the calm after the storm

It has been 6 weeks in now but this week was very different. This was the first week that there wasn't a group here. Getting used to having 20-30 people around for 5 weeks makes it very different to go to only a few people in the house that I am staying. It makes for a very quiet time. Although there are no groups here to go to each orphanage, Sus Hijos (His Children), which is the organization I am here working with, still goes and does their regular schedule every week. So this week, On Saturday when the last group left, a lot of us were able to go to one of the translators parents house and visit for her nephews 1st birthday. We had a lot of fun and was able to relax a little. I got to do something special while we were there. We all went down to the creek to swim but I decided to sit on a rock and watch. While I was sitting there, this lady came up to the creek with all of her laundry and started washing it in the creek. I got very interested in what she was doing and asked her if I could help and she told me I could help her! So I was able to help this lady wash her clothes in the creek. It  was definitely different and I actually enjoyed it but I think I will keep my washer and dryer when I get home. On Monday we went to Cipi and did Bible and English class with the kids that came to class. Unlike in the states, the kids are not required to attend school. So basically if they don't want to come that day, then they don't have too. On Tuesday, we went to visit the babies all day. These are some of the cutest babies but even though I might think it can be easy to feed or play with babies all day, it definitely can be very difficult. Trying to feed a 7 or 8 month old baby who is not in a high chair, doesn't want to eat, and tries to slap the bowl out of your hand makes for a very hard time. But all the Tias (aunts), which are the caregivers of all the children, know exactly how to feed, change, and take care of each child or baby to where it is not as difficult for them. But it is very hard for us Gringos who don't know what in the world we are doing. On Wednesday, we went to a different orphanage and did Bible class for a group of kids in a program called Cambia tu vida (change your life). Cambia tu vida is a program that is geared toward kids who were sexually abused in some way. The is a school for them but they encourage a lot of healing and building relationships. On Thursday, we went to the juvenile girls prison and did the bible study with those girls. All of the girls in this prison are under 18 or if they are over 18, they were sent their before 18 and are now just finishing out their sentence. Most or all of these girls are associated with gang members in some way. Most or all of them are there for something that they did that was associated with a gang. In El Salvador, there are many gangs but there are two main ones and the girls in the prison are all associated with one of the two main gangs. But in the prison, they have to keep the girls associated with one gang separated from the girls associated with the other gang. Friday was some what a free day. Although I didn't go to any orphanage, I stayed at the mission house and organized some of the garage. So it still made for a very productive day.

some of the hard times

I cant believe it has already been 5 weeks since I have been here. It hasn't felt like I have been here that long but at the same time it has. Its been a crazy 5 weeks. There have been happy times, sad times, frustrating times and just about every emotion you can feel. I have talked about so many different things and told many different stories, but I haven't talked about some of the struggles of how you can feel when your here. So many people come from all over and I am sure that everyone has different struggles or emotions that they may feel, but here are some different ways that are definitely different for me, maybe not so much a struggle but just things that are different and hard. One thing that it so hard for me to get use to is not being able to be independent, like at home. For example, at home if there is somewhere I need to go, I just get in my car and go. But here, you have to rely on someone else. If you need to go somewhere, its either find a ride or take the bus. And yes, the bus is not always the safest option. If you want to talk to someone, you also have to rely on someone else, whether its ordering food from a restaurant or just talking to someone. But the hardest part for me is not being able to talk directly with the kids. I wish so bad I could speak their language and just talk to them about whatever it is they want to talk about. But instead we have to go through someone else. Not knowing someone else's language can be very frustrating at times, because you may be thinking, "how do I know they said exactly what and how I wanted to say that" but its times like these that we must learn to work together, to trust one another, and work through all problems. My goal is to learn Spanish eventually. I am working on it but I still have a long way to go and hopefully I will get there someday. But even though I have to rely on other people to speak for me most of the time or drive me wherever I need to go, I would not want anyone else other than the ones here, by my side helping me. These are definitely some of the best people to know. Here are some of the greatest translators that I get to have help me along the way. These are definitely not all of them but just a few to show you how great these guys are.

blessed

I can't believe I have been here for 4 weeks now. This week was so awesome. We fed the homeless 3 more times, played with lots of kids, did another quinceanera for special needs kids and adults, was able to finish a concrete house and provide a community with basic food needs like rice, beans, flour and sugar. The day we were able to go around the community and give families food, we split up into small groups. The group I was in came up to a house that a mom lived in. I'm not sure if the father was there but her elderly mother lived with her. As we came in their house, we provided them with the food and a bible. We asked if there was anything we could pray for them about. She told us how her mom was sick and had arthritis and how she couldn't walk because of it. We went in and gathered around her mom and started to pray for her, after we finished, she started to cry and tell us that no one has ever came to visit her mother, much less pray for her. It reminded me of the verse Matt. 25:35-36 when its says, "........I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me." She was so grateful that someone would come into their house and pray for her mom. I feel like that family blessed me more than we blessed them.
          On Monday, I was able to go to one of the orphanages and finish up the story about the 10 plagues for bible class. After we were finished, I had the privilege of talking with a girl along with 2 other people in our group. She began talking with us and telling us that she would be 17 that coming Wednesday. As she continued to talk, she said how no one in her family had wanted her since she was 2 years old. She said how one of her cousins had stabbed her in numerous places and then showed us the scars on her arms and legs. After continuing to talk, she began to cry and told us that all she has ever wanted was a family, someone to love and care for her. It made me think of all the things we take for granted every day. We are blessed to have so much that we don't even need and yet the family we prayed with was just so thankful someone came to visit her mom and pray with them and the girl, all she wanted was a family, something we take for granted every day. Please remember to pray for these to people this week, and lets remember how blessed we really are.

overview of week 3

Week 3 in El Salvador was great. We definitely had a lot going on and the week went by supper fast. On Sunday, after church, we were able to help the boys in the transition home move to a bigger and better house, which it right upstairs from the mission house. We got them all moved it and helped them clean and put all their beds together, which was some what of a challenge. On Monday, I got to stay at Cipi, which is one of the orphanages, and do a bible study with all the classes. They had started talking about the 10 plagues that God had sent to Egypt the week before and I was able to continue the story this week. On Tuesday we were able to build another house for another family. We worked all day and was able to get it finished in one day. They were all extremely grateful, as every family is. On Wednesday, I got to spend all day with the babies again. Even though babies can be easy to take care of, they are also every exhausting to take care of. On Thursday, we had such a good time because we were able to take the special needs adults to pizza hut and the zoo. Boy, can they sure put down some pizza. The adults had such a great time looking at all the animals at the zoo and just being able to get out of their center for a few hours. We also had fun just being able to watch them and see their faces light up with excitement. Friday was a very special day because we were able to take 7 very special girls to the beach with us. These girls are in a very protected orphanage because of some very awful things that they have dealt with in the past. We had the best time getting to talk with them and just have fun with them. They were so excited and very appreciative to be there. Their laughs and smiles were some of the best sounds and sights to see. Some of the girls will age out of the system next year because of their age and it's sad because the government will send them back to the same environment in which they have been protected from all this time. Please say a special prayer for these girls. This week we also got to feed the homeless 3 times. One of the times was very hard for me because even though we had so many bags of food, we ran out and about 50 yards ahead of running out of food were all these kids and adults waiting for us, cheering because they could see the truck with all the gringos in the back, and they knew there was food. But yet, we had to speed on by them because we had run out right before getting to them. It was very hard for me to watch so I just closed my eyes as we sped on by. I prayed for all those people standing there, that they would sleep with full stomachs despite the fact of not getting and food from us. This week was very fun and exciting was also had some very sad times.

                                       how many people does it take to take off a faucet in El Salvador? 4

                                           This is the family's house before we built their new one

                                       
                                                 This is the new house for the family!
                                                  

                                                                    Selfie time

                                                      baby feeding time

                                                          baby lovin!

                                               this is the nurses room at one of the orphanages

                                               Special needs adults having fun at the zoo.

                                         We had to turn with our backs to the camera to keep the girls protected.

                                                         food for the homeless

Extreme Home Makeover El Salvador Edition!

We had a very successful and fun week 2. We went to a lot of different orphanages this week. While we were there we played and loved on the kids and did some crafts with them. But on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week was special because we got to built a house for a special family in need. Whenever we build houses, these families have pretty bad living conditions. Although, I didn't get to see exactly what their house looked like before we started building the new one, I have a feeling it was something like this: Old dirty mattresses that they used to sleep on the ground, and the four walls were probably made from old tin or tarp. They cook on an outside homemade stove and who knows how clean the water really is. This family has 6 kids and they were more than thankful to be getting a new house. The houses we build are nothing like the houses we are used to back home, but to them, its an extreme home makeover. The new house took us about 5 or 6 hours to build and on Wednesday we were able to decorate the inside. The house is a 20ft x 10ft house with a tin roof. There is no air condition but the house keeps them dry and safe. We were able to provide for them 3 sets of bunk beds with mattresses and sheets, a table and chairs, a rocker, many dishes and kitchen supplies, and some clothes. But more than that, we were able to share the love of Christ with them. After we were finished with everything, the family was so over joyed and thankful.
        After getting to build the house for the family, we were able to go feed the community. We provided the families with flour, sugar, beans, rice and a bible. We were also able to ask the family if there was anything specific they wanted us to pray for. One of the families that we came to, was only the mom and a young son. I'm not sure where the father was but when we got there, she started telling us that we were a blessing for her because the night before she had prayed that God would do something good for their family and then we showed up the next day. She told us we were an answered prayer. While we were talking to her, she began to cry. She asked us to pray for her older son because he would hit his girlfriend. They already have a child and the girlfriend is pregnant with another baby. As she was crying she told us that he would come and he was very disrespectful to her and his girlfriend and the mom was very afraid that the girlfriend and the child would be hurt. The mom had said she wished the boys dad was there to tell him not to do those things but the dad would not come around. We prayed for her and her sons along with the girlfriend and their two babies. Please pray for this family that God will protect them and they will be able to feel His love.

 

inside of the house

this is the family we built the house for

Princesses of the King

wow, I cant believe week 1 is already over. Despite me not feeling good for a few days, it was such an amazing week. Thanks for all the prayers from everyone this week. A team from California came and they were all so amazing. We spent half of the week getting ready for the quinceanera, which is a big birthday party for a girl who turns 15. We had the quinceanera for all the girls between the ages of 12-18 years old. The party was amazing! We had about 125 girls from all different orphanages. All the girls got to pick out their own dress, shoes, and jewelry, which they were able to keep, get their hair and makeup done, eyebrows waxed, and nails painted. All the girls looked like princesses and felt so loved. Each girl was called by name and escorted down the aisle by the handsome men of the group. As we all cheered for them as they walked down the aisle you could see all the smiles and could tell they looked and felt so beautiful, that they had hope and dreams that were cared for by so many. All the girls opened up as they got the dance all night on the dance floor. The place that held the party was so beautiful and these girls deserved every bit the party had to offer. I feel like this gave them all hope, that they matter, that they are loved and cared for. The whole group was amazing helping the girls feel that they are special. Even the guys were great. I enjoyed getting the watch some of the guys in the group help the girls pick out their jewelry. Even though they may have not known anything about girls jewelry, they still helped and never thought, "I'm too cool to do this." It was really amazing to watch. At the end of the night, all the girls were given a gift with all different kinds of stuff inside. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this next week.

just some of the shoes the girls got to pick from

nail time for some of the girls

one of the guy translators is getting to help this girl pick out some jewelry

dinner time

long term missionary girls

dance time!!

made it safe and sound

So I finally made it to the mission house last night after a long day. My plane landed in El Salvador at 8:30pm which was only 35 minutes later than it was suppose to land. So after getting off the plane and making my way through customs, which didn't take as long as I thought it would, I headed to claim my baggage. So I stood there for a while and finally one of my bags showed up. After standing there for about an hour, watching all the bags go round and round, I finally realized that my other bag probably wasn't coming. So I knew I needed to go through the line when peoples suitcases don't come so they can bring it to you when it does come. But I needed the address to where I was staying, which I didn't have. So after trying to talk to people who don't know English very well when I don't know Spanish very well, and try to explain to them that I need to go out and find my friend and ask them the address to where I am staying, so I can get my bag, I was finally able to get the address. So then I came back in and got in line and had to stand in it for another hour. So I was finally able to give them the address to where I was staying so they could bring me my bag. So even though my plane landed at 8:30 we didn't get to leave the airport till 11:15, which put us home around midnight and finally went to bed around 1am. The first night was a pretty restless night, despite the fact that I had some mosquitos or something feasting on my ankle all night, my nose was also all stopped up and I have a sore throat. I have been praying for my throat to feel better so please whoever will, pray for my throat and that we will have no sickness and for strength and rest. Thanks everyone for reading and for all your prayers.