El Salvador. To summarize, it was a rougher start than expected, but God was there. I saw kids come to know the love of Jesus through the simple acts of a hug and a game of tag. I saw some of my squadmates go from having no voice to sharing their testimony in front of hundreds. Others went from picking up tortillas one day to a daily ritual that blessed them beyond belief and shined the Gospel into the lives of several women in the community.
My heart is so full of the goodness of the Lord. The first month was tough, we were hit hard with spiritual attack, more so than I ha
ve ever encountered consistently before, and for a time it even felt like darkness reigned. However, our God is SO MUCH BIGGER than anything else in all creation. He turned it all into a monument for His glory, a month full of changed hearts, both outside and inside our teams. I cannot tell you how much all of us have grown. It wasn’t even until the last day that I realized the impact we had made in the community we lived. Even though it had felt like we hadn’t made any lasting relationships, there were people constantly at our house the last day to say goodbye, and just to thank us. Many tears were shed and I am going to miss them greatly, especially our hosts Victor and Sara.
The night before we left, the organization of pastors hosting us had a ceremony for us, thanking us for coming and loving their country. They called us each up, gave us a certificate and told how we had impacted their lives during the month. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. I had no idea how God had used me this month until Victor called my name and told what I had meant to him. That just by always talking so fast (though I was trying not to), choosing to assume he understood all of what I said, and by teasing him all the time, that I had managed to make him laugh even when he was stressed. That meant so much to me, and I do not say this to magnify myself, but to show that you never know the impact you have on those around you. You may not be great with children, you may not have a clue of how to relate to teenagers, or how to talk to someone on the street, but that does not mean that the Lord isn’t using you. Never doubt that you are where the Lord has you just because you may not see the fruit of your labor. He may be moving without you even realizing it.
I know that the Lord used all of us, and we leave, knowing that the Lord has even greater things in store for El Salvador and the people around Apastepeque. In fact, another World Race squad arrives today, and we are so excited that they get to continue the work. Please pray for them this month; that they can build on the relationships we have made and take them even further.
The first month was exactly what the Lord had for us, and as I sit in our new home in Honduras, I am filled with such joy. We aren’t finished, this is just beginning.
(Pic to the right – Victor our host)
