We're Back!

You need to celebrate! Because of your support WE had a great conclusion to the week!
The second half of our week was as full as the first! We had two more nights of “Encounter” where the youth gathered together. It ended beautifully as 90 of us (gringos and Salvadorians) stood in a circle, holding hands, singing about the oneness we shared in Christ. It was the first time that these churches had been gathered together and they caught a vision for future gatherings like this.
Thursday I took one of our team members to the doctors as they had been having a very sore throat, headaches, and a temperature…long story short the pastor’s brother is a doctor who saw her right away and we were able to get a anti-biotic for her. Alex was with the rest of the team that went to the “artisans market.” That afternoon we were scheduled to go into the fruit market and buy a bunch of food to donate to those in need, but 20 minutes before we were to walk there we got word that the pastor had been held at gunpoint and robbed of his cell phone and wallet at the very spot that we were to have passed. The leaders decided to change plans and instead we went to another area to play a pick up game of soccer and see what neighborhood kids would join in with us.
In the evening some of the church members and a few of us leaders headed out for Pupusas (the National dish!) Delicious!
Friday we went back to the orphanage where the kids screamed with delight at our arrival. I helped Tia Ana (the women who runs the place) with her math homework. She is in “the fourth grade” right now! Since she had been kicked out of her home at the age of 7 she never got her education and now she is going through the school system along with her kids. We stopped at the church to hear the pastor talk about his vision of reaching the neighborhoods around the church. It is a mix of very low and low income families with a few that are a bit better off.
That afternoon we headed to the hills where we had an amazing experience on a mountain top. What started out as a completely cloud-covered experience (as in you could only see 20 feet in front of you) turned out to be a memory that none of us will ever forget. The clouds dramatically revealed bit by bit vistas of mountain, valley, volcano, and coast line! We all shared a wonderful time of prayer for El Salvador together.
Saturday was a “down day” for us as we headed to the beach for the morning along with several Salvadorians. It was fun to hang out together, have casual conversations with our new Salvadorian friends and to enjoy some unbelievable waves! That evening we stopped at a new mall to show the team the contrast of wealth in the country and to reflect on the rich in poor, not only in El Salvador, but in the USA as well.
Sunday we all walked to the church (with chairs in hand) and celebrated for 2.5 hours together in singing, prayer, and listening to what was one of the best presentations on the prodigal son. Lunch…packed to go…and to the airport!!! Lots of tears as we left and now lots of wonderful memories!
The team left El Salvador at 7:00 PM Sunday night, arriving home at 2:00 AM Monday morning. All flights went smoothly and we cleared immigration and customs without a hitch. (Well, one member did have their wooden snake taken from him at security in El Salvador…a security risk?!)
I’ll post a few pictures for you to get a feel for what I’ve described above.
Thanks again for your prayers and financial support! All of this is because of your partnership! You need to celebrate with us in what God did in the lives of the Salvadorians and in the lives of the group members. We are all changed.