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.