The day has finally arrived! After using the volcano/mountaintop analogy with the team for over a year, they finally had the opportunity to descend 1500 steps into a valley, only to hike up the mountainous volcano that stood before them. It was a wonderful journey for all of them. Once they reached the top, they were given letters written to them by their parents. I imagine that some letters were filled with praise, some were letters of encouragement, some were challenges to their children... but whatever was written in those letters, you could see from the faces of the kids that they were unbelievably important... and there were lots of tears. And as a beautiful addition, Brandon organized a book of letters to Tyler from the athletes. What a joy and blessing all of you are to him! Unfortunately my knowledge about the hike is limited to those brief bits of information, so please ask the team members to fill you in on all of it! Tonia and I were unable to make the hike this year due to the enormous cast on her leg, which was really difficult on her because she had been looking forward to this hike. In fact, when she was finally able to form words again after her accident, her first full sentence was that she couldn't believe she wouldn't be able to climb the volcano. She'll just have to join us again next year!
After the hike, we headed to a great little restaurant on the volcanic lake where you can dive off the pier into the water while waiting on your food... and yes, pretty much everyone did! The food was great, the time together was even better! Then we headed to Castillo del Rey, a retreat center that sits on the edge of the volcanic lake. The team got showers (WARM WATER!) and got together for a final debrief on the trip before getting some sleep for the early morning ahead.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Day 13 - Tia Ana's Orphanage and another Prison
Today was quite the experience for both the girls and guys. The guys were given the opportunity to go to another prison here in El Salvador which is home to a relatively small number of inmates, all of which are 18th Street Gang members. There is a very special young man named Christian from the community we are partnered with that is incarcerated there right now. As painful as it is for the community to be without him, it has been a huge blessing to have someone behind enemy lines, so to speak. We are told that the inmates see him as a pastor rather than as one of them. The guys were given the opportunity to go in and bless him with some clothes that would allow him to go into other sectors to preach.
As the guys spent their day in the prison sharing the gospel, they watched in amazement as a gang member wept while they prayed over him as he accepted the love of Christ. Brandon was allowed to bring in a camera, with the restriction of not being able to take pictures of anything structural or of any inmates faces... here are some of the beautiful shots he captured. (The first one is of Marito when he saw Christian. His face says it all.)
Because the women are not allowed inside the prisons, they stayed back to spend the day at the orphanage. What a joy-filled day! Tia Ana is an amazing woman who currently cares for 16 children, many of which are the children of prostitutes who have been abandoned. Ask the team members to tell you her testimony, it is a powerful one!
The team came with bags full of clothes, shoes and crafts (which ended up making the living room look like a craft store exploded). We wanted desperately to find a way to get to the store to buy some food for them, but without transportation, it was pretty much impossible. But God, in his infinite and glorious wisdom provided perfectly... another American mission team randomly stopped by to drop off a huge van-load of food. While speaking to the team, they mentioned that they were fretting because they had just run out of shoes and clothes, so they didn't know how they would provide those to the orphanage. God never ceases to amaze us with His provision!
Another wonderful day in El Salvador. Tomorrow, the team tackles the volcano...
As the guys spent their day in the prison sharing the gospel, they watched in amazement as a gang member wept while they prayed over him as he accepted the love of Christ. Brandon was allowed to bring in a camera, with the restriction of not being able to take pictures of anything structural or of any inmates faces... here are some of the beautiful shots he captured. (The first one is of Marito when he saw Christian. His face says it all.)
The team came with bags full of clothes, shoes and crafts (which ended up making the living room look like a craft store exploded). We wanted desperately to find a way to get to the store to buy some food for them, but without transportation, it was pretty much impossible. But God, in his infinite and glorious wisdom provided perfectly... another American mission team randomly stopped by to drop off a huge van-load of food. While speaking to the team, they mentioned that they were fretting because they had just run out of shoes and clothes, so they didn't know how they would provide those to the orphanage. God never ceases to amaze us with His provision!
Another wonderful day in El Salvador. Tomorrow, the team tackles the volcano...
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Day 12 - Church and Beach / Kelly's Birthday
Today was a building-relationships kind of day. We had no real service responsibilities, we were just able to spend the day with the people from Aposento Alto and enjoy each others company! The church service was beautiful, and the church members gave gifts to each of the team members to thank us for our time and service to them. It was so touching to be so blessed by the people we came to bless (welcome to the missionary life...always seems to happen that way.)
After church, we headed to the mall to pick up some items to bless people with (such as closes for an inmate Tyler has become very close with), then grabbed a quick lunch and headed back to pick up some of the people from Santisima to take to dinner out at the beach as part of Kelly's birthday surprise (that particular beach holds special significance for her, it was the she went to on her very first El Salvador trip back in 2008, and it's always been her favorite, but she has never had the opportunity to go back until tonight).
After an afternoon and evening of fun in the sun and some bonding, we headed back home (during a monsoon, of course, and got some rest for a big day tomorrow.
Prayer request update: The water purification system hasn't made it into the country, so tomorrow the women will be spending the day at Tia Ana's orphanage, cleaning it and spending time with the kids, while the guys go visit Christian in another prison. Please be praying for the men's continued safety, for their conversations with Christian, and that the administration of the prison be receptive to receiving teams in the future based on the outcome of this visit. For the ladies, prayer that despite exhaustion, that they be fully able to enter in to the time in the orphanage, that they be able to serve there as if it was our sole mission for coming, and that they open their hearts to Tia Ana and the kids. Thanks! We love you all.
After church, we headed to the mall to pick up some items to bless people with (such as closes for an inmate Tyler has become very close with), then grabbed a quick lunch and headed back to pick up some of the people from Santisima to take to dinner out at the beach as part of Kelly's birthday surprise (that particular beach holds special significance for her, it was the she went to on her very first El Salvador trip back in 2008, and it's always been her favorite, but she has never had the opportunity to go back until tonight).
After an afternoon and evening of fun in the sun and some bonding, we headed back home (during a monsoon, of course, and got some rest for a big day tomorrow.
Prayer request update: The water purification system hasn't made it into the country, so tomorrow the women will be spending the day at Tia Ana's orphanage, cleaning it and spending time with the kids, while the guys go visit Christian in another prison. Please be praying for the men's continued safety, for their conversations with Christian, and that the administration of the prison be receptive to receiving teams in the future based on the outcome of this visit. For the ladies, prayer that despite exhaustion, that they be fully able to enter in to the time in the orphanage, that they be able to serve there as if it was our sole mission for coming, and that they open their hearts to Tia Ana and the kids. Thanks! We love you all.
Day 11 - Leadership Retreat (Day 3)
Today was the end of the Leadership Retreat. The different churches got together and finalized their DMP presentations which they then shared with the other churches and us. We were incredibly impressed by their plans to step up as leaders in their communities!
After those, we had the final competition of the weekend: an obstacle course (because we all know it isn't a TLA event without an obstacle course). Everyone did great! It was a lot of fun for the team because we all got to participate in one way or another. Some team members particpated in teh actual course, some ran stations, and Kelly was busy climbing trees and lying in gutters as the special forces team member that teams had to find to get a signature from after each station. We had a blast! Adrienne's team ended up winning the weekend competition once the final scores were tallied (Tonia, Kelly, Brandon and Kyle's team was a close second, thanks to Tonia's rockin' Frisbee playing yesterday).
After leaving the retreat center, the team headed back to Via Olympia, ordered pizza, hung out for awhile, and got to bed early. A wonderful wrap-up after pouring themselves out for the last few days!
After those, we had the final competition of the weekend: an obstacle course (because we all know it isn't a TLA event without an obstacle course). Everyone did great! It was a lot of fun for the team because we all got to participate in one way or another. Some team members particpated in teh actual course, some ran stations, and Kelly was busy climbing trees and lying in gutters as the special forces team member that teams had to find to get a signature from after each station. We had a blast! Adrienne's team ended up winning the weekend competition once the final scores were tallied (Tonia, Kelly, Brandon and Kyle's team was a close second, thanks to Tonia's rockin' Frisbee playing yesterday).
After leaving the retreat center, the team headed back to Via Olympia, ordered pizza, hung out for awhile, and got to bed early. A wonderful wrap-up after pouring themselves out for the last few days!
Day 10 - Leadership Retreat (Day 2)
Oh my! What a way to start the day! We got to sleep last night at around 11:00pm, and I’m not sure how early everyone woke-up (our cabin woke up at 3:30), but everyone was up, ready, and leaving by the truckload by 4:30 to head to the start of a 3 mile run, in pairs, to the beach.
Our team was incredible on the run. Brandon was cheering on his partner, Kelly (one of the few non-athletes on this trip) without getting frustrated that he couldn’t finish first like he hoped to, Bishop ran alongside everyone, cheering, Carly literally carried her partner on her back when she wasn’t able to run anymore… all in all, it was amazing to experience. The end result was worth the work; the water looked beautiful... and after that run, it felt even better!
Back at camp, the day was filled with more sessions, meals and competitions, including a game of Ultimate Frisbee and swimming competitions.
As for Ultimate Frisbee... Tonia deserves a serious MVP trophy for that! She ended up in a leg cast! But she is doing great, she is in wonderful spirits, and she now has the undying approval of the TLA family because she incurred a sports injury, and won the game for the team by doing it! But please keep her in your prayers!
Until tomorrow...
Friday, July 20, 2012
Day 9 – Leadership Retreat (Part I)
Today was Day One of the Leadership Retreat. Despite the rocky beginning, it flowed pretty seamlessly. The team is doing an amazing job at staying on task and keeping the energy level up considering it is 10-15 degrees hotter here near the beach than it is back at our home-base at Via Olympica.
Half the team set up the retreat center while half picked up participants . Once everyone arrived, we played games, picked team for the weekend competitions, listened to the first talk, and started the competition off with a soccer tournament. The team kept up pretty well considering that soccer is dominated by these Salvadorian kids.
We brought Mama with us to cook for the retreat (yes, we are spoiled), so of course lunch was amazing. In the afternoon, we did tire competitions and enjoyed listening to more sessions. We ended the day with testimonies from Becky and Marito ( a good friend that Tyler and Kelly met back in 2008 as a participant of the leadership retreat. Marito now helps lead the retreats and currently is in college in PA at Eastern University), a talk by Jordan, time for worship, then fellowship with the participants in the pool.
Bishop and Jordan were particularly outstanding today! We’re so proud of how they’ve stepped up! They are dominating their responsibilities as the men in charge of the competitions, and it is such a joy to watch the leadership qualities in them being revealed in new ways! everyone is really struggling with the language barrier, we all desire to be able to communicate effectively with our teams, but we are making it work!
It was a wonderful day, and the team is ready for its 4:00am run to the beach tomorrow!
Half the team set up the retreat center while half picked up participants . Once everyone arrived, we played games, picked team for the weekend competitions, listened to the first talk, and started the competition off with a soccer tournament. The team kept up pretty well considering that soccer is dominated by these Salvadorian kids.
We brought Mama with us to cook for the retreat (yes, we are spoiled), so of course lunch was amazing. In the afternoon, we did tire competitions and enjoyed listening to more sessions. We ended the day with testimonies from Becky and Marito ( a good friend that Tyler and Kelly met back in 2008 as a participant of the leadership retreat. Marito now helps lead the retreats and currently is in college in PA at Eastern University), a talk by Jordan, time for worship, then fellowship with the participants in the pool.
Bishop and Jordan were particularly outstanding today! We’re so proud of how they’ve stepped up! They are dominating their responsibilities as the men in charge of the competitions, and it is such a joy to watch the leadership qualities in them being revealed in new ways! everyone is really struggling with the language barrier, we all desire to be able to communicate effectively with our teams, but we are making it work!
It was a wonderful day, and the team is ready for its 4:00am run to the beach tomorrow!
Day 8 - R&R at the Beach
Today was such a blessing, and a well deserved break for the team. Although we were unable to get a beach house to stay the night, we woke up at 6:00 to drive to the beach in order the spend the day relaxing and preparing for the leadership retreat. We found a wonderful beach spot with a cabana where we set up hammocks for everyone, got frozen drinks, and just had an opportunity to relax with some Salvadorian friends for the afternoon.
The water was perfect and the view was amazing. Some people stayed in the ocean for most of the day, some in their hammocks, and the guys had a blast in the pool launching each other into the air. All in all, a great day for everyone.
Day 7- School Outreach and Prison (Part 2)
Today was day two for the school outreach and prison teams. The guys have been pretty hush-hush with the prison stories so you may have to bug them to hear more about it.
All we really heard was that it went really well, the guys got along well with the inmates, and there was no incident. Unfortunately, again they were not allowed cameras, so we don’t have any pictures to show you from there, but out guys have quite the ability to paint you a picture with their vivid descriptions, I’m sure you’ll feel like you were there.
As for the school, it was pretty similar to yesterday. It was such a joy to spend time with the kids, they instantly fell in love with the team and were constantly coming up asking how long we were staying, when they could see us again, and anything else they could think of! We changed up the games and let them do relay races and dodgeball. Both were a hit, but the dodgeball games really took off!
At the end of the day, Becky stepped it up in a huge way and asked the principal to gather all the kids together so she could speak to them. It has been such a joy to watch her evolve and grow, she has been such a blessing to the team, and an incredible leader.
After the teams arrived back at home base, we got ready, loaded up and headed out to the beach house we reserved for the night. We stopped to pick up some kids from Santisima, then stopped for dinner at Mister Donut...then it started raining, torrential downpour style. We ran to the Super Selectos (supermarket) to pick up trash bags to cover up because it was slightly chilly and it was raining REALLY hard.
After we picked everyone up, the rain died down a bit and we headed to the beach house. Once we arrived 1.5 hours later, however, we were told that the storm had shorted out the electricity and messed up the plumbing. We insisted that we merely needed a place to lay our heads, but the guard was under strict instructions not to allow us in. It was disappointing to not have the beach house for the evening, but even in the midst of everything going on, the kids were all engulfed with watching the incredible light show being put on by the lightning storm. It was unlike anything any of us have ever seem. We wish we’d been able to get pictures to show you! Finally, around midnight, we headed back to Via Olympia and got to bed around 2:00am. What a night!
All we really heard was that it went really well, the guys got along well with the inmates, and there was no incident. Unfortunately, again they were not allowed cameras, so we don’t have any pictures to show you from there, but out guys have quite the ability to paint you a picture with their vivid descriptions, I’m sure you’ll feel like you were there.
As for the school, it was pretty similar to yesterday. It was such a joy to spend time with the kids, they instantly fell in love with the team and were constantly coming up asking how long we were staying, when they could see us again, and anything else they could think of! We changed up the games and let them do relay races and dodgeball. Both were a hit, but the dodgeball games really took off!
At the end of the day, Becky stepped it up in a huge way and asked the principal to gather all the kids together so she could speak to them. It has been such a joy to watch her evolve and grow, she has been such a blessing to the team, and an incredible leader.
After the teams arrived back at home base, we got ready, loaded up and headed out to the beach house we reserved for the night. We stopped to pick up some kids from Santisima, then stopped for dinner at Mister Donut...then it started raining, torrential downpour style. We ran to the Super Selectos (supermarket) to pick up trash bags to cover up because it was slightly chilly and it was raining REALLY hard.
After we picked everyone up, the rain died down a bit and we headed to the beach house. Once we arrived 1.5 hours later, however, we were told that the storm had shorted out the electricity and messed up the plumbing. We insisted that we merely needed a place to lay our heads, but the guard was under strict instructions not to allow us in. It was disappointing to not have the beach house for the evening, but even in the midst of everything going on, the kids were all engulfed with watching the incredible light show being put on by the lightning storm. It was unlike anything any of us have ever seem. We wish we’d been able to get pictures to show you! Finally, around midnight, we headed back to Via Olympia and got to bed around 2:00am. What a night!
Day 6- School Outreach and Prison
Today the ladies went to a local school to lead their physical education classes, and the guys headed to the prison to minister there. Both groups had a great day!
The ladies had the help of the boys in the morning. Becky and Alyssa started the classes with stretches, teaching the kids chants, a lap around the field and splitting them into teams. The kids rotated around to different sport stations like Frisbee, volleyball, soccer, etc. The kids had a blast and once class was over., some of the kids tried to stay for the next class. In the afternoon with the older classes, we opted to only split into two groups and played kickball and Frisbee. It was a lot of fun! But we need to remember more water next time!
The guys did great at the prison! They weren’t allowed to bring in a camera, so here is a picture of the inside of the prison from an earlier trip:
The guys say they had a great time, other than Jordan drinking from a water bucket (bad idea, but we stuffed him full if Cipro). They guys were surprised at how young the inmates were and that they just seemed like scared teenager rather than ruthless gang villains. They bonded with the inmates and had a great day. You’ll have to ask them for more details, they seem to have quite the stories to share!
After the teams came back together, we all went to the home of Pablo, a young man who Tyler grew close to last year who was minutes from joining a gang when they met. He now works 12 hour days, goes to school, and takes care of his girlfriend and sweet baby girl. They all live with his mother, who invited us over for pupusas! We enjoyed time with Pablo and his family so very much. On the way to Pablo’s door, however, the team passed a man sitting on his stoop, with a huge tattoo across his forehead that made it very clear which of the two large gangs he was a member of. The kids greeted him as they passed, with no fear, and with complete love. This clearly surprised the man, because he called after Pablo asking if he could speak to any of us. By the end of the night, the whole team was exchanging stories, praying over him, and taking group pictures. It was quite an amazing situation to watch unfold, and I couldn’t be more proud of the outpouring of Christ in this group!
The ladies had the help of the boys in the morning. Becky and Alyssa started the classes with stretches, teaching the kids chants, a lap around the field and splitting them into teams. The kids rotated around to different sport stations like Frisbee, volleyball, soccer, etc. The kids had a blast and once class was over., some of the kids tried to stay for the next class. In the afternoon with the older classes, we opted to only split into two groups and played kickball and Frisbee. It was a lot of fun! But we need to remember more water next time!
The guys did great at the prison! They weren’t allowed to bring in a camera, so here is a picture of the inside of the prison from an earlier trip:
The guys say they had a great time, other than Jordan drinking from a water bucket (bad idea, but we stuffed him full if Cipro). They guys were surprised at how young the inmates were and that they just seemed like scared teenager rather than ruthless gang villains. They bonded with the inmates and had a great day. You’ll have to ask them for more details, they seem to have quite the stories to share!
After the teams came back together, we all went to the home of Pablo, a young man who Tyler grew close to last year who was minutes from joining a gang when they met. He now works 12 hour days, goes to school, and takes care of his girlfriend and sweet baby girl. They all live with his mother, who invited us over for pupusas! We enjoyed time with Pablo and his family so very much. On the way to Pablo’s door, however, the team passed a man sitting on his stoop, with a huge tattoo across his forehead that made it very clear which of the two large gangs he was a member of. The kids greeted him as they passed, with no fear, and with complete love. This clearly surprised the man, because he called after Pablo asking if he could speak to any of us. By the end of the night, the whole team was exchanging stories, praying over him, and taking group pictures. It was quite an amazing situation to watch unfold, and I couldn’t be more proud of the outpouring of Christ in this group!
Day 5 (take two) - Carly's Birthday and Sports Outreach (Part 2)
We rang in midnight by singing happy birthday to our sweet Carly who turned sweet 16 today! We love when team members celebrate their birthdays by serving in El Salvador!
Once we woke up in the morning, we started the day with church service in Santisima and a prayer walk around the field, claiming it as God’s territory and rebuking the pain and destruction taking place in the community. It was a powerful part of the service, and you could see the desire for change in the hearts of the Salvadorians. In the afternoon, we set up for the big race that would be the conclusion of the sports tournament. Now, when I say race, let me explain that the starting point was at the field, then ending point was back at the field… and in between was a HUGE, incredibly steep hill. We had a team of seven participate (Wes, Kate, Carly, Brandon, Ryan, Tyler, Jordan) and they did an amazing job. Ryan was such an encourager! When the girls were struggling, the told them “Grab by hand, we’ll run it together!” I love seeing the beautiful hearts in our athletes, they are such amazing young men and women.
After the tournament, we took the winning teams and their families out to dinner at Pizza Hut (quite a treat here). Because this tournament was a sports outreach to gang members, the winning teams included a number of gang members. At Pizza Hut, our guys really stepped up and sat interspersed between the teams, and just got to know them. By the end of dinner, you’d have thought they were all best friends, they were beating up on each other the way boys do, seeing who could handle the most pain and who could drink the most hot sauce.
The night ended with cake, singing, and presents for Carly, then back to home-base to get rested up for the prison and school outreach!
Once we woke up in the morning, we started the day with church service in Santisima and a prayer walk around the field, claiming it as God’s territory and rebuking the pain and destruction taking place in the community. It was a powerful part of the service, and you could see the desire for change in the hearts of the Salvadorians. In the afternoon, we set up for the big race that would be the conclusion of the sports tournament. Now, when I say race, let me explain that the starting point was at the field, then ending point was back at the field… and in between was a HUGE, incredibly steep hill. We had a team of seven participate (Wes, Kate, Carly, Brandon, Ryan, Tyler, Jordan) and they did an amazing job. Ryan was such an encourager! When the girls were struggling, the told them “Grab by hand, we’ll run it together!” I love seeing the beautiful hearts in our athletes, they are such amazing young men and women.
After the tournament, we took the winning teams and their families out to dinner at Pizza Hut (quite a treat here). Because this tournament was a sports outreach to gang members, the winning teams included a number of gang members. At Pizza Hut, our guys really stepped up and sat interspersed between the teams, and just got to know them. By the end of dinner, you’d have thought they were all best friends, they were beating up on each other the way boys do, seeing who could handle the most pain and who could drink the most hot sauce.
The night ended with cake, singing, and presents for Carly, then back to home-base to get rested up for the prison and school outreach!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Day Five - Sports Outreach (Part 2) / Carly's Birthday
For several reasons, time for blogging tonight is basically non-existent, so we will fill you in on the day's events on a double-post tomorrow... for now, we will leave you with this photo that we believe sums up the day! Yay God!
Day Four - Sports Outreach (Part 1)
It is just past midnight as everyone is finally climbing into bed after the beautifully exhausting day we had! We were up bright at early at 5:00am in order to head to Santisima to help set up everything for the Sports Tournament. The entire four-sport tournament took place on a dirt field that sits near the tops of the hill that contains the Santisima community. The girls started inflating some of the soccer/basket/volley-balls we brought with us while the guys got digging into the dirt/gravel in order to install bamboo posts for the nets. 
After everything was set up, we headed to Mama's for a quick breakfast before heading back to Santisima for the tournament. Here is a peek into what our meal-time looks like:
Back at the tournament, Tyler led with the opening remarks, which included a debut of our team doing the Christian Spanish Hakka. (Still trying to get videos edited and uploaded. Stay tuned.)
Once the games began, the team jumped right in to the games which included, soccer, basketball drills, volleyball, and something the Salvadorans call Football Tennis. Basically, the court looks like a tennis court, but instead of using hands/rackets and tennis balls, you use a soccer ball, and can use anything BUT your hands or arms. For the Salvadorians who are pretty much amazingly talented when it comes to all things football (or Soccer, by our terms), it was a really cool came to watch. Once the Americans joined the game though... well, we made for a few laughs at least. Those who weren't playing games were out mingling with everyone. We've all had to find very creative ways of communicating since most of us know very little Spanish (and poor Kate and Luca can only be in so many places at once), and they know very little English. I am pretty sure that after all of this practice, our team could form some kind of National Charades team and be unstoppable!
It was a very busy, very eventful day, and everyone was worn out by the end of the day's games, but we were able to enjoy an evening of fellowship with the people of Santisima. We prayed with a good friend of Tyler's that he and Adrienne met during last year's trip, and took members of the church out to dinner at Carnitas. Our table ended up filling the length of the restaurant, and having to turn into a L-Shape to fit everyone!
Now it is off to bed because it will be another early morning as we start day two of the tournament!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers!
After everything was set up, we headed to Mama's for a quick breakfast before heading back to Santisima for the tournament. Here is a peek into what our meal-time looks like:
Once the games began, the team jumped right in to the games which included, soccer, basketball drills, volleyball, and something the Salvadorans call Football Tennis. Basically, the court looks like a tennis court, but instead of using hands/rackets and tennis balls, you use a soccer ball, and can use anything BUT your hands or arms. For the Salvadorians who are pretty much amazingly talented when it comes to all things football (or Soccer, by our terms), it was a really cool came to watch. Once the Americans joined the game though... well, we made for a few laughs at least. Those who weren't playing games were out mingling with everyone. We've all had to find very creative ways of communicating since most of us know very little Spanish (and poor Kate and Luca can only be in so many places at once), and they know very little English. I am pretty sure that after all of this practice, our team could form some kind of National Charades team and be unstoppable!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Day Three- The Rest of the Team Finally Arrives!
Wow, what a great first day with the ENTIRE team together!!!! It was wonderful!
The early team woke up at 4:00 to head to the beach for a morning run with Kevin and Gabriel, two of our friends from Santisima. After our run, we were able to each spend some time in prayer in the midst of one of the most beautiful places in God’s creation.
Then we practiced our Hakka, in formation, in the sand… in front of our Salvadoran friends. We are pretty sure they thought we were crazy, but it was fun nonetheless! Then it was time to pick the rest of the team up from the airport. We were just leaving the beach to drive the 10 minutes or so to the airport, fully expecting to make it there way before the team was able to get through immigration, customs, baggage claim and get outside when we received a call from Marito saying the time was ready and waiting for us! They made it through everything in record time with no problems at all! James sweet-talked his way through immigration (either that or the immigration agent was intimidated by him) and after that, they just started waving the rest of the team through. All of the bags made it, nothing was missing or stolen, and all-in-all, it was a great travel day for them!
The drive from the airport to Via Olympica (our home-base this week) gave the team the chance to absorb the culture for the first time. We arrived at home, unloaded bags, took a tour of the facility, and then headed to Mama’s house for lunch. (So long as Mama remains our cook, it will never be said that our teams suffer from malnutrition, starvation, or poor quality food… Mama is the most incredible cook and we are so spoiled to be able to have her cook for us every day.) While at Mama’s for lunch, Tyler surprised her with some news… but we’ll wait to tell that story until we can upload the video.
After lunch, we took a quick drive through the Santismas community to show the rest of the team where we will be ministering this weekend, and to introduce them to some of the teens we have come to know and love, then it was back to the house to allow the team to recharge with a nap before the weekend began. After everyone was refreshed, we finally learned the parts of Libertad (a Spanish song that the team committed to learn and sing for the church) that were still a bit shaky, complete with a competition between teams of 3 to see who could sing it best. Bishop, Wes and Jordan killed that competition with their own rendition of the song that had us in tears because we laughed so hard. (We'll be uploading that video as soon as we can!) After that, the early team taught the newly arrived members our new Hakka, complete with the formation and movements.
Then at 5:30, we left to meet the church community for a surprise welcome party they planned for us. Members of the ministry team welcomed us and showered us with love and gratitude for coming. We spent time getting to know them, eating Pupusas (a Salvadorian staple… tortillas stuffed with beans and cheese), and talking about the plans for the weekend. Finally, we surprised them by singing Libertad for them, and showing them our Hakka. They loved both, and had us teach them the Hakka so they could join us when we do it to begin the sports outreach that will begin bright and early tomorrow.
Today was an amazing first day. The team has done an incredible job of steeping into an entirely new environment and where they can barely communicate verbally, but have still managed to begin forming relationships and falling in love with the country and her people. As we begin the sports outreach tomorrow, please pray that our words, thoughts and actions be conformed to His divine will, that we accomplish the plan and purpose we have been called to fulfill in this trip, that hearts be changed and souls won for the Kingdom.
Dios te Bendiga!
The early team woke up at 4:00 to head to the beach for a morning run with Kevin and Gabriel, two of our friends from Santisima. After our run, we were able to each spend some time in prayer in the midst of one of the most beautiful places in God’s creation.
Then we practiced our Hakka, in formation, in the sand… in front of our Salvadoran friends. We are pretty sure they thought we were crazy, but it was fun nonetheless! Then it was time to pick the rest of the team up from the airport. We were just leaving the beach to drive the 10 minutes or so to the airport, fully expecting to make it there way before the team was able to get through immigration, customs, baggage claim and get outside when we received a call from Marito saying the time was ready and waiting for us! They made it through everything in record time with no problems at all! James sweet-talked his way through immigration (either that or the immigration agent was intimidated by him) and after that, they just started waving the rest of the team through. All of the bags made it, nothing was missing or stolen, and all-in-all, it was a great travel day for them!
The drive from the airport to Via Olympica (our home-base this week) gave the team the chance to absorb the culture for the first time. We arrived at home, unloaded bags, took a tour of the facility, and then headed to Mama’s house for lunch. (So long as Mama remains our cook, it will never be said that our teams suffer from malnutrition, starvation, or poor quality food… Mama is the most incredible cook and we are so spoiled to be able to have her cook for us every day.) While at Mama’s for lunch, Tyler surprised her with some news… but we’ll wait to tell that story until we can upload the video.
After lunch, we took a quick drive through the Santismas community to show the rest of the team where we will be ministering this weekend, and to introduce them to some of the teens we have come to know and love, then it was back to the house to allow the team to recharge with a nap before the weekend began. After everyone was refreshed, we finally learned the parts of Libertad (a Spanish song that the team committed to learn and sing for the church) that were still a bit shaky, complete with a competition between teams of 3 to see who could sing it best. Bishop, Wes and Jordan killed that competition with their own rendition of the song that had us in tears because we laughed so hard. (We'll be uploading that video as soon as we can!) After that, the early team taught the newly arrived members our new Hakka, complete with the formation and movements.
Then at 5:30, we left to meet the church community for a surprise welcome party they planned for us. Members of the ministry team welcomed us and showered us with love and gratitude for coming. We spent time getting to know them, eating Pupusas (a Salvadorian staple… tortillas stuffed with beans and cheese), and talking about the plans for the weekend. Finally, we surprised them by singing Libertad for them, and showing them our Hakka. They loved both, and had us teach them the Hakka so they could join us when we do it to begin the sports outreach that will begin bright and early tomorrow.
Today was an amazing first day. The team has done an incredible job of steeping into an entirely new environment and where they can barely communicate verbally, but have still managed to begin forming relationships and falling in love with the country and her people. As we begin the sports outreach tomorrow, please pray that our words, thoughts and actions be conformed to His divine will, that we accomplish the plan and purpose we have been called to fulfill in this trip, that hearts be changed and souls won for the Kingdom.
Dios te Bendiga!
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