Day 11: God continues to do His work

Good Evening:

It has been another busy day in El Salvador, just like every day has been the last week and a half. We started the morning by visiting the Christian school that we have been to twice. This time they asked us to go and lead the morning devotion at 7:30 AM. Laura and Natasha gave testimonies, Nicki lead in prayer and Bethuel and I delivered the message. I found this time to be very special because one of the grade 11 girls (Karla) asked that she translate for my talk. She did such an awesome job.

The students really accepted the messages that we brought and many came and approached us after and asked to talk. I had one young man approach me and ask how he continues to build on his faith when God does not answer his prayers and heal his uncle from cancer. We spent a lot of time talking and how God answers prayer in different ways. We talked about how we don't know what God's plan alway is in every situation but that he will always use every situation for his glory. I can only hope that I was able to give him some comfort, because he also shared that the Doctors only give his uncle a week to live.

We spent the afternoon at a Junior High in a remote community. The experience was much different but that is also good, it keeps us sharp and ready to deal with the many different personalities that we encounter on this adventure that God has put us in.

Please keep praying for us.

More to come, God bless.

Allan

Hola everyone!

This is my first time writing on the blog, so bear with me.

So far, this trip has been very eventful and full of surprises for me. I came onto this missions trip totally not knowing what to expect, just knowing that I was sent on this trip by God, and God alone, and that I was coming to serve Him. I am so happy that I am able to be here! I love El Salvador, it is so beautiful here! It really gives me such a deeper appreciation for God's creation. The culture and the way people live here is totally opposite from the way we live in Canada. We are so blessed to always have access to clean water, plenty of food, shelter, and clothing. Many of the people here in El Salvador don't always have access to all of these necessities. However, they are some of the most happiest, kindest, and caring people I have ever met, with such a huge love for life. This has really opened my eyes.

I'm going to start talking a little about the last couple days of the trip. Yesterday was probably one of my favourite days of the trip so far. There were many hyperactive kids at the orphanage that we went to - but I think that was partially to do with all of the candy that we gave them! There were a number of different stations that we organized for the kids to play at, as I believe that Laura has already mentioned below. Nicki and I were in charge of games, and we played the “Human Knot” and “Octopus” (aka “Pulpo”). It was crazy! Many of the kids would not stay with their groups, in fact a lot of them liked playing the game “Pulpo” so much that they surrounded me and Nicki and went on some kind of riot, shouting “Pulpo! Pulpo! Pulpo!” It was lots of fun though, no matter how hot it was, or how tired we were. I made a strong connection with a few of the kids, and spent the day giving them piggyback rides and playing and talking with them. One of the little girls even sang me some songs! There was one girl though in particular who would not leave my side, she was so sweet! She took my hand and showed me around her home, the orphanage, and it seemed really nice compared to most of the other communities that we had seen, which kind of surprised me because it was clear that despite the resources, these kids were not being cared for very well. They were very dirty, and they all seemed so desperate for love and affection, which they may have been deprived of in their lives. Although all of these children had been through so much heartache and abandonment in their lives, they still had such a joy for life. I believe that God wants us to be this way, to have a joy for life like that of a child. It was very hard for me to say goodbye.

Today was a lot more relaxed than yesterday, which was a bit of a relief. I won't repeat everything that Mr. Day has already said, but I'll just go over it. The devotion at the En-Hacore Christian School was really nice, some of the students sang some worship songs, and then we got to hear some testimonies and messages from the team. In the afternoon, we went to another school and broke off into 2 groups to talk to some classes. For the first class, I was pretty nervous and felt a little unprepared and unsure of myself to talk to the students. But then I prayed about it and just asked God to give me the words to say, because I didn't know how to talk to these kids. I didn't want to tell these kids words that came from my own mind, but God's words spoken from my heart. Only once I tried to let go of control and just trust in Him to help me was I able to feel a lot more comfortable and at ease. On the ride back to the hotel, there was a storm and it was raining hard. We were on one of the most dangerous roads around, nicknamed “Death Road” because of the many car crashes that have happened on it. It is a very narrow road with no speed limit, so cars often drive very faster, apparently up to 185 km per hour! It also did not help that the roads were slippery from all the rain, and Bethuel was driving!(hehe J) We prayed for safety for the drive home, and here we are safe and sound!

Thank you all for following along with the blog and please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Kirsten