piribebuy (75 km ESE of Asunción), where my parents have a summer cottage. Please pray that our trip can result in a much-needed rest, and that we can travel safely along the road.