My heart is bursting with love and gratitude from my time in El Salvador. My oh my, it a month full of everything I could have dreamed of and more. This was no doubt the best month on the race so far. The people quickly became family. Thank you to all of you who are faithfully praying you are truly is making a difference. Now, I could talk for days about this month but I will try and keep it nice and concise for you all.
What city did you stay in? What was your living situation?
- We stayed in Santa Tecla, El Salvador. We lived in a house with 17 girls and 2 Tia’s/House moms (yup that’s right two months straight with a packed house full of girls). Our “bedroom” was actually the living room which we transformed into our bedroom at night and back into the living room each morning.
What was your ministry for this month?
- The ministry we partnered with is called Mi Casa Kids run by Bob McDonald (check out the last question to hear more about Bob). Mi Casa Kids has two homes right across the street from each other, one boys house and one girls house. If you have been reading my previous blogs then you know the back ground these kids come from. The safe home Mi Casa provides is literally saving lives.
- It is weird to call what we did this month ministry because we were just living daily life with the kiddos. Laughing and playing with friends doesn’t feel like something I would call ministry. But isn’t that the joy of doing life with the Lord?! When you are doing His work, He sets your heart in tune with His and you don’t see it as work at all but more of a privilege and honor and you have a blast doing it.
- Anyway, more to the point of the question, every day looked different. The kids were all on vacation from school so it was very relaxed. Each day would be full of singing, dancing, lots of talking, playing games, goofing off, and/or going to the park and more. We got to learn from each other what it looks like to live out a God centered lifestyle on a day to day basis.
What language do most people speak?
- Spanish! All of the kids are learning English so it was fun to teach each other our home languages. Unlike last month, I actually learned a good amount of Spanish! I am ready to be fluent one day!
What foods did you try? What was your favorite?
- The main dish that I had this month was bread (El Salvadorians LOVE their bread) and beans. Sometimes it would be accompanied with a fried egg or plantains.
- Sunday nights were pupusa nights!!! El Salvador is home of the original pupusa and it is mouth watering good.
- So favorite foods this month is pupusas and fried plantains!
What was the hardest thing about this month?
- I had to go to the doctor twice, I spent hours upon hours getting lice picked out of my hair, I lost/left (depending on how you want to look at it) my phone in an Uber, and had no personal space at all this month. Normally if I heard somebody tell me this I would have said something like “Wow I’m sorry, it sounds like you had a tough month”. But my month was not “hard” and I would have disagreed if someone told me that.
- Honestly, the hard thing about each of these things happening all in one month is that they required me to ask for help. Woah okay check this out, I am just now connecting the dots. Lately, God has been teaching me about how uncomfortable and unwilling I am to ask for what I need from the people around me, and He is VERY right, as always. Well, it is no coincidence that as I am trying to figure out what it looks like to ask for help it just so happens to be a month full of events which pushed me into voicing my needs. How cool is that!? I mean it was very uncomfortable but super cool, I love it when God gives us a peak into what He is doing in our lives!
What was the best thing about this month?
- The HUGS!! I don’t think I have ever gotten so many hugs in one day before. My life was a constant stream of hugs all day every day. I’d wake up and get 4 hugs. I’d walk to the bathroom and get a hug. Go outside. Hug. Sit on the couch. Hug. Go to the boys house. Hug. Hug. Hug. Dinner time. Hug. Bed time. All the hugs! So much love its incredible.
What was unexpected this month?
- It was not overpowered with homesickness! As many of you know I was nervous about spending Christmas away from home. But thanks to all of your prayers and our Good Good Father this Christmas was full of joy and celebration and love both in El Salvador and at home. Looking back now it seems silly to have been so worried about it knowing the God we serve, but thankfully He still loves us, silliness included. Thank you all for your prayers, please know they were answered in full and I could not be more grateful.
Where did you see Jesus the most?
- I saw Jesus in Bob McDonald. He is one faithful, cheerful and wonderful man. Bob started Mi Casa years ago after getting what he calls a download of his purpose from the Lord. Seeing him cherish each and every one of the kids living at Mi Casa warms my heart. Bob lives generously and with full confidence that God will provide all he could ever need and more in His timing. Bob captures the attention of every room he walks into. I loved every minute I got to spend with Bob. He not only talks the talk but he fully walks the walk! Thank you Bob for all you are doing for the Kingdom and thank you for leading such a strong example for the kids. Love you!
And just like that my time in Central America is over! Te quiero mucho (Love you very much),
Martha Kuhn
Prayer Warriors:
- Big praise that we made it through 6 days of traveling safely and with only minor delays!!
- This is the last month before our teams get changed so I am praying that we continue to dig in with each other and have a great time together before we change teams.
- Praying that God guides our steps this month and that my whole team would have the discernment and courage to follow Him.
