Saturday, March 19, 2011

Deuces, El Salvador

Today marked the last day of our work in El Salvador. As Heather mentioned yesterday, that’s only if you can consider it work. This morning we visited yet another school and it was a beautiful one, larger than usual. We continued our hygiene and nutrition classes to some very fun and interested groups, who laughed with us (not at us, I’m sure). We also met Pastor Pablo Pena, who is our local Foursquare Missionary here. He is involved in sponsoring scholarships for two of the kids in the school we visited. He showed us the first church he planted in El Salvador, which was beautiful, and we had lunch with him and his wife, Alma. We had a great conversation about his work and how he became a missionary – at which point he told (a skeptical) me that asking about mission work is the first step to doing.

Later this evening we visited another incredible orphanage run by a man from Oregon and his El Salvadorian wife. We brought popcorn and soda for the kids and watched Wall-E in Spanish, which we all enjoyed. We are struck by how well-loved the children are that we’ve seen so far. Hugs and kisses for greeting and parting are rampant. Though the practice is somewhat cultural, it’s clear that the kids aren’t doing it out of obligation. They are doing it out of a love they need to feel and also an overflow of love they are getting from those who pour into their lives. It really goes to show that a genuine investment in the lives of these kids can pay off, whether they have “real families” or not.


We spent time as a group this evening talking about what events from the week struck us. Universally, we were impressed with the love and acceptance that we’ve felt from everyone we’ve met. I must say that El Salvador surpasses even the South in hospitality. The people we’ve met and the stories we’ve heard are sometimes beautiful, sometimes awful, sometimes inconceivable, but always clearly reflecting God’s grace and love for all of us, regardless of nationality or language.

1 John 2:6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
I personally came on this trip as an act of obedience to God’s calling to go and tell His people about Him, and not out of any particular calling to El Salvador or to working with children. However, I cannot even express the number of blessings I’ve received by being here. The only negatives were my lack of Spanish skills that hampered communication and the fact that we didn’t spend enough time with everyone we met. I could stay with each group for days just building relationships. I have had mission trips before where I say that I’ll go back, or that I’ll keep in touch with the people I’ve met and I never do. However, I really feel (and hope) that this time will be legitimate. I have never been so struck by the people, and just the joy that I get out of being with them. I pray that doesn’t leave when I do.

Thanks for everything to Lorraine and all the people in El Salvador from Anti-Doodles and the Bad Bootys.

-Miriam

2 comments:

  1. the people of El Salvador rock - and so do you guys. safe travels back to the States.

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  2. Thank you SO MUCH for the awesome written testimonies this week. The kids and I have missed Jolie/Mom/"Runs the House" - her Y-Guides name :) - but I feel that we are all bless by the work of our team of missionaries. Great work, guys!

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