We have arrived in El Salvador! After the craziness of customs and visas, the teams in our squad departed the airport in four different directions.
Rayos piled our packs, 7 racers, and 3 hosts into a pick-up and headed to our hostel. The weather is perfect here. Warm, sunny, wind blowing our hair in every direction– there were nothing but smiles as we rode through this beautiful country for the first time. As we got to know our host, Carli, a friend of one of the girls on our team, I could see a huge peace and excitement on the faces of the girls around me. As I looked at the tropical trees, the blue skies, and the giant volcano in view, I was struck with amazement. “This is the life”, I said. this is my life.
May we never lose our wonder.
When I first heard that my team would be doing Unsung Heroes for our first month on the field, I had mixed feelings. I had heard that teams would go into this ministry will less than an enthusiastic attitude, but it ended up being one of their favorite months. So, that helped me keep my expectations in check and not assume the worst. I decided to accept the challenge of diving in instead of counting the concerns.
For the past few days our team has been blessed beyond measure:
1. One of the girls on my team went to school with a local girl here, so we had an instant contact. Carli, her sister Elsi, and their sweet papa, Salvador, have been driving us around, helping us with our Spanish, connecting us with missionaries from their church, and loving on us as if we are family.
2. The ladies at Ximenas Hostal (the place where we have been sleeping the past couple of nights) have been more than hospitable. They are so sweet and helpful, and have such patience with us as we try to communicate with them in their language. We have soft beds, showers, and a safe place to leave our things.
3. The girls on my team are amazing. Every one of these beautiful ladies has something special they contribute to this team. I am enjoying getting to know them, spending time with them, and seeing how we are growing as a team.
These are just a few highlights of my first two days in El Salvador. We have been completely spoiled!
As we rode in the back of the pick-up truck, warm sun on our skin and cool breezes on our faces, our team leader encouraged us to remember these moments. Not every month will be like this. Soak it in and remember this goodness when times seem low. Our team as a whole had concerns about this Unsung Heroes month. We were reminded that we can’t choose which months will be comfortable and which will be hard, we don’t have that power. But we can choose to embrace the blessings, accept the gifts, and hold onto the memories for the rainy days.
