Sweet Home Alabama

I can't believe I have been here in El Salvador for 2 1/2 months already. It has gone by so fast but at the same time, it feels like I have been here forever. When I think back at all we have done, all the memories and friendships that were made, it is hard to believe its only been 10 weeks. This last week we got to watch different events for El Salvador's Independence Day at the centers. The Independence Day is September 15th but they celebrate it all month. Each day this week they celebrated a different country in Central America. Today was El Salvador. It was awesome to get to watch. Most of the kids got to participate. They had many parades, bands, different dances that the kids performed, and different information on each country. I always have a hard time when saying goodbye especially when there have been so many relationships formed. There are always ups and downs but God always continues to see us through. I am so blessed and grateful that God sent me on this journey. I am sad to see it end but excited to see what is in store. I am definitely going to miss all the kids that I have made a connection with. When your here for this long it can be really hard because at some point, you may connect with a child and every week you go and see them but then, one week you go and they are not there anymore. It could be because they ran away or maybe they went back with there family. You never know when the last time you will see someone will be. But it is also good being here for a long time because you get to see good things happen. Like maybe you go to a center and see the same kid each week and then one week they get to come out and get to transfer to one of the transition homes. I already miss the kids but hopefully I will be able to see them again.

                                                     poor buddy had the chicken pox and had
                                                     to stay in a room by himself for 15 days!

The Ups and Downs of Ministry

This week was a very much needed week for me. We had a team of 4 people come down from California to work with the Sus Hijos ministry. They came to give us a spiritual retreat and help renew our spiritual health. This week was about bonding and learning to work together as a team. We were all able to go to an island for 3 days to just get away and learn how to minister better. Sometimes when working with a ministry, it is very easy to get discouraged and feel alone. But this week, I learned a lot of different things about ministry and how to work together as a team to help minister better to those we come in contact with. One thing we need to be able to do is trust one another and get to know our team mates. I mean really know them, know what there strengths and weaknesses are. Sometimes its easy for someone to just throw you out there and tell you to do something when you may not be comfortable doing that specific thing. But if we know our team, then we are able to place someone that is better fit for that specific task. We also need to be able to encourage, teach, love and forgive one another and not just assume that they just don't want to do something. Because God placed each of us here for a reason and He knows everything about us, what we can offer or what we lack. He placed us just how we are. Another thing that I learned this week was we should want to always learn. So if we don't know how to do something or don't know something, just be willing to learn. Something that someone told me this week was, always remember in the dark what God told you in the light. So when everything seems dark and Satan tries to discourage you, because he definitely will try, then remember that God brought you where you are. I am so glad that we were able to have this week to learn how to work as a team because ministry can be very crazy at times and we need to know how to work together when the enemy tries to attack.