El Salvador Day #20 Last Day!

Day #20 Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Today was the last day! We woke up, ate our last breakfast together and got ready to load up on the bus. We said our goodbyes to Juan and his family. They had all taken us in and provided food and hospitality for us the whole time that we had been there. Aroche was also there to tell us goodbye. He works with the church helping to build and do any construction that the churches need in the area. He was at the El Shaddai worksite with us the whole time and loved joking around with us. He understood some English and like to try to have conversations with us. He was joking around the whole time though so that made it even more confusing for us! He kept telling us one day that we had been eating dog, and cat, and horse for our meals...I am really hoping he was joking! Aroche always made the worksites very entertaining and we were all sad to have to say goodbye to him. 

Finally Brian and the bus got to the house, and we headed off waving our goodbyes to the family, the house, the chickens, roosters, Rufo, Rocky, and our home. We got to the airport, hesitantly weighed our bags, got through security and boarded our plane. We landed safely and said goodbye to half of the group that had family and friends pick them up from the airport. Then, the rest of us loaded up on the bus with Dual again. We were all starving and really craving to eat some good 'ole God-blessed American food. So, naturally, we went to Chick-Fil-A. We got back to the college safely and all headed our separate ways. 

We're back. We're home and now we have to process a three-week life changing experience.

*Bear with me as I wait to get all of the pictures from the trip. I promise you will get to see them soon!

El Salvador Day #19

Day #19 Monday, January 21, 2013

Today was our last full day in El Salvador. We woke up early at the resort for a delicious breakfast and then laid out by the beach and pool until it was time for lunch. Then we all gathered at the burger bar and filled our tummies with delicious hamburgers. We enjoyed our resort for a little while longer and then packed up and drove down the road to a public beach. The resort had strange check-out hours, so in order for us to get a full beach day we split it between the resort and the public beach. After the afternoon at the second beach, we were all burnt and ready to get back to Ahuachapan. We all went out for dinner at different places downtown and then met back up at the house. 

Juan joined us after dinner and spent some time answering some questions we had about how the church in El Sal works and what his job includes. He told a story about going to a church that used to be in the center of a community filled with multiple gangs. He had a boy that was 9 years old come up to him and show him a shotgun he had in his clothes and tell Juan that he was going to shoot him and the men that came with him if they wouldn't give him their camera. Juan reacted by telling the kid why they were there and telling him about their work with the children in the church and inviting him to come. The kid did not know about Jesus and said that he did not want anything to do with Him because anytime he prayed to Jesus, He never answered. Juan was able to tell this boy that Jesus loved him and cared about him. Even though Juan ended up having to give the kid money for him to drop the threat, he was able to tell this child, this young boy caught up in a very deadly and sinful lifestyle, about Jesus Christ. I have so much respect for Juan and how he handles his job. He is the President of the Methodist Church of El Salvador. He is over all 13 Methodist churches in the country and he is a pastor. He also is a husband and a father to a teenage girl and a baby boy. He also shares his home with his parents, brother, aunt, and groups like us that come and stay at the mission house. There are so many incredible things to be said about this man. I am very thankful to have been able to spend time getting to know him and to see how the Lord is using him to make a difference in this country.

El Salvador Day #18

Day #18 Sunday, January 20, 2013

Today was beach day #1! We got up, spent the morning around the house, or some went back downtown, and got packed for our beach trip. We ate lunch at the house and gave some feedback to Lingenfelter about the trip. Then we loaded up on the bus and headed to the beach! We spent the afternoon soaking up the sun, playing frisbee, and enjoying the benefits of our all-inclusive resort. 

I think this is the perfect way to end our almost 3 weeks together. At this point, many people have been rubbing each other the wrong way. I think getting us all out of our close-quarters atmosphere and letting us relax the weekend away is the perfect way to give us closure and leave the trip happy with each other and what we have accomplished during our time here. Now, one more day, then we go home!

El Salvador Day #17

Day #17 Saturday, January 19, 2013

Today was a free day for us. Brittany, Olivia, Bailey and I spent the morning braving downtown Ahuachapan and the outdoor and indoor markets. It was quite an experience. None of us are close to fluent in Spanish but we did very well at figuring out where to go to buy certain things, what street to go down to get to certain stores, flagging down taxis, and getting back home safely! 

We all gathered together for lunch at the house and swapped stories about our morning adventures. For example, Brittany showed us her workout Barbie swimsuit that she found for $2 at the market. We found some great deals! 

After lunch, Anna, Angie, Olivia, Bailey, and I went back downtown but around the central park area to look in a few other shops for some specific souvenirs that some of the others had found that morning. Then, we went over to where our tutors teach so that I could meet up with Rachel, my tutor, and give her a gift. I love love LOVED getting to spend time with them again. If anyone reading this ever goes to El Salvador and needs to learn English or Spanish, use the ALC. They are great teachers and incredible people! It was really great to be able to see some of them. When we got there, their students for the day were on break, but when the students got back, we were able to talk with them some as well. We practiced our Spanish with them, while they practiced their English with us! Then, we decided to play a game of Hangman with them, like we did with our tutors in class. Turns out, we were all to smart for each other and each group got stumped all but once each. We ended up having to call it a tie because it was time for their class to be over. Again, I am super thankful for the time that we got to spend with them, not only this day but, during the whole trip. I am going to miss them very much! 

After we left there, we went and grabbed some dinner to go at a little taco shop around the corner. We talked with the boy at the register while we were waiting on our food to cook. He name was Kelbi, he was 18 and was a student there. He knew some good English, especially for not taking any English classes, and he was very friendly. I talked with him some about our work with the church and some of the things that we had done during our time there. I am very thankful for the small amounts of Spanish I do know, because it allows me to get to know the people that, otherwise, I would not be able to communicate with. We made a short stop at the Super-Selectos and then headed back to the house. When we returned, we were surprised to see Lingenfelter returned from his family beach trip, and to see a second dinner on the table. We ate played a few games and then called it a night.

El Salvador Day #16

Day #16 Friday, January 18, 2013

Today was our last work day in Ahuachapan. We woke up and Brittany, Olivia, Anna, and Jacob went on home visits with the clinic. Bailey, Ben, Nate, Megan, Angie, Allison, and I rode over to the El Shaddai new church work site to meet up with the Virginia crew. Brian led our devotion on the Great Commission. Then, Ben and Nate stayed at the site to finish the construction of the walls surrounding the church. Megan, Angie and Allison went to the El Shaddai clinic to translate for the Virginia crew. 

Bailey and I went with some of the Virginia group and some girls from the El Shaddai church on home visits in the neighborhood surrounding the church. We were able to visit two of the same houses as yesterday. The last house we visited was Ceci's house. She was the woman that lost her husband a month ago. I was so grateful to be able to visit her again today. She told us over and over how much she appreciated us being there. Bailey picked out a verse to read before we left for visits and felt that this house was the appropriate place to read it. She read Psalm 34:18-22 and then prayed over the family. As we were walking down the street to return to the work site, Ceci asked us to come back. She had gotten her friend Maria to come over and wanted us to pray over her as well. She was in need of a home. I am very thankful that the Lord placed us there at that time to use us to give hope to these women. 

We returned to the worksite and saw that the first round was finished! The two new walls were completely done! Now the construction crew here will continue to build the church within the walls that our groups completed this week. 

We returned to the house and had green beans and rice for lunch. Then Brian took Olivia, Bailey, and me to the Super Selectos store to buy candy and juice for the kids at New Jerusalem. We also found a soccer ball and all signed it to give to them. 

Angie, Brittany, Jacob, Nate, Olivia, Bailey, and I went to Children of the Future at New Jerusalem for the last time. Victor Andreas taught us to make earrings. Unfortunately, most of the kids didn't have their ears pierced and, of course, the guys didn't want them. So, we took home plenty of extra pairs of earrings! We played soccer with the kids and each team won once! Then we gave them the cookies and juice that we had brought. After they finished their snacks, we gathered them together to tell them how much we appreciated them letting us come visit with them and how much we were going to miss them. Then, we gathered together in a circle and each person from our group prayed over them. I know that the purpose of prayer is not solely to ask for things. But, there were so many things that I wanted to ask for these children. I want more than anything for them to have mothers AND fathers in their lives that love them like Christ loves them. I want them to have families that can provide for them. I want them to be healthy. I want them to have every opportunity to be educated. I want them know Christ and be able to trust completely in Him. I want them to be able to chase and fulfill every dream that each of them has. And I want to see them again. I want to ask all of these things and I want all of them to be true. 

After the prayer, I did not want to let go of the hands of the children beside me. Rosa has been my little shadow since the first day and it absolutely broke my heart to have to let go of her hand as our group had to keep walking home. Jaime has been the boy that grabbed my heart from the day that he came with us to do home visits. He is so smart and sweet and always so happy. Yenci, Daizi and Carina have helped me everyday to try to understand how to make our jewelry because they know how much I am struggling with the spanish. But they have been patience and so helpful. They are going to continue to grow up to be incredible women. Jose has been my soccer buddy every time we have played. He is very quiet but I saw him open up each day that we returned and finally yesterday he practiced some of his English with me. His twin sisters Yasmine and Yamilet have been so kind to me everyday and always run up with a smile when we walk up to the church. As I sit here typing, I look at my hand and see a bracelet from Rosa, Jose, and Yamilet on my arm and have earrings from Jose, Yasmine, Rosa, and Juan Carlos on my bed. I wanted so much to be able to tell them all that we would be back next week. Thankfully, I had my sunglasses to hide my tears as we had to walk away from them. While I don't know if I will ever see them this side of eternity again, I know that God will continue to walk with them and provide for them everyday. I have to put my hope in that. 

El Salvador Day #15

Day #15 Thursday, January 17, 2013

We got this morning and ate some more delicious plantains for breakfast! I am really going to have to figure out how to cook those things when I get back!

We headed over to the El Shaddai worksite for a devotion with the Virginia team. Sexton led the devotion this morning. Sexton is an older man, going on 80, that has more energy than our whole group combined. He is an incredible example of serving others like Christ and he amazes me every time I watch him work! After devotion, Bailey, Olivia, Brian, and I went with Ester, the pastor of El Shaddai, and John and Sexton, from the Virginia team, on some more home visits. This morning before we headed out, I marked some Scriptures to read with some of the families that we visited. The first family we visited was the Chavez family. There was a man, probably in his 40's, caring for both of his elderly parents. His father was very sick. I was able to read Scripture and pray over this family in Spanish. The next house we went to was where a young woman named Carmen lived with her two daughters, Veronica and Catherine. The girls were at the VBS up the road so we did not get to meet them, but we were able to talk with Carmen for a little while. The next home we went to was of a women named Rosa Miriam. Her young son Francisco was there as well. While there, she told us that she sews for a living, but it is hard to provide for her family with just that, so her husband works a lot as well. The next family was the Gonzalez family. The woman owned a small convenience shop in her home to provide for her family. She had 9 people living inside of her small home. The last home we visited was of Ceci, Catalina, and Anderson. Catalina was the grandmother, Ceci the mother, and Anderson the child. While talking with Ceci, she told us that her husband, Ricardo, had been killed only one month ago. Her family was trying to find work to provide, because the husband had been the one to work before. She was very sweet and very thankful for us being there and being able to pray with her. The theme that we saw at all of these houses was the same: the children go to church but the parents don't. One parent works and the other has to stay and guard the house so that no one will break in. It is a sad cycle that I hope the Lord can break with the building of this new church in their community. 

That afternoon we were able to go back to Children of the Future. Jaime, Rosa, Michelle, Yasmine, and  Yamilet were all not there today and I already miss seeing them. We taught the kdis how to play elbow tag. Then, once we found the soccer ball, we split up into 4 teams and played with them for the rest of the time. I love these kids. I cant even put into words how much it breaks my heart that tomorrow is our last day with them. I want so much for these kids to have every opportunity to be healthy and educated and loved. I want to make sure that happens for each one of them, but I can't.

After dinner at the house, some of us went with Brian to El Shaddai for a service with the Virginia group. They had a presentation for the church and the church had a presentation for them, thanking them for their work. It was a really neat thing to see the relationships that they have made with the people here by being consistent and coming back year after year. The worship team finished the service by playing Trading My Sorrows, which I love! They fed us all cake and gave each of us El Salvador keychains. It was a really neat service to be a part of.

El Salvador Day #14

Day #14 Wednesday, January 16, 2013

This morning we woke up to a breakfast of chicken biscuits and pancakes! It was SO good. We are definitely getting spoiled here with these home cooked meals three times a day!

We met up with the virginia team at El Shaddai church and then went with them to do a devotional at the worksite before they started the building for the day. After the devo, Angie, Bailey, Olivia, and I went back to the squatter village with the VA group to help with the clinic they were doing and to help a family move to a larger space of land. The woman whose house we were building apparently burned a fire to cook her food inside of the house. So, most of the bamboo that was used for the walls was covered in soot. I looked like I was a chimney sweep by the time we were done moving the house! 

After we moved everything, it was time for lunch and our crew headed back to the house to join everybody for some steak and rice. Then we went back to Children of the Future at New Jerusalem. Victor Andreas was back and taught us how to make more bracelets. Unfortunately, the Gringos took forever to finish ours! While I was making my bracelet I was watching Rosa make her craft with the younger kids. I decided that I wanted to give her my bracelet when I finished and I started praying over her while I was making the bracelet. There is just something about that girl that grabs my heart.