Our time in El Salvador has been a great time of flexibility, growth, encouragement, and eye opening experiences. Everyday is different, even from the plans we have the night before, and God has done that for a reason. This past week, we have visited several small churches and spoke about what we are doing here. knowing what we are doing for the service approximately 5 minutes prior has become the norm and we are getting good at having things prepared just in case. We have been able to share our testimonies, sing songs, do dramas, and preach to provide encouragement and support to these beautiful churches. When I say beautiful, you may not think so by the building (or lack there of) but the people inside them are radiant with Christ’s love and passionate about their communities. We have provided hope for these people by the grace of God, but it has become a two way street and we are being blessed by the generosity of the people here.
Dustin was able to preach his first sermon in a small, agricultural community called Calderitas. God called him to speak about forgiveness and after the service, the pastor said there was a lot of forgiveness that needed to happen in there community. What a beautiful thing it is when we listen to God’s direction. Dustin did an amazing job and hopefully we can get some video of his sermon up quickly. Gene and Lisa, you would be proud of your son, I know I was.
We have also had the opportunity to visit an orphanage and play with the children there. They have two houses, one for girls and one for boys. Now when I think of an orphanage, I think hungry, sad children, but we were pleasantly surprised by the huge smiles and playfulness of the children. You could instantly tell that they were well loved and taken care of in there home. This orphanage is also different from others because when you enter, your family, and you stay until you grow up. They always have a home. What a beautiful ministry!
We had an amazing time playing games and learning Spanish songs from the children. We wore them out as much as they did us and before we left we prayed over them. When we finished, they encircled us, held our hands, and prayed that God would use us in our ministry. Now I expected to pray for orphans, but not the other way around. What a humbling experience for us as a team. (Side note: As we were entering the orphanage, the ‘dad’ of the house warned us that they had an infestation (his words, not mine) of lice, so all the children were getting treated when we got there. Talk about having phantom lice that night!!
Another great opportunity we have had was being on the Christian radio station. It is equivalent to KLove where it is broadcast through the entire country of El Salvador. We were planning on going one day, but it fell through, but the next day we pulled up to a building, hopped out, and were told we were going to be on the radio in about ten minutes. Again, the short notice is becoming normal. It was such an amazing opportunity for us and for the Teen Challenge in San Salvador.
We’ve also visited an elementary school, (precious children!!), visited youth groups, hung out with our friends from Teen Challenge, and spent quality time with Oscar, Jackie, and the rest of our team. God has orchestrated beautiful opportunities here and we plan on continuing to seek Him out while loving on others!
